sábado, 4 de septiembre de 2010

The Creepy Origins of the Best Horror Movie Bad Guys (Pt. II)

 Michael Myers — “Pure, unadulterated evil” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in horror films, but few of the antagonists embody it as well as Michael Myers. The silent hulk is an unnaturally powerful and resilient killing machine, dispatching his victims with cold brutality. Myers was a bright child, speaking and reading at a rate that was advanced for his age. When he turned five, however, things changed and he slowly began showing signs of autism. The boy grew quiet and reserved, showing a strange preoccupation with certain objects and staring into blank space. On Halloween of 1963, the then-six year old Myers walked into his household kitchen, grabbed a butcher knife, and stabbed his older sister to death. The boy was later found sitting stoically outside the house, and seemed emotionally dead. Psychiatrists were puzzled by Myers’ actions — he had absolutely no motivation to kill his sister, and no insight could be gained from his unwavering silence. The only time that Myers would ever show some sign of emotion was when his younger sister, Laurie, would come and visit; the boy would inexplicably start grinding his teeth and staring at her. After years of fruitless study, Myers’ psychiatrist could come up with no other theory than the boy being pure evil. Unknown to anyone else, however, was the fact that Myers’ babysitter, Mrs. Blankenship, was a member of the mysterious Cult of Thorn. The cult believed that in order to bring balance to the conditions that bring about conflict in humanity, a chosen individual must kill all the members of his family. The young Myers was chosen to carry out this act, and was bestowed with the Curse of Thorn. It would be this curse that attributed to Myers homicidal urges, as well as his supernatural strength and seeming immortality. As long as his bloodline existed, Myers would continue to hunt his family down, killing anyone who would get in his way.

Michael Myers — “Pure, unadulterated evil” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in horror films, but few of the antagonists embody it as well as Michael Myers. The silent hulk is an unnaturally powerful and resilient killing machine, dispatching his victims with cold brutality.

Myers was a bright child, speaking and reading at a rate that was advanced for his age. When he turned five, however, things changed and he slowly began showing signs of autism. The boy grew quiet and reserved, showing a strange preoccupation with certain objects and staring into blank space. On Halloween of 1963, the then-six year old Myers walked into his household kitchen, grabbed a butcher knife, and stabbed his older sister to death. The boy was later found sitting stoically outside the house, and seemed emotionally dead.

Psychiatrists were puzzled by Myers’ actions — he had absolutely no motivation to kill his sister, and no insight could be gained from his unwavering silence. The only time that Myers would ever show some sign of emotion was when his younger sister, Laurie, would come and visit; the boy would inexplicably start grinding his teeth and staring at her. After years of fruitless study, Myers’ psychiatrist could come up with no other theory than the boy being pure evil.

Unknown to anyone else, however, was the fact that Myers’ babysitter, Mrs. Blankenship, was a member of the mysterious Cult of Thorn. The cult believed that in order to bring balance to the conditions that bring about conflict in humanity, a chosen individual must kill all the members of his family. The young Myers was chosen to carry out this act, and was bestowed with the Curse of Thorn. It would be this curse that attributed to Myers homicidal urges, as well as his supernatural strength and seeming immortality. As long as his bloodline existed, Myers would continue to hunt his family down, killing anyone who would get in his way.

 Hannibal Lecter — Cold, cunning and ruthless, the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer unlike any other — a brilliant man with a twisted outlook towards life. Born into an aristocratic Lithuanian family, Lecter’s earliest years were privileged ones. At the time of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, things changed and his family fled to their forest lodge. They were unable to escape tragedy however, as Lecter’s parents and family retainers were eventually killed by a German bomber. Lecter and his sister Mischa were left to fend for themselves. Tragedy struck once more when a group of former Lithuanian collaborators attempted to loot the lodge. Lecter and Mischa were taken captive by the looters, led by one Vladis Grutas. Starving and desperate, the looters resorted to eating Mischa. Lecter watched in horror as Grutas and his men cannibalized his sister, and he would never be the same again. Lecter would eventually escape captivity; however, the ordeal traumatized him and he became mute. Lecter was later found by the Soviets and returned to his castle, which had been converted into an orphanage by the war effort. The boy was severely disturbed, attacking and severely wounding many of his fellow orphans. However, it seemed that the attacks were purposeful — Lecter resorted to violence only against the bullies. He was eventually found by his uncle, Count Robert Lecter, and taken to his new home in France. There, he met his aunt, the Lady Murasaki, and he fell enamored with her. One day, a butcher named Paul Momund made obscene comments at Murasaki while she and Lecter were out and about. The boy retaliated by viciously attacking Momund. Momund, enraged by Lecter’s actions, took it upon himself to confront the Count. In the heat of the confrontation, Lecter’s uncle suffered a heart attack and passed away. Lecter blamed Momund for the Count’s death, and exacted his revenge by decapitating the butcher. Eerily recalling the cannibalization of his sister, Lecter then proceeded to slice the cheeks off of Momund’s severed head and eat the flesh. Momund’s murder alerted the authorities, and much suspicion was directed towards Lecter. However, due to the Lady Murasaki’s intervention, and Lecter’s own ability to fool lie detection machines, he was found innocent of the murder. Lecter went on a fruitful academic life at the Lycée, capped by earning the recognition of being the youngest student to ever be admitted to a medical school in France. While on his studies at Paris, he chanced upon one of his family’s old paintings, and was reminded of the horrors of his past. He returned to the lodge where he was held captive as a child, hoping to give his sister a proper burial. As he searched the premises, he found the dog tags of the looters responsible for his sister’s brutal murder. He would then hunt each member down and murder them in vengeance. Though his appetite for revenge was sated, his bloodlust was not, and Lecter continued to kill those who would cross him. He grew a fondness for the taste of human meat, and often disposed of his victims by including them in his epicurean dishes. An internship in Baltimore would eventually bring “Hannibal the Cannibal” to American shores, where he would continue his work with a terrifying and savage sophistication.

Hannibal Lecter — Cold, cunning and ruthless, the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer unlike any other — a brilliant man with a twisted outlook towards life. Born into an aristocratic Lithuanian family, Lecter’s earliest years were privileged ones. At the time of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, things changed and his family fled to their forest lodge. They were unable to escape tragedy however, as Lecter’s parents and family retainers were eventually killed by a German bomber. Lecter and his sister Mischa were left to fend for themselves.

Tragedy struck once more when a group of former Lithuanian collaborators attempted to loot the lodge. Lecter and Mischa were taken captive by the looters, led by one Vladis Grutas. Starving and desperate, the looters resorted to eating Mischa. Lecter watched in horror as Grutas and his men cannibalized his sister, and he would never be the same again. Lecter would eventually escape captivity; however, the ordeal traumatized him and he became mute.

Lecter was later found by the Soviets and returned to his castle, which had been converted into an orphanage by the war effort. The boy was severely disturbed, attacking and severely wounding many of his fellow orphans. However, it seemed that the attacks were purposeful — Lecter resorted to violence only against the bullies.

He was eventually found by his uncle, Count Robert Lecter, and taken to his new home in France. There, he met his aunt, the Lady Murasaki, and he fell enamored with her. One day, a butcher named Paul Momund made obscene comments at Murasaki while she and Lecter were out and about. The boy retaliated by viciously attacking Momund. Momund, enraged by Lecter’s actions, took it upon himself to confront the Count. In the heat of the confrontation, Lecter’s uncle suffered a heart attack and passed away.

Lecter blamed Momund for the Count’s death, and exacted his revenge by decapitating the butcher. Eerily recalling the cannibalization of his sister, Lecter then proceeded to slice the cheeks off of Momund’s severed head and eat the flesh.
Momund’s murder alerted the authorities, and much suspicion was directed towards Lecter. However, due to the Lady Murasaki’s intervention, and Lecter’s own ability to fool lie detection machines, he was found innocent of the murder.

Lecter went on a fruitful academic life at the Lycée, capped by earning the recognition of being the youngest student to ever be admitted to a medical school in France. While on his studies at Paris, he chanced upon one of his family’s old paintings, and was reminded of the horrors of his past. He returned to the lodge where he was held captive as a child, hoping to give his sister a proper burial. As he searched the premises, he found the dog tags of the looters responsible for his sister’s brutal murder. He would then hunt each member down and murder them in vengeance.

Though his appetite for revenge was sated, his bloodlust was not, and Lecter continued to kill those who would cross him. He grew a fondness for the taste of human meat, and often disposed of his victims by including them in his epicurean dishes. An internship in Baltimore would eventually bring “Hannibal the Cannibal” to American shores, where he would continue his work with a terrifying and savage sophistication.

 Freddy Krueger — Born out of rape and put up for adoption, Freddy Krueger spent a difficult childhood under an abusive alcoholic stepfather. The boy would eventually grow up to be a sociopath, withdrawn from the rest of the children and secretly learning to enjoy the pain from his adoptive father’s beatings. He eventually got revenge on his father by killing him in cold blood. When Krueger reached adulthood, he married a woman named Loretta and had a daughter, Kathryn. Unknown to his wife, Krueger had developed a fondness for murdering children, having tortured and slain 20 kids over the years. He kept records of the killings and his instruments of torture in a secret room in the basement. When Loretta discovered the ghastly room, Freddy killed her in front of his own daughter, as she was “snooping in on daddy’s special work.” Krueger was eventually discovered by the authorities and arrested for his crimes, which earned him the moniker “the Springwood Slasher”. Unfortunately, an error in the signing of the search warrant rendered the evidence inadmissible, and Krueger was set free. The victims’ parents, however, decided to take justice into their own hands. They stormed into the boiler room where Krueger committed the murders and burned him alive. Moments before his death, however, Krueger was approached by three dream demons in search of a malevolent soul. They offered Krueger the chance to “be forever” and turn nightmares into reality, in exchange for continuing his evil work in the dream world. Krueger happily accepted, and gained the power to exist in people’s dreams, control them, and cause actual physical harm to them. Krueger would continue his heinous work through these newfound abilities.

Freddy Krueger — Born out of rape and put up for adoption, Freddy Krueger spent a difficult childhood under an abusive alcoholic stepfather. The boy would eventually grow up to be a sociopath, withdrawn from the rest of the children and secretly learning to enjoy the pain from his adoptive father’s beatings. He eventually got revenge on his father by killing him in cold blood.

When Krueger reached adulthood, he married a woman named Loretta and had a daughter, Kathryn. Unknown to his wife, Krueger had developed a fondness for murdering children, having tortured and slain 20 kids over the years. He kept records of the killings and his instruments of torture in a secret room in the basement. When Loretta discovered the ghastly room, Freddy killed her in front of his own daughter, as she was “snooping in on daddy’s special work.”

Krueger was eventually discovered by the authorities and arrested for his crimes, which earned him the moniker “the Springwood Slasher”. Unfortunately, an error in the signing of the search warrant rendered the evidence inadmissible, and Krueger was set free. The victims’ parents, however, decided to take justice into their own hands. They stormed into the boiler room where Krueger committed the murders and burned him alive.

Moments before his death, however, Krueger was approached by three dream demons in search of a malevolent soul. They offered Krueger the chance to “be forever” and turn nightmares into reality, in exchange for continuing his evil work in the dream world. Krueger happily accepted, and gained the power to exist in people’s dreams, control them, and cause actual physical harm to them. Krueger would continue his heinous work through these newfound abilities.

 Jason Voorhees — The physically-deformed, mentally-challenged Jason was born to an already-imbalanced Pamela Voorhees, a cook working at Camp Crystal Lake. The boy was somewhat shy and reclusive, with his abnormalities often the cause for bullying from other kids. His mother Pamela, however, saw fit to protect her boy by any means necessary, even though she wasn’t quite playing with a full deck to begin with. Pamela snapped, however, when Jason drowned due to the negligence of two amorous camp counselors. The following year, two counselors were caught making love when they were brutally murdered. Camp Crystal Lake understandably shut down after the tragedy. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop people from trying to reopen it. Every year that someone tried to bring Camp Crystal Lake back to life, someone’s life was taken. The mysterious killer’s identity was discovered years after, when the sole survivor of a vicious attack learned that the murders were the work of none other than an enraged (and deranged) Pamela Voorhees. Using her wits and will to live, the survivor managed to decapitate Pamela, putting a stop to the killings for good. But the killings didn’t stop. A few months after the harrowing ordeal, the survivor suddenly disappeared. Many began to wonder if Pamela Voorhees had found a way to return and avenge her dead son. Only, Jason wasn’t dead. He somehow survived the drowning incident and had been in hiding for years. Upon finding his mother’s severed head, the imbalanced Jason was enraged and vowed revenge upon all those who dared wander into Camp Crystal Lake. So the slaughter continues…

Jason Voorhees — The physically-deformed, mentally-challenged Jason was born to an already-imbalanced Pamela Voorhees, a cook working at Camp Crystal Lake. The boy was somewhat shy and reclusive, with his abnormalities often the cause for bullying from other kids. His mother Pamela, however, saw fit to protect her boy by any means necessary, even though she wasn’t quite playing with a full deck to begin with.

Pamela snapped, however, when Jason drowned due to the negligence of two amorous camp counselors. The following year, two counselors were caught making love when they were brutally murdered. Camp Crystal Lake understandably shut down after the tragedy.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop people from trying to reopen it. Every year that someone tried to bring Camp Crystal Lake back to life, someone’s life was taken. The mysterious killer’s identity was discovered years after, when the sole survivor of a vicious attack learned that the murders were the work of none other than an enraged (and deranged) Pamela Voorhees. Using her wits and will to live, the survivor managed to decapitate Pamela, putting a stop to the killings for good.

But the killings didn’t stop. A few months after the harrowing ordeal, the survivor suddenly disappeared. Many began to wonder if Pamela Voorhees had found a way to return and avenge her dead son.

Only, Jason wasn’t dead. He somehow survived the drowning incident and had been in hiding for years. Upon finding his mother’s severed head, the imbalanced Jason was enraged and vowed revenge upon all those who dared wander into Camp Crystal Lake. So the slaughter continues…

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