A Good Horror Movie Just Needs a Speargun [OPINION]

As Halloween approaches, there’s a discussion that’s been going around our offices about favorite horror movies.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the genre. In fact, the only horror movie I’ve ever seen in the theater was Friday the 13^th, Part III—the one that was released as part of the 3-D revival of the early 80’s.

It was August of 1982. I was 11 years old, way too young to see an R-rated movie that featured Jason slashing up all those people. But all the older kids in my neighborhood had seen it, and they all said I had to see it just for the speargun scene alone. It was, at that time, the pinnacle of 3-D for us kids.

So my parents dropped me off at the theater, and I bought a ticket to see some other movie—I don’t remember what exactly, maybe E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or Tron—but then I snuck into Friday the 13^th.

Although I’m not sure I really had to “sneak” in, because in the 80s, I don’t think they really enforced those age restrictions. But I know there was no way that 11-year-old Chris McCarthy could be confused with a 17-year-old. But either way, I was in.

We’re all sitting in there in the seats with those little cardboard glasses on, and although I don’t remember much of the movie now, I definitely remember the scene when Jason shoots the speargun through someone’s eye. The entire audience moved to the side as the speargun appeared to come flying into the theater.

Totally worth it.

Of course, when my parents picked me up, I only had two choices. I either had to be quiet on the way home, or make up a story about whatever movie I said I saw, because I couldn’t tell them I snuck into an R-rated movie.

But to this day, I still don’t watch horror movies. I don’t watch things that scare me. And maybe Friday the 13^th, Part III was the reason why.

I still wanted a speargun, though.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.