View Full Version : Genuinely Scary Films !
Ok, i take pride in not being scared by films much, in fact the only 2 films i can remember having any real effect, are The Blair Witch Project (where it left the important things up to your mind which worked well with me.. especially as i saw it on the midnite showing on my own, then when i got home my lightbulb went...) and a film i THINK is called "The Haunting" about a couples house who's house is terrorised by a ghost, and when the ghost is around you can hear a kind of hissing sound. The film as a whole wasn't that good, but at the end when you think everythings ok (they moved house) you hear the hissing one final time and it cuts to black. I liked that a lot :)
Anyway, hollywood rubbish that overuses gore doesn't scare me (dont mind watching it tho!) so i wouldn't mind a nice fright if anyone has any suggestions :)
Jay
TBH, I found Jacob's ladder quite disturbing, worth a watch!
Salems lot scared me when I was about 10. Not sure if it does anymore.
Hmmm... Blair Witch - one of the worst wastes of 90 minutes in my life :) (I didn't think it was any good)
Anyone remember that ghost watch program with sarah greene many many years ago - now that scared me! :eek:
CraigKORE
11-01-2002, 15:38
I think that the situation you are in while watching a "scary" film is a big factor on how it affects you...
Example of mine would be What Lies Beneath. I watched this in the house late one night when everyone else was away out. Turned off all the lights, got my drink and some grub next to me, and pumped up the DTS sound.........and a browner pair of trousers I have never had!! :eek:
But looking at it now, if I had of seen it with a load of mates or the girlfriend, I doubt the impact would have been anywhere near what it was.
thedapman
11-01-2002, 15:40
The Changeling has to be the scariest film I've seen. I'm a sucker for a good, creepy, ghost film and The Changeling is right up there with the original version of The Haunting.
basegreen
11-01-2002, 16:02
Originally posted by SteveC
Hmmm... Blair Witch - one of the worst wastes of 90 minutes in my life :) (I didn't think it was any good)
Anyone remember that ghost watch program with sarah greene many many years ago - now that scared me! :eek:
I have a copy on VHS
Originally posted by gissing
I have a copy on VHS
What was it actually called? Was it 'GhostWatch'?
lycanthrope on the loose
11-01-2002, 16:05
Ring.
what lies beneath- the whole cinema jumped. lol
halloween
poolking
11-01-2002, 16:06
Originally posted by SteveC
What was it actually called? Was it 'GhostWatch'?
Yes, that is what it was called, had me fooled as well.
Ol' Blue Eyes
11-01-2002, 16:09
The Fog scared me quite badly the first time I saw it, so did all three of George Romero's zombie films. Recently, I thought The Sixth Sense, Stir Of Echoes and The Others were quite spooky but not on the same level.
basegreen
11-01-2002, 16:13
Originally posted by SteveC
What was it actually called? Was it 'GhostWatch'?
Ghostwatch yes. Do a search on eBay :D
Magic starring Anthony Hopkins, scared me the first time I saw it. I've had a phobia of ventriloquist dummy's ever since.
Rich-brf
11-01-2002, 16:17
easy...
Ring
Link Affiliated (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000058CB6/thedvdforums-21)
&
Ring2
Link Affiliated (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LW4G/thedvdforums-21)
fantastic
Oooh forgot about Ring :) i rented that as soon as i saw it on "Vids" and loved it. That scene in the well is very good, and i'd say that again was one of the scarier films i've seen.
I saw Ring2 on Sky Movies as well over the holidays, and my mate gave me the DVD for xmas. Its not as good as the original, but its still really good.
The one film i am definitely looking forward to (and have been since i heard it was annouced a looong time ago) is Rob Zombies' "House of 1,000 Corpses" its supposed to be absolutely depraved and terrifying. And if i know zombie, i'm gonna love it.
JayX
robbiejm
11-01-2002, 16:26
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - see where the makers of The Blair Witch Project got half of their 'inspiration' from.
Originally posted by SteveC
Hmmm... Blair Witch - one of the worst wastes of 90 minutes in my life :) (I didn't think it was any good)
Anyone remember that ghost watch program with sarah greene many many years ago - now that scared me! :eek:
Bloody hell, I forgot about that!:eek:
I remember watching that on my own when I was about 13. To say I **** my pants would be an understatement.
Thing is I totally believed what was happening until things in the studio started flying around, and then the credits rolled at the end - then I thought this is just a show!
I was so disappointed, but still didn't sleep that night !:eek:
Originally posted by robbiejm
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - see where the makers of The Blair Witch Project got half of their 'inspiration' from.
I had a copy of this when it was still banned over here.. what a right load of tosh. Totally cashing in on the late 70s spanish/italian zombie/gore flicks, and with no style or class whatsoever.
Lying bones all over the place isn't scary, and shock tactics are good (sometimes) only if they're shocking. Leatherface is a great character, but the film is so so bad :(
One of my least favorite films (of any genre!) i've ever seen
JayX
Films just can't be scary, go read a good horror book and you'll see what I mean! Films tend to try to make you jump, but that's not really scary. Or at least not what I'd call scary. The only films I remember being scary are the thing and superman 2, man that freaked me out when I thought he'd llost he's powers (well I was about 10 at the time :p).
Seriously I don't think a scary film exists. Just cheap one off make you jump films like what lies beneath and blair witch project or just plain disgustingly disturbing like hannibal or seven.
Squirtle
11-01-2002, 16:51
Originally posted by searla
Bloody hell, I forgot about that!:eek:
I remember watching that on my own when I was about 13. To say I **** my pants would be an understatement.
Thing is I totally believed what was happening until things in the studio started flying around, and then the credits rolled at the end - then I thought this is just a show!
I was so disappointed, but still didn't sleep that night !:eek:
The BBC have vowed never to show it again after a shed load of complaints. The bit where you thought you saw a ghost in the bedroom was class but it soon descended in to farce. I didnt realise it was a drama until the ghost bit.
CANDYMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Both The Fog and Quatermass & the pit scared me the 1st time I saw them. Other than them though, there isn't an awful lot.
btw I have to agree with Blair witch being a waste of money. FDar more scarey is the Erotic Witch Project;) :D
Joe Pasquale
11-01-2002, 17:12
Originally posted by JayX
i THINK is called "The Haunting" about a couples house who's house is terrorised by a ghost, and when the ghost is around you can hear a kind of hissing sound. The film as a whole wasn't that good, but at the end when you think everythings ok (they moved house) you hear the hissing one final time and it cuts to black. I liked that a lot :)
It's not called 'The Haunting' AFAIK, that's just the original B&W film and the rubbish 90's remake. From your description it's also a film I've seen and couldn't name, but remember really liking it, anyone know what it is?
robbiejm
11-01-2002, 17:19
Originally posted by JayX
I had a copy of this when it was still banned over here.. what a right load of tosh. Totally cashing in on the late 70s spanish/italian zombie/gore flicks, and with no style or class whatsoever.
It's intentionally ragged around the edges, thats the whole point.
Lying bones all over the place isn't scary, and shock tactics are good (sometimes) only if they're shocking
LOL, so Leatherface sitting that girl on the meathook isn't 'shocking' enough for you then?
If it isn't, name something better. ;) :P
Leatherface is a great character, but the film is so so bad :(
One of my least favorite films (of any genre!) i've ever seen
JayX
Better than 3 idiots running around the woods with a camcorder though eh!
Originally posted by robbiejm
LOL, so Leatherface sitting that girl on the meathook isn't 'shocking' enough for you then?
If it isn't, name something better. ;) :
Hmm well i'd say the animal scenes in Cannibal Holocaust are more shocking because they're real, and most of the rape / woman on pole scenes in the same movie are a lot more shocking.
I found it to be the usual "watered down american copy" of other films. Like they will be doing with Battle Royale. They take inspiration from other countries and then maul it.
And anyway, its just my opinion, i know ppl who love the film, others who hate it. i just happened to hate it, too much hype? probably.
JayX
who didn't like the exorcist much either ;)
Originally posted by M@T
Magic starring Anthony Hopkins, scared me the first time I saw it. I've had a phobia of ventriloquist dummy's ever since.
I found this really eerie too, Hopkins is well spooky in it.
I think a film being scary is definitely all about the conditions you watch it in. If you watched Blair Witch in my home out in the sticks (nearest shop, 10 min drive), on your own, with all the old wooden beams creaking around you and hearing the wind blowing a gale through the trees outside, it would scare the bejeesus out of you (like it did with me!).
Shingster
11-01-2002, 17:36
i THINK is called "The Haunting" about a couples house who's house is terrorised by a ghost, and when the ghost is around you can hear a kind of hissing sound. The film as a whole wasn't that good, but at the end when you think everythings ok (they moved house) you hear the hissing one final time and it cuts to black
It's not called 'The Haunting' AFAIK, that's just the original B&W film and the rubbish 90's remake. From your description it's also a film I've seen and couldn't name, but remember really liking it, anyone know what it is?
Could it be The Haunted. (Not the James Herbert adaptation.)
I haven't seen the film myself, but I remember reading the back of the VHS yrs ago & it sounded like the film JayX described.
EDIT: Just checked on the IMDB & can't find the film under the title Haunted, so it looks like i've got the name wrong as well. I remember that the film ws released in the 90's and that it's based on a true story.
Ol' Blue Eyes
11-01-2002, 17:43
Originally posted by JayX
I had a copy of this when it was still banned over here.. what a right load of tosh. Totally cashing in on the late 70s spanish/italian zombie/gore flicks, and with no style or class whatsoever.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre came first, it was released in the US in 1974. A lot the Italian films were just ripping off George Romero anyway so even if American films at the time did steal from them, it went both ways.
dtsrules
11-01-2002, 17:47
Originally posted by gissing
Ghostwatch yes. Do a search on eBay :D
Don't bother.
I've had 3 copies off ebay and they are all terrible.
If anyone has a good copy i coud watch and then send them back i would appreciate it.
robbiejm
11-01-2002, 18:16
Originally posted by JayX
Hmm well i'd say the animal scenes in Cannibal Holocaust are more shocking because they're real, and most of the rape / woman on pole scenes in the same movie are a lot more shocking.
Thats taking it to the extreme though isn't it. http://pages.zoom.co.uk/robs/smileys/puking_smiley.gif I have no intention of ever watching that lol.
And anyway, its just my opinion, i know ppl who love the film, others who hate it. i just happened to hate it, too much hype? probably.
JayX
who didn't like the exorcist much either ;)
I agree with you about The Exorcist, wouldn't be too bothered if I never saw that again.
John Carpenters Prince Of Darkness.
Loved this film,and JC's music is excellent as usual.
Carpenter's The Thing. Scared the crap out of me when I first saw it.
do they have people praying outside to help them in the haunting\ed film you are thinking of?
NexusSheep
11-01-2002, 19:26
Flatliners very nearly made me cack my pantaloons.
Davester
11-01-2002, 19:48
I was freaked out by Nightmare on Elm St when I was 9 :rolleyes: ,mates parents to thank for that, some of the x files episodes freaked me out when I was younger.
GrossePointeJack
11-01-2002, 20:01
Ok, THRILLER used to scare the crap out of me when i was younger, i mean MJ is scary enough but when he acts as a wolf thats even scarier.
THE CHANGELING - someone mentioned it already and i have to agree - if you found THE OTHERS even remotely creepy then this is the film for you.
WOMAN IN BLACK - Ah yes - this film is on DVD and is quite easy to track down (region 1) - it is quite simply scary as hell, dont find any info about it, just watch it.
LES(?) DIABOLIQUE - Not the crappy Sharon Stone remake but the original - totally creepy.
JAWS - Shark, water, swimmers - watch it then go on holiday, 'nuff said.(Amusingly - on a trip to Canada once, this was the movie on the plane)
Oh, and BWP2 scared me more than the first. Human acts are more scarier i think.
I think thats it.
alanmg1200
11-01-2002, 20:13
Has to be The Changeling excellent film and damn scary too.
The serpent and the rainbow,voodoo oooeeerrrr,still gives me the creeps thinking about it.
Prince of darkness was pretty chilling at the time,might not be as bad now.
AQUALUNG
11-01-2002, 20:54
The scariest film I ever saw was the original black & white Nosferatu.
It wasn't that long ago, but I was on my own in a darkened room. It scared me because there was no music score to tell me something was about to happen, it just happened.
And the makeup was superb, there are films being made now with worse special effects makeup.
Dave
Scariest film for me as a kid was Poltergeuist. That TV just freaked me out and all the 'They're heeeeeerrrreee' still gives me the creeps. [Shiver]
I like the kind of horror that is only suggested. Although Blair Witch wasn't particulaly scary it was effective at inducing a few chills. Another film (alright TV movie) that i always pipe on about but no one seems to have heard of is 'The Mcpherson Tape'. Family stuck in the middle of nowhere and the young son tapes an alien abduction on the family. Cheesy, cheesey acting (which doesn't help the key premise of this supposedly being real footage) but there is enough great techniques used to send numerous vibrations down your spine. Well worth checking out IMO.
Really wish this would come out on DVD.
Don't mind me, just moving to DVD and Movie Forum :)
I don't watch horror films at all but.....
Another vote for the Woman In Black! Memories of Year 7 English will forever be marked with the image of that face standing over the bed (in a darkened classroom) :eek:
Idle Child
11-01-2002, 23:10
well, i'm probably forgetting a few movies.. but those that scared me are:
Alien: love the first hour. very atmosphere. beautifully shot.
the shining: those almost subliminal hits of hallways flooding with blood... the way the movie decends into madness.
exorcist 3: has to be watched after the first one, but number 3 in particular i found very scary. the whole hospital thing.
bah.. i'm forgetting a few.
but i must say i find mental breakdown or insanity far scarier than zombie flicks... (wish i could provide another example apart from the shining).
I found Blair Witch disturbing mainly because it was late, dark and I'd been without much sleep for a week and was rather stressed out. Normally I would have been chuckling all the way thru.
I found an old Dr. Who with John Pertwee called "The Green Death"??? <title?> where someone had been infected with spores? and was turning into a green half human mess. Definitely watching-from-behind-the-sofa time, being only 7 or 8.
Most other horrors I'm fine with because I used to be well into the horror make-up and FX genre and would be too busy checking out the gore/creature's spec than being scared.
I find that suspense and the implied is far better/scarier, because it's what you don't see that is more horrific because it's all in your head. Your imagination can create a far more horrific spectacle than any top CGI team. The soundtrack also helps here.
Years ago, some comedy program [Alexi Sayle?] showed a nasty piece of horror with the Monty Python theme over the top, then some more emotive music secondly. Big difference.
The boy going to the loo in The Sixth Sense was brilliant with these factors setting the scene... and everyone in the Cinema jumped when.... well, you know.;)
Most scary thing ever was when I was reading a copy of Stephen King's "It." I literally was getting so drawn into one part that I was reading faster and faster and had to forcibly put the book down, go downstairs [with the lights on] and have a cup of tea. Fantastic!
Boink!:cool:
Just remembered, what was [i]far worse than that!!! I was reading late at night in bed some trashy horror novel with just a table lamp on. Unbeknownst [a word?] to me my right arm was resting on a nerve and had gone completely to sleep. I switched the light off and twisted around put the book on the floor to go to sleep and all I felt was this cold clammy hand gripping my leg :eek:!!!111
Needless to say I was out of bed like a shot and was completely freaked untilI realised what had happened. Relief! [but I still slept with the light and the radio on that night:D ]
The Stone Tape - Brrrr! Kind of like GhostWatch, only different.
Actually, if anyone has a copy of GhostWatch I could borrow......:)
Ring kept me awake at night for a week, wuss that I am.
Deliverance, too, left me feeling very spooked.
George vader
12-01-2002, 06:31
The Serpent And The Rainbow - coming out in dvd soon at a pretty cheap (£10?) price
The Ugly -low budget New Zealand flick
The Shining
Halloween
The wisdom of George Dubya Bush
There were a couple of scenes in The Blair Witch that gave me the willies and although I didn't really enjoy this film I have kept it because of those scenes.
The first time I watched Candyman I found this scary and still will not say Candyman 3 or 4 times (can't remember how many times it needed to be said) in front of the mirror.
I watched the Exorcist again recently and had forgotten how good/scary this one was.
SilverLiner
12-01-2002, 11:51
I definetly agree that you have to have the right atmosphere to watch a scary movie. If you watch it with your mates having a few beers joking at everything that happens it just isn't going to do what it's meant to. While The Blair Witch Project wasn't scary as such it definetly freaked me out a bit, especially walking back home in the dark. Even my mates agreed whilst walking home the film had an effect on them, they said how it was playing with their mind. Fair enough. Now when I ask them about BWP they're all "oh that was crap, wasn't it?" "worst movie ever!!" Typical... I don't reckon it was a crap movie at all. The only thing is that it's only effective for one watch, at least for me anyway. I've seen it a few times on DVD and it's just lost something (Maybe it's from watching the porn spoofs :D).
Can't really say I've seen a film yet where I've crapped my pants, (I'm probably contradicting myself now) but I can't watch the 6th Sense on my own in the dark. I tried, I really did! I panicked and had to put the lights on and watch something else!
hehe i'l be the 1st one to say it, the exorcist got me scared watching it at night lights off, hehe of ocurse this was a few years back, i must see it again, re-live those memories :D
jamie_rowe
12-01-2002, 17:45
The Cronenberg version of "The Fly" kept me awake after I first watched it. I didn't make it through to the end. I think it was a combination of the gore and just feeling so damn sorry for the bloke
Candyman.
The Shining.
The Omen.
Michael Mackenzie
12-01-2002, 17:56
Good lord, I'm amazed that people actually list Halloween as a genuinely scary movie! I first saw it at Halloween last year and kept thinking, "Is this it??" Still bought it though ;)
Dario Argento's Suspiria (on Channel 4 a couple of weeks ago) creeped me out for some reason, but I can't put my finger on it. I think it may have been to do with the surrealism.
I got quite scared by The Mephisto Waltz when I was younger -- and it's a movie I'd certainly like to see again.
Jeepers Creepers -- good for jumps at the cinema, but not genuinely scary. Loses absolutely ALL its effect on DVD.
Any of the Christopher Lee Dracula films -- although I couldn't say I was acyually REALLY scared by them, they have a cool atmosphiere... even The Satanic Rites of Dracula!
When films have had a reputation built up around them, I tend to 'go in' feeling scared before the thing actually starts. I also prefer to watch creepy movies late at night by myself with all the lights off. You get a much better 'hit' off them that way.
Ring
Audition
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
The Exorcist
The Fog
Jeepers Creepers
House on Sorority Row
Carrie
I dont think anyone has mentioned The Thing which is a little suprising.
Saw it first on pirate video a long long time ago.
I was about 15/16 everyone else in the house were in bed so it was late on.
Scared me so much that I turned it off when then dog started to turn!
Watched the rest in broad daylight.
No1 film IMHO.
Si
Jaws - watched the movie for the first time on DVD, VHS tape got lost somehow a long time ago - - and it worked again! :)
The Fog, What Lies Beneath are woth mentioning as well.
Depends what kind of 'scary' we're talking about:
1. Makes you jump
2. Makes you want to sleep with the lights on afterwards
(1) is just too easy to bother mentioning the hundreds of the movies that can manage it.
(2) is much rarer. The Omen and The Fog both managed it for me when I was a nipper... nothing much since.
adamvbarker
12-01-2002, 22:15
Another vote for Exorcist III . I don't think you need to have seen the first one to understand it (and no one needs to see the silly cack-pile that was no.2).
It's creepy and atmospheric, very nicely made and performed - tho it does have a couple of good shocks as well. I slept with the lights on.
Just got there ahead of me adamvbarker!!
My Number 1 <WITHOUT QUESTION> is EXORCIST 3
William Peter Blatty wrote and Directed > The King!
An absolute masterpiece! >
I've the changeling en-route from Amazon....
http://homepage.eircom.net/~garryleavycomedian/DemonBreedBrotherhood.jpg
DA DEMON BROTHERHOOD
:mad:
Tyler Durden
13-01-2002, 10:24
I'm surpirised no one has mentioned Black Christmas. That film scared the bejesus out of me when I watched it alone years ago. Def one to watch late at night in the house on your own :eek:
scariest film ever - Ring
blair witch was good if you watched it in the right mindset
and on plain edge of your seat suspense suspiria is good
Another vote for The Thing - the great thing about that is it's the tension mounting that is scary.
Other than that I can't think of a film that has really made me scared:
Ring was good but unfortuneatly I saw Mark Kermode's intro. beforehand... :brickwall
The Exorcist was very creepy but not very scary and Exorcist 3 I thought was very poor so I couldn't find it very scary.
The Blair Witch Project was excellent and rather chilling, but nothing that really scared me.
I must see The Shining though.
I recall watching a film caled Superstion when we first got a VCR. There was a bit where a circular saw takes on a life of its own which scared the pants off me.
..............I thought "The Others" starring Nicole Kidman was quite creepy - and they didn't use ANY special effects on that.
The Changeling was quite scary too and if I remember correctly - the first time I watched Evil Dead I was about 8 years old - and had the scare of a lifetime.............................
Creamstick
13-01-2002, 16:41
Carnival of Souls, The Haunting, Prince of Darkness, Evil Dead (when I was a kid I had a bootleg of this on the same tape as Snow White, and wore the tape out watching them both almost every day!) The Exorcist/III, Black Christmas, Night of the Hunter, Jacobs Ladder, Day of the Dead, Micheal Jackson's Thriller (still the best zombie ever put to film), Psycho, The Omen, Halloween, Carrie, Suspiria, The Beyond, Wicker Man, Ring, Blair Witch Project, Alien, The Fog, Frankenstein (James Whale/Karloff), The Hunger, A Nightmare on Elm Street
All I can think of off the top of my head.
Kit_Taylor
13-01-2002, 16:53
Maniac.
It's hard to watch because it's a seedy, low budget film with loads of ropey dialogue and wooden acting (although Joe Spinell is good as the pathetic and vile eponymous murderer), but there are some sequences that terriffied me. There's a bit where the Maniac stalks a nurse through a deserted subway, which is all shot with the focus on the nurse. Tense and scary as hell, along with the bit where he's murdered by a bunch of mannequins that come to life.
Cannibal Holocaust is a pet hate of mine. Not scary, not shocking, just comically poor!
not a film but anyone old enough to remember Sapphire and Steel? that used to scare me silly:D also a book about a kid that had this magic pencil and when he went to bed at night his pictures came alive... totally chilling ( there is a film of it but I've never seen it and have no idea what it's called )
errrrr strike that just looked it up :D The lad was a lass but she does meet a lad.. the book is called Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr and the film was called Paperhouse - has good reviews so I might give it a go after all ;)
ethanfox
14-01-2002, 00:51
Originally posted by GrossePointeJack
WOMAN IN BLACK - Ah yes - this film is on DVD and is quite easy to track down (region 1) - it is quite simply scary as hell, dont find any info about it, just watch it.
LES(?) DIABOLIQUE - Not the crappy Sharon Stone remake but the original - totally creepy.
Bravo, totally agree, two very scary films....
Glad someone mentioned them....
wong fei hong
14-01-2002, 07:25
Ring really scared me... ditto Suspiria, though its impact has been dulled a tad by repeat viewings. Blair Witch Project really got me, and is one of those films that works just as well on your own on dvd/tv as it did at the cinema. I suppose I can understand people not liking it, but for me it was bold, simple and unusual - and absolutely terrifying in its crescendo. The Haunting - the original - is very, very good, and epitomises the ghost movie for me: all creaking, thumping and bowing woodwork. Les Diaboliques has been mentioned already, but I don't think the original The Vanishing has... if anyone wants to talk about lasting impressions of horror, start here. :eek:
avid fan
14-01-2002, 07:58
For jump out of your skin shocks, my top three moments have to be (in no particular order):
1) in Jaws, when the head drops out of the bottom of the boat at Richard Dreyfuss
2) In the Thing, when they're trying to resusitate the guy having a heart attack and his chest breaks in and turns into a set of jaws, which then chop off the docs arms
3) The scene in the Shining where the old biddys in the bath
More recently, I think I was one of the few people that found Event Horizon actually scary when I saw it in the cinema (at least for the first hour).
Exorcist III - damn creepy.
Not as scary as the real life honest to God ghost I encountered while working in an old theatre tho!
gjkendall
14-01-2002, 11:41
I think the film was called Survivor (I think it was an adaption of James Herberts book). I think it was about abloke (Robert Powell, I believe) that survived a air crash.
I was young when I saw it, and have not seen it since, but I remember feeling right poopy watching it!:eek: :nuts:
Ron Hill
14-01-2002, 12:04
John Carpenter's Prince Of Darkness was the last film that I remember watching that left me with creeping dread. Before that, The Shining was my benchmark setter on the scare-o-meter. :)
Nothing else springs to mind. Bits of some films like Jaws, Alien, Sixth Sense and Event Horizon gave me temporary heebies but nothing serious.
My favourite individual scary scene though in any film is the moors scene at the start of American Werewolf in London. That's pure terror of the unknown distilled,refined and in your face! Best monster sound effect ever bar none.
Fright is definitely better in books.
Scariest books I can think of off hand are Stephen King's Pet Semetary (awful film - AVOID) and Graham Masterton's Mirror. That latter one in particular i've lent to many people and it's a serious traumatiser if read it late at night. :)
Dear Mr Echo
14-01-2002, 13:19
The Exorcist - is still for me the scariest film I've seen in the twenty odd years since I first encountered it. For sheer atmosphere and all out visceral assault, for me, all others pale in comparison - not everyone's opinion I know. I still haven't watched The Version You've Never seen. Strangely the first image that pops into my head when the Exorcist is mentioned is the scene with Kinderman and Karras at the running track
Blue Velvet - particularly the first time I saw it, as soon as Dennis Hoppers character appears, there is a very, very real sense of danger that didn't really subside until the end.
Les Diaboliques - Already mentioned (but every mention means that someone else might think about seeing it). Superbly dark, atmospheric thriller and a HUGE influence on the genre. Reasonable Criterion disc available. And one of the best film posters of all time in my opinion.
Audition - Probably the best (and scariest) film of that type I have seen in the last 10 years - certainly the best jump scene.
Others that have brilliant flashes of terror or creepiness Suspiria, Blair Witch Project, Silence of the Lambs, Exorcist 3, The Shining, Whispering Corridors and Ring. As good as a lot of these films are, for me, they don't maintain the feeling of unease that lift the first four above the rest.
Andrew
Bapapapa
14-01-2002, 13:40
Beaches..
Originally posted by avid fan
More recently, I think I was one of the few people that found Event Horizon actually scary when I saw it in the cinema (at least for the first hour).
You are not alone :) Both Caligula and I were scared out of our pants by this film, probably because we didn't know it was a horror when we entered the cinema, we just walked in and couldn't get into the film we wanted, so picked a random one we'd not heard of. I think it was the creaking ship sound effects that were the worst bit - constant menace.
6th sense scared me, especially the bit when he goes to the loo. And the boy who invites him to see where his dad keeps the gun.
The Shining - the twins disturb me the most. Superstition's circular saw blade is also ingrained in my memory, along with the window chopping a bloke in half, but it's not genuinely scary.
OK, i'll probably get slated for this but the scariest film i've ever seen was Nightmare on Elm Street. Please take into account i was 12 at the time and had a big poster of Crocodile Dundee on my wall at the time (Remember the hat). I couldn't sleep for weeks and i don't watch Horror movies anymore :eek:
adamvbarker
14-01-2002, 17:50
Showgirls . Really Scary. ;)
Analog Kid
14-01-2002, 22:22
Another vote for the only film that has really freaked me out Ring. It stuck in my mind for days afterwards and I had to watch it again (regrettably on the poor Tartan DVD) in order to set my mind at ease, I've never seen anything remotely as unsettling. The point made earlier about the soundtrack/score being a large part of the film is very true in relation to Ring where it plays a large part in creating the unsettling atmosphere that pervades the whole film. Definitely recommended, the same can't be said for Tartan's DVD release though but unfortunately it's the only one out there at present.
I saw The Blair Witch Project in a small cinema in the middle of a wood and was quite disappointed to find that the cinema owners hadn't suspended any stick figures from the trees or built any stone cairns near the door when we came out, what a missed opportunity that was! Didn't find it scary as such but it was creepy.
I find it difficult to find anything that scares me anymore, hellbound: hellraiser 2 i found quite powerful on first viewing,
I remember being very scared by some of the episodes of 'Chiller' an ITV series in about 1995-ish?? a new episode was on every two weeks, about 1 hour in length and some great episodes including one with a ouija board and all the people were dying.
and a cool one with peter davidson as a man who debunked ghost stories wound up living in a supposedly haunted house. that was cool. The last episode was quite god too, had kevin mcnally in as a cop, trying to catch this child killer who appeared to be sacrificing them ritualistically and they were scouring kids drawings with a child psychologist to find clues, think it was the lollypop woman in the end... twas quite cool at the time this show scared me.
I remember Ghostwatch quite well, and at the time that scared the hell out of me, very good indeed, i would be interested in seeing the kind of power it has now 10 years on, i think a lot of the shock of that screen one special was to do with the fact that nobody expected the BBC to show something like that or present it like that or give it a primetime slot.
I also remember that on that same night at about 11pm on BBC2 Dr Terror's Vault of Horror was on (not the film - the bbc horror movie introducer)
he was class, i mean for a few years after on friday nights he would introduce a bad horror film and slag the hell out of it in his 5 minute intro, class!
Showgirls . Really Scary.
i think the actual quote you are stealing from scream 2 is 'showgirls.....absolutely frightening'
Randy Meeks - rest in peace
Michael Mackenzie
15-01-2002, 09:57
Originally posted by nashie
Showgirls . Really Scary.
i think the actual quote you are stealing from scream 2 is 'showgirls.....absolutely frightening'
Randy Meeks - rest in peace LOL
That scene is firmly engrained in my mind. Not in the least bit scary, but very amusing.
Kevin Harper
15-01-2002, 10:21
Originally posted by Dear Mr Echo
The Exorcist - is still for me the scariest film I've seen in the twenty odd years since I first encountered it. For sheer atmosphere and all out visceral assault, for me, all others pale in comparison - not everyone's opinion I know.
Les Diaboliques - Already mentioned (but every mention means that someone else might think about seeing it). Superbly dark, atmospheric thriller and a HUGE influence on the genre. Reasonable Criterion disc available. And one of the best film posters of all time in my opinion.
Andrew
Yep, I agree with THE EXORCIST and Part 3 especially and a lot of this depends on the circumstances in which you saw the film - memory is a curious thing and THE EXORCIST scared the hell out of me in a cinema as a youth ! Same with Les Diaboliques when I first saw that on TV - but for me the scariest thing I have ever seen was a series broadcast on ITV in the 70's called BEASTS by Nigel Kneale (funny how his name appears a lot in this thread !) the one with the poltergeist in the Supermarket gave me many a sleepless night .... same with THE STONE TAPE although I only saw that a few months ago. It shows that CGI and masses of SFX are no match for an excellent script, convincing performances and a lot of atmosphere.
Originally posted by Joe Pasquale
It's not called 'The Haunting' AFAIK, that's just the original B&W film and the rubbish 90's remake. From your description it's also a film I've seen and couldn't name, but remember really liking it, anyone know what it is?
I think the film you are thinking of is infact called The Haunting and it's a TV Movie made in 1991 about the true story of the Smurl family (Jack and Janet in particular). I would agree that this is quite spooky in places, particularly as it is supposedly based on fact.
Threads - you know the one about nuclear war in Sheffield is scary in a bleak, depressing way. I was too young to remember it the first time round, so bought it on video. It's a class film.
Stephen King's IT - Clowns just freak me out after watching that!!
bazkeane82
19-03-2002, 13:26
RETURN TO OZ
now this film scared me when i was a kid ,:eek:
Dan Druff
19-03-2002, 13:52
Dead of Night (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037635) - excellent spooky British film from 1945.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0051850) Disney classic. Scared me as a kid.
I think The Wicker Man (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0070917) is my favourite horror movie though. Downright spooky, scary and chilling. Brilliant.
carrott_girl
19-03-2002, 14:17
Originally posted by wack
The serpent and the rainbow,voodoo oooeeerrrr,still gives me the creeps thinking about it.
I was going to say that there was only one film which has genuinely freaked me out/scared me but I'll change it to two and incude this one. Only watched it once and will never ever see it again.
The original 1960s Haunting scared me ********. I always remember recording it one Christmas Eve and watching it the next morning with my mum, lets just say I made excuses and needed to go to the bathroom a few times. I like films which make me scared without using shock tactics - such as fake blood and gore. The best ones!! :)
Originally posted by Faith
Stephen King's IT - Clowns just freak me out after watching that!!
I actually found that movie quite funny! :D
KeyserSoze
19-03-2002, 16:02
i wouldnt say the Exorcist 'scared' me, but it is still fantastic horror.
and yes The Wicker Man is fantastic, it seemed like this sort of thing could be real. I wonder what it would be like to grow up in a remote part of the world
Dan Druff
19-03-2002, 16:39
Originally posted by M@T
Magic starring Anthony Hopkins, scared me the first time I saw it. I've had a phobia of ventriloquist dummy's ever since.
You should hunt out Dead of Night then (1945 b&w). A number of tales are spun in this movie, and one of them is about a ventriloquists dummy taking over the personality of the ventroloquist, and is obviously the inspiration for Magic, and a far superior film.
Heres a user comment on IMDB :
I saw 'Dead Of Night' when I was about nine, and the final segment - with the dummy Hugo Fitch, gave me morbid fear of dummies and puppets that lasts to this day. I took my daughter to see a Punch and Judy show when she was about three years old, and afterwards, The Professor asked if anyone wanted to see Mr Punch close up. The answer was very firmly No! I can't sleep in a room with dolls or puppets in, i really don't like seeing them, nothing would induce me to touch one. All this from the power of one film - imagination is a wonderful thing ... sometimes
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/scared.gif
Originally posted by Idle Child
.... i must say i find mental breakdown or insanity far scarier than zombie flicks... (wish i could provide another example apart from the shining).
Jacob's Ladder definitely falls into this category, as does the last hour of Apocalypse Now...
Originally posted by Davester
I was freaked out by Nightmare on Elm St when I was 9 :rolleyes: ,mates parents to thank for that....
Heh, exactly the same as me...there's always one kid you know who's been allowed to watch 18's since he was about five ;)
Oh, and nowadays I find myself hard to scare, but for some reason I know what you did last summer got to me. :confused:
I must say Jacob's Ladder is probably the creepiest film I've seen. Not exactly entertaining, and deliberately confusing, but then that I guess is precisely the point. The sequences where Robbins is being wheeled into the hospital and the subsequent 'operation' must be some of the most distressing scenes I've seen.
Originally posted by Dan Druff
You should hunt out Dead of Night then (1945 b&w). A number of tales are spun in this movie, and one of them is about a ventriloquists dummy taking over the personality of the ventroloquist, and is obviously the inspiration for Magic, and a far superior film.
Heres a user comment on IMDB :
I saw 'Dead Of Night' when I was about nine, and the final segment - with the dummy Hugo Fitch, gave me morbid fear of dummies and puppets that lasts to this day. I took my daughter to see a Punch and Judy show when she was about three years old, and afterwards, The Professor asked if anyone wanted to see Mr Punch close up. The answer was very firmly No! I can't sleep in a room with dolls or puppets in, i really don't like seeing them, nothing would induce me to touch one. All this from the power of one film - imagination is a wonderful thing ... sometimes
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/scared.gif
Nice one Dan – thought I was the only one who was freaked out by the dummy, Hugo....................... “Wouldn’t I !!??”
I watched Dead of Night years ago, one eerie winter nite and it really spooked me – we have a Halloween movie nite every year with a few pals and it always makes an appearance.
Shame DON hasn’t had a DVD release… :(
Another film that really scared me as a kid was “The Medusa Touch” – Richard Burton is so chilling in that (at least he was when I was 10!)
"I am a man with the ability to make things happen."
I can't believe nobody mentioned "the Others" starring Nicole Kidman.
I saw this one in the Warner Cinema in Reading at around 11 at night in the middle of the week.
Sat in the damn Theater alone - to say the least - scared the wits out of me in some scenes!!!!!!
The Changeling is another movie which had me freaked out for weeks as a kid.
The Shining is quite scary in some parts as well!!!!!!
The Others: Quite simply one of the most unsettling films in ages. I was brought up on horror movies as a kid but if I'd seen that when I was 12 (who let it get that rating) I would have been traumatised. Great movie, great atmosphere.
IT: The first half...the second half was just sh#te.
xraystan
20-03-2002, 09:32
Most of the movies that spring to my mind have been mentioned here already.
The first time I was really scared was Nightmare on Elm Street, when I was about 12 or 13. Did everyone see this before they were 18?:)
I remember being petrified at the Omen 3. I hadn't watched the other two.
The most recent was when watching The Others. I bought the R3 version with DTS soundtrack. I watched this late at night in a dark empty house with the sound cranked right up. This movie really messes with your head.
However the film which kept me awake for a month has only been mentioned once here, and that is Threads.
I remember watching it when I was about 15 or 16 at school, and like I said I couldn't sleep for a month, honest.:(
I can't put my finger on why it messed with me so much, as the film doesn't read like it should be that scary(probably not the right word for it).
It's about the build up to, during and after a Nuclear attack on Brittain, and the film is centered around Sheffield and how the two main family's in the film cope with it.
The really nasty bits that stand out are when the survivors are eating contaminated raw meat, and when the girl gets raped.
However for some reason the traffic warden with bandages on his face and carrying a gun really freaked me out.
I spotted it on DVD last year and bought it for a tenner.
When i watched it again, it still got to me. I couldn't sleep that night.
Anyone else watched this film?
I love to hear what you think.
The Last Broadcast really got to me until the stupid ending
Joe Pasquale
20-03-2002, 11:30
Originally posted by bazkeane82
RETURN TO OZ
now this film scared me when i was a kid ,:eek:
Same here! I saw this at the cinema when I was about 5 and the head-swapping witch and the 'wheelies' scared the **** out of me!! :eek:
soberion
20-03-2002, 12:19
When I were a lad, The Shining, Omen, the Fog and Zoltan : Hound of Dracula were the ones to really freak me out. Developed a real phobia about going across the upstairs landing alone. For years couldn't bare to be in a room without a light on.
What lies Beneath has been the most recent one to make me nervous going to the loo without turning on all the lights in the house.
On a slightly different angle, Hollow Man was the last film that really affected the missus. She hates the idea of being watched, so the whole
spying on the woman/rape scene really freaked her out. She won't even let me buy the film to have in the house, (which is a shame, cos I kinda liked it).
Squirtle
20-03-2002, 12:43
Originally posted by Dear Mr Echo
I still haven't watched The Version You've Never seen.
This disk has a great DD soundtrack - really adds to the atmosphere.
Hmm not sure if it's been mentioned but I finally watched The Omen and I though it was a genuinely scary film that blows the pants off the exorcist. Newer films that have scared me include Audition and Event Horizon. As a kid I remember a few things scaring one of which was superman 3 :
where at the end some woman becomes some sort of robot? It's been a while since I saw it
and also Nightmare on Elm Street (I too was one of the watch what I want when I was 8/9. It's never done me any harm other than the voices ;) )
Creamstick
20-03-2002, 15:09
Originally posted by McMikey
As a kid I remember a few things scaring one of which was superman 3 :
where at the end some woman becomes some sort of robot? It's been a while since I saw it
I thought I was the only one!!!!!! I grew up being allowed to watch pretty much anything I wanted, and when I was 6, had a bootleg VHS with Disney's Snow White, and Evil Dead on one tape :clap: Certain things used to scare the hell out of me though, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, the Exorcist (wasn't allowed to let my mum know I had a copy of this - she still claims to be traumatised from when she saw it at the cinema and locked herself in the cinema toilet. When I gave my dad a loan of the DVD, she went out to my grans until after he brought it back up to me (same day) because she didn't want to be in the house when it was there) the Omen, but the one that really freaked me out was that bit in Superman 3!!!!
Count me in for that Superman II scene as well. Got me more then Holloween and Nightmare on Elmstreet when I was the otherside of 10.
The first kill in Scream gets me everytime as well
Especially the moment when she tries to cry out to her parents but can't make a noise, and the subsequent scene of the parents hearing her die over the phone.
Thought I would spoiler protect the last bit just in case someone out there hasn't seen it.
Just watched Kairo on Region 3 last night... my god!
Terrified me, was scared to go for a wee halfway through.
Quite impenetrable though, I didn't understand a lot of it, if anyone else has ssen it and would care to help me out with
What the hell the red gaffer tape is all about
I'd be very grateful.
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned but the film that freaks me out is The Vanishing ,the original 1988 Dutch version not the 1993 remake with Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland. I can't imagine anyone not being terrified by this film.
Recently ;The Blair Witch Project' scared the crap out of me. I didnt really know what it was about of what to expect because I turned a blind eye to all the hype before I watched it.
I also watched Ring too and that had a similar effect, very creepy.
There was once a film on tv called 'The Entity' i think, where a family are haunted by a ghost. They think everything is ok when they move out but then you hear it calling the womans name from another room, disguised as the womans mother...who is in the garden. creepy!
Childsplay, Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street 3 etc all terrified me when I was a kid, lol. Yep I was one of those kids able to watch 18 rated films from the age of 5, rofl.
Originally posted by Dan Druff
Dead of Night (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037635) - excellent spooky British film from 1945.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0051850) Disney classic. Scared me as a kid.
I think The Wicker Man (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0070917) is my favourite horror movie though. Downright spooky, scary and chilling. Brilliant.
Anchor Bay have Dead of Night in their future listing - due for release in Jan-July 2003... (!)
Annie - I still have nightmares about this one
had a copy of this when it was still banned over here.. what a right load of tosh. Totally cashing in on the late 70s spanish/italian zombie/gore flicks, and with no style or class whatsoever.
hmm.. how can it be cashing in on the LATE 70'S spanish/italian zombie/gore flicks when Texas Chansaw massacre was made in 1974..hardly the late 70's is it?
Another scary movie
The lost highway
Until the daft ending anyway
The whole thing of what is scary and what isn't is very subjective. When Blair Witch came out, all my 'normal' friends told me watch it, because it would scare the @£$@ out of me. It didn't. It was the worst piece of crap I have seen in years. Just my opinion.
Anyway, I watch a constant stream of horror movies and so I guess I'm kind of desensitised to it all now anyway. But here are the films that have disturbed me and left an impression for one reason or another:
Cannibal Holocaust
Cannibal Ferox
Men Behind the Sun
Ghostwatch
Naked Blood
Red to Kill
Nekromantik
Human Pork Chop
The Exorcist
Hellraiser
I'd have to give another vote to the Thing
Also I have fond memories of the first time I watched the original Friday the 13th I think it was Kevin Bacon who had the spike jammed through his neck from under the bed:eek: didn't sleep too well the next couple of nigths after that.
Did any-one else see that show on channel 4 a few weeks back - I think it was made by MTV with those dumb student looking types doing dares in some abandoned asylum? No chance you'd get me within a mile of that place - I think the show was called Fear?
No, no, Nekromantik is one of the worst films ever. A film about necrophillia that actually manages to be just plain dull?! The soundtrack is pretty good, though. Der Todesking is far superior.
Originally posted by JK
Did any-one else see that show on channel 4 a few weeks back - I think it was made by MTV with those dumb student looking types doing dares in some abandoned asylum? No chance you'd get me within a mile of that place - I think the show was called Fear?
I've seen it (when it was on MTV) and yes that was Scary.
Jacko.
EdgeOfVictory
24-03-2002, 12:59
I aint affected by Scary Films as much nowadays, I watched alot when I was younger and have an immunity to them now. I can't watch gore though! Even the ending of Carrie had no effect on me!
The thing that did it for me when I was younger was The first glimpse of Mr Barlow in Salems lot made me cack myself. Was hyperventalating for ages. Shame the rest of the film didn't match that :(
However, respect to:
The bit in the Blair Witch Project where the tent shakes, and the bit where they come across the stick figures. And the final scene too.
The Sixth Sense where he sees what he told the teacher what the school was originally
monkeyboy
24-03-2002, 14:27
The movie that scared me the most has got to be Fright Night!!
Watched it when I was about 10 or 11, it kept me awake for weeks!!!
Watched it again recently and couldn't believe how trashy it is!!
The Shame.
It's gotta be Thir13en Ghosts... Scares me alright.
Scares the ***** out of me how something so eternally bad could be passed for distribution to anything other than Room 101.
Michael Mackenzie
24-03-2002, 22:47
Originally posted by monkeyboy
The movie that scared me the most has got to be Fright Night!!
Watched it when I was about 10 or 11, it kept me awake for weeks!!!
Watched it again recently and couldn't believe how trashy it is!!
The Shame. Good call on Fright Night. That's a really cool film -- I saw it on Channel 5 a couple of days ago, and thought it was hysterical: so corny.
The Omen trilogy, classic horror films.:clap:
When I was a kid, The Daleks on Dr Who used to have me hiding under the blankets :(
Can`t say I`ve had a really good scare from a film in recent years though, Ghost Story probably came the closest (old film I know)because I watched it at about 2 in the morning, definately got a bit nervous at times watching it. I remember turning on all the lights to go to bed :rolleyes:
Elephant Man
25-03-2002, 13:14
The Audition & Don't Look Now
Preacher
25-03-2002, 13:28
Some great stuff being posted here! My scary memories are:
Dead of Night
The Medusa Touch: The note at the end.
Salem's Lot: The vampire kid scratching on the window.
Arachnophobia: All of it!
Freaks: 'One of us! One of us!'
Theatre of Blood: Seeing Arthur 'Captain Mainwaring' Lowe's severed head stuck on top of a milk bottle really affected me as a 10 year old!
Omen II: The 'under the ice' scene.
The Serpant on the Rainbow: The coffin scene.
Don't Look Now: The ending
vibrating_tank
25-03-2002, 16:11
GhostBusters, when i was very wee, just a little nippa, i watched it and the person who lived next door to me had a rottie i was very scared of, so it kinda freaked me out a bit, but that the most scared i have been from a film... apart from the Jungle Book, talking animals... whats that all about?
An old film starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee called Horror Express. Dunno if anyone remembers it.
Also Audition. Not so much as scary, but the torture scene was dreadful. Still haven't finished watching in full! :eek:
snevillio
26-03-2002, 01:28
I'll have to agree with Event Horizon, had no idea what it was about, thought it was a spacey fighting thing, watched it and had to stop it because I thought it was so messed up before I restarted it.
I also found Blair Witch 2 to be more scary than the original. I found that the original was just ***** until the rather disturbing final scene whereas I just remember Blair Witch 2 being quite unsettling all the way (with a good soundtrack as well)
Just Call Me Wanda
26-03-2002, 11:21
Originally posted by Fiona
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned but the film that freaks me out is The Vanishing ,the original 1988 Dutch version not the 1993 remake with Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland. I can't imagine anyone not being terrified by this film.
Yeah, The Vanishing is a terrifically haunting film.
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