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| Happy Z-V Day, courtesy Elliot Quince |
Your heart starts beating faster, your palms get sweaty, you start to shake and feel nervous, you long to grab on and hold tight for comfort. Are you falling in love or watching a horror movie?
It’s scary how similar the two are, and no doubt explains the rationale of watching a horror film with someone you have romantic feelings for. Watching a "romance" with someone can cause some swooning, but it also can elicit unrealistic expectations. Now, a film that gets the blood pumping and you end up in each other’s laps? That’s what we’re talking about!
There are some obvious Valentine’s Day films out there, such as My Bloody Valentine (1981, and the 3D remake from 2009) and the 2001 slasher film, Valentine, but there are some great horror flicks that give a good scare, contain some laughs, turn you on, make you cringe and may even leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. If you’re lucky, all of those elements are present.
So here are five films we’ve come up with to watch with your sweetie this February 14. Beware, there are spoilers and all films carry the "R" rating.
Candyman (1992)
Love is at the heart of why this urban legend springs to life. Based on the Clive Barker short story, "The Forbidden," Candyman (Tony Todd) was an artist and slave who fell in love with and impregnated a white woman. A big no-no back then. He was not only lynched and had his hand cut-off and replaced with a hook, but he was also stung to death by bees after being smeared with honey.
This film has lots of cringe-worthy scenes that guarantees that she’ll be burying her head in your chest. Just give your sweetie a nice box of candy, snuggle up, and when she asked you if you would be willing to die that way for her, you could safely say "yes" and she’ll swoon.
Fright Night (1985)
The original Fright Night just seemed a little more romantic in that the lead characters, Amy (Amanda Bearse) and Charlie (William Ragsdale) seemed more likely to be "in-love virgins." They’re an adorable couple who like to make-out and watch late night horror films together. The only issue this couple had, was when and how to lose their virginity, that is, until a sexy neighbor named "Jerry" (Chris Sarandon) moves in next door to Charlie and started killing hookers.
See guys, your gal will realize that all really handsome men aren’t always what they seem. Also, Charlie really goes the extra mile for Amy. Most guys would probably bail if their girlfriend turned into a vampire, not risk his life to kill the centuries-old jerk who changed her! Again, if your sweetie asks you if you’d do the same for them, just tell them "Of course, dear!" This film is fun, scary, funny, and sexy. A winning combo!
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
The Francis Ford Coppola film version of this traditional tale really captured the essence of the story. It’s beautifully shot and Gary Oldman’s portrayal of the Count is not only frightening but also touching. The love he feels for his dead wife and how he fervently pursues Mina (Winona Ryder), the living embodiment of her, will really help to stoke the romantic fires. The scene towards the end where the Count and Mina "consumm-ate" their relationship will get her at least a little hot, we promise.
Zombieland (2009)
Nothing says romance like scary zombies, right? This "zom-rom-com" has lots of fun elements including that of romance. It has some scary scenes that’ll make her jump into your arms and some great laughs too. There’s a sweet attraction between Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Wichita (Emma Stone). How about when Columbus risks his life to save Wichita and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) at the end, and then Wichita kisses him and reveals her real name? Come on! That’s romantic gold, baby!
So dig out your hidden stash of Twinkies and let your gal know she’s worth it. Maybe make up some fun "rules" of your own? Hint, hint.
Hellraiser (1987)
Nothing says love like luring strangers back to your home and bludgeoning them to death so that your dead lover could use their skin to restore him back into human form, right? Clive Barker’s demonic tale is no doubt, very disturbing, but it also shows just how far some people would go for love.
Julia (Clare Higgins), who sports a really sexy Gozer the Gozerian hair style, is in love with her husband’s sexually adventurous and now torn apart brother, Frank (Sean Chapman) and engages in these unspeakable acts for him. There are some sexy flashbacks and many scenes that aren’t for the squeamish but these factors can make for a great date movie. However, in this case, if your lover asks if you’d go this far for them, say “no.”
We could go on and on with a list of romantic horror films, but we just wanted to give you a sampling of movies and what to look for when choosing a great horror movie to watch on a date. Let us know some of your favorites!
as Peter Vincent. Plus, it would seem that 
as Charley is less of a horror geek than his 1985 predecessor (
'. And kudos to Colin Farrell for not taking himself too seriously (finally).
in 1931; he also gave the world the grandfather of the zombie movies, 
, in 1932. Meanwhile, Romero remains the reigning genius of the zombie genre after directing 1968’s 
. Romero also contributed heavily to vampires on screen with the underrated deconstruction 
(1978).