Top 5 Movies That Scared the Hell Out of Me
Oct 3, 2009 by Ross MillerIt’s October, the month where our thoughts turn to Halloween and scary movies – here’s one list of films that scared the heck out of one of our writers.
Ya’ know, since it’s Halloween coming up at the end of the month, I thought it would be appropriate to make a list of the top 5 movies that, for whatever reason, just scared the hell out of me. It may not be the entire movie, maybe it was just a particular scene/moment; they may not be the technically BEST horror movies (they may not even be strictly “horror” per se.), but just something about them had me hiding behind the pillow, jumping at every noise, looking through the cracks in my fingers, thinking about it for days afterwards, and… changing my underwear — okay, too much information…
Before I get on with the list, just know that (like every list) this is purely opinion and therefore it obviously isn’t going to match YOUR list. If a movie that you find particularly scary isn’t on my list then feel free to let us know in the comments section, but there’s no need to go crazy because “this” movie is on there and shouldn’t be, while “that” movie isn’t on there and should be.
Also, be warned that there will be SPOILERS discussed with each film, so unless you’ve seen the film or don’t mind being spoiled, you might want to just note the title and look ahead to the next film.
Okay, now that we’ve got those things out of way, let’s get on with the scary countdown!
.
5. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
While I’m told I used to love watching this movie (particularly for the famous transformation scene), I didn’t properly sit down to watch it from start to finish (now grown up…) until about a couple of years ago, and boy did it scare me. All great horror movies stand the test of time and John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London is definitely one of those movies. Almost every scene that was talked about as truly frightening almost 30 years ago is no less scary today.
The diverse Landis (can you believe he made this AND Animal House?) brought us an eerie atmosphere and a great mix of on-screen horror along with off-screen that’s left to your imagination. The likability of David Naughton as our afflicted leading man makes it that much more compelling – we root for him yet he turns into this hideous monster that terrorizes and attacks people. And the special effects makeup by the legendary Rick Baker are just about unmatched with this type of thing.
Scariest Scene/Moment: There’s quite a few horrific and frightening moments to be found here (such as the repeated moments of the main character’s dead friend talking to him), but I have to give it to the famous, unforgettable scene of our leading character, David Kessler, transforming into the titular werewolf. As mentioned, the special effects makeup by Rick Baker is just astonishing and still holds up today, even after all these years. It’s one of those scenes that serves for re-watches on its own, without watching the rest of the movie. Not just to see the scene again for the effect it has, but to try and see just how technical it “goes down.” I would be very surprised if ANY werewolf movie to come will match that transformation scene.
.
4. Misery (1990)
Like John Landis above, Rob Reiner is a diverse filmmaker, going from comedy with such things as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally; fantasy with The Princess Bride; crime/drama with A Few Good Men; and finally horror with Misery. The latter slides in at number 4 on my scary list and for good reason: Has there ever been such a terrifying female horror “villain” as Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes? There’s probably some out there, but I certainly can’t think of any. She’s at first and on the surface a loving, kind and helpful woman – a former nurse, in fact. What more could you possibly want from someone helping you to get better?
Well, as the film shows, she’s a crazed, obsessed fan of James Caan’s novelist, Paul Sheldon, and after he crashes his car after just having written the final book in his series, he unluckily gets “rescued” by Annie who keeps him sedated in her secluded home, eventually forcing him to rewrite his novel because he killed off her favorite character. It’s a fairly straightforward horror/thriller premise (taken from my favorite book by my favorite author, Stephen King), but director Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman draw everything they can from it and make for one helluva of chilling watch. And this is helped tremendously by the performers, particularly Bates as Annie (she won an Oscar for it, FYI).
Scariest Scene/Moment: One scene jumps straight to mind not only when I think about the scariest moments from this film but from any film, and that would be when Annie puts a piece of thick wood between the ankles of Paul and proceeds to break them sideways with a sledgehammer. In King’s book, Annie uses an axe instead of a hammer, which (as you can imagine by the way King describes things) is horrific enough. But somehow the sledgehammer – or at least the way Reiner shows it happening on-screen – is even MORE horrifying.
Around the web:
Loading ...
@Lord Garth
That IS something we’ve discussed doing.
Vic
The ones that have really scared me in recent years as an adult have been The Descent (as mentioned), The Strangers, High Tension and Wolf Creek. The Blair Witch Project and The Ring as well. I remember watching When a Stranger Calls and When a Stranger Call Back when I was younger and being really frightened! The music from Halloween would always scare me too lol even when I was in another room!
No, the scariest moment in “The Shining” is purely psychological: When Wendy discovers all the pages Jack’s been typing on contain the same sentence typed over and over. Only to be discovered by Jack as she reads them to her horror.
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”
I still say to this day, that John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. That whole ‘who can you trust’ thing, and the desolation of the antarctic…great film.
“The Thing” is a classic piece of cinema, as are so many of Carpenters films…(They Live, Escape from Ny)
“The top 5 films that scared the hell out of me,?”
We they are all old films as nothing scares me in cinema these days. Some of its disturbing, but not scary,,,
^
Here’s my list, Keep in mind I was younger then,,,
^
5-The Fog (Original)
4-Dead and Buried
3-Amityville Horror
2-Phantasm
1-Exorcist
^
A few honorable mentions,
Burnt Offerings, Poltergeist, It, The Entity, Black Christmas, Jaws,
^
Here’s a few films that I’ve found disturbing but not scary,,, Zodiac, Event Horizon, Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer, Midnight Meat Train, Session 9 and the Oliver Stone film, “W”,,,
When I hear about The Shining, great movie BTW, I think of that one holloween episode of Simpsons that was a spoof of that. When they were showing Homer around and the elevator opens and blood pours out of it. They are all just standing there as they get knee deep in blood and Burns just calmly says “Hm, that’s odd, usually the blood get’s off on the 2nd floor…”
LMAO!!!!
I guess I should see some of those movies, but the serious “scary” horror movies usually just bore me since I don’t usually get pulled into horror movies, I’m always too conscious that it’s fake and it doesn’t phase me. I’m sure there are exceptions, but can’t think of them right now… When I do I’ll post my list…
“Hm, that’s odd, usually the blood get’s off on the 2nd floor…”
Ah I remember that one, classic Burns.
I really couldn’t begin to narrow all my fav horror films down to a list of five, but when I was about nine years old I went to see a movie that hold the distinction of “greatest sphincter factor” in my history of going to the cinema. It terrified my older brother and I so badly we literally ran screaming from the theater (Our 25 cents didn’t seem to matter much, we just wanted to get the hell out of there…), and I recently typed the title into my search engine to see if it ever made it to DVD. Incredibly, I was taken to a site where you can download the entire movie!
Its called “The Day of The Triffids”. Its fairly tame by today’s standards, but still entertaining, with a pretty cool script and acting. So, if you want a chuckle, imagine yourself to be pre adolescent, popcorn in hand, and ready to check out a “monster movie” with not inkling of the horrors that awaited you. I often wonder why, in this age of remakes, reimaginings, and reboots, why some bozo at a major studio has never considered reissuing this movie with todays technology? It would be pretty darned scary in my humble opinion! I hope yall enjoy it if you take the time to look it up.
@Nowhereman, its all about the moment when you saw the scary movie…
BBC did a sequel to “Day of the Triffids” last April, and it was laughable…
I gotta garee with ya 790, it’s why I tried to place my list in context. It’s a very subjective emotion because we all have our own hangups on what gets to us. Is the House on Haunted Hill scary for most of our jaded gore festers these days… nah, but when I was six, the use of suggestion and shadow really scared the crap outta me then. So now I’m a little older and while that device is still effective, that is letting my own mind fill in the blanks, it isn’t what it used to be.
Tells ya what a good writer Stephen King is within that genre, in that he does have a good notion about what scares you, lovely to see so many nominations for It, which scared me just as a book (the TV mini series less so) and so many of his other stories here as well, just surprised not to see the Stand mentioned though.
The movies made from Stephen King novels are pale imitations of the brilliance of his novels. Pet Semetary was one of the creepiest books I had ever read, but the movie BORED me. The Shining is probably the BEST example of a good movie based on a King novel, but mostly all the other ones are pretty weak. Makes you wonder why they even bother any more.
@Ken….
The early episodes of The Simpsons Halloween specials were fantastic. I love the episode when Homer is turned into a donut and starts to pick at himself. “But, Marge, I’m so sweet and tasty!” Classic.
These are the scariest movies that stick out to me..So scary to me that I havent watched them again…I think I will this Halloween though. It’s time for the kids to start lovin’ em or hatin’ em.
1. The Exorcist (young)
2. The Gates of Hell (I was 11 when I saw it on video) http://www.stomptokyo.com/badmoviereport/reviews/G/gates_o_hell.html
3. Amityville Horror (again, very young)
4. American Werewolf in London (young)
5. Blair Witch Project
@Andy S,
It’s funny, because The Shining is the LEAST faithful adaptation of any of King’s books and yet it’s one of the best, along with The Shawshank Redemption (even though that was technically a short story).
Movies that i’ve had recurring nightmares from have always been the nightmare on elm street series ane orca but movies that just scared the crap outta me whilst i was watching them…
The Exorcist… I watch most scary movies with headphones on and in the dark to try and completely submerge myself into these movies… This one i had to pause several times.
Child’s Play: The first one being the best one of them ( to me) is Also creepy as hell.
Phantasm: Something about that old man reminded me of someone that lived in my building at the time that just creeped me out everytime i saw him.
The Serpent and The Rainbow: Throughout the whole movie i was creeped out because i constantly travel to the Dominican Republic and Haiti is connected to it… Thoughts of being smuggled or taken hostage to haiti to then go through one of those rituals still haunt to this day.
Night of the Creeps: it was just plain disturbing at the time.
Creepshow 1 & 2: as much as i was entertained i was equally scared watching those…
There are several others ( some on the list above except “rec” and ” descent” which to me were just funny) but ill have to take more time and think on them.
@Jago– I LOVE night of the creeps! It didn’t scare me but I liked it a lot! I answer the phone sometimes “thrill me” LOL!
Creepshow got me with the last one with the cockroaches….shuddering violently….yuck!
Ghost Story
Amityville II (actually scarier than the first)
Demons
and The Thing
Anything made in the 70′s, they were all scary.
1. An American Werewolf in London, I was 11yrs old and actually started crying, I was that scared. Now one of my favourite films.
2. Salem’s ‘Lot-the Tv series by Tobe Hooper, that kid tapping on the window still gets me now after all these years.
3. Cannibal Holocaust, I lasted 10 mins and went to my bedroom and listened the rest of it.
4. The Exorcist, not the first time I watched it as the house was full and it was a sunny Sunday afternoon. I felt safe watching. I tried to watch it on my own in my early teens and it frightened the life out of me.
5. Whenever the theme to Dr. Who came on I was one of those that hid behind the sofa. Don’t let anyone tell you that hiding behind the sofa was an apocryphal story with regards to Dr. Who. It happened, I did it.
Come to think of it, my parents were evil ***kers!
All the above are movies/tv shows that I now love and after Sci-Fi (SyFy?), horror is my next fave’ genre.
Here’s mine..
Exorcist
Evil Dead 1&2
Nightmare on Elm St.
American Werefolf in London
Silver Bullet-When the werewolf was the one eyed-priest
Emily Rose was pretty scary too!
and also Pet Sematary was scary too!
Got to add one more
Hellraiser 1 – my parents showed it me when I was little (WHY!!!!) and I had my hands over my eyes.
Saw it again a few months ago and it’s still freaking creepy.
Btw, when will Hollywood figure out that makeup/puppets are way scarier than CGI?
This will date me but The Blob(1958), Steve McQueen’s first film. After that every shadow was that thing coming across the floor to dissolve my flesh.
The Hitcher(1986) with Rutger Hauer. I’ve never been able to look at thick cut french fries the same way since.
Alien. I saw it in the theater in June of ’79 when it came out. There were men screaming in the theater and a girl called her boyfriend an S.O.B. and ran out of the building half way through. The scene for me was when Ripley was prepping the Narcissus and the arm came out right in front of her. CRAP!!
Sorry, May of ’79 (Ripley gives the date in ‘Aliens’ when she’s arguing with Burke)
ogb is right! Anyone whose seen John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ can tell you that.
1. The Exorcist – the eyes, the head turning, the ambience…MOMMY!
2. The Return of Dracula (Christopher Lee) – Yeah, I know, but I had a frakking nightmare after watching those red eyes
3. the Ring – I wasn’t that scared until the girl starting walking towards the screen, and then came out of the TV. I actually shuttered.
4. Salem’s Lot – Yeah, it’s a TV movie but it still scared the crap out of me
5. Phantasm – The atmosphere of this film just made it soo creepy
Lets not forget the one of the all time most terrifying movies, Jaws. This has to be #1 on my list because it has the real aspect to it that haunts us every time we step foot into the water.
For me its The Grudge first. I slept w/a light on for like over a month after that movie. The second most traumatic for me was Event Horizon. OMFG! Those missing eyes.
@ tweeb
night of the creeps didn’t scare me either… It was just disturbing to see them things go into peoples mouths… Yucky.
I first saw the ring on vhs ( yeah i still have one of those and a betamax too!!!) and it didn’t scare me out all whilst i was watching it up until i was done that i heard the phone ring. First thought that came into mind was if i picked up and spoke in spanish… Would she say ” Siete Dias” or would she say “press 2 for spanish”? Either way when it did ring i was truly scared.
Creepshow 1&2 both gave several things to be scared about… Letting myself get buried in the sand, trying to open big boxes that you find under a stairwell, abandoned lakes, hitchhikers, indian wood carvings,etc.
Anything that gave me nightmares on made me sleep with someone else when I was an adult made my list-
5. The Fly (with Jeff Goldblum)
4. Stephen King’ IT (I dare not go near storm drains)
3. Nightmare on Elm Street (woke up from a nightmare and stayed awake until dawn, too scared to sleep)
2. Pet Cemetary(was 18 and my friend and I were so scared we decided I should sleep in her room in her bed)
1. The Ring (still had nightmare 6 months later)
DRAG ME TO HELL!!!!!
?Minor SPOILER** the part where something fell off the ceiling towards the end of REC was pretty stunning, made me jump.
Btw I watched Quarantine first, so I felt REC was a bit…amateur…but I’ll try to watch REC2 first this time, hope they will show it in cinema.