Nick Groff Investigates… The Scares of Summer!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Nick Groff is one of the most respected names in television and beyond when it comes to the paranormal. He has had incredible experiences in some of the most haunted locations in the world. As a friend to Arrow in the Head, we’ve shared some very exciting experiences with Nick including a couple of wild and spooky moments that we’ve managed to capture on camera. Thus, we’ve decided to work with the television host and producer extraordinaire so he can share his knowledge and insight on all things that go bump in the night. With this bi-monthly column, we plan to delve into everything from urban legends to ghostly apparitions, to his take on some of the coolest genre flicks ever. This is Nick Groff Investigates…!

THE SCARES OF SUMMER!

We all know there's nothing like a great horror film throughout the month of October. Halloween night with a bunch of genre flicks is something every single one of you is likely to partake in. Yet horror fans don't just stop looking for a good scare or two for the other eleven months. In fact, with streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and of course Shudder, there's plenty of terror to entertain fans looking for something a little different.

This is especially true this summer. With most of us stuck at home in isolation with the lack of local movie theatres available for our enjoyment, I started to think about summers of old. While many of you didn't necessarily have the experience of a Blockbuster or whatever video store you had, I'm sure many of you remember the fun of looking at the horror section and all the groovy cover art that was on display all those many years ago. Truthfully I'm very happy that I had the experience of looking at all that and wanting desperately to rent flicks like MANIAC, THE FUNHOUSE, or perhaps Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD – that and EVIL  DEAD 2 were very popular for this horror hound.

And now, with most of the theatres shut down, we're lucky to have a pretty massive selection of scary flicks to take our mind off the current news cycle. For some, we even have the option of checking out a local drive-in showing summer classics like JAWS, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, or JURASSIC PARK. This got me thinking about my memories of summer, and the movies that I'd rent again, and again, and again. I loved it all, everything from DAY OF THE ANIMALS to PIRANHA to slashers like HELL NIGHT and THE BURNING. Needless to say, the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise was always a bloody joy to watch from May to September.

This had me thinking about some of the frights that Nick discovered when he was younger. Before he took on terrifying locations and communicating with the world beyond what we know, he was just like us. What were his summers like? What kind of movies did he lock himself away with when the sun did set, and the stars shined? Here's what he had to say about his cinematic haunted adventures when he was younger. And feel free to share your own stories in the comments below! What movies are you digging while staying at home in 2020? What frights did you endure when you were young and the summer sun was setting? We'd love to get a few suggestions! And now, here's what Nick had to say about the "Scares of Summer!"

As a kid, I used to ride my bike to the VHS store and rent every horror movie on the shelf, especially during the summertime. I would play all day and watch movies at night. My mom would get mad at me for renting R rated horror movies and make me return them once in a while when she caught me watching them. One in particular that I remember is "Dr. Giggles". My mom made me ride my bike right back to the store and return the film. I always loved summertime because in the 80s and 90s growing up there would be a ton of movies that would come out to experience. 

I still remember when my cousin Morgan and I visited my sister in Pennsylvania and walked from the house, like two miles to the video store to rent all of the “Exorcist” films. It took us two days to finish all the films. As I grew older I feel that "The Exorcist" is my all-time scariest movie. It gets under my skin every time. I think the story and director's ability to capture the cinematic fear is really what got under my skin. As I investigated more hauntings and negative energies I realized the possibility of a dark force that could take over our human psyche. That put some fear into my mind so now this film weirdly haunts me.

There are so many horror and psychological films I have seen through the years, but summertime was always a blast to explore new films and creep friends out. I remember one summer renting "The Night Flier" adapted from Stephen King. This film scared my girlfriend at the time, which I found somewhat amusing. It is tough to find another person to watch horror films with but when you do enjoy the ride.

I do like the blockbuster movies made for summer, but there is nothing like an interesting campy horror film late at night with the sun setting in the summertime. I miss the 80's and 90's summer movie nights. Times have changed but I feel we can relive some of that era by going to the drive-in theater and watching movies like "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park". Enjoy your summer and try to make the best out of it by taking the family or friends to see a drive-in theater. or look into the woods and scare each other. Live it up you're alive!