March Kryptic Army Mission: Fear Itself!

by in Kryptic Army

Fear Itself banner

“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

In his first inaugural address as the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his speech that included that famous line quoted above. This took place on March 4th, 1933. This was given to a country that was still desperately trying to survive the great depression, so there was a lot to be afraid of. And there still is today. We’re not going to get political here, but focus on the subject of “fear itself”, as in personal fear. What are YOU scared of? Snakes? Sharks? Nuclear holocaust? Zombies? Ghosts? Or maybe something more simpler like dogs or cats?

Fear Itself 1

Those that know me, know my deep routed terror of sharks, and other things in the water that are out there just waiting to pull me under, and rip me to pieces. I know there are a lot of shark-themed movies that I haven’t seen because I purposely avoid them for that reason alone. Even when hearing how great they might be. So this month, I will be wading into my personal deep end and facing those fears by watching two that I haven’t seen. I’m sure all of our soldiers out there have some sort of phobia or fear that is somehow exploited into a couple of movies that they haven’t seen before. It could be something as simple as being in a car accident (Cronenberg’s Crash, Final Destination 2), or maybe you’re not the most comfortable while flying (Snakes on a Plane or the first Final Destination), or even afraid of someone breaking into your house (The Strangers or Inside). The whole idea is go outside of our comfort zone and face our fears. Are you willing to accept this mission and face YOUR fear?

Fear Itself 2

If so, you have until 11:59pm on March 31st to find two horror movies that you have not seen before that both deal with a personal fear or phobia you have. Come on, this should be cathartic for us all (saying this now before I am sitting there watching Open Waters or The Shallows!!!) and will knock out a couple of titles that we’ve been too scared to tackle. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger, right! Sometimes, at least.

So go out and pick your poison. Be creative if you have to. Hopefully we’ll see you back in the barracks, a stronger and harder solider than now. Good Luck.

22 thoughts on “March Kryptic Army Mission: Fear Itself!”

  1. Holy crap I hate you for this theme…kidding. Maybe.
    First fear for me is spiders. I’ve been terrified of them since once crawled up the front of my shirt when I was a little kid playing in the sandbox. So I decided to check out 1975’s The Giant Spider Invasion. I figured it would have both real and fake spiders which would make it a little easier to handle. And yes, it did. A space vessel carrying space spiders crashes on earth. The babies pop out of geodes – at the appropriate times, of course – and start to take over. The giant mama spider wreaks havoc by eating the local town folk. That’s about it. The real spiders used in the film scared the crap out of me. I can’t help it but ever time they were on screen, I yelled or dry heaved. Ugh. BUUUUT….the giant spider was built over the body of a VW bug and was fucking HILARIOUS! The gore level is fun; the skeevy bro-in-law and his brother were both unsettling and ridiculous; I did enjoy the doctors who were trying to figure out what the hell to do; and freakin Alan Hale Jr was on the verge of annoying. But it was kind of a fun film to watch, probably more fun if you’re not an arachnophobe.

    Two other fears of mine are being trapped in a small space that slowly fills with water, and being stranded out in the middle of the ocean without a raft, boat, or even a damn piece of driftwood to cling to. And so I forced myself to watch 2018’s The Boat. A lone sailor comes across an abandoned sailboat and becomes trapped on it while it runs on autopilot. Or does it…? Holy shit this movie was uncomfortable. The beginning seemed a little unlikely but as I’m not a fisherman or sailor or know anything at all about boats and sailing, maybe I’m way off. The whole film is just this one guy and the boat, and he carries the film brilliantly even with the limited dialogue. The cinematography is gorgeous (filmed in Malta), the music/atmospheric effects add to the eeriness, and the camera work puts the viewer in the boat with this guy. Many people hate the ending because it seems dumb or too vague. But I think that allows the viewer to interpret what happened, or what they think happened. I don’t know why ANYTHING happened to this poor guy but for this kind of film, I LIKE not knowing. I probably won’t watch it again because I’m already getting hives thinking about it. But if you like a tense thriller with no explanations, highly recommend it. It’s on Prime right now.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • The funny thing Peggy, is that you are not the first person to give me crap about this mission! Which makes it even better! I’ll be posting my movies later tonight!

      I absolutely LOVE Giant Spider Invasion! Granted, it is probably the best of Bill Rebane’s work but it is still so much fun. And yes, the VW spider is a riot.

      I don’t think I’ve heard of The Boat, but it does sound interesting. Granted, being on a boat in the middle of the water would have me on edge as well!

      Like

      Reply

  2. Okay folks… it seems that a few of you are a little irritated by this month’s mission. Just know that while I was watching my own titles for this month’s mission, I was regretting picking this subject just about every second of the movies!

    The Shallows (2016) – I had heard good things about this, but obviously avoided it because… well, it’s about sharks. So I made the choice to pick this one first. I’m assuming most, if not all the sharks were CGI, it didn’t bother me that much. The subject of the movie, that bothered me. Seeing any movie where someone is in the water and there is a potential danger of something in there with them, really gets under my skin. So yeah, there were many times I was squirming in my seat. But I did think this was a pretty decent movie and well made. The ending… eh… but I’ll let it go. Definitely worth seeing.

    47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) – I remember hearing that 47 Meters Down was supposed to be pretty good. But when this title popped up on my Amazon Prime feed, I figured it was a sign for me to watch it. So I did. Oh boy.

    The first part of the film was actually pretty good, which has 4 young girls swimming through an ancient underwater city that is like a maze. Of course, there are sharks down there. So swimming through the narrow passages was a little unnerving, even getting to my wife who is a tad bit claustrophobic.

    But the ending… oh lord in heaven… has to be one of the stupidest, cheesiest, and lamest that I have ever seen. Even the most laughable of Great White was more realistic than the ending of this film. So tread lightly on this one.

    So I did it. I managed to watch two shark movies inside of two week even. And I’m pretty damn proud of myself for it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I liked the first 47 Meters Down well enough, but hadn’t gotten around to seeing the sequel. Doesn’t sound like I need to rush right out. I really remembered enjoying The Shallows and I don’t recall the ending being questionable, but I’m willing to go back and address the logic!

      Like

      Reply

      • I would recommend watching the last 15 minutes of the sequel, just to see how damn silly it is. As for The Shallows, now I’m thinking I need to go back and rewatch the ending to see if I even remember it correctly.

        Like

  3. Still working on this one. Hard to find movies about heights and crowds (that I havent seen) so trying to get creative. 1 down 1 to go.

    Like

    Reply

  4. First – I’ve never been a big fan of being out on the ocean in a ship of any kind.

    Dead In The Water 2018/USA

    A ship with an all female crew that has been hunting down an illegal fishing operation gets stranded in the ocean 600 miles from shore. Engines shot. A huge storm bearing down on them. And they find a man floating in the ocean. A man with a passenger who lives off of humans. Can they survive this trifecta of terror? Well, I ain’t telling! If you ignore the under par CGI effects, this is a fun little movie. These ladies really have the deck stacked against them, and for the most part, their decisions don’t make you scream at the TV, “What in the Hell are you doing?!?!” I was very entertained by this movie, and would definitely say that it will warrant a repeat viewing or two.

    Next – Dolls in real life don’t bother me, but in films…they are damn creepy! From Talky Tina to Hugo to the Zuni fetish doll to Chucky to Robert to Annabelle. They are just creepy AF!

    Killer Under The Bed 2018/USA

    I was worried right off the bat. A Lifetime movie. Oh Boy! A family, having lost the father, moves to a new city. The youngest daughter still clings to the father’s memory to an almost unhealthy degree. And of course, she runs into the entitled Queen Bitch of her new school. This, in addition to not getting along with her older sister. Things change when she finds a doll in a shed at her new home. OH NO! Not just any doll; A Voodoo Baby Doll. She finds the instructions online, and the voodooing begins. Things start to get out of hand though, when then doll starts taking things into its own hands! Yes, you read that correctly. I was blown away that something this supernatuaral, would ever be shown on Lifetime, for God’s sake! Find it! Watch it! I know I will again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Well Bob, you’ve come up with two titles that I don’t think I’ve ever heard of! So well done there!

      I think I’ve had enough terror on the water for this month, but the voodoo doll one does sound interesting. Plus, with Kristy Swanson in it? I’m even more interested!

      Like

      Reply

  5. I had to get creative with this one since, as I noted before; I couldn’t think of movies about heights and crowds that I hadn’t seen. (Including zombie movies that often have large masses of zombies swallowing (figuratively & literally) a lone individual).
    1. Street Trash- No, I do not have a phobia of people melting. I do have a strong dislike (bordering on phobia) of large crowds. By extension, I have a fear of big cities. I have been in quite a few and while I can handle it, I really feel uncomfortable and don’t like them. This movie takes place in the grimiest, worst city I have ever seen (I’m not sure where it takes place). The movie itself was not my cup of tea. The acting was bad, the plot made little sense, went off in unnecessary tangents, and people acted unrealistic. The humor was in poor taste & more importantly; not funny. I also found the racial slurs upsetting since even the “heroes” used them. But the movie did do 2 things very well. The melting was done in a fun way with bright colors and interesting effects. Next, for someone like me who finds cities uncomfortable, it made the city feel even more disturbing, trashy, filthy and populated by creeps than anything I could have imagined. I felt slimy just watching it. This movie did not work as therapy for my discomfort with cities but instead made me even more averse to cities. I guess the movie should get points for that.
    2. The Black Coat’s Daughter- This one was a bit of a stretch to watch it for the fear mission, but I actually learned of another fear that I didn’t know I had until I saw this movie so it worked out doubly well. Being brought up in a strong Christian/Catholic Household I was taught demons are everywhere. While I no longer believe they are sitting around waiting on the corner, I do still believe in them. Maybe not red horned beings with pitchforks, but as forces of darkness & evil. I am not afraid of them but I have a healthy respect for them. Needing to find a movie for my second “fear mission” I decided a movie with dark forces/demons would have to do. I really enjoyed this movie. It was directed with a fresh perspective on the tired and overdone possession thing. The demon worked more as it seems like it would in reality. What good does it do to possess a young child or to act so “demonic” & crazy as to draw attention to yourself by some Exorcist? This demon seemed content to cause harm and misery and if it could drag someone down the path to evil…all the better. But it was the end that really affect me. How the director managed to convey the loneliness of the possessed girl without “her” demon was amazing. The end where her last bid to reconnect with her master failed, actually made me feel sorry for her. Which is either quite a feat or says something about me. Which brings me to another fear I didn’t know I had. I realized at the end of this movie how much I feared loneliness. If I were to have no connections with my friends and loved ones it would be a cold and miserable life. So this movie actually made me fear that.
    As a final note, if anyone else has a fear of heights like I do; a movie I saw a long time ago that falls well into the category was Frozen (not the Disney Movie). It is about 3 friends who get stuck on a ski chair lift when the ski resort closes for the week. It is freezing and they are high up. They think if they stay they will freeze to death but they are stuck pretty high up and can’t figure out how to get down. Add wolves to the mix and it’s a pretty intense movie. I really enjoyed it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hey Chris – Thanks for your report!

      Street Trash may not be my favorite, but there are parts that I absolutely love. As you mentioned the effects are incredible, original, and really well done. So while it’s not one I bust out that often, I give the filmmakers a lot of credit for getting that made, with the money (or lack thereof) they had.

      I still need to rewatch The Blackcoat’s Daughter. I remember thinking it was okay, but after discussing it with other friends, I feel I need to watch it again. Maybe I dosed off the first time, but it is high up on my rewatch list.

      Like

      Reply

  6. I’m finally getting to movie #1… hopefully can find movie #2 in time. I have a few fears, but nothing major. I don’t like heights, but not as much as some people. I’m claustrophobic, but not as much as some people. One thing I really, really dread though, is the dentist. I’ve had bad teeth all my life and this makes the dentist extra scary and embarrassing.

    So, anyway… movie #1 is A CURE FOR WELLNESS (2017?). It might be a spoiler to explain what this movie has to do with teeth trauma. But I assure you, if you are bothered by teeth getting smashed, pulled, etc, this one is a nasty beast.

    More generally, the film is incredibly good. The director is Gore Verbinski (The Ring) and it stars my buddy Dane DeHaan. It is visually arresting with its use of darkness and water (and dark water), and is the classic psychological thriller. People are in a sanitarium to get well… but are they really sick? Is our narrator mentally well? Who can we trust? And what is the connection to a long-dead incestuous baron? And what’s with all the eels? I highly recommend this for anyone who likes a good mystery, especially one set in an asylum.

    Like

    Reply

      • Alright, Jon, I snuck it in under the wire!

        I was able to track down a copy of DENTIST 2, which not only fits my theme perfectly, but works as a tribute to Stuart Gordon, as well (sort of). Is it a good movie? Well, depends on what you mean by good. It’s a 90s straight-to-video Brian Yuzna movie. So it has more than its share of cheese. But if you like that (and I suppose I do), it’s worth a watch.

        More to the point, does it address my fear? OH HELL YES. Not even five minutes in, a very realistic dentist visit turns into a nightmare with blood everywhere. I actually had to turn away, which is a rare thing for a desensitized bastard like myself. Anyone looking to squirm would do well to watch this one.

        (Side note: It’s a shame that Corbin Bernsen never got to be bigger than he is. He’s a far better actor than this film deserves.)

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Okay, the toughest part of this one was deciding what my greatest fear was, which ended up sending me into an existential spiral! What I finally concluded is that I am most frightened of becoming infirm or unwell or unhealthy, i.e. my body or mind fails me and I’m unable to do anything about it. (AND THIS WAS BEFORE THE FRIGGIN’ COVID-19 EPIDEMIC SWAM ASHORE… THANKS JON.)

    Anyway…. I decided that I would tackle films with the medical profession in the title, seeing as how if you’re seeing a doctor or nurse, that’s probably not a good sign. It also gave me the opportunity to knock out a couple of films that have been sitting unwatched for at least a decade and a half!

    #1
    DR. TARR’S TORTURE DUNGEON (aka Mansion of Madness) (1973)
    d. Juan Lopez Monteczuma (Mexico) (82 min)

    Newspaper reporter Gaston LeBlanc (Arthur Hanel), interested in exploring his French ancestry, requests that his editor send him on assignment to a remote country sanitarium using the groundbreaking “soothing system,” where patients are encouraged to explore their emotions to the fullest without discipline, punishment, or confinement. Upon touring the facility, however, LeBlanc comes to the horrifying realization that the mental hospital is actually being run by the inmates and the mysterious and charismatic Dr. Maillard (Claudio Brook) is allowing them to live out their wildest and most bizarre fantasies.

    Combining equal parts Peter Greenaway’s The Cook The Thief The Wife and Her Lover, Tinto Brass’ Caligula, Ken Russell’s The Devils, Peter Brook’s Marat/Sade, and the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky (with whom Monteczuma collaborated on Fando y Lis and El Topo) which are then forced through a Euro-horror lens of practical locations, crumbling castles, lush forests, cobblestone paths, and bizarre musical choices, this is far from the cheap little Mexican film with a blatant exploitation title on a 50-Movie box set of public-domain titles that I was expecting.

    (Full Review Here: https://horror101withdrac.blogspot.com/2020/03/dr-tarrs-torture-dungeon-1973-dvd-review.html)

    #2
    NURSE SHERRI (1978)
    d. Al Adamson (USA) (88 min)

    Attempting to jump on two exploitation bandwagons at once, producer Sam Sherman and director Adamson (in their final collaboration) concocted this mash-up of The Exorcist and Roger Corman’s “Nurse” movies which features the titular character (Jill Jacobson) being possessed by the spirit of a religious nutbag (Bill Roy) and murdering off half the hospital staff and patients where she works, growling in a none-too-convincing dubbed male voice all the while.

    While there is a smattering of nudity, car chase action, and the occasional blood splatter, this is a mostly lifeless affair designed to kill 90 minutes and a few brain cells along the way. The one point of interest is that Sherri’s African-American co-worker Tara (Marilyn Joi) ends up being the smartest character on screen and essentially ends up saving the day. I’m not prepared to call Adamson a progressive, but it was a pretty ballsy move on his part.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • Honestly, I can’t say that I “liked” either of them, even though I’m not sorry I watched them. It’s weird. The Adamson one is potential Turkey Day material, but it’s still pretty slow. Might play with a crowd though. Torture Dungeon is definitely a tough egg to crack – I think you need to go into it knowing that you’re going to get a heady stew of exploitation elements through a sociopolitical filter and see how that manages your expectations.

        Like

  8. Bats. I faced my fear (some may say, “irrational fear”) of bats with Chosen Survivors (1974.) It was more like a poor man’s 1970’s disaster epic, but I enjoyed it. What could be worse than spending the end of the world in a bunker with 10 despicable people? Spending it with hundreds of insidious vampire bats that squeeze their way through the tiniest cracks and crevices!

    I’m going to get to only one movie this month, but I don’t know if I could take another one, anyway.

    If you’d like to read more about Chosen Survivors, please visit my blog (after you’re finished here.)

    https://www.classichorror.club/post/chosen-survivors-1974

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Don’t feel bad. When I was a kid, bats used to creep me out, mainly due to the fact that I was told they get in your hair. Of course, now that I don’t have any hair…

      Like

      Reply

  9. Movie 1: Shadow People

    I vividly remember standing up in my crib and seeing the Hatman several times as a child. I dunno how much influence this phenomenon had over Freddy or the Babdook (if any) but you can see some similarities. I won this movie via horror trivia years ago. So, I forced myself to watch it. It was very well done and even creepier as it was half actual documentary. I’ve since been having night terrors of them in the weeks since I watched this. Very well done movie. Would not recommend.

    Movie 2: Daniel Isn’t Real

    I also had 2 imaginary friends as a child. Boy and a girl, same height, dark hair, no faces. I’ve often played with the ideas of what they were. Ghosts? Demons? This movie kind of took Drop Dead Fred and utilized some of the same concepts of the imaginary friends as it did (with how the imagination can hold more knowledge than the imagineer) but was utterly boring. I liked that it touched on the fear of the other side of the mirror (2 fears) and that the antagonist’s final form looked like the “Red Man” my brother drew and described that he saw in our parents house 20 years ago. Finally, it had a character say the words, “I would like to see us all wiped out by a super flu rather than nukes.”

    I hope you’re happy, Jon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I have to say, I do find it pretty amusing at the comments I’ve gotten for this month’s mission. But since I stepped up myself and took the plunge into shark movies, I’m sure the rest of you can step it up a bit!

      As for you, Erich…don’t think I’ve heard of Shadow People though. I also had a wild imagination as a kid would often seen figures in my closet which always turned out to be clothes. Didn’t really give me night terrors, but it did keep awake at times. But I’m glad you took the challenged and watched it!

      Daniel isn’t Real, I have heard of, but honestly don’t remember how the reviews were. But obviously you’re not giving too high of praise!

      Like

      Reply

      • Yeah. They would stand in the doorway. Much like the “Pleasant Dreams” Ramones album art. Whatever it is; it’s been around longer than I.

        You’re a great sport about the ribbing, though! Alo in fun!

        Like

Leave a comment