The Arrow posted a BLOG item
9 months ago
Over the course of running Arrow in the Head for 11 years I have been the subject of many of our readers homework usually by way of an interview. After a while; I started refusing to do them, feeling like I was doing peeps homework for them and hey, I paid my dues in that respect. But recently, for reason unknown, I said “lets do it” to AITH reader Collin Walter Breaux and he has since sent me his paper.
Am posting it here cause of all the school papers that were written about me or/and the site over the years; this one was my fav. In depth and compelling and for me, its always interesting to get a totally unbiased outside perspective as to what I do on the site that goes beyond you rock or you suck. Read on! NOTE: The dude got an “A” (as he should) and his professor said the essay was “thought-provoking”. That’s a wise teach!
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream: “Arrow In the Head” As Horror Movie Buff
By Collin Breaux – English 4151 – 5/6/11
Off in some far corner of the web lurks a cult writer who champions the cultural value of horror movies. Much like the victims in the movies, the genre is often attacked: it’s seen as a violent distraction and utterly undeserving of any sort of further critical analysis. But there’s a man who goes by the nom de guerre “Arrow In the Head” (his real name is John Fallon and he, in fact, also acts in such movies) who validates the idea of horror film criticism. The namesake was, as Fallon explains, “what my buds called me” and “was the first thing that popped in my noggin”, if that will give you any indication of what’s to come as I analyze his writing style. More mainstream critics have been less welcoming of the horror genre. Roger Ebert has stated, “After watching all the films on AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies list, one would no longer have the desire to see a Dead Teenager Movie,” referring to his own lingo for the horror genre. But Arrow sees much more promise within horror: “It’s no coincidence that some of our most respected filmmakers (Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Kubrick, James Cameron) developed their craft via horror films as it’s a genre that allows lots of room in terms of taking chances on a story level, audio/visual wise and in tackling bold themes (that can often act as metaphors for current social issues)”.
Boasting in his logo that he’s been “online since 2000”, his writing style can best be described as quirky and idiosyncratic. His prose veers somewhere between a distracted, reckless teen with ADD and a more thoughtful observer in the Leonard Maltin mode. Other writers assist him on the site (mainly with news headlines and podcast interviews) but this is mostly Fallon’s project. You can see his more casual and flippant side show through when he posts an impassioned editorial colorfully called “F*ck The Crow Remake! Give Us a Director’s Cut!”: “So after 3 ho-hum sequels and one lame TV Show, in my book; unless they went the ‘female Crow’ route with the franchise; there was no point in continuing it.” (This was also noted as one of the most popular features on the site for the week.) Despite his approach, it’s obvious he’s an intelligent reviewer. In fact, he may be aware enough to know how to connect to his audience (by directly appealing to them in the most haphazard of ways) and parlay his image of an excited fan into that of widespread accessibility. Take note of this more nuanced and thoughtful observation earlier in the same column: “This movie itself addressed themes that I am very close to: true love, death and revenge and I’ll be honest, I teared up many o times during that first watch.”
It’s Alive!: Horror Throughout the Ages
But this genre has its roots deep in history, and it also invites further philosophical and psychological considerations. Let’s remember all the way back to the dark side of the Romantic movement, which saw Edgar Allan Poe penning tales and poetry of the macabre. Now go further and remember the dawn of the twentieth century and the invention of a curious little technology called cinema, where some of the first movies made were the expressionistic film The Cabinet of
Dr. Caligari (a forerunner of the horror genre to come), as well as screen adaptations of the classic Gothic novels Frankenstein and Dracula. Then horror got grittier and more confrontational, reflecting the counterculture of the 60s and 70s questioning the traditional values of the time. Night of the Living Dead featured blatant cannibalism onscreen, while the flower child ethos itself got a rude wake-up call in the Southern backwoods as seen in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. All of that has led to the style that’s arguably taken hold now, the so-called “slasher”, and with it the offshoot; what’s hip with the kids today, “torture porn” like Saw and Hostel. Franklin Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and clearly this catharsis of dread has been with us throughout the ages.
So Arrow In the Head isn’t far off the mark (if you’ll excuse the pun). Dennis L. White observes this trend in an essay exploring the formalistic properties of the horror genre. “It must be more than just the unity of a life such as that of a mad doctor; of an act, such as his crimes or experiments, of a place, such as the castle where he conducts his experiments.” (White 5-6). As one can see, much work has to go into the creation of a horror movie, as above all it is seeking to evoke a certain mood, that of fear or dread.
In that case, because it primarily invites an emotional reaction, intense observation of it is almost required to sustain the genre, and perhaps that’s where Arrow comes in. He fulfills a vital role: by describing his gut reaction to it, we can perhaps make sense of it. Horror also plays on not just the thrill of voyeurism and action but also tugs at more ancient anxieties: “If a film is to frighten us it must use elements that are genuinely frightening: in the case of Psycho, not just an old dark house, but the madness of a man like Norman who lives in that house-not just murder, but the kind of death from which there is no protection, no warning, and no escape” (7). Trying to grapple with these heavy and chilling realizations by ourselves is a heady task, but Arrow can serve as a seer. By pointing out which elements of a horror movie may work and which don’t, as a critic he can help us make sense of it. This element of helplessness also illuminates the reason behind his wanton breaking of literary rules. If the horror genre is to sweep us up in a tide of inevitability, it only makes sense that this fatalistic and irreverent attitude should seep into Arrow’s writing style. When interviewing the star of the movie Sniper Reloaded, here’s how he described the process: “I recently had the chance to trade punches with Collins as to all that was the Sniper Reloaded experience; and here’s what the dude left-hooked my way!” Sounds kinda brutal, eh? His persona adapts the tone the movies achieve. Is there any greater example of a writer truly understanding the needs of his field?
I guess horror movies can be tied to my own personal history as well. As a child I recall sitting on the couch with my mother as twilight fell, watching classic horror movies like The Wolfman together. She doesn’t care for the new, bloodier style of horror films; her heart will always lie with the antique monster flick. As I grew older and became a teen my brother then showed me Halloween. Ah, I’ll never forget that shrieking score. Just lying in his bed and watching the faceless Michael Myers leap out from the shadows always perturbed me.
With a taste for the more lurid side of cinema, I stumbled across Arrow In the Head about eight or nine years back, when I was in high school He showed me the way to not just obscure 80s slashers, but also the more experimental side of the horror genre. Through him, I found out about a film called The Minus Man, which still remains one of my favorite movies ever. Check this out from his review on The Minus Man: “Since Vann is the narrator of the film, the movie is seen through his eyes. A film told through the eyes of an enigmatic lead makes for a for a very ambiguous story. Many questions are left unanswered once the credits roll down and I don’t think a second viewing of the film would answer them.” Very considerate, no? Well, just so you see he’s not all Mr. Fancy Arthouse, here’s a snippet from his review of the Friday the 13th remake that came out a few years ago: “The visual effects were on the money as well. Jason’s look if not a tad too familiar was the bomb design wise while the red grub came through as to its execution when displayed on screen.”
Jesus Wept: Are Horror Fans Desensitized To Misogyny, Violence, and Irreligion?
By now in this paper I feel I must address a rather controversial issue with Arrow’s site. The layout is a bit chaotic, perhaps reflecting the messy feel of a lot of horror movies. But he also has a recurring shtick called “Mistress of the Week” where he puts up a racy photo of some horror movie actress. These aren’t any more raunchy than what you’d find in Maxim. Some of his articles are also littered with like-minded photos. But just the fact that such cheesecake photography has became a tame standard is consideration for reflection. Horror is rife with untamed and often forbidden sexuality, and Arrow revels in it in spades.
Even as an ardent fan, I’ll readily concede that the horror genre isn’t noted as the most conscientious or socially aware genre out there. Too often it plays upon trite racial stereotypes and falls back on sex as a convenient plot device. But Arrow isn’t about to fall into the politically correct trap, staying true to horror’s maverick attitude and standing firm in his editorial decisions: “That’s fine, it’s your opinion, you are entitled to it, you don’t like it, get off the site”, when I ask him how he’d respond to potential accusations of sexism on his site.
A weird sort of conservative morality has emerged: often, the girl who abstains from sex survives until the end, the vestal virgin. The horror genre seems as schizophrenic as its own creatures: it’s not sure if it wants to see a girl flaunt her body or hide it. In the essay “Monster Pains: Masochism, Menstruation, and Identification in the Horror Film”, Aviva Briefel observes that the creation of a female monster in a horror movie is wrought with pain: “The female counterpart to the act of self-mutilation is menstruation, a narrative event that positions the audience in an uncomfortably close relationship to the female monster” (Briefel 16), whereas “Before they set off to harm others, male monsters revel in masochistic acts” (16). Arrow does bring up a good point that the women in the horror genre aren’t totally defenseless or ignorant: “I don’t know ask the girls who posed for the pictures if it’s sexist or not” regarding his Mistresses.
An issue that often arises in any discussion about horror films is the effect it has on the viewer. Am I desensitized to violence after having watched so many of them? When I went to see Scream 4 with my girlfriend recently, I watched people get stabbed in the head and threatened on the telephone. When we walked out the theater, the two of us continued discussing the ho-hum aspects of our day, not giving a second thought to all the imaginary death we just witnessed. The Omen featured explicitly Satanic subject matter and while the genre is too often stereotyped as exclusively reveling in devil worship, it is a theme that pops up sometimes. I think the bassist for the death metal band Cannibal Corpse Alex Webster said it best: “I think people probably aren’t that desensitized to it, you know including myself, like you know, we sing about all this stuff and you watch a movie where you know it’s not real and it’s no big deal, but if you really saw someone get their brains bashed in right in front of you, I think it would have a pretty dramatic impact on any human being, you know what I mean?” Speaking from personal experience, being at the funeral of a loved one (or someone I know) is a humbling experience. When I saw my dad placed in his coffin, the finality of it, no amount of slasher movies prepares you for being face-to-face with that, and no matter how tough you think you are because you listen to heavy metal, nothing prepares you for the raw emotion of that moment.
In a sense, I guess I also enjoy the camp aspect of some horror movies. There’s nothing I love more than a cheesy horror movie where I can laugh at the stilted action and atrocious special effects. I remember one night we rented this movie called Santa’s Slay (I know, I know) and stayed up until three in the morning laughing at the overall cheesy format. There’s enough real-life terrors out there, and horror movies can soothe our anxieties. The baddies on screen are nothing more than amplified versions of our anxieties. In a sense, it could be a gruesome catharsis for all the fears and uncertainty we experience in day-to-day life.
And also, horror movies have shown an ability to rise above the mere level of ludicrous vaudeville into something weightier and more considerate. There’s one in particular out there called The Last Horror Movie, which is a clever mockumentary that deconstructs the very notions of the horror genre through the purported diary of an actual serial killer. Arrow has to this to say about the film: “The script (by James Handel) was incredibly well written where it often slyly played with our perception of its lead and our expectations to viciously bang us across the head. Furthermore, the subject matter at hand was thankfully not handled in an obvious black and white manner.” The fact that horror can rise to the level in which it attains salience and comments upon itself shows that there is some intelligence in this monster after all. How many romances or action movies have plots that mock their very rubric?
The Only Sure Things In Life Are Death and Taxes: How Does Arrow Make Money?
Seeing as he is a professional writer, and this is a paper ultimately dealing with that sphere, analysis of film criticism and the horror genre is all fine and dandy, but just how does he make a living from his efforts? There’s certainly no lack of effort on Fallon’s part; he of course has this site (where he is officially the executive editor and main reviewer), as well as a short film “The Red Hours” out (one guess what style it is), and not to mention his own personal blog. His site sells movie posters and he has official AITH merchandise (including T-shirts) available for sale at CafePress.com, which usually run around twenty dollars or so. Why, he even has an official teddy bear and BBQ apron! He seems grateful for what he’s accomplished: “If I go by how the industry reacts to me, I am a recognizable name within it.” For any critic to be welcomed into an artistic sphere is a triumph in itself, given the usual distance afforded to them due to their aloof reputations. And there’s personal perks as well for his social life: “I’ve travelled the world, partied with stars, went to Playboy parties, had groupies… the works.” Personally, I think he’s got me sold on being a professional writer of any sort!
The John Fallon Official Blog is a bit tamer and more personal than Arrow In the Head. One post brags about an upcoming role in the French movie Dead Shadows but the old Arrow still comes through: “my role is very Vin Diesel-ish (its {sic} good that I have been training like an animal now of late)”. More than anything, I think the fact that he doubles as both a reviewer and actor adds to his credibility. He knows the industry inside and out, unlike many other critics. Also, this allows him close contact with many big names in the field. He’s able to nab interview with actors in the horror genre seemingly at the drop of a dime; it’s not hard to imagine the effort amounts to little more than bringing up the idea over drinks at a local watering hole. The byline on AITH’s site boasts a quote from James Wan (who directed the first Saw movie) singing Fallon’s praises.
He’s pretty savvy to the hip new social networking trend, too. He has over 5,000 likes on Facebook, he’s of course on Twitter, and his YouTube channel is appropriately “fallon666”. Why, he’s even on IMDB (Internet Movie Database), which states he hails from the frosty environs of Canda and stands at an impressive 6 feet. He “always knew that he wanted to be in the arts from an early age, with his grand collection of movies, his unique artistic renderings, his many writings and his lauded performances in theatre school productions” and also spent “another three years perfecting his craft as an actor through John Abbott College’s professional theater program (from which he graduated with honors)”.
On his site there’s a horror discussion board. One thread includes a link to a review of “Jennifer’s Body”, which came out in 2008 and starred Megan Fox. Here’s a snippet of what went down on the chat: “It doesn’t help that Megan Fox, while obviously attractive, is rather flat as an actress. Her performance as Jennifer pretty much just alternates between ‘ditzy’ and ‘bitchy’”. As one can see, they’re definitely not afraid to get provocative. One participant responds about the use of the wrong Hole song during the end credits, to which the original poster retorts: “The movie gets a couple bonus points for having Silversun Pickups and Florence and the Machine songs though”. All of this sounds very casual and conversational, which sets the tone for not just the discussion board, but Arrow’s site as well.
Elsewhere on his site, he has the cleverly named “DVD Buzz Saw” under the “DVD News” tab, which informs viewers of the site when certain horror movies are set to hit the market on DVD. He also dabbles in all things scary and odd. The “Kool Shite” section of his site also has reviewers of even horror video games! To satisfy any gorehound’s literary side, he also has book reviews, including one of “What’s a Nice Actor Like You Doing In A Movie Like This?”, though this is penned by a different author. But he’s still made it into the publishing world; in the book Jamie Lee Curtis: Scream Queen, reviewer Jake Dee notes John Fallon offers his observations on the legendary horror movie actress.
To encourage interactivity and fan loyalty to his site, he’s also recently sponsoring a give-away contest. This one involves the movie True Legend (directed by Yuen Woo Ping) and to win a prize (which could be a pair of gloves autographed by mixed martial arts competitor Royce Gracie, an autographed photo from the director, or a poster autographed by Cung Le, who acts in the film) fans must e-mail Arrow the correct answer to the question “Who did Royce Gracie fight when he came back to the ring on May 27, 2006 and who won the fight?” To me, this signifies Arrow breaks out of the underground somewhat and is more akin to a morning radio DJ with such involvement with his audience. This signifies he has legitimate contacts within many entertainment fields. Also, by reaching out across demographics, Arrow is able to corner the market on aggressive masculinity and establish a bond with those who may be into the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) as well.
Overall, though he may not be quite that famous now, I believe Arrow In the Head is a force to be reckoned with. He makes a place for horror movies within the public intellectual realm and can give understanding to either an absurd slasher or a moody thriller, taking both on their own merits. For over a decade he’s slowly established a brand name and has made waves with not just readers, but within the horror community itself. Now that’s something to die for.
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