Aiiieeeeeee!

[The Curmudgeon]

That was supposed to be a scream. Sorry.

OK, I want you all to sit back and, what's the word? Ah yes - reminisce. We're here to talk about horror movies, but not to list your top ten or anything like that (although feel free). I'm here to talk about those scenes in certain movies that, for want of a better term, scared the ever-lovin' blue eyed shit out of you.

You know what I mean; certain parts of certain films that made the back of your neck tingle and for you to shrink back into your couch. You may have been young or it may have been last week. Here's mine..

1. Night Of The Living Dead.

One of my all time favourite movies now, when I first watched this on TV as a young Curmudgeon with my mother. The entire first half hour just scared the hell out of me. The fact that it wasn't a "ZING" jump where the bad guy is suddenly behind the dumb blonde, the fact it wasn't at night in a spooky old house. It was in broad daylight, in a normal looking cemetery - and they watched the zombie come towards them the whole time. That freaked me out.

2. Psycho II.

I still think this film is one of the most under-rated sequels of all time. And this one scene stayed in my head YEARS, and I mean YEARS, after I first saw it. I think I must have been about ten, and the scene where the young couple are down in the cellar making out when they hear someone coming. They look through the window of the cellar and see Norman stomping about in his mother's dress. They don't move.. until dumbass girl slips on a log. THIS BIT - where Norman's head jerks round to the window - will stay with me forever.

Hell, I've only ever seen it once - all that time ago - and I can STILL remember that bit. Fantastic!

3. Blair Witch Project

A far more recent effort, and I think the last horror film to make me shiver. You probably know which parts (it had two). The first, in the tent, when the girl asks "is that a baby crying?" and then the tent gets pushed in by unseen hands. And of course, the last bit where the screaming chick sees her cameraman facing the wall. On paper it means nothing. On camera it just.. rocked. And made your old IHM squirm in his cinema seat.

4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Another recent one (and no - not the remake). I had never seen this until they released it for a limited cinema run (it was still banned for domestic release). I'd say most of this film scared me like I hadn't been in YEARS - hell, I was actually wanting the violence to END, something I hadn't felt since I was about seven. The first appearance of the Hitchiker was bad enough, but THAT chase scene through the forest almost had me blubbing into my friends shoulder.

OK - hopefully I haven't dented my reputation TOO much with those four confessions. Anyone else willing to step forward?

[InvisibleWolfMan]

I'm gonna do my list of films that scared me in no particular order.

1) Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Ok, I'm going the extra mile by typing "chainsaw" as two words, just as it was originally marketed. The Curmudgeon was right, this IS a movie where you just want the violence to end! Scared the daylights out of me, and to this day it does make me uncomfortable to watch it. The first two deaths have such an impact that you become literally GLUED to your seat. Who can forget the slamming of the sliding metal door or Pam being placed upon the meat hook? Not I....

2) Nightmare On Elm Street

This one has its flaws, but I viewed it fully the first time when I was 12. Up until then, I'd only seen the clip (by accident) of Freddy on fire killing the mom upon her bed. I didn't want to watch it, but my friend insisted that's what we'll watch. I spent half the time behind the couch, and had a few nightmares for days on end because of it. I will say though that after that, I began a love of horror films that continues to this day.

3)Frankenstein (1931)

Grave robbing? Check. Man playing God? Check. A horrible creation that turns on it's creator? Check. A tragic end that leads us to question who's the real monster? Check. I used to view this one on weekend late night tv, and it still is as strong now as it was then. I'm glad that Universal saw fit to restore the footage it cut out after the original release.

4) Dracula (1931)

Bela Lugosi OWNS this role, and no one has come even close enough to match him. Although the Spanish version of the film (shot literally at the same time) is by far better than this one, Lugosi leaves such a mark upon the character of Dracula that this is the reason everyone remembers the English version first. I also viewed this one on weekend late night tv.

5) Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

Saw this one in 2001 for the first time. Literally creeped me out so bad with the gore that I didn't want to go outside after dark (it gets PITCH BLACK here in Finland in the fall at night when there's no snow). Powerful stuff. Thankfully I've been able to watch it without that feeling....unless it's fall, of course!

[The Curmudgeon]

Oh, oh - I've got another one. Now, I've only ever seen this film once when I was very young, and I can still remember this scene.

It was a Hammer Horror version of Dracula (you mentioning Dracula reminded me), and one of the good guys breaks into Dracula's castle. He goes into his lair where all the coffins are. He opens Dracula's and there he is, fast asleep. "Oh my GOD", I thought. "DO IT! DO IT!" But, of course, he doesn't. He goes and kills his ex-girlfriend now vamp first. And she scr-eeee-aa-ms.

So he turns to kill Dracula now, but he's not there. The exit door slams shut. And there is Dracula, looking mighty pissed. Fade to black.

I think it worked so much better that it didn't show Dracula killing the guy, and it left you to work out what happened by yourself. Man, I remember imagining what I would have done to try and escape, and it used to give me the creeps every time.

Some good choices there, Wolfman. And I would LOVE that feeling you described in Nightmare, that you are SO scared of a horror film you DON'T want to watch it. I remember it well.

[hackersanonymous]

I'm off to bed, so here's a few just to prove I'm listening..

I'll obviously go with TCM as well. Top stuff.

Jaws... As my parents will tell anyone within earshot whether they're interested or not, I did hide behind the couch/cushions whenever the theme tune would kick in.. I was just a kid, obviously.

Another one from my youth, and it's tied in with one of Curmudgeon's list.. Psycho. Holy poop - when you're a young kid, you soon find out why these films have adult certificates.

And finally...

House of Wax - the recent remake. It not only scared me to see just how crap it was. It was the fact that a friend of my fiancee DELIBERATELY bought it on DVD at full price on day of release. It's terrifying to think someone would actually do that!


Toodles!

[The Curmudgeon]

Ho ho - you know, I actually kinda want to see that House Of Wax.

[trashcanman]

THe scenes that scare the holy crap out of me are: (in no particular order)
1) Night of the Living Dead- The scene I'll never forget is the one where the sick little girl dies and rises up to butcher her own mother. Absolutely terrifying.

2) Salem's Lot- That kid outside of the window. Still makes me nervous about looking out of my window on a foggy night.

3) Cujo- The scene where the lady wakes up in her car and that fucking dog is just sitting there staring at them. Induced sheer blind terror and dread in me the 1st time I watched it.

4) American Werewolf in London- THat scene where the man is being chased through the subway and you never see the wolf as he runs until he trips on the escalator and looks behind him as the wolf walks into frame. That shot scared the hell out of me.

5) Jaws- The part that freaked me out the most is the first shot of the submerged shark taking that guy down as the little kid watches.
Before that film I wanted to be a marine biologist. Now, swimming pools make me nervous.

[The Curmudgeon]

It's always nice when a horror film screws you up so bad it changes the entire outlook of your life.

Can anyone beat THAT?!