Bad Movie, Good Line

I have a serious weakness for Bad Horror Movies - monster movies in particular. I don't much care about a family of cannibalistic rednecks or a chainsaw-wielding psychopath, but give me a shapechanging mutant or a body-infecting alien (or the more traditional ghost, werewolf, zombie, or vampire fare) and I'm in. I love them, and I watch waaaaaaay too many of them.

Sometimes they're low-budget but otherwise well done; sometimes they're just irredeemably awful. A few nights ago I watched Psychlops, which I'd place somewhere in the middle. The plot was essentially a sequel to H.P. Lovecraft's From Beyond, with a small group of friends recovering a machine that allows them to see into other dimensions and states of being.

Hijinks ensue.

The special effects were okay, and the acting was actually fairly decent. The production - scene continuity, in particular - left a lot to be desired, and the plot was a bit disjointed. The dialogue, however, was surprisingly good, and one line stuck with me (in fact, I paused the movie to write it down).

Basically, one of the peripheral characters is a Wiccan. At one point, she slips a necklace (unnoticed) onto the neck of one of the main characters. When the protagonists confront her about it later, she explains: "It's a charm. It's supposed to protect you from your enemies. I don't think there's anything that will protect you from your friends."

As a line, it was perfect for the situation and moment in the movie. But what really struck me about it - as someone who participates in several online communities and is occasionally called upon to offer personal advice - is that it neatly sums up my experience. It's not the people who dislike you who are a problem; it's friends and family who cause the really difficult problems.