Terror in the Aisles (1984)

Nancy Allen: Nancy Allen (Host)

Photos 

Quotes 

• Self - Host : [her first line]  ... It's strange, isn't it? In real life, nobody cares to think about violence and pain, blood, and death. But project these experiences on a screen, and people form lines in the street. That's because a terror film is a lot like a roller-coaster ride... Only you're sitting in a theater, which is *relatively* safe.

  Self - Host : ...Deep down, some of us actually have a need to be scared. Why else would we go to these movies? Perhaps we're taking a dare, proving to ourselves that we're not afraid. Besides, there's something delicious about fear; especially somebody else's... Scary movies tap into your childhood fears of the dark, and of being alone.

  Self - Host : ...Young or old, we go to the movies so we can see our dreams and fantasies come to life. But not all of our fantasies are wholesome or dignified.

  Self - Host : In the privacy of our thoughts, we can be as childish as we like. There, all the little scenarios of power and revenge we conjure up can be quite satisfying... Resorting to violence in order to get back at someone might not be your cup of tea. But it's a safe bet you thought about it. We all carry a certain amount of resentment and rage, because we can't let it out - except in the movies.

• Self - Host : Of course, you can always close your eyes, but you can't close your ears.

  Self - Host : And yet, keeping your eyes open is a good thing, especially if you're out on a night with a full moon, because you never know what's in store for you. Years ago, when filmmakers wanted to transform someone into a werewolf, the actor just sat still and trick photography did all the work. Today, people are more sophisticated. And becoming a werewolf can take a great deal out of you. Combining skill, ingenuity, and a strong stomach. Artists and technicians continue to defy logic, stagger the imagination, and astound our senses. All the time raising the stakes.

  Self - Host : But special effects are not essential to a good movie. It's the filmmaker's technique that matters most. And the unquestioned master was Alfred Hitchcock.

  Alfred Hitchcock : When I say that I'm not interested in content, it would be the same as a painter worrying about whether the apple that he's painting, whether they're sweet or sour. Who cares? It's his style, his manner of painting them. That's where the emotion comes from.

  [on the infamous shower scene from "Psycho"] 

  Alfred Hitchcock : This scene is 45 seconds long, but was made up out of 78 pieces of film coming onto the screen in great rapidity. But the overall impression given the audience, is one of an alarming, devastating murder scene.

• Self - Host : The fact is, from the moment you buy that ticket, you know you're gonna get it. It's just a question of how, where, and when. The name of the game is suspense.

  Self - Host : [speaking to the audience]  In effect, the filmmaker says to the audience, "Now get ready. You're going to see something that's going to scare you. But I'm not going to tell you when." You're being programmed to go nuts.

  Alfred Hitchcock : [speaking to the audience]  The essential fact is to get real suspense, you must let the audience have information. Now let's take the old-fashioned "bomb theory". You and I sitting, talking, we'll say about baseball. We're talking for five minutes. Suddenly, a bomb goes off, and the audience have a 10 second terrible shock. Now, let's take the same situation, tell the audience at the beginning that under the table, and show it to them, there's a bomb, and it's gonna go off in five minutes. And we talk baseball. What are the audience doing? They're saying, "Don't talk about baseball, there's a bomb under there. Get rid of it." But they're helpless. They can't jump out of their seats up onto the screen and grab hold of the bomb and throw it out.

  Self - Host : Shock and surprise are very different from suspense. If you want to shock people, you just have to catch them off guard, and then clobber them. That was shocking, wasn't it? But suspense can be equally brutal.

• Self - Host : We are all born helpless. As infants, we're dependent on others for food, shelter, for life itself. We're totally vulnerable. Slowly but surely, we learn to be afraid. We're taught the difference between right and wrong. And yet, we're only human, and we sometimes take foolish risks. Even when we know it's dangerous. By the time we regret what we've done, it may already be too late. But what's most frightening of all is that for reasons beyond our control, for reasons beyond our comprehension, or worst of all, for no reason whatsoever, at any time, at any place, we may find ourselves a victim. Since vulnerability is the key, the victim is usually alone. And unfortunately, in these movies, the victim is almost always a woman. To make things worse, she may be fully aware of the danger, but helpless to do anything about it. Giving the villains an edge they're only too willing to exploit. On the other hand, she may be totally unaware that she is in any danger at all.

• Self - Host : [last topic]  Now what's the one thing these films have in common? People in trouble. And what's the easiest way to get into trouble? Sex. And it always has been. Even in real life, sex has its dangers. Because it makes people take chances. But usually, they survive. In a terror film, you don't even have to take a chance. Just take a walk alone a night, and that may be the last we see of you. A moonlight swim in the nude is definitely a bad thing. In the bedroom, anything can happen. Heaven help you if sex is your profession. These films will put an end to your career, permanently. In terror films, sex rarely ends with pleasure. It ends in violence. And since you're never more vulnerable than when you're naked, the bathroom is the most dangerous place of all.