gothic horror

I was never a goth. Ok, I like The Cult and Fields Of The Nephilim and some songs by Mission or Sisters Of Mercy, I even own a Red Lorry Yellow Lorry compilation, not to mention the Virgin Prunes lp's, but I don't have a black cap, no boots, no make up kits in my bathroom, no cowboy hats either... I adore all the vampire tales and I never deny a good horror movie but... that's about it. I've been in Resurrection Records once, a famous gothic record store in Camden [it went bankrupt in the mid nineties], and felt so strange with all these creatures around me: it was as if I were a boom boy in Lord Of The Rings, wearing jeans and a PORNO STAR t-shirt next to Liv Tyler's fairy ears, Virgo's armoury and E. Wood's smelly feet. Too many earrings, too much piercing, too much make-up, too much... bad taste in music for me. I mean... who on earth could listen to an entire Incubus Succubus album at one go? Not me, I tell you...
But Alien Sex Fiend aside, gothic has its way, no objections to that: it's so... superficial, it deals with magic and it feels better when it’s dark. Now that’s why it’s kind of charming: because it’s abnormal. It moves in mysterious ways, it has nothing to do with your average John Doe and, if u r lucky, you may even listen to some great songs: hey, some people consider Michael J. Sheehy to be a goth.
But why on earth have I found myself so… addicted to the Phantom of the Opera? It’s plain gothic horror, but its budget was big and that’s a first for gothic works. They never have much money for these things – and how could they, when they sleep all day long and spend the night pretending to be vegetarian vampires? But the Phantom of the Opera is so far out… it ends up being IN. It’s so bad, that it gets to be almost perfect. It’s so naïve, you want to have some more as soon as the curtains fall. It’s so elementary, you wish you were commissioned to write to sequel. It’s just an answer to man’s simple needs and instincts. The Phantom is the misfit, the gypsy, the outcast, the rejected, the malformed, the damned, the cursed, the unlucky one. Christine is pure good: she’s innocent, most probably a virgin, devoted to her father’s memory, willing to make a lovely couple with Raoul, who was her teenage love interest. But Phantom’s the tragic lover, a sensitive companion, and an irresistible male. Phantom is the forbidden fruit, Raoul is what society, religion and family values impose: prince charming. But Christine cannot help but being attracted to the ugly one, not because he’s bad whereas the other one is so good…it hurts, but because he’s the one who inspires all these feelings. Throughtout the movie, Christine kisses Raoul but they never have much physical contact. On the other hand, the Phantom lifts her up, holds her, puts his arms around her waist, feels her chest, breaths in her ear, whispers to her words of love & lust…
And if I may push it to the limit, the Phantom is a fallen angel, maybe Lucifer himself who’s condemned to wander around in hell when all he desires is the heavenly light – and guess what? It only takes one woman to be blinded by that…
So… call me romantic, if u like. But do me a favourite, please. Don’t ever call me gothic! :-)