What to Expect When You're Expecting

In the last year, I heard a story on NPR that made the argument that people tend to enjoy a story more when they already know the ending (the example used was “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, in which the ending is a complete reversal from the first part of the story). This baffled me completely. In an age where finding out the ending to a new movie or book is as easy as reading the Wikipedia summary, is it possible that people now find endings meaningless? I mean, you can hardly read an online review without seeing an obnoxious “SPOILERS!!!1!!” tag. But on the Internet, people are infuriated when they accidentally read about a twist. So the sides must be split.

The basis for the argument is that when we know what is coming, it makes the journey to get there more special. Sort of like when a suspenseful moment rises in a horror movie, there is no surprise, but the excitement is still heightened. Sort of. I find it hard to believe that knowing (<spoiler> “Vader is Luke’s father” </spoiler>) in 1980 would have made Empire more enjoyable. It’s called ruining the plot for a reason. But, hey, I guess times change.

I got to thinking about this claim and realized that it is not an easy thing to prove. You cannot experience the same movie twice, once knowing the ending and once not knowing, so you would have no way of comparing the two experiences. Two people--one who has not seen the film, another who has--cannot compare their experiences; one person might simply like the movie better. It is a qualitative judgement call, anyway. There really is no good way to compare how enjoyable some piece of entertainment is based solely on knowing or not knowing the ending. But still, the question bothered me. For me, the best way to go about looking at this is to simply ruin the ending to a movie, short story, or video game. Then, hopefully, I would have some better understanding of this absurd claim.

Needless to say: warning, spoilers ahead.

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I found the perfect movie to test this hypothesis, and you are going to laugh at it. I realized that I was the last person on Earth in 2015 who had not seen The Sixth Sense. I know what you’re thinking: that movie came out 15 years ago, and everyone saw it. A few people might even swear they saw it with me, but I have no recollection of it. It was the movie that established M. Night Shymalan as the king of suspenseful twists, a title he promptly lost in the years to come. It was one of the most talked-about movies of the time. I just never got around to it. I’ve been busy.

Of course, it is impossible to get to this point, even having not seen the movie to know the iconic line, “I see dead people.” So, I surmised what this meant in the context of what I knew about the film, and then read through a plot summary of the whole film. Generally, I had the main points correct. All I needed to see now was the execution.

With the details fresh in mind, I watched through the movie and truly enjoyed myself. I picked up on subtle hints about Bruce Willis’s character, because I was acutely looking for them. The discreet hints were a little more obvious, but I appreciated them in the way you feel upon rewatching a movie. And still, the intense moments were no less intense because I knew what would happen. I was watching a movie for the second time without having seen it the first time.

In the end, I obviously can’t say whether or not I would have liked the movie better if I was going in blind. On the contrary, the first time I watched Memento, I went in without knowing a thing about it, and had to watch it again immediately after finishing it. So, maybe there are really no ways to ruin a well-made, suspenseful film. All I can say is that fifteen years later, The Sixth Sense still holds up as a fine movie. I would give it a belated positive review, but you’ve already seen it, probably more than once.

Classic Terror, B-Movie or Otherwise

I truly believe that someone’s first experience with a piece of art is prone to become that person’s favorite. Of course, this is a purely experiential observation; however I have noticed that it has happened to me on more than one occasion. And it makes sense: if you enjoy your first brush with a piece of entertainment, every time after will be compared to that first time. I imagine I am not alone and that many people feel the same way about these first impressions, whether it be with film, music, or any other art form. This theory certainly applies for my foray into the genre of B-movie horror.

I unequivocally love the film called Scarecrow Gone Wild. But my love for this film goes much deeper. I’ve seen Pulp Fiction and The Godfather more times than I can count, and every time I watch them, I pick up new evidence of why these films are so brilliant. But I have little doubt that I have watched Scarecrow Gone Wild more times. You read that right: I cannot think of a single film I have seen more in my life than Scarecrow Gone Wild. I watch it multiple times a year, and I have probably seen the special features more than I have seen most films.

I first watched the film when it was released (straight to on-demand, if you can imagine) with a good friend in 2004. At the time, I thought it was just a bad movie with a funny title. I had no idea that I would be embarking on a lifelong journey with the film that would haunt me for a decade (figuratively, certainly not literally, as the film is not scary in the least). My friend and I were at the perfect age to appreciate the blatant humor of such gags as throwing a bottle of gasoline at an undergrad from a moving vehicle. We were also excited to point out the gentleman out for a jog on a beach who is clearly not associated with the filmmaking at all (and probably didn’t sign a release agreement). Our young minds were not, however, prepared to notice the subtleties of messages like the tragedies of hazing. These kind of qualities become evident after years of dissecting the film.

For a while, this was just a private enjoyment, shared between only the two of us. We might have been only a very limited group that saw this film originally. I’m not sure if anyone else watched the movie unless they were fans of the first two parts of the trilogy. Right, it should be mentioned that this is the third in a series, but take it from me, the first two are not worth the effort. There is a reason the Gone Wild is sold as a standalone--to differentiate itself from its predecessors. At any rate, we must have been part of a small audience to witness this piece of artwork at its inception. They say only a few thousand people bought the first Velvet Underground album, but all of them formed a band. Such is the kind of influence of Scarecrow Gone Wild.

It is difficult to assess exactly what it is the value of the film without going into the specifics of what make the film great. Despite the natural “good versus evil” theme that develops throughout, it is unclear which side emerges victorious. By the end, the viewer wonders whether or not evil is truly extinguished. With the losses sustained, the cost of attempting to end the terror of the scarecrow is almost too great. Perhaps the deepest, most unsettling question: is the scarecrow just plain evil, or is it the more complex embodiment of the pain inflicted by the hateful undergrads? These questions are left to the interpretation of the viewer.

Fortunately, the action is not distracted by a cast of star actors. While talented, the intrepid college students are played by several young, yet-to-be-discovered thespians. Since this group is not dominated by a standout actor, it allows for the realism of the scene to become evident. The film is anchored, however, by the acting talents of the World Wrestling Federation’s own “World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Ken Shamrock. His classic portrayal of coach and gym teacher is engaging and provocative. The former wrestler displays every ounce of his expertise for both acting and fighting.

Halloween may be a long time away, but some horror movies are worth watching throughout the year. And just because it’s spring, there is no reason why you could not stand a little scarecrow in your life. Perhaps you can take advantage of this unique weekend of Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day for a two-night double feature. To be sure, horror movies are always exciting and you can always pick up new things from watching them. B-movie horror is no different. A surreal mixture of emotion, from humor to tragedy, drama to terror, Scarecrow Gone Wild has just a bit of everything. You owe it to yourself to see this picture. That way, when it is filed away by the National Film Registry, you can say you saw it first.