Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday Top Ten: Halloween Edition

The first true horror movie I went to see at a theater was in 1989 at the tender age of 15. With a couple of my girlfriends, we went to see Pet Sematary at the local multi-plex. To say that I was scared is an understatement. I looked for Gage underneath beds for years after. In fact, I will occasionally still make a running leap onto my bed in fear. There's a reason Stephen King has sold about a billion books and had dozens made into movies. Dude is scary. Interesting tidbit: when I was waiting tables during the salad days of my early twenties, shortly after I had moved to Baltimore, I waited on Stephen King and his wife. He was a good tipper.

So in honor of this, All Hallow's Eve, I have the LoB Horror Movie Edition of the Friday Top Ten:

1. The Shining - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ad finitum. The twins in the hallway, the snowy maze scene, the woman in the bathtub, redrum. Jack Nicholson played a fantastic psycho. A little too good, methinks...

2. Jaws - An entire generation of kids frightened to go back into the water. Myself included. To this day, I can't go in murky water for fear of jaws. Ridiculous, I know, but then so's a giant animatronic shark. Still really freaking scary.

3. Poltergeist - "They're hee-eere." The scene where the boy's clown comes to life and wraps its arms around him ruined me forever for clown dolls. Sadly, my mom loves them and keeps giving them to me. (I'm 34.) I don't have the heart to tell her that I am forced to put them in little prisons so they won't attack me some stormy night.

4. Shaun of the Dead - Not quite a full on horror movie because it's just too darn witty, but not quite a comedy either and the horredy category is pretty slim. The scene where they beat the zombie to Queen is priceless. Simon Pegg is awesome. Period.

5. The Lost Boys - This was the movie that made me want to be a vampire. My best friend and I drank undiluted Hawaiian Punch syrup, pretending it was blood after seeing this at the movie theater seven times. No kidding.

6. The Blair Witch Project - I know this movie is a love it or hate it kind of thing. Obviously, I thought it was really terrifying. The scene at the end with the guy standing in the corner. Oh. my. god.

7. Se7en - I included this in my all-time list a couple of weeks ago because it transcends the horror genre. It's that good. And that scary.

8. The Silence of the Lambs - "It puts the lotion in the basket." To this day, I'm not sure who was scarier Buffalo Bill or Hannibal Lector.

9. Scream - Admit it, that opening scene with Drew Barrymore had you on the edge of your seat. And made you want Jiffy Pop.

10. The Ring - The faces of Samara's victims keeps me awake on dark nights. The way she moved, all herky-jerky out of the tv absolutely scares the bejeepers out of me.

What's your favorite scary movie?

17 comments:

  1. Cara:
    OMG...I have to say that I agree with your choices but would add Cujo. I didn't know you got to meet Stephen King..WOW! I'm impressed. The Blair Witch project and that scene at the end...listening to the screams and watching the guy await his fate....was something that has stuck with me to this day. Your husband (my son) said that the movie was only as scary as you make it. Hmmmmm...maybe so. Thanks for your great list and wonderful blog. I read it every day.
    Luv,
    GB (your mother-in-law)

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  2. I think you should add The 7th sign to the list. That movie really scared me. I have seen all of yours except for Shaun of the Dead. I am going to put it in Netflix.

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  3. My daughter has seen every single scary movie that's been out in the last year since she turned 17 and is able to see R rated flicks on her own (which as a parent makes me nervous). That kid LOVES the scary stuff. She's seeing Saw 5 tonight. Yuck.

    I'm not one for scary anymore. But Amityville Horror and Nightmare on Elmstreet scared the crap out me when I was younger.

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  4. I can only comment on a few as I am not a horror film person and can't watch them.
    but the run down looks good to me as far as I know which may not be much! anyway's happy trick or treating!
    we are doing well Thank you!

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  5. EW. EW. Cannot, will not watch those. I have no need to further freak myself out.

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  6. Upon more careful observation, I have seen three. Silence of the Lambs. Ew. Se7en. Ew. The Blair Witch Project. Ew (or perhaps more AAHHH). See? All have extreme Ew factor. Wish I'd never seen them.

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  7. YES--totally great pics. Blair Witch Project? Awesome. I was watching way too many horror movies before I should've been. And I still have a hard time being out in the country b/c of all the Friday the 13th movies I've seen!

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  8. Not a huge horror movie fan but The Shining is one of my favorite movies. Also love the Simpson's take on it--the Shinning.

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  9. I'm such a wimp, I have only seen a couple of those! Maybe I need to watch one tonight just to mark the holiday...!

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  10. Cape Fear scared the crap out of me and The Ring was almost the end of me.

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  11. those are some good ones. I now wish that I would have had the for thought to get a scary movie for tonight, that would have been fun.
    The Blair Witch is totally terrifying to me.

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  12. I LOVE LOVE se7en and The Lost Boys!

    CLOWNS are ruined for me forever. I went to a sleepover when I was 7 and watch that, and was scarred for life!!

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  13. Two of my favorite moves are scary one--Silence of the Lambs and Rosemary's Baby. I love those movies!

    How cool that you met Stephen King!! He is one of my very favorite authors. I didn't see Pet Sematary--but I read the book and I was so scared I read it peeking through my fingers!

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  14. Oh, The Shining..."redrum!"

    The Exorcist & The Watcher in the Woods...SCARY STUFF.

    I've never seen Se7en. Must add to my Netflix Queue.

    Last night I spent 3 mindless hours watching "The 100 Scariest Movies of All-Time." Blair Witch was in the top 10...and when they go the THAT scene--the guy in the corner--I turned the channel right quick. It still freaks me out. Shudder!

    Oh, and you know I love me some Lost Boys...it's when my love of vamps began. :)

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  15. The Shining is my top scary movie, too. It's not too gory, keeps the suspense at a maximum and is just a clever story.

    The truth is I am not much of a scary movie chick. I try to stick to romantic comedies because (shhhhh) I still get nightmares.

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  16. I can't watch horror movies because I am a total wimp. The Ring was the last one I saw, and that nasty little girl haunted me for months. I can only watch zombie movies (yay Shaun of the Dead!) because, for some reason, they don't freak me out as deeply as the others.

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Give me some sugar, baby!