The Scariest Movies Ever . . .
In the tradition of keeping with the scariest night of the year, how about taking a journey back in time to look at some of the scariest movies ever made? I pulled up Google, did a search and after perusing several lists, here’s what I came up with. Read through the blurbs and then head over to poll and cast your vote from those listed.
To make things a little more interesting, leave a comment and tell us about the scariest movie you ever saw and why it scared the bejeebers out of you. Val and Kate will select a winner from among the comments and post their name on the blog in several days. The winner can select one free ebook from my catalog here: http://www.ketadiablo.com
Good luck and don’t forget to scare us!
(and make sure you take Keta's POLL down below!)
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Clarice Starling, a precociously self-disciplined FBI trainee, is dispatched by her boss, Section Chief Jack Crawford, the FBI's most successful tracker of serial killers, to see whether she can learn anything useful from Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Lecter's a gifted psychopath whose nickname is "The Cannibal" because he likes to eat parts of his victims. Isolated by his crimes from all physical contact with the human race, he plays an enigmatic game of "Clue" with Starling, providing her with snippets of data that, if she is smart enough, will lead her to the criminal.
Psycho (1960)
Norman Bates loves his Mother. She has been dead for the past twenty years, or so people think. Norman knows better though. He has lived with Mother ever since leaving the hospital in the old house up on the hill above the Bates motel. One night Norman spies on a beautiful woman that checks into the hotel as she undresses. Norman can't help but spy on her. Mother is there though. She is there to protect Norman from his filthy thoughts. She is there to protect him with her butcher knife.
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made.) Blatty fictionalized the true story of a child's demonic possession in the 1940s. The deceptively simple story focuses on Regan, the 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C.; the child apparently is possessed by an ancient demon.
Alien (1979)
Director Ridley Scott deftly combined sci-fi and horror to create a grotesque, visually stunning technological wonder that set the criteria for later films of the genre. The crew of the spacecraft Nostromo must contend with a murderous alien invader that lives on human flesh. A dark, mechanical milieu lends to the eerie feeling of grim isolation.
The Shining (1980)
The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to claim the very souls of the Torrence family.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What would a scary movie list be without one slicer-dicer from the 1980s? After all, director Wes Craven is the indisputable king of horror, who's also responsible for the Scream franchise. Intelligent characters and—believe it or not—a thought-provoking screenplay set this first installment in the Freddie Krueger series apart from other films of the genre.
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values, but this confusing film chokes on its "surprise" ending.
The Mummy (1932)
Three archaeologists searching for the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka among the ruins in Egypt are warned of grave consequences if they violate her tomb. Madness strikes one and as the others return to England with a mummy a series of murders take place as the mummy destroys those who desecrated the secret tomb.
Seven (1995)
A serial killer forces each of his victims to die by acting out one of the seven deadly sins. The murder scene is then artfully arranged into a grotesque tableau, a graphic illustration of each mortal vice. From the jittery opening credits to the horrifying (and seemingly inescapable) concluding twist, director David Fincher immerses us in a murky urban twilight where everything seems to be rotting, rusting, or molding; the air is cold and heavy with dread. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are the detectives who skillfully track down the killer--all the while unaware that he has been closing in on them, as well.
Nosferatu (1922)
The greatest horror film of all! A long time ago in middle Europe, a decrepit, forbidding castle stood. Casting an ominous shadow over the townspeople who dare not look upon it, the unholy dwelling is home to one Count Orlok (Max Schreck), an undead night creature with a taste for human blood. Showcasing the extremely eerie Schreck, "Nosferatu" is the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel "Dracula," stylistically directed by the legendary F.W. Murnau.
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Keta Diablo writes for Decadent Publishing, Noble Romance, Amber Quill Press and Phaze. You can find her on the Internet at the following links:
Author Home, Keta’s Haunt, http://www.ketadiablo.com
Erotic Romance Blog, Keta’s Keep, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Gay Fiction Blog, The Stuff of Myth and Men, http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com
Nice list of movies! I've seen some and skipped some, and others I'd only heard of. Definitely going to have to check some out.
ReplyDeleteExcept the Exorcist.
I want to sleep the next few weeks!
Oddly enough, I've seen a goodly share of the movies listed. I HATE SCARY MOVIES and yet, I guess I've allowed myself to be dragged to some or at least sat throught them in my house. What in the world was I thinking???
ReplyDeleteONE of the scariest movies I ever saw was Dressed to Kill with Angie Dickinson. I can't tell you what the movie was about, because I spent a good bit of time with my eyes closed, cursing my husband for bringing me to the show. I do remember thought a scene in an elevator, where a woman was hacked to death, blood everywhere, screaming (it was likely me screaming in my head and again, cursing in a very unladylike manner).
To know me is to know I REALLY hate knives! I can see people in movies and on TV be killed with guns, but knives do me in.
An the little poll, about the scariest paranormal creature - my mother in law, hands down. The woman was a creature from another realm. True story. How she ever had a son as wonderful as my husband, who can say. *chills at the thought of her*
have to make a small correction... Aliens was way creepier than Alien! But yikes! I forgot about some of these movies....for good reason!
ReplyDeleteBut you forgot The RIng and Event Horizon ((((shudder))))
No one put Halloween on here, and to me that was almost believable until they couldn't kill him.
ReplyDeleteI've seen most of these and they are all fairly good at horror. Each one affected me except The Exorcist. I didn't see that on purpose, during the time of it's making everyone was freaking out over it. But to me you gotta believe that it is possible for it to scare you and it just doesn't. Psycho scared me, now that's possible. It has basically happened before. That is scary, but I wouldn't be stopping off at a motel like that anyway. Aliens that was scary at first. The Shinning was scary because when someone loses it like he did, that could be very scary.
But hey I grew up with Frankenstein, and Dracula, and I thought they were scary back then. Without all the blood and guts to it.
Blessings
Rita
Used to watch all the old Hammer flicks and there is one...I never can remember the title. But woman falls in love with guy...who takes her home to meet his family... And they proceed to freak her out over and over and over again. All abour raising the levels of adrenaline through fear until a certain level is reached and then...
ReplyDeleteThey transfer mommy-dearest's brain into this young woman's body, put her into the old lady and continue you on. With son now marrying Mum...
I know, sounds hysterical, but they did a good job! And the expression on the young woman's face when she realizes what they are doing - since she had to be awake during it - really effective. Still gives me the shudders.
Great job Val and Kate!
ReplyDeleteAnother scary one is Copy Cat with Sigourney Weaver. It also has a great story! I forgot about the Angie Dickinson one. Yes, very scary.
Have a great Halloween everyone!
Best, Keta
http://www.ketadiablo.com
when I first saw the Nightmare on Elm Street I was scared shitless...nowadays the stuff they make movies with is so realistic..I think I Am Legend (extended version) scared me as the creatures were intelligent and were able to trap him back
ReplyDeleteI love horror. So I was thrilled to find your list contained movies I had yet to see --Jacob's Ladder and The Mummy. Of the ones on the list I've seen I would vote would have to go to Seven. Though there's something so titillating about the silent movie magic of Nosferatu. To add to the list Candy Man and any of the Saws.
ReplyDeletean interesting selection. hellraiser is another one that set my nerves a tingling.
ReplyDeleteThe Last House on the Left. You wanna talk about some seriously frightening stuff? There you go! And I am, of course, referring to the original that was made in the 1970's.
ReplyDelete