Illustration by Janis McMath
Look no further for worn out horror film tropes
By Erin Meyers, Contributor
AirBNB: Bed N’ Blood (2019)
A group of college-aged students all partake in full-frontal nudity. The subplot of the movie features a collection of friends going on a spring break trip to the middle-of-nowhere with an acquaintance they all failed to do a background check on. The twenty-somethings (played by thirty-somethings) are all too focused on their own irrelevant relationship problems to realize the evil afoot—an evil more sinister than all the illegal reservations and the lack of safety regulations that AirBNB facilitates.
The Irritating (1980)
The Johnson family moves into a new home at a bargain, not realizing that the place is haunted. Unlike in most horror films, this ghost is not vengeful, violent, angry, or a little girl—it is simply the soul of a person who was a horrible headache. Watch the Johnson family struggle with the ghost constantly derailing the family’s conversations to talk about themselves, eternally sniffling but never blowing their nose, constantly clearing their throat loudly, and always asking the meaning of tv shows while everyone is just trying to watch it. This psychological horror may be too much for some.
Gratuitous (2010)
Plagued by her past, thirty-something Jennifer Frightscare finds an exorcist to release her from the demons she inherited as a little girl. Filled with scenes offensive to people of all faiths, cultures, and ideologies.
The Devil is in My Tits (1999)
A black and white horror film from the ’90s that features a young woman coming of age and discovering her body, only to realize that Satan is speaking to her through her breasts. A metaphor for promiscuity is supposedly to be found somewhere in all the convoluted imagery, confusing dialogue, and unnecessary screaming. Cinematography is great though.
It’s Hard to Follow (2015)
An arthouse film.
