Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2009 January 20 • Tuesday

Perhaps the most amusing thing about the Internet Movie Database is its inclusion of "Plot Keywords" with other movie details. They're wide-ranging, that's for sure. The complete list for any number of movies is more rewarding as poetry than most poems I come across these days.

Consider this list of Plot Keywords from Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971). As you look at it, try to imagine hearing William Shatner's voice reading it.

* Surrealism
* Old Dark House
* Scar
* Townspeople
* Punctuation In Title
* Swimming
* Knife
* Paranoia
* Waterfall
* Cove
* Deception
* Antique
* Stranger
* Swimsuit
* Undead
* Cemetery
* Graveyard
* Lake
* Staircase
* Stabbed To Death
* Island
* Boat
* Blood
* Guitar
* Rowboat
* Hearse
* Farmhouse
* Stabbing
* Ambiguity
* Drifter
* Rocking Chair
* Hallucination
* Death
* Drowned In Lake
* Picture
* Zombie
* Craziness
* Old House
* Corpse
* Supernatural
* Dead Animal
* Wedding
* Seance
* Apparition
* Seduction
* Drowning
* Bandage [sic]
* Ferry
* Insanity
* Infidelity
* Mental Illness
* Nightmare
* Bitten In The Neck
* Small Town
* Hook
* Ghost
* Seclusion
* Dock
* Barn
* Mouse
* Dead Body
* Murder
* Attic
* Mist
* Investigation
* Orchard
* Mute
* Antique Dealer
* Country Home
* Fishing
* Epitaph
* Driven Mad
* Haunted By Past
* Dinner
* Haunted House
* Vampire
* Mental Hospital
* Mental Institution
* Harpy
* Hippie
* Redhead
* Asylum
* Based On Novel
* Character Name In Title

My favorite is definitely "Punctuation In Title". "Rocking Chair" is good too. "Harpy Hippie Redhead Asylum" has panache. I assume it's already the name of somebody's band.

Here's another good one, for Black Christmas (1974). (Horror movies seem to have the best lists.)

* Bedroom
* Giallo
* Cruelty
* Throat Slashed
* Color In Title
* Candle
* Joy
* Hook
* Drinking
* Pianist
* One Night
* Slaughter
* Unknown Killer
* Small Town
* Strangulation
* Smothering
* Stalking
* Hockey
* Embarrassment
* Snowball
* Murder By Strangling
* Plastic
* Obscene Finger Gesture
* Doll
* Darkness
* Stabbed To Death
* Wrath
* Closet
* Murdered In Sleep
* Ice Rink
* Confrontation
* Bathrobe
* Distorted Voice
* Dead Child
* Deeply Disturbed Person
* Break In
* Mysterious Stranger
* Christmas Gift
* Blonde
* Hidden Corpse
* Bed
* Christmas Wreath
* Bag On Head
* Dark Humor
* Silent
* Cult Favorite
* Trap
* College Life
* Banging On The Wall
* Holiday
* Glasses
* Accidental Death
* Anger
* Police Station
* Sweater
* Fireplace
* Brunette
* Christmas Tree
* Rage
* Murder Scene
* Weather
* Park
* Homicide
* Phone Tracing
* Strong Language
* Rope
* Stairs
* Window
* Knife
* Argument
* Nightgown
* Asthma Attack
* Mysterious Man
* Cathedral
* Knife Murder
* Christmas Eve
* Broken Window
* Alcoholic
* Multiple Homicide
* Christmas Lights
* Cigarette Smoking
* Rocking Horse
* Light
* Christmas Party
* Black Dress
* Asphyxiation
* Long Hair
* Psychological Thriller
* Basement
* Anonymous Telephone Call
* Old Woman
* Missing Person
* Mass Murder
* Obscene Gesture
* Telephone Call
* Christmas Star
* Caroler
* Killing
* Christmas Horror
* Attraction
* Breathing
* Character's Point Of View Camera Shot
* Eye
* Chase
* Head Wound
* Dramatic Irony
* Door
* Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship
* Suspense
* Multiple Murder
* Strife
* Point Of View
* Drink
* Santa Claus
* Room
* Hiding In Closet
* Rampage
* Mysterious Death
* Psychotic
* Mystery Killer
* Psycho Killer
* Old Man
* Vulgarity
* Phone Scene
* Skirt
* Dark Past
* Taxi
* Vulgar Language
* Walking
* Dead Girl
* Christmas Carol
* Help
* Psycho
* Death By Strangulation
* Dead Man
* Dead Woman
* Psychopathic Killer
* Murder
* School
* Serial Killer
* Student
* Christmas
* Abortion
* Teenkill
* Blood
* Slasher
* City
* Sorority
* Incest
* Attic
* Cat
* Children's Choir
* Obscene Phone Call
* Piano
* Police
* Pregnancy
* Recital
* Search
* Taxicab
* Telephone
* Black Comedy
* Drunkard
* Lush
* Obsession
* Rape
* Stabbing
* Suffocation
* Avant Garde
* Cellar
* Child In Peril
* Delusion
* Hallucination
* Lynch
* Mansion
* Mental Illness
* Ribald
* Rocking Chair
* Scream
* Search Party
* Sorority House
* Split Personality
* Suicide
* Wreath
* Suicide Attempt
* Manic Depression
* Old Dark House
* Kitty
* Prank Telephone Call
* Unplanned Pregnancy
* Holiday Horror
* Toronto Ontario
* Detective
* Phone Tap
* Phone Terror
* Police Investigation
* Independent Film
* Twist In The End

"Drinking / Pianist / One Night / Slaughter / Unknown Killer / Small Town / Strangulation …." If that's not poetry, what is? Note that the list includes both "Obscene Finger Gesture" and "Obscene Gesture".

"Strife" and "Skirt" are intriguing "plot" keywords. "Christmas Abortion Teenkill" is another good band name. "Holiday Horror / Toronto Ontario" is another story. "Lynch Mansion" could be a movie title itself.

And here's "Rocking Chair" again! Awesome! Here's the list of titles with "Rocking Chair" as a plot keyword, woefully incomplete at only 45 titles. Isn't there a rocking chair in Psycho?