bring out your dead
I’m such a wuss.
I don’t what it is, but I’ve always been terrified of haunted houses and horror films. I’ve never seen most of the classics: “Evil Dead,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” “Poltergeist,” – never. Not even sat through a preview. Can’t do it. I mean, I walked out of “Scream” after the first scene. I thought it was a comedy (I think it still is to most of you). It terrified me. Once Drew Barrymore was killed, I had no reason to stay. It gave me nightmares for months. I was 19.
I have the same fears of haunted houses. One of my most vivid memories was trying to walk into a haunted house when I was in the 7-year-old range. I remember walking into the very first blackened hallway and a hand grabbed my shoulder. I freaked. Ran out screaming like a little girl.
Needless to say, I always get the haunted house assignments for some reason. Most of the time (like these) I’m just shooting as these guys are setting up. I’m given tours, I walk through everything with full lights-on. Every year, I try to go through them the next night when they’re all up and going for real. Even though I have shaken the hands of these people and met them face-to-face, once they are in that element and I am camera-free, I can’t do it. I’ve walked the halls 10+ times and know every little hidden spot where some freak is going to come out to get me, yet I still shake and squeal.
Plus side? A ton of red lights.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Nice, man. The first picture reminds me of “Kraftwerk.”
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 am
I am so with you on this one. I shot a haunted house a couple years ago, did the walkthrough before it opened, sans actors. I was shooting down a metal corrugated tunnel about 6′ in diameter at the reporter and ‘tour guide’ at the other end (nice red backlight eh!) when a chainsaw zombie comes out from a door next to the tunnel. Of course he smiles, but it was too late, I was already screaming and running willy nilly down the corrugated tunnel, made it halfway and ended up on the ground laughing uncontrollably at my assininity with the chainsaw zombie apologizing incessantly. Its all true, the reporter captured it on his voice recorder, then replayed it in the newsroom. Several times. The chainsaw dude was mortified. My gear survived. I walked with a limp for days, since I landed with a camera in each hand up in the air. (screw my back, save the cameras!)
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
[...] Chip Litherland - Bring out your dead [...]
October 27th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
I’m glad to know I’m not the only who hasn’t seen any of those horror movies, who can’t stand haunted houses, and who runs screaming like a girl. Nice images, you’d think you were in there willy nilly with the monsters trying to get you and everything. I couldn’t do it. I’d be terrified……