The Catholic Message Board

I used to be a huge fan of horror movies. But when the first Saw came out (as well as the remake of The Hills Have Eyes) I fell away to a large extent. Movies where it's just human butchery I have no truck with. Same with movies where it celebrates the demonic character. I will not see a Terrifier movie and am stunned that they are so popular.

There was a time when horror films were not a sure thing in the theaters. Some horror films would get only a limited release if there was another horror film currently in the theaters. That has clearly changed over the recent years.


Last night I let my kids watch The Sixth Sense. I never noticed it when I first watched the movie but the amount of Catholic images in the film is wild. The little boy regularly seeks harbor in St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church. A place he ends up a few times in the movie where he seems to find some peace from the consequences of his "gift". Similarly, he makes a little tent in his house where goes for safety when things get dire... the tent is full of figures of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and numerous saints. Looked to be over 50 little saint statues.

My son and I also watched Signs (both films by M. Night Shyamalan). This film is almost even more cloaked in Christian themes.

Both films are incredibly positive in their endings.

There are some I enjoy that I will not yet allow the kids to watch:

Session 9 - an asbestos removal crew is working at Danvers Sate Hospital. A very eerie location for a movie that hints at a malevolent spirit.

The first Halloween. The ones after that got absurd and way too gruesome.

Do you have any films you like watching around this time?

As a kid, I never liked scary movies, but one that sticks out is 10 Little Indians, based on a book, And Then There Were None. I would never watch it again, but it was riveting.

There is what I believe to be a symbolic baptism scene in Unbreakable. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is afraid of water, and he is suffering from depression and general listlessness. Towards the end of the movie, he accidentally falls into a swimming pool and nearly drowns. When he pulls himself out, he emerges with a sense of purpose; he is now confident and is past his depression. I feel pretty certain it is supposed to represent baptismal regeneration,

I can definitely see that being the case. Though I don't think M.Night has ever been explicit with stating his faith.... and raised Hindu, though attending Catholic schooling, much from his films seems to indicate some warmness to Christianity.