Thursday, April 25, 2013

A-Z Geek (V): The Scare without the Horror

During the April A-Z Challenge, I’m posting six days a week, following the letters of the alphabet. I will share all the movies, books and games I watched, read and played--all the influences that turned me into the geeky person and writer I am today.

BOOKS
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (1985): Before Stephenie Meyer, Anne Rice dominated the vampire novels. This is book 2 of the Vampire Chronicles, which follows after Interview with the Vampire. Ignore the movie.

TV
V (1983) and the remake (2009): Both versions were different from each other, yet enjoyable. The newer one didn’t quite capture the fear element. Maybe the big hair and massive shoulder pads made the original so scary.

What are some things that scare you the most? What's your vampire story? What's your favourite alien invasion story?

#AtoZChallenge

30 comments:

mooderino said...

I remember the original V as quite a big TV event from my childhood. Eating the rat especiallyl

mood
Moody Writing

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

lol, yeah, the rat scene was so memorable, hahaha

Miss Cole said...

I love anything that doesn't scare me while I watch it but plays on my mind later. The Blair Witch Project is like that, and the Silent Hill games. Brrr, scary stuff!

Nana Prah said...

The thought of seeing a ghosts scares me. I know God doesn't have me see them because I'd be freaked out all of the time.

Fairview said...

Loved the original V. The newer version just was missing something. I think it was that I couldn't connect with the protagonist.

DWei said...

The Combine arriving on Earth via the portal the Gordon Freeman opened in the Half Life series is probably my favorite.

Cynthia said...

I read a lot of stuff by Christopher Pike while I was growing up. He has written some vampire stories that I really like.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Big hair and shoulder pads - funny! I do remember the main alien, Diana I think, was hot.

Unknown said...

"Maybe the big hair and massive shoulder pads made the original so scary."
ROFL! Yup, that must be it!
I was a big Rice fan, but a with many successful novelists, I think the quality's gone done a bit in recent years. I like the aliens in "Aliens" and "Predator." As those aren't exactly "nvasion" stories, I'll go with "Independence Day" and "Mars Attacks!"
Other good Vs: "V for Vendetta" and "Vertigo."
Fun post! :-)

Unknown said...

Actually things from real life scare me the most; like the holocaust.

DEZMOND said...

I loved the V series a lot. It aired sometime in the 90s here in my country every day and it was pretty intense and suspensful! I haven't tried to watch the new version.

Al Diaz said...

I watched the first V and I enjoyed it very much. And I would take Rice's vampires over Twilight's any day.

Nick Wilford said...

The first alien one that comes to mind is Mars Attacks, not a V but it's so much fun!

cleemckenzie said...

Lestat scared the heck out of me in the books, but I'm not even tempted to watch Tom Cruise play that role.

Suze said...

'Ignore the movie.' That's funny. :)

Whispering Thoughts said...

Interesting

Mark said...

I haven't read this one, but my wife has been telling me to. It looks intriguing:)

Michael Di Gesu said...

I'm with Al.... Meyers can't hold a candle to Rice's vampires.

I also enjoyed V...

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I enjoyed both the original and new V. With Lestat I saw the movie only but with book one both movie and book were seen and I loved them.

Julie Flanders said...

I had to laugh about the ignore the movie comment. :D

Sherry Ellis said...

I think I'll put that book on my list. I've never read it, and it looks like a good one.

Mel Chesley said...

Ha! Yeah, the remake of V was...interesting lol! I gave you an award on my blog, Lynda!

Mel at Writings Musings and Other Such Nonsense

Unknown said...

I agree with Melanie above. Anything in real life scares me the most.

Carol Kilgore said...

I only remember bits and pieces from the original V. I liked the remake. I thought she was extra scary because she was so understated. And I agree about real life stuff being scariest.

Patricia Stoltey said...

The Vampire Lestat was so creepy....and it took years for me to get around to reading it because Interview with a Vampire gave me nightmares. I finally got smart and stopped reading vampire stories. :D

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

yep, except when she was eating rats ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I totally agree. It's a shame. Her later books just didn't hold me.

Great picks!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

smart move. The new season just didn't have that intensity.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

oh! Thank you so much!!

Unknown said...

Wow! I had forgotten about the original V with the skin peeling off, revealing the lizard like features underneath and the whole rat-eating thing....yuck. I must admit though that I was glued to the television each and every week.