Fear and Imagination

I recently saw the 3rd installment of Paranormal Activity, written by Christopher Lanoon and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. One question, did the movie have me loading the shot gun, cleaning the crucifixes, and buying holy water after my friend left last night? ...Yep!

Everyone knows that I am somewhat of a horror/thriller buff and enjoy a good scare. Call me odd. The PA films are known for their gritty, real-life, as-the-action-happens style. No CGI, no big Hollywood sets; in fact, the set of each movie takes place in a house never leaving its different rooms. We simply experience the hair raising events that unfold for this family, which might I add, are pretty darn frightening. It's not a series for the faint of heart. Even I, a thriller lovin' fiend, found myself clutching the pearls and tossing and turning at night. So, all this got me to thinking....what is fear, really?

Fear takes shape in many forms. It's sometimes heavy, haunting, and horrific, taking our breath away like in the movies I described. Other times, it's just the opposite, abrupt and sudden catching us off guard or by surprise. Fear sometimes sits right beside us and sometimes it's intangible, existing in another universe all together. Sometimes we can only see it; sometimes it's only felt; sometimes it's both! Fear is complex inspiring both the good and bad in us all. But, if I had to bottom line it I'd say, ultimately, fear is proof of the exponential power of our minds and the breadth our imaginations. It's far more harrowing to imagine what's lurking under the bed than to actually see it. Fear is indestructibly bound to imagination, and since imagination can never be fully quantified, both coexist allowing the mind to travel in the most extreme and unbridled directions.

This is pure fuel for the performing artist!