Whatever You Do, Hemophobics, Don't Faint! It's Only Blood!

 

How's it going lurkers? In case you have not already guessed, today's blog is NOT  about hemophilia. It is about hemophobia. 

 

Hemophobia is the fear or phobia of blood.

The more I thought about hemophobia, I chose to conduct online research about it, hoping to find informative articles about the phobia. Low and behold, there are at least several.

Stumbling upon the website, FearOf.Net, I discovered that it is a website specifically dedicated to a plethora of phobias. 

When visiting FearOf.Net's main page, there is an Anxiety Test, as well as lists of the Top 10 and Top 100 Phobias. Of course, 4 of mine made the Top 10 List.

Don't be fooled. Just because I am a Horror fan and author, doesn't mean I don't have any phobias of my own. My biggest phobia made Number 1 and must be slayed every time I walk inside and outside the house, throughout spring, summer, and early fall.

To solve any confusions some might already have, being hemophobic is NOT  the same as being terrified of needles (trypanophobic).  

Trypanophobia is more common than hemophobia.

How many people do you know personally enjoy having blood work done and/or shots taken at hospitals/clinics?

Both shots and blood work can be extremely painful. This is especially if you have a ruthless nurse holding a needle in his/her hands just to brutally stab you with it.

Hemophobics typically experience symptoms such as anxiety (duh), nausea, increased heart rate, sweating, and trembling at the sight of blood.

Sudden drops in blood pressure and heart rate leading to pallor or weakness and fainting at the sight of blood are soon to follow.

Some have been caused to have a fear of blood due to traumatic and tragic experiences. Bloody images shown on TV and movies can also contribute to hemophobia.

It goes without saying that genres, sub-genres, and themes that are "near and dear to my heart," so to say (Horror, Thriller, Crime, serial killers, etc.) are mostly to blame for hemophobia. 

Well, the objective IS to frighten audiences after all. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing our jobs.

Anyway, if you would like to participate in the poll taking, statistical data, and are more curious about hemophobia specifically, don't be too horrified to LEARN MORE.

So, did I happen to traumatize anyone with the display of blood?

Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear Of Friday The 13th

How's it going lurkers? Since Grimm no longer exists on TV, we can't say "Thank Grimm it's Friday!" anymore. However, today is THE day that fills many of us with so much terror. Today is Friday The 13th.

Thankfully, I was born on an even number day. I already have bad luck as it is. 

Being born on June 13th would've made my life worse. The last thing I needed was to have my birthday fall on Friday The 13th.

Being Paraskevidekatriaphobic is having the phobia of Friday The 13th. Triskaidekaphobia is the phobia of the number 13.

Believe it or not, there is actually a website dedicated to BOTH phobias. If you would like to learn more about paraskevidekatriaphobia and triskaidekaphobia, make sure to visit Triskaidekaphobia.Info.

I never had any real fear of Friday The 13th. That was until Friday, September 13, 2013.

On our way home from working at a career fair, my oldest aunt and I were stopped at a 4-way intersection. 

Once the light turned green, some asshole RANDOMLY drove past the red light on his side of the intersection and nearly crashed into us. Luckily, my aunt instantly slammed on her brakes. That driver almost caused a DEADLY pile up.

It was bad enough at the time, that I was the front seat passenger to 2 previous car accidents, which were 2 WEEKS APART from each other. Before my 2nd accident, I had a really disturbing premonition in the form of a nightmare. It was about my 2nd car accident literally 2 nights before it happened.

Luckily, I was not in a 3rd car accident 2 weeks after my 2nd accident. I really couldn't withstand anymore pain, in addition to what I was already having.

During my 2nd accident, I got whiplash. Even though I was not in a neck brace or anything, I had Lidoderm Body Patches taped around my back, sides, and neck.

I previously had a phobia of driving. The premonition in the form of a nightmare really shook me up. I started having PTSD from it.

After literally being banged up in 2 going on nearly 3 car accidents, 2 weeks apart from each other, my fear of driving and being in cars became worse.

Nearly being hit in a 3rd car accident on Friday The 13th in September 2013 added to my anxiety.

Before my car accidents, I never used to worry about any specific dates. Whenever Friday The 13th is approaching, I try my hardest NOT  to schedule anything important on that date like so many other people.

Why take the risk of playing Russian Roulette, when you already have misfortune?

Not that I am intentionally trying to traumatize anyone, but there are many reasons why people including business owners avoid the number 13 and Friday The 13th.

~ $900,000,000 in productivity is lost annually in America because many people are superstitious about Friday The 13th.

Do NOT  forget, that in the Bible, 13 men attended The LAST  Supper. 

The 13th man was believed to have been Judas, who later betrayed Jesus. 

Jesus was crucified on a Friday, also. Dun, dun, DUUUUN!!!

Regardless if you are paraskevidekatriaphobic, triskaidekaphobic, superstitious, or NOT, stay safe on the roads, on the 13th floor of a building, or an elevator, etc.

'Tis The Season For Christmas Slashers [Anna H's Review]

How's it going lurkers? As I already said in the previous Song Saturday blog, I have a blog review about Christmas Slashers.

With me being so busy doing last minute Christmas shopping, watching Christmas Slashers, etc. I did not have enough time to publish my review, sooner.

Orthodox Christians don't celebrate Christmas Day, until January 7, 2015.

Therefore, I'm sharing my Christmas Slasher Review today.

Since last Monday morning, I watched a few Christmas Slashers. 

Last year, I only watched Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) and the 2012 remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night. 

On Monday morning, I watched Black Christmas (1974) and Tuesday I watched Christmas Evil (1980).

These Slashers have year gaps between them, and they will be reviewed in chronological order.

Just a quick reminder, I am somewhat biased against these Christmas Slashers mostly because I expected for them to actually frighten me.

1) Silent Night, Bloody Night Trailer (1972)

 

Theodore Gershuny's Silent Night, Bloody Night was originally released as Night Of The Dark Full Moon and is also known as Death House.

Silent Night, Bloody Night was filmed in 1972 but was shelved for 2 years. It was not until 1974 that the Slasher was released in the movie theaters. Silent Night, Bloody Night takes place on Christmas Eve 1950. 

Wilfred Butler returns to his mansion only to discover that it was turned into a mental institution for the criminally insane. 

That same day, Wilfred is shown running outside his mansion, while on fire soon collapsing to his supposed death in the snow. The towns people believe that Wilfred's death was accidental and his mansion is shut down.

About 22 years later, lawyer John Carter and his assistant Ingrid arrive in a small Massachusetts town. He meets with the town's nobles, Mayor Adams, Sheriff Bill Mason, Tess Howard, and Charlie Towman. John is revealed to be Jeffrey Butler's lawyer. 

Jeffrey is Wilfred Butler's grandson. Jeffrey Butler tries selling the Butler mansion for $50,000 by noon the next day.

After John Carter calls his wife, it has been revealed that he is cheating on her with his ASSISTANT, Ingrid. John and Ingrid stay the night at the Butler mansion for dinner and sex. During sex, they are slaughtered in bed with an axe!

Then, the killer calls the police station's phone operator (Tess) in a low, muffled voice. The killer claims to be "Marianne."

Watching Silent Night, Bloody Night last December bored me. If memory serves me right, I started dosing off at my keyboard just watching it.

The film's trailer, dark and spooky night scenery, the voyeurism, music score, menacing phone calls, and Wilfred Butler's low, muffled voice were creepy. Otherwise, Silent Night, Bloody Night was very slow and boring.

2) Black Christmas Trailer (1974)

Bob Clark is best known for creating Porky's and A Christmas Story. Most don't know, that he created Black Christmas. The movie was originally titled Silent Night, Evil Night.

As a filmmaker, Bob Clark had versatility. Black Christmas was literally created 9 years before A Christmas Story. Those 2 Christmas movies were from completely different film genres, which is fascinating.

Black Christmas is revered as 1 of the original Christmas Slashers. Not only is this considered to be 1 of the original Christmas Slashers, but it also contributed to the launching of the Slasher Genre.

In fact, John Carpenter was inspired by Black Christmas, which is why Halloween exists today.

Silent Night, Evil Night (Black Christmas) takes place in a sorority house with promiscuous sorority girls preparing for Christmas Break. As they are having their Christmas Party, they start receiving strange and obscene phone calls. They automatically assume it's a prank caller.

All the while, Barb taunts their sorority sister, Clare for being a virgin. Clare becomes so annoyed with Barb's insults, that she goes to pack her clothes in her room. Suddenly, their housemother's meowing cat appears.

Clare starts hearing strange noises, is smothered to death from behind with a clothing bag, and is carried to the attic. Her corpse is later propped in the attic's rocking chair RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW! Supposedly, no one knows what happened to Clare. Her sorority assumes, that she is MISSING.

The characters in Black Christmas annoyed me. They are depicted as obnoxious, stupid, and morally depraved sorority girls, including the so-called "heroine," who wants to abort she and her boyfriend, Peter's baby.

After the harassing phone calls, tapping of the phone wires, and the investigation, no one caught the serial killer!

The movie's trailer, harassing phone calls, ominous film score, the red herring character (Peter), Billy's Doberman colored eyes peeping through the door, his hidden appearance, and the camera angles, pans, and zooms were all creepy. Otherwise, Black Christmas didn't frighten me. I was highly disappointed.

Gee, I guess "my skin IS on too tight."

3) Christmas Evil (1980)

This 1980 Christmas Slasher was originally released as You Better Watch Out and is also known as Terror In Toyland.

I could not help rolling my eyes, while laughing at this Christmas Slasher. Watching Christmas Evil was a joke! The YouTube vlogger, Dr. Wolfula does a better job at reviewing THIS movie than I could ever do without laughing hysterically behind my keyboard.

Dr. Wolfula's Christmas Evil Review (2010)

Harry, a deranged toymaker at Jolly Dreams wasted 33 YEARS of his life being traumatized over his daddy role playing as Santa Claus and I assume he watched some tongue action under his mommy's nightgown, then threw a tantrum and broke his snow globe only to cut himself? OMG! THIS IS TOO HILARIOUS FOR WORDS!!!

Was Daddy the so-called "Clit Commander" dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve?

Regardless, Harry's Santaphobia was and still is hilarious. 

Had Christmas Evil's filmmaker been more clever with possibly showing Harry accidentally walking in on his mother moaning from mind shattering orgasms, during sex with his father, or if he witnessed his mother being beaten and/or raped, his trauma would've been MORE convincing and realistic. None of what I mentioned was shown in Christmas Evil.

If any of those situations could've been demonstrated to the audience without the child actor being on the set for the scene years ago, Harry's trauma would've been more convincing.

He became a deranged, mass murderer because Daddy was caressing Mommy's thigh under her nightgown, while being a CUNNING LINGUIST  in a Santa costume!

OH NO! I saw Daddy dressed as Santa Claus, while doing weird things under Mommy's nightgown by the Christmas Tree! So traumatizing! Now, I have SANTAPHOBIA!!!

Harry's bizarre behavior, his Santa memorabilia, the music score, and the film's trailer were the only creepy qualities about Christmas Evil. Watching Harry murder 3 church parishioning bullies in front of everyone on the stair steps made me laugh so hard, I cried hysterically.

That's besides him smothering and slitting his co-workers' throats with a knife, as well as flying into the moonlight like a scene out of E.T. with his SANTAMOBILE.

Harry may have been a creepy and deranged stalker taking on the constant roles of being Santa Claus, but overall, I just could NOT  take Christmas Evil seriously.

4) Silent Night, Deadly Night Trailer (1984)

The original Silent Night, Deadly Night was notorious for its controversial Slasher trailer 30 years ago. There were 3 Christmas Slashers, which existed years BEFORE Silent Night, Deadly Night was created. However, it was the most condemned and demonized.

Militant, Stay-At-Home Mommies and Christian zealots protested on the streets and literally called Tri-Star Films to have Silent Night, Deadly Night banned NATIONWIDE.

Siskel and Ebert persecuting the filmmaker contributed to Silent Night, Deadly Night's bannings from theaters after its 1st week. Here's something really interesting. Both A Nightmare On Elm Street and Silent Night, Deadly Night released on November 9, 1984.

Silent Night, Deadly Night outperformed A Nightmare On Elm Street; On the same day, it blew A Nightmare On Elm Street out the water!

My family claimed years ago, that parents took their children to watch it in the movie theaters. Other sources claimed, that the trailer was advertised, during times when children were watching TV.

After watching Silent Night, Deadly Night last week on Christmas morning, I was disappointed.

The opening for Silent Night, Deadly Night was phenomenal yet cheesy all at once. A little boy sang, as the movie's title rushed onto the screen with animated blood being splattered.

On Christmas Eve 1971, the 7-year-old Billy Chapman and his family go to visit his institutionalized grandfather. Billy's grandfather is supposedly "catatonic." The doctor escorts Billy's parents to review his grandfather's records. 

Suddenly, Billy's grandfather traumatizes him about Christmas and Santa Claus. He starts telling Billy that Santa punishes naughty boys and girls.

After witnessing his "catatonic" grandfather's disturbing behavior, while hearing his grandfather's grisly secret about Christmas, Billy's Santaphobia is soon born.

Yes, Santaphobia really does exist. It's also a main contributor to Silent Night, Deadly Night's plot.

Billy was already traumatized by his grandfather and is soon subjected to more trauma. 

Down the road, a robber dressed as Santa Claus robbed a liquor store, while shooting the clerk dead. That same robber kills Billy's father, shortly after.

The robber proceeds to rape Billy's mother and slits her throat with a knife. Once Billy witnesses this traumatic incident, he is placed in an orphanage where he is subjected to more trauma and physical abuse by Mother Superior.

Whenever Billy witnesses people having sex, he automatically views it as rape.

Witnessing a co-worker being raped by another co-worker, after being forced to dress as Santa Claus for work triggers Billy's serial killing spree.

I spent more time sympathizing and empathizing with Billy Chapman than any character.  

Silent Night, Deadly Night's music score, highly misleading trailer, Billy's grandfather, the antique toy soldiers, and Santa Claus decorations creeped me out. Overall, this Christmas Slasher barely scared me; It didn't make me jump out my skin watching it. 

I kept bracing myself for a scare, but the scares failed to deliver for me. I am starting to believe that I have become desensitized to Horror. 

Then again, Silent Night, Deadly Night's trailer STILL manages to give me goosebumps even after watching the entire movie. 

Seriously, how can trailers for Horror movies be more frightening than the actual movies? Does that make any sense?

Whoever put its movie trailer together should've made this highly controversial Christmas Slasher more appalling. All that outrage and protesting to have Silent Night, Deadly Night banned in '84 for NOTHING.

Talk about a HUGE disappointment.

5) Silent Night Trailer (2012)

OMG! This Christmas Slasher is nothing like the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. This remake doesn't even have a real story to it.

The serial killer's Santa Claus mask is frightening, whereas everything else is extremely contrived. I nearly fell off my bed from laughing hysterically at Silent Night, last Christmas Eve.

Watching the killer Santa literally tase that bratty 12-year-old pill popper to death still is hilarious and the best part of the entire movie.

I discussed Silent Night with my friend, Charlie JJ Kruger from Horror-Punks.com, 2 months ago. Charlie agreed with me about this Slasher being terrible. He is not lying. Silent Night was a Shit Sandwich.

Out of all 5 Christmas Slashers, Silent Night, Deadly Night is the best in my opinion and Black Christmas creeps behind it. 

Even though neither Christmas Slasher frightened me, I believe casual viewers will be, especially for those who are easily scared of Horror. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night is more convincing and has a better plot in regards to Billy Chapman's serial killing spree.

Meanwhile, Billy's entire physical appearance in Black Christmas (not to be confused with Billy Chapman) is never shown.

We only know that Black Christmas' Billy is a stalker/serial killer. That in itself is enough to scare people, since stalkers and serial killers really do exist.

If you happen to watch these Christmas Slashers (you can YouTube them all for free), let me know what you think!

Why Are Some People Coulrophobic?

DISCLAIMER: Today's blog contains clowns.

 

Poltergeist: Clown Scene (1982)

How's it going lurkers? If you have been watching or listening to the latest in the news, some people have been playing killer clown pranks on others. As the days go by, I keep reading and hearing about coulrophobic people.

Coulrophobia is having a fear of clowns.

Surprisingly, coulrophobia has existed for decades. As long as I can remember, my youngest aunt (she's 7 years older than me) has been scared of clowns, since the movie, Poltergeist. Poltergeist released in theaters June 4, 1982.

That was literally 10 days before I was born.

Like I already said, the clown in Poltergeist somewhat caused my aunt to become coulrophobic. However, I don't believe her coulrophobia is as debilitating as others.

Some people seriously have a debilitating fear of clowns. Most coulrophobics are scared of the Auguste Clowns.

Auguste Clowns are the clowns with red noses and crazy-looking hair.

I mainly discussed this issue on Adult Swim. A poster mentioned, that John Wayne Gacy contributed to coulrophobia.

Gacy was a serial killer/rapist dressed as a clown, during the 1970's in Chicago, IL.

The Adult Swim poster, who I talked to made a valid point, that highly supports coulrophobia.

I feel that Horror Movies, Horrorcore rappers, and Shock Metal bands such as Insane Clown Posse and Slipknot, for example contributed to their fair share of coulrophobia within the last 2-3 decades.

I'm not demonizing them. I'm only stating my observations.

Horror Movie Auguste Clowns

Pennywise The Clown from Stephen King's It most definitely made his contribution to coulrophobia. 

Almost everyone I've talked to about their fear of clowns is quick to name drop Pennywise. The latest addition to coulrophobia happens to be Twisty The Clown from American Horror Story: Freak Show.

Professional Scary Clowns Upset With American Horror Story’s Scary Clown

After reading the preceding article regarding Glenn Kohlberger's anger towards the demonization of clowns, I couldn't help laughing. Clowns of America's president is upset about clowns being portrayed as serial killers.

So far, there appears to be an increasing number of adults and children, who dislike clowns. Supposedly, movies about killer clowns have traumatized the most recent generations. Some coulrophobics claim they fear what is HIDDEN under the masks.

My youngest aunt especially claims, that a clown's physical appearance looks suspicious and abnormal.

Translation: They are social deviants; Clowns look like complete freaks and she doesn't trust them.

I was never coulrophobic growing up. Then again, I have been a Horror fan, since my childhood. In order to understand how horrific coulrophobia can be for some, here's an old clip from a documentary about a coulrophobic woman.

A Severely Coulrophobic Woman

This phobia seems hilarious, if not ridiculous to the rest of us. Although, this can't be said to those struggling with coulrophobia.

Coulrophobia can be as debilitating as being arachnophobic (being scared of spiders). I was really surprised to learn, that Johnny Depp and Sean "Puff Daddy/P. Diddy" Combs are coulrophobics.

I was more surprised about Johnny Depp than P. Diddy, considering all the creepy and social deviant roles that Johnny has played within the last 1-3 decades. Well, you learn something new everyday.

Last week, I Googled coulrophobia and stumbled upon websites regarding people's fear of clowns. In fact, there is a website specifically called, Coulrophobia Facts. 

The website gives readers a better understanding about having a fear of clowns in detail.

Coulrophobia Facts lists the different types of clowns, the history of coulrophobia, and gives suggestions about how to overcome the fear.

If you want to learn more about coulrophobia, the link is above.

Anyway, since today's blog is about CLOWNS and Halloween is creeping around the corner, I have a music video for you called "Proud As Punch" by Fear Incorporated. I'm so sadistic.

Fear Incorporated "Proud As Punch" Dark Carnival (2014)