Friday night frights

Friday night and I'm watching Candyman. Reminds me of when I was growing up and watched Night Owl Theater or Theater of Blood on Friday nights. The movie isn't as frightening as I remember, but none of the movies were. The horror came later when the lights were out and everyone was sound asleep. Through the darkness a blowing curtain looked like a vampire's cape or the swirling darkness dancing with shadows out of which coalesced demons and murderers, a smoky void that seeped into my fertile imagination during sleep and became monsters that chased me away from the light and into grasping arms that folded me into their bloody embrace. Amber lights in the darkness leering between the wind tossed skeletal branches of malevolent trees that hinted at safety and once close enough to bask in their protective gaze turned baleful eyes that promised death or worse.

Those movies were seeds planted in the fertile ground of my imagination, seeds that grew into unspeakable horror. Even the lamest and campiest of films were but fodder for the horrors laying dormant within my mind ready to spring to slavering life to rend and tear my innocence and slash my security and feelings of safety to bloody ribbons.

As bad as Candyman is, it still has the power to awaken hidden horrors and disturb my sleep.

Guess I'll work tonight.