As ever, thanks for the mention, Dave. Are you a horror fan?

Am I a horror fan. This is probably going to sound silly, but, for me, that's kind of a complex question.

I've always relished films with a gothic look-n-feel about them, particularly vampire movies. Browning's Dracula, both Murnau's and Herzog's Nosferatu, all that. The fog, the castles, the sexual tension, the over-the-top dramatics, which is why I thoroughly enjoy Coppola's version as well. I even got a kick out of Ken Russell's Gothic, though that was many years ago and I don't know what I might think of it now.

Before getting to the complex part, I was wondering what else I could mention, other sorts of horror, and I popped over here, the top-rated horror movies at the IMDb. That top ten? Terrific list. I've seen 'em, thoroughly approve, a few of them even very enthusiastically.

But here's the thing. I've got, I think, a much lower threshold than most people I know when it comes - not so much to gore, but to pain. Maybe I empathize too easily with fictional characters, but I don't think that's it, and even if it is, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

At the same time: You might remember that Christopher Kelly piece from the Ft Worth Star-Telegram that got its own entry here? Matt Zoller Seitz then invited Kelly over to the House Next Door and they discussed his argument, which was, at the risk of oversimplifying, that films like Hostel, Wolf Creek and so on are appealing to young people in ways that most critics simply do not understand; they recognize something about their own world in these movies.

And I find that fascinating. I have no problem whatsoever with anyone enjoying these films (or appreciating them in some other way), or for that matter, Miike's Imprint, the string of Euroschlock cannibal movies in the 70s and so on and so on. In fact, I'm very interested in hearing and reading about what fans of these movies have to say about them. But I certainly won't be watching them.

It's odd. I like to be ravaged psychologically, but when it comes to physical pain... Nope.

What a fascinating response, David, thank you. I call films like "Hostel" and "Wolf Creek" torture horror; I think Bruce Fletcher calls them "chop 'em ups". I watch them (usually alone) partly because no one else will go with me but primarily because I'm aware, like the critics you mention, that the popular response is intriguing if not important. Twitch and Cinema Strikes Back I think have done an excellent job of monitoring this trend. Reporting from Holehead this year has been a sticky wicket for me because I'm watching things I would never willingly watch. I tell myself it's an excercise in discipline but I'm often baffled by the thirst for the extreme and the gross.

Thanks for your comments.