Daniel Radcliffe

Chances are that if there is a new horror movie out in theaters I will be at it. Recently I ventured out to my local film house to take in the flick “The Woman In Black.” This frightening picture stars Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.

All the reviews I read about “The Woman In Black” reference how it was an old-style horror movie. Without spoiling anything, I can assure you that there are plenty of frights in this movie without buying into the recent moves of horror made by films like the “Saw” franchise. Since the movie centers around ghostly apparitions, there are plenty of opportunities haunt the audience.

O'Donnell

The vengeful woman in black makes appearances in fun ways like appearing in reflections. The ghostly antagonist rears her sinister head through reflections in mirrors, windows and even through rain water. These are classic scary movie devices to reveal the cause of the horror, but does it really translate to our modern age. “The Woman in Black” takes place roughly around the early 20th century, when seeing a car was a huge rarity so the reveals work here.

Maybe a few contemporary ways to scare would work better:

• I spend the majority of my free time in the evenings messing around on my iPad. The device basically has become an extension of my hand. I can spend hours toggling through the Apple made tablet with a few swipes of my finger.  Something that that would send shivers down my spine, would be if late one night I saw a ghostly reflection of a woman’s face on the screen of my beloved iPad. I would probably have to put the tablet away for good and switch back to my iPhone to download the latest Black Eyed Peas song. Maybe the smaller screen would prevent any risk of seeing the reflection of ghosts peering over my shoulder.

• There are some who consider the size of the “rims” on a car to be a status symbol. I have never fully understood this notion, but I do get that apparently 20 inches seems to be pretty awesome. Also, I have noticed at several stop lights some people have ones that actually spin while the car is in idle. With the size and shine of these “rims” they become a perfect portal for ghosts to contact us. A young aspiring rapper would never be the same if he came to his SUV to find ghostly messages written around the “rims.”

• In restaurants and shopping malls, I have started to notice a lot of kids walking around with their eyes glued to their handheld gaming systems. I was once told by one young boy who was quizzing me about my job that if I ever made a lot of money I needed to get one of these gaming things. I still do not have one myself, but I can see why they are popular.  I also think they are perfect devices for ghosts to give the kiddies a bit of scare.  As they are glued to the screen on the final level of a hard game, it would be appropriate for a ghost to appear on the screen. After viewing something like that, truck loads of kids around this nation would finally stop running into people because their head is constantly down focused on Mario Kart.

• No one would really like to admit it but a national hobby for many of us has become Facebook stalking. For those of you who want to pretend like you do not know what this means, this hobby involves cruising through Facebook for hours going through friends, ex-spouses and family members profiles. There are varying degrees of Facebook stalking, but that’s a whole other blog together. The Facebook stalker would never be the same if while they were going through a despised ex’s profile, they suddenly see a shape move behind them in the reflection of their laptop monitor.

• A popular fashion trend is wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses. I rocked a pair for several years until I went to a coffee shop and noticed every male around my age was donning the exact same glasses. This optical fashion movement could also be invaded by ghosts. A cute hipster couple looks longingly into one another’s eyes after a Death Cab For Cutie concert and as the young girl leans in to give her man a kiss, she catches the glimpse of a shrieking demon in his glasses. The horror is enough to scare the ironic t-shirt off one of those hip kids.

• The wonders of having a DVR system still manage to excite me.  Though I am not an expert at learning, I know I am in complete control of what gets recorded and what does not.  It’s  this notion that I feel the ghostly possession of a DVR system is in order for cinematic light.  Imagine the torment of someone plagued by a ghost sabotaging their programming.  All this person wants is to record this week’s episode of “Law and Order” but instead they are besieged by back episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” and “Glee.”  The very thought is bone chilling.

“The Woman in Black” was a peculiar movie but it did feature some thrilling frights. Nevertheless, I think it’s time to update how ghosts find a way to reveal themselves. I will forever remember being shaken to my core when first seeing the original “Halloween” and Jamie Lee Curtis sees the murderous Michael Myers standing between the clothes lines in her backyard during the daytime. My mind was blown, because I thought scary things should only happen at night. In our world of advanced technology there are many ways for ghosts to make their presence known. So in a message to directors, filmmakers, screenwriters, and storytellers alike I ask you to consider invading the comforts of this new world many of us hold so dear.
— Jordan O’Donnell