It begins as a Halloween moment
fit for John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Rob Zombie–
Lazarus stumbling from the tomb,
tripping over loose graveclothes that droop like soiled underwear.

The people's averted gazes and cries of horror
turn to wide-eyed astonishment
and that goose-bumpy, gaspy feeling you get
just before tears flow:
He's alive!

Friday the 13th now Touched by an Angel.
Jason morphing into Roma Downey.

All horror films should end with such revelatory joy.

Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.