The scary movie

Princess Leia's Theme; The Boston Pops Orchestra; John Williams, composer; John Williams, conducting

I have never liked scary movies. Or horror films. Or monster or ghost flicks. Even when they’re on the comedic side, like “Ghostbusters”. Not that I’m jumpy. But the imagery can linger … for quite a while. I have a fertile imagination. The mental movies I can create at bedtime, from the loitering visual impressions of even the minutest hair-raising motion picture experience, regularly win Oscars for “Let’s scare the bejeezus out of Erik.”

I like to tell the following story. Once, when I was still in elementary school, Mom and Dad went out for the evening and put K. in charge. K. thumbed through the television guide to see what we could watch on TV. “Channel three is showing ‘The Birds’. Let’s watch that.” Well, why not? What can be wrong with watching a movie about birds?

Two hours later, K. led a petrified brother up the stairs, down the hall, into his room and shoved him into bed. But just before she turned off the light, she opened up the window and threw bread crumbs on him.

Okay, that didn’t really happen. I have a fertile imagination.

I don’t know where I got it in my head that “Star Wars” was a scary movie. I suppose it was the notion that it happened out in space, where Stars are, and that some type of War had erupted, involving sinister robots, disturbing aliens and some black-cloaked, magic-wielding mouth-breather. It kind of creeped me out.

My friend Steve L., who was very brave, by the way, went to see this forbidding film and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. Eventually I had to ask him to tell me all about it … in the daylight … when it was safe. So, he laid it all out, in as much detail as a fifth-grader is capable. Which is a lot. Hold it, Steve. Stop. I’m losing you. Jump to the scary part. “What?” Tell me the scary part. “What scary part?” Isn’t this a horror movie of some kind? “Dude. It’s a space movie. The ugly old witch in ‘Snow White’ is scarier than anything in ‘Star Wars’.” Oh. “Sheez, you’re a weird kid.”

Two years later, when the studio released it again, a few weeks before the premiere of “The Empire Strikes Back”, I manned up. Steve, D. and I went to see “Star Wars”. Need I say that it was awesome?

Inside one of the finest scores for any movie is one of the most exquisite melodies I think I’ve ever heard. “Princess Leia’s Theme” never fails to charm. My iPod is richer for the presence of this track.

Credits: To Alfred Hitchcock, for “The Birds.” And “North By Northwest”. And “Vertigo”. And “Psycho”. And “Rear Window”. And “Dial M for Murder”. And “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. And “To Catch A Thief”.