The 10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes Get to the Very Heart of Why we Love Horror...
The 10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes illustrates that there are many exceptional horror movies in a number of horror sub-genres, but the scariest scenes sometimes come from those films that overall aren’t a favorite – it’s that one scene that gets you.
Written by The Horror Czar
June 3, 2008
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One of the biggest troubles with isolating the 10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes is that for every list there is another list of 10, 20, 100 that are every bit as valid – and that’s alright! That means more horror for all of us to watch on those dark nights with the lights out. In the mean time just TRY and not be scared by these…
10. Man’s Best Friend Turns Vicious Toward the Family Car
Cujo (1983)
Something about man’s best friend becoming the source of violent rage and potential bodily dismemberment is intensely scary. Stephen King has a way of making normal life situations go tragically and horrifyingly wrong, and Cujo attacking outside the door of the family car is no exception. Cute Cujo out to bite the hand that feeds him is vicious and terrifying.
9. The Deadly Tricycle Ride
The Omen (1976)Review
So many things about The Omen are scary – really scary. From the biblical foretelling of the evil at hand to the legion of followers putting a new slant on the concept of “conspiracy theory” The Omen is disturbing. But that tricycle ride… the malice in Damien’s face, the suspense as he rounds the corners of the hall headed toward the attempt on his mother’s life that, in any case, will be completely explainable as normal play-time. The evil and malice along with the powerlessness to prove that anything is amiss makes this one a heart wrencher.
8. Running Zombies
Dawn of the Dead (2004)Review
Zombie attacks are scary in general, whether it is a single zombie lumbering after you or (even worse!) a hoard of the undead surrounding a hapless victim with visions of feasting on living flesh dancing in their minds. George Romero worked to define the modern zombie era and the “rules of zombidom” are generally followed, making it all the more frightening when the zombies in the 2004 remake do not slowly work their way toward you, but sprint with terrific speed and a deadly hunger. This one, more than anything, takes you by surprise and gets the fear-juices flowing.
7. Samara Morgan Crawling Through the Television
The Ring (2002)
The evil video tape from The Ring is an old take on a very old urban legend where watching a video tape causes certain death by a tortured spirit. When you see this young ghost arise from the well on the T.V. screen and more toward you it is creepy to be sure. Closer and closer she gets as her image get’s larger and more life-size. Then, in one scream-inducing moment she arrives at the forefront of the screen and then reaches through into our world – climbing out of the television into the living room! The realization that something impossible is happening that our imaginations thought somehow might happen is a true shocker.
6. Carrie’s Prom Night
Carrie (1976)Review
Carrie White has a heinous prank played on her that would be upsetting to anyone. The anticipation of the coming drenching of pigs blood and the suspicion that nothing good can come of playing around with a girls of her powers leads to the terrible mayhem of fire, crushing, stabbings and painful death that befall all the prom revelers. This one will have you on the edge of your seat screaming out loud…
5. Heeeerrreee’s Johnny!
The Shining (1980)Review
Here again the contrast of how things should be and how they really are is the source of fright and unease. Jack Torrance is the father and husband – the protector, the provider… the rock. What is scarier than that man becoming a homicidal axe man busting down the bathroom door to hack his lovely wife to pieces? Jack Nicholson himself contributes to the scare-factor of the scene where husband and wife collide by being such a complete whack-job… that face! This one will keep you up at night…
4. Regan’s Crab Walk
The Exorcist (1973)Review
The Exorcist is already one of the scariest horror movies of all time for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that demonic possession is a very real possibility to many people and not completely outside the realm of possibility for others. In 2000 a re-mastered version of the film was released with deleted scenes, and the crab backward walk is among them. Down the stairs upside down, demonic facial expression, blood dripping from the mouth – completely over the top scary.
3. Leatherface Bursting Through the Metal Door
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)Review
Unsuspecting teens venture into the strange house in the middle of nowhere looking for help. Furtive glances, cautious steps and suddenly Leatherface burst out of the metal door by the stairs, bludgeons the guy and drags him into the basement dissection room. Wow! So quick, so creepy, so terrifying. No wonder Leatherface has endured as one of the scariest horror movie villains of all time.
2. Michael Myers Ascends From the Darkness
Halloween (1978)Review
It is not only children that harbor a fear of the dark. Most of us have had at least one moment when the darkness was uneasy at least – what is lurking in the shadows? Usually the answer is nothing, but for poor Laurie Strode worst fears are realized when The Shape arises from behind the couch on a deadly rampage. In our wildest imaginations this is a worst-case scenario… in this scene it is a petrifying reality.
1. Jaws Takes the Swimmer
Jaws (1975)Review
Who hasn’t had a fleeting thought of what may be lurking beneath the water’s surface while swimming in the ocean – or a lake – or the swimming pool. If you don’t have nervous thoughts about the dangers found inches from you in the unseen waters, you will after this. The appearance of Jaws via the jerking and dragging under water of the poor drunken girl swimming the ocean blue is scary because it could happen. It is the worst thing that could happen in that situation. The thing we fear that never comes to pass. Yet for the swimmer in Jaws you see the realization of childhood dread before your very eyes.
Perhaps you have something to add to the 10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes presented here in June, 2008. That is not surprising as different things scare different people in different ways – and our beloved horror movie genre is more than happy to find those specters hiding in the recesses of our minds and make them real again and again. Share your 10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes in The Ossuary Forums!
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