# Movie moments that caused genuine shock **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 17, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807 "2020-09-17T03:58:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/181 "2020-09-28T11:41:43Z")
When John Carpenter’s “The Thing” first played in 1982, I saw it in Boston and when the dog split open into The Thing" I saw grown men scream and run out of the theater. I thought it was a joke but they were genuinely scared as they did not return. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/182 "2020-09-28T12:56:24Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > And I was also taken in, pleasantly, by **The Sixth Sense**. Although, unfortunately, not by any of Shyamalan’s later films. After the Sixth Sense I expected a great twist in every Shyamalan movie. Which meant the ones with a twist weren’t a surprise & those with no twist were disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/183 "2020-09-28T13:20:55Z")
Just because you know there’s a twist shouldn’t ruin a film, though. If that were the case, no one would’ve watched Rod Serling’s _The Twilight Zone_ after the first episode. Or read any more O. Henry stories after the first one. Shyamalan’s problem is that, despite setting the scene and the characters up beautifully, he mars it with a premise that is irretreivably _dumb._. Watch _The Happening_ (f you can) and see if you can honestly say the reason the film doesn’t work is that “people are expecting the twist ending”. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/184 "2020-09-28T14:31:58Z")
Many were shocked by Mr. Blonde in _Reservoir Dogs_ sadistically cutting off Nash’s ear, but a later scene made me jump out of my seat. Mr. Orange kills Mr. Blonde to prevent him from further disfiguring Nash, and then Cabot shows up. Orange tells him he killed Blonde because of what he was doing to the cop, and Cabot replies, “Who? That cop?” and shoots Nash. It was such a callous thing to do after the poor guy had been tortured and Orange’s actions provided a slim chance he could survive. That shocked me more than the torture scene. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/185 "2020-10-17T22:37:14Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > The shock from _Silence of the Lambs_ for me was when: > > Hannibal Lecter took off the “face” mask in the ambulance near the end Here’s the entertaining, behind-the-scenes story from the actor who played the doomed EMT: > **[The Moth | The Art and Craft of Storytelling](https://themoth.org/storytellers/josh-broder)** > > The Moth is a nonprofit organization that builds empathy through live and virtual storytelling shows, open-mic storytelling events, The Moth Radio Hour, The Moth Podcast and storytelling workshops. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/186 "2020-10-17T22:49:16Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > [@Colibri](#): > > > > In the Kurt Russell version of _The Thing_ , the scene where the decapitated head grows spider legs and goes scuttling for the door. [“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding!”](https://youtu.be/0mELdCU1GSw?t=110) > > That was some GREAT acting by Charles Hallahan. Esp. considering that, in-universe, he indeed WAS acting, since he was in reality also a Thing. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/187 "2020-10-17T23:11:41Z")
You mean: “This is all the money we took from Niska.”? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/188 "2020-10-17T23:14:33Z")
The end of “No Way Out”. That, like the earlier mentioned “The Sting”, was a movie you could watch twice. Once not knowing the twists, and once knowing them. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/189 "2020-10-17T23:35:32Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > You mean: “This is all the money we took from Niska.”? “…and the last thing you see will be my blade!” “Darn.” One of the best moments on tv, always makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2020, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/190 "2020-10-18T05:56:23Z")
We watched the series again a few weeks ago, with our 15-year-old son - his first time. When we got to that scene, he grinned and said, “Dark. I like it!” ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2020, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/191 "2020-10-18T06:54:20Z")
The kids are alright! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/192 "2020-10-19T19:22:53Z")
Way long time ago (ca. 1967) I went to the premier of **Wait Until Dark** at Rockefeller Center in NYC. Near the end of the movie, Alan Arkin leaps out of the darkness to grab Audrey Hepburn, and the entire audience seemed to elevate several feet while screaming. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807/193 "2020-10-20T03:53:06Z")
I saw it in college, c. 1986, and we all reacted similarly! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-moments-that-caused-genuine-shock/920807.md?page=9)