Hello, and welcome to my 2021 April A to Z Blogging Challenge! This year, I am telling you about all of the horror movies Alec and I have seen during the pandemic (so far). It is a very long list (around 200 movies). Today, though, I only have two movies to tell you about. This will (no fooling this time) be a short post.
Without further ado…
X-Ray (1981)
USA
Dir. Boaz Davidson
I didn’t like X-Ray much. I found it an unpleasant movie. It is set almost entirely in a hospital. That should have warned us right there. Our main character has gone in for some routine tests. But no-one will answer any of her questions, and she keeps getting sent to different places. That part is kind of a nightmare version of what we all dread after getting medical tests done. She becomes convinced that she is dying and no-one is telling her. There are also murders going on, and it becomes clear that she is to be a prime target, and that someone is arranging that she be given the run-around so that she stays.
So, I guess I found it an unpleasant movie mainly because it tapped into an actual fear of mine. So… yeah, it might actually have been a fairly effective horror movie. But it wasn’t scary in a pleasurable way.
Xtro (1982)
UK
Director: Harry Bromley Davenport
We liked Xtro. It is pleasantly weird. It starts with a man and his son playing outside. Then, the man is abducted by aliens. We cut to several years later. The boy and his mom are living together, and mom has a new boyfriend. She also doesn’t believe the abduction thing. She thinks that her husband just abandoned her. Anyway, dad suddenly returns! But he is much changed. For one thing, until he manages to re-assume human form by literally being re-born, he looks like this:
He also has lots of weird powers that he wants to teach to his son. Powers that allow the boy to change reality through his will alone. Things rapidly get very strange.
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And that is it for today! Tomorrow, another short post, with again only two movies to talk about. Here is a still from one of them:
A clue: only one of the English titles for this movie begins with “Y.”
Apart from horror what other genres do you watch or enjoy ?
https://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com/2021/04/x-for-bellatrix-and-helena-bonham-carter.html
Movie-wise, I basically just do horror, horror-comedy, and comedy. With the occasional action flick or mystery thrown in. I hate movies that make me cry (with a couple of exceptions; for example, I really liked the 1951 movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire, and that’s a rough emotional ride), so most drama-type stuff is out for me. And I get very cringe-y about awkwardness, so most Rom-Coms are just painful and involve me hiding my face and covering my ears.
With books, I am more omnivorous, but I do read lots of mysteries. Especially Golden Age British mysteries. And classic horror.
X is a hard letter. I see we both did Xtro. I really need to watch it now to see what I think about it.
I like Xtro. A weird movie, but full of interest.
I’m impressed you managed to find two movies with X! Good job.
I love letter X posts! Always such variety.
It’s hard to believe the alphabet part of the blogging challenge is over for 2021. Down to the after survey, reflections, and the road trip sign-up.
Plus, I’m taking part in the Bout of Books read-a-thon in May. So much excitement!
J Lenni Dorner (he/him or they/them) ~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
Yes! I was astounded to find that I had two movies for X, too. In fact, that was how I decided that this was really going to be my theme. Having two movies for X (often the trickiest letter) seemed like destiny.
As for the other parts of the A to Z, I do plan to do a reflection in a little bit. I’ll have to look into the other things you’ve mentioned. Thanks!