Almost a Top Ten: My Pick of Six Scary Flicks
In no particular order of course...
It's Halloween time and I considered doing a top ten scariest films, but horror is such a subjective (not to mention massive) genre no list of mine would ever be complete. So I decided to go with six films I can remember actually scaring me or giving me some legitimate creeps.
I already know many of you will browse this list and scoff at some of my choices, "Really? That stupid movie scared you?" Before you ask, the answer is "yes". On some level or another all six of these film creep me out or legitimately scared me when I first saw them. As with all scary/creepy movies the second time you see them they don't scare you as much or at all, but I stand firmly by the six below and believe they all hold up to multiple viewings.
What scares me most when it comes to movies is the unknown. Sure, things that jump out at you offering cheap thrills scare everyone, but a truly scary movie will frighten you without having to throw a black cat into the scene. Then again, some of those jump scares can be so perfectly in tune with the film you are watching you forgive any cheap attempt they offer up. One such example is on this list.
You'll also notice gore does not scare me and I'm not convinced it actually scares anyone. Gore is like nudity in films to where it only satisfies prurient interests. Real scares tap into your human instincts. We place yourself in the shoes of the character on screen and you think, "Oh shit, that person better run!" or "What the hell are they going to do?" It's also about those movies where you ask, "What are they going to do?" and the answer doesn't make you say, "No! Don't do that you dummy!"
I love those moments in horror films where the camera settles on a figure in the distance just standing there. Why is that person just standing there? You don't know, but that knife in their hand gives you a serious moment of pause.
I love the moments where only a sliver of light gives you the smallest amount of the setting. While I didn't add it to this list, when The Blair Witch Project came out I thought they used the creepy ability of a flashlight to give you only the smallest idea of what is going on to the greatest of advantage. It was a brilliant decision.
As I am sure you have assumed, movies such as Saw, Hostel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. aren't films that necessarily scare me. However, films such as the first A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and The Thing are great films. They just aren't on this list, and neither is Alien, which was hard not to include, but then I would have had a top ten and it would have left too much out. I don't watch a lot of J-horror. I haven't seen Les Diaboliques or Suspiria. Basically, I am not qualified to make a bonafide top ten on this subject, but a list of my favs I am sure to handle.
With those factors in mind, let's move forward. However, at the end of this feature I would love to hear what your top five/ten scary movies are. I am positive it will be different from mine and on top of that, it will give me even more films to add to my Netflix queue just as it did the last time I asked and so many of you added your voice. I watched several of the films you suggested and while none of them made this list, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them. But it does speak to how subjective the idea of being scared actually is.
So here they are, six flicks that gave me the chills, and in no particular order. What a cop out eh? Click "Next Page" to begin…
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Nice list…i haven't seen 'Ils' though.
MY other 4 to round up the top ten would be …7) Event Horizon 8) REC 9) Raat (an Indian film) and 10) 28 weeks later
And REC goes to #1 in the list… the last 15 mins in th emovie were by far the scariest images captured on celluloid .. i couldn't sleep a wink the whole damn night
Yeah, I haven't seen REC and am anxious to check it out once it comes out on DVD. A lot of folks champion that film.
I remember getting scared by a preview of ghostbusters, the scene where Rick Moranis is being chased into a park by a gargoyle. To bo honest I was only 7 or 8 when I saw it. :eek:
Exorcist II: The Heretic freaked me out as well when my five year older brother and some freands rented the video.
I was a bit older when I saw Alien for the first time, by then I could enjoy the claustrophobic and dark scaryness.
Things like the grudge and those slasher films just bore me.
The only one that gave me the willies as an adult was Conspiracy.
The fact that it really happened, the way they talk and decide about people….
The acting is incredibly (and scaringly) convincing.
It might not be a horror but real humans can be far scarier than anything Hollywood can come up with.
Brad I liked your list all of them were on there for good reason. Mine though is a bit different
1. Halloween many people don't find it scary but I was only 8 when I first saw it and just the whole stalking he did with the standing in shadows and watching (esp when tommy looks out the window and see him carrying the dead body into the house eh that still creeps me out)
2. Alien because again I was younger when I watched it but the scene when Dallas is in the airbocks and its chasing him and he looks one way then the next Boom loud scream and for a split second you finally see the alien. That movie to me is one of if not the best edited film ever because of moments like that it still freaks me out to this day but more so when I was younger because of that being the first time you really see the alien in full form.
3. 28 weeks later because of again the editing (so many quick cuts with gore and stuff a lot of it is up to you with what's going on didn't show you too much) but also with how the army responds to it because if that were to happen that's what they would do so that adds a great deal of creepiness and scariness to the movie as well as the scream raging infected.
4.exorcist got me for same reasons as you brad but also those split second shots of a creepy devil like face (you see them twice I believe) those really got me and of course the voice and the smile when she turns her head around. But crab walk is def up there as well and I think because of its randomness you had no idea its coming and also the amazing music.
5. The omen(not remake) gets me for just the reason of creepiness with the hanging at the start and how dark everything was and the hospital scene with the crazy nanny. Many people might disagree with this one but that movie creeped me out
6. Exorcist 3. That's one many people haven't seen and it is the scariest movie that has prolly never been seen by most. Just the build up the story and the music just get you. Esp the hospital scene with the nurse and looking around and the camrea slowly going down the hallway and your just waiting for what to happen. I don't want to ruin anything if you haven't seen it but after that moment I couldn't walk without looking over my sholder all the time
Good list, I'm with you Brad, Gore doesn't scare me the unknown does.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose was pretty good too.
I'll have to rent Them II.
it's very difficult to create a good ranking of horror movies… but I can say that you have forget something really scaring as:
1) Darkness (J. Balaguerò)
2) Nameless (J. Balaguerò)
3) Funny Games (M. Haneke)
4) Shining (S. Kubrick)
5) Profondo Rosso – Deep Red (D. Argento)
6) A l'Interieur – Inside (A. Bustillo)
7) Haute Tension – High Tension (A. Aja)
8) Suspiria (D. Argento)
9) One Missed Call (T. Miike)
10) A Venezia un dicembre rosso shocking – Don't Look Now (N. Roeg)
11) La casa dalle finestre che ridono (P. Avati)
12) Two Sisters (J. Kim)
13) Session 9 (B. Anderson)
Hope u will enjoy!!
god, there are some omissions here.
texas chainsaw massacre
suspiria
john carpernter's "the thing" remake
and, recently, i was quite impressed with midnight meat train.
in terms of psychological impact, the excorcist definitely scared me witless at the time…
Wow! After reading the comments, I've missed quite a few flicks out there and I thought I was up to speed on most scary ones. Finding a flick that really scares me is a goal I have when checking out horrors… It's not easy to find something that genuinely scares me in the theaters.
My list would included (in no special order):
And, for that matter, let me include a video game that creeps me out each time I play it… Doom 3. Scares the living daylights out of me when I play it at night, with all the lights out. Of course, it's more fun that way.
Have you played F.E.A.R.? That has quite a few fright moments in that as well.
It is all scripted so you'll have to leave it for a good time before playing again otherwise you know whats coming.
There's one bit were you climb up a ladder and suddenly end up face to face with Alma (little girls in red dresses are fucking scary). I wasted half a clip on that several times.
I just have to laugh at myself.
I'll have to check this one out.
I don't play many video games, I'm kind of stuck on the Halos and, of course, Doom 3 (love those first-person shooters), and the ocassional car racing game. I definitely need to add to my library.
@RaTTleR_NL:
You know the game I found scariest? Half-Life 2. Man, that had me screaming. And I rarely do that in a film.
The scariest films I have seen are (in no particular horror):
1) Audition: the second film which gave me sleepless nights. There is something about it which hit me deep.
2) The first was, of course, The Exorcist.
3)The Descent was very effective. It became one of my favorites when I watched the second time.
4) Found Blair Witch Project a freak out (Rec. owes a lot to it, I guess – though I haven't seen it). It could be because I watched it alone with lights out, thinking it will be something stupid.
5) Gehraae (The Depth) – One of the rare scary Hindi films.Now sadly forgotten. A girl get's possessed by the dead mistress of her father. Disturbing .
Add another Spanish horror flick to the list: "Tesis" directed by Alejandro Amenabar. Perhaps you remember him as the director of "The Others" and the Academy-Award-winning "Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside)." You know how "The Others" was creepy? Well, "Tesis" will seriously, SERIOUSLY scare you. Not just haunt you, not just make you jump in your seat, but scare you. You know, the kind of scare that makes you afraid of dark places for the next week.
Another film that also scared me was "Blue Velvet." "The Descent" was a great addition to the list: I found the claustrophobia itself horrific, and that was before everything else started to go wrong!
Just so you know, I do not scare easily at all. So when I list these films, I mean them.
Nice list! Also gives me 3 movies to go check out!
I havent't see "The Descent", but I suppose "Tremors" starring Kevin Bacon is similar and definitely is "the unexpected scares you" type. I think that could make the list.
"Alien", the first one definitely scared me when I was a kid. I would recommend that.
Like someone already said, "The Others" was a fine movie which had its moments. It was like something out of a "X-Files" episode.
"The Grudge" would make my top 10 ahead of the "The Ring". It sure had some heart stopping moments.
"Suspiria", other than the music I doubt if anything was all that scary in it. I wouldn't recommend it for a top 10.
"The Mist" is actually pretty cool, the "unkown" factor kicks in and the ending is what I like most.
I remember as a child I was quite scared of the movie "It".
Check those out for completion of your top 10.
'Raat' – That Indian movie is really up there. With All due respect to this list (I have watched 4 out of those 6), The Best Scarciest movie 'I' have ever seen is 'Ju-On The Grudge' – The original Japanese version. A little more better than 'The Ring'.
Poltergeist was one that always got me as a kid, and the scene in jaws with ben gardener still makes me jump everytime.
@mihirkula: is [REC] worth seeing after Quarantine?
I'm sadly quite lazy when it comes to subtitled movies, having only sat through Pans Labyrinth, Ciy of God, and Run Lola Run when it comes to those types of movies. I thought quarantine was AWSOME but would you say the other version is better?
Kudos on mentioning THE DESCENT. It's still in my Top 3 after The Exorcist and The Omen.
1. Jaws
2. Exorcist
3. Blair Witch
4. The Grudge
Really good picks. here are some that scared me, even if i watch them now they still give me the creeps.
El espinazo del diablo (Directed by Guillermo del Toro)
Eskalofrio aka Shiver (Direct. by Isidro Ortiz)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose