(Forensic Psych isn't) Silence of the Lambs

Suspense thrillers to me are scarier than horror. I watch horror almost as often as I watch comedies. But seldom do I watch suspense thrillers. The last one I endured was the Sixth Sense, which turned me off the genre indefinitely. Not that I'm not drawn to the skill of actors, screenwriters and directors; it's one of the reasons I watch in the first place. I just didn't want to traumatize myself more than I already am from all the corny neuroticism around me every day :D. My Sixth Sense experience was like being terrified by The Exorcist, which reeks of pure evil all throughout. Suspense thrillers have this kind of nastiness that could bore through your soul.

For this week's suspense thriller theme at Tuesday Couch Potatoes, I chose Silence of the Lambs as my entry. I could not sleep well for a week after reading the book, and I tried to forget the film right after watching it to get on with life more mental stress-free. Like the Sixth Sense it has references to psychology, as most others on the Couples' Time Movies list, of which The Machurian Candidate is no. 1. Other titles in the list that I would like to watch (note to self, maybe suggestions to you) when I get the chance are Rebecca, Signs, Laura and Fatal Attraction (done watching FA but it's been so long ago I've forgotten the details).

So back to Silence of the Lambs, it is a psychological crime thriller in which FBI candidate Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is put on the trail of unknown serial killer called Buffalo Bill with an unusual fixation for murdering large size young women and carving their skin in patterns. To create a psychological profile of this killer, Starling must consult with psychopathic psychiatrist and convict serial killer Dr "Hannibal The Cannibal" Lecter. Read more or view the trailer:

TCP theme for this week appeals to me a great deal for some personal reason - I am seriously considering a career shift to psychology and since much of suspense thriller films are based on psychological issues, these films, especially the ones I mentioned I wanted to watch later, are good, relevant entertainment for someone like me. I might just be dreaming or I must be crazy to think that profiling criminals for real is extremely attractive and exciting (to me at least). Well, like they say, if you got nothing much to do, chances are you end up fancying the fantastic :-)

Thank you, Kikamz once again for hosting this meme. This week's theme coincided with the very thing that keeps me up til midnight - researching study options in psychology. The films are purely entertainment though. Heroes on the scientific bit are far less 'psychically linked with killers'. As an internet text describes it in one line - Forensic Psychology is not Silence of the Lambs. But hey, watch the film if you haven't . You'll bite your nails *wink*

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