My Dark Side

There are a few people and things (movies, music, etc.) that I adore. I typically like books, people, music, things, etc. However, there are a few to which I am absolutely attached.

In no particular order:
-Alfred Hitchcock
-Edgar Allen Poe
-Rammstein
-Seven Pounds

#1 - Alfred Hitchcock.

I love Alfred Hitchcock. I grew up watching his movies and his show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Why do I love him? His originality and creativity. It takes an amazing mind to come up with a story of a woman killing her husband with a frozen leg of lamb, and then cooking it and feeding it to the police officers who have come to investigate her house. All of his movies and shows were really quite unique. Dark? Absolutely! But clever and original. It is because of that originality that I am the fan that I am.


#2 - Edgar Allen Poe.

Loved for the same reasons as Hitchcock. Originality and creativity. The Tell Tale Heart is one of my all time favorites. The emotions are so potent and even palpable. I can easily experience the stress and fear of the main character. My heart rate jumps up with his. I can hear the voices that he hears in his head. Again, very dark. But his creativity and originality has never been duplicated.


#3 - Rammstein.

Rammstein is a German heavy metal/industrial band. I have been listening to them since 1998. I adore their music. I have watched them grow in their music and talent. It really is quite impressive. Just as Alfred Hitchcock could be spotted at any point in any of his movies, Rammstein always makes an appearance somehow/someway in all of my stories. Why? Because of what their music represents. They can be dark and possibly inspire "badness" as they do with Tony in Unbreakable Hostage. Or, their music can reflect your feelings as they do with Carol in Impeccable. Or, they can be a release and even a creative inspiration as they are for Liz in Loving Her. Their original sound and amazing stories in their music are unmatched. And for that, I love them.


#4 - Seven Pounds.

Undoubtedly one of the best movies ever. The story is nothing short of amazing. It is beautiful. I own the DVD. One of the features is, of course, interviews with the writer, producer, etc. The writer speaks of meeting a man who accidentally killed several people. He says that the man was "the saddest person" he had ever met. And he used that to write one of the most incredible stories. I don't watch movies for their writing. Like most people, I can easily pick up on bad writing. But this movie caught my attention for the exact opposite reason. This was one the best written movies I have ever seen. I would LOVE to meet the man who wrote it. His level is one that I aspire to. I may never get there, but he is a tremendous source of inspiration for me.


Yes, these are all dark sources of inspiration. Which is actually quite comical, because if you've ever met me, you would know that I am anything but dark. The originality of all of them is really what keeps me going. In a world of constant remakes and poorly written "reality" shows, these people stand out. They are creative and they are true to themselves. I applaud them, I envy them and I use them as guides. Their inspiration and creativity is my inspiration and creativity.


Everyone has a dark side. This is mine. But at least I'm using it to write my own original, unique stories. What does your dark side say about you? ;)