I Watched Horror Movies for 30 Years

Evolution of a Horror Lover and How It Impacts Our Mind

I was around 13 years old when on a cold February night, my friends and I brought a film on rent from a video store. The film was — The Evil Dead, supernatural horror flick of 1981. The store manager had convinced us that it was the scariest film ever made. I don’t know about my friends but I had a prior experience of watching horror films. We were all excited by the thought of watching it together.

In the 1990s, if you wanted to watch a movie at home, VHS tapes and video cassette players were the only options available. So, five of us, all between 11–13 years old, gathered at my house, wrapped ourselves in comforters and switched on the movie. It was alright in the beginning when five college boys and girls take shelter in an abandoned mountain cabin surrounded by woods. Everything seemed fine till night when one of them discovers an old thick book filled with hieroglyphics and strange drawings in the cabin’s junk. Along with it, there is a message tape-recorded by an archaeologist. In his statement, professor describes the contents of the occult book and warns that playing the incantations can bring the demon to life.

It was a signal, and I remember that we paused the film here for a while so that if someone wanted to attend nature’s…