# According to the movies, the scariest thing in the world is . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921 "2006-12-05T09:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/41 "2006-12-05T23:25:26Z")
[QUOTE=glee] **darkness** [/QUOTE] I cast magic missile at it. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/42 "2006-12-05T23:37:15Z")
Inbred, possibly radioactive rednecks? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/43 "2006-12-05T23:56:57Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] A japanese girl with her hair in her face. [/QUOTE] Or a Japanese boy in white makeup. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/44 "2006-12-06T00:16:33Z")
When I first saw this thread on the Cafe Society forum page, I read it as… **According to the movies, the scariest thing in the world is . . .** lissener. I mean, I know he rubs some people the wrong way, but I wouldn’t go THAT far… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/45 "2006-12-06T01:04:08Z")
[QUOTE=xizor] Or a Japanese boy in white makeup. [/QUOTE] Um, that only happened in one movie (and its sequel). I think the theme here is cliches. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/46 "2006-12-06T01:20:01Z")
Don’t forget _things that can cut you into pieces so cleanly and quickly that you won’t notice it until you fall apart, about ten seconds later_ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/47 "2006-12-06T02:23:42Z")
The scariest thing is the suspense of waiting for that thing which you haven’t seen yet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/48 "2006-12-06T02:38:06Z")
So this one time I walked down these dark stairs into a subway station full of corn and when the subway pulled up all these Japanese clown dolls got off. And they were wearing hockey masks. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/49 "2006-12-06T03:22:38Z")
Mirrors. Mirrors in cornfields are just doubly bad. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/50 "2006-12-06T07:37:06Z")
[QUOTE=cactus waltz] Stairs. [/QUOTE] And corners. ---
**Author:** ![footbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c5a1d2/32.png) [@footbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footbag)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/51 "2006-12-06T08:38:20Z")
When Drew Barrymore got killed at the start of one of the Screams, she was eating popcorn right? It’s found a way to get into our homes people! Imagine putting on a pair of 3D glasses and looking around to see 1/2 the people in the tubestation are stalks of corn. With sharks for hands!!11! Not even tame sharks either!!11! A kettle boiling with one of them whistles on the spout is scary, isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/52 "2006-12-06T16:42:25Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Um, that only happened in one movie (and its sequel). I think the theme here is cliches. [/QUOTE] He is becoming a cliche. I have seen him in four movies recently. Ju-on Grudge (American version of Ju-on) Grudge 2 Pulse ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/53 "2006-12-06T17:22:03Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] A japanese girl with her hair in her face. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=xizor] Or a Japanese boy in white makeup. [/QUOTE] How about a Japanese girl with white stuff on her face? Oh wait, wrong kind of movie… ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/54 "2006-12-06T17:53:56Z")
[QUOTE] How about a Japanese girl with white stuff on her face? Oh wait, wrong kind of movie…[/QUOTE OMG I almost just shit my pants. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/55 "2006-12-07T03:20:00Z")
A telephone ringing during a thunderstorm. . . Although a police officer saying “We’ve traced the call! It’s coming from the cornfield!” doesn’t seem THAT scary. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/56 "2006-12-07T04:28:08Z")
[QUOTE=xizor] He is becoming a cliche. I have seen him in four movies recently. Ju-on Grudge (American version of Ju-on) Grudge 2 Pulse [/QUOTE] Three of those four movies are “one movie (and its sequel).” ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/57 "2006-12-07T13:21:12Z")
I thought it was being a person in a moderately dangerous job (such as e.g. cop) who is due to retire/get married/become a parent/switch to a safe job/attend their child’s wedding/etc. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/58 "2006-12-07T13:48:09Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] A telephone ringing during a thunderstorm. . . Although a police officer saying “We’ve traced the call! It’s coming from the cornfield!” doesn’t seem THAT scary. [/QUOTE] Random hijack, cause it reminded me. That “it’s coming from inside the house!” cliche doesn’t even make sense, does it? It originated before the days of cell phones, so how the hell is someone calling from inside the house? It’s not like you could use a phone in the bedroom to call a phone in the kitchen that used the same line/number. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/59 "2006-12-07T14:00:43Z")
Static. Mostly TV static (Poltergeist, The Ring), but anytime you pick up the phone or radio and it goes: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Also children singing…LAA…LAAAAAAaaaaa LAAAA Laaaaa!!! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921/60 "2006-12-07T14:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=SenorBeef] That “it’s coming from inside the house!” cliche doesn’t even make sense, does it? It originated before the days of cell phones, so how the hell is someone calling from inside the house? [/QUOTE] Around the time that scenario was first shown in a movie, a huge percentage of kids had their own seperate telephone line. You’d look in the phone book and there were quite a few “Children’s Telephone” numbers accompanying the family’s main one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-the-movies-the-scariest-thing-in-the-world-is/382921.md?page=4)