# movies that gave you the heeebie jeeebies/willies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178 "2004-02-25T21:43:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/1 "2004-02-25T21:43:28Z")
for some reason the ending of cabin fever and the ending of return of the living dead give me the same heebie jeebie feeling. what does it for you? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/2 "2004-02-25T22:58:57Z")
_Alien_ still scares the holy crap out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/3 "2004-02-25T23:28:02Z")
_The Changeling_ (1980) with George C. Scott and _The Ring_ (2002) with Naomi Watts. (Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see the original Japanese film.) I have to see it again, but I seem to recall that _The Haunting of Julia_ (1977; aka _Full Circle_) with Mia Farrow disturbed me somewhat. And there was a great Australia television film called _13 Gantry Row_ (1998) that was better than most American theatrical “scary” movies… ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/4 "2004-02-25T23:30:24Z")
Not scary exactly, but Dancer in the Dark left me feeling creeped out for a long, long time. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/5 "2004-02-25T23:57:00Z")
[Pet Sematary (1989)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098084/) has always been extremely eerie for me, but not because of anything in the plot. It is seriously uncanny how the various locations and scenes used for the film so closely resembled how I envisioned them while reading the book (years before the movie came out). Yes, Stephen King is an (overly) descriptive writter, so that certainly could’ve contributed. However, my reaction to this day is “Get the %$@# out of my head!!!” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/6 "2004-02-26T00:18:05Z")
Depends on what you mean by “heebie jeebies/willies”. A movie can be deeply disturbing without being scary – see David Lynch’s _Eraserhead._ ---
**Author:** ![Akaadji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Akaadji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaadji)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/7 "2004-02-26T00:57:39Z")
_Session 9_ is the first thing that comes to mind…I love that movie, as disturbing as it was. I think that _The Stand_ disturbed me when I saw it, as well. Usually either psychological stuff or movies based on outbreaks in general will get me. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/8 "2004-02-26T02:42:33Z")
As mentioned above Steven King[wouldn’t you like to be a psychiatrist and go to work on him?] can really produce the heebie-jeebies. For me it was reading “Salem’s Lot,” and seeing the movie based on it. Floating ghouls, oblivious townspeople, satanic emissaries, etc. What more does it take to make your hair stand on end? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/9 "2004-02-26T02:55:28Z")
I had a roommate once who rented _Heavenly Creatures_. He was heading to work and casually mentioned that he’d rented this movie and I could watch it if I wanted. I said, “What’s it about?” In retrospect, I can only assume that he said something like, “It was funny,” meaning funny-weird, not funny-ha-ha. Whatever was actually said, the end result was that I got the impression that the film was a comedy, so I got all in the mood for a lighthearted romp and popped it in. As those of you who have seen it can attest, _Heavenly Creatures_ is NOT A COMEDY. I felt disturbed and frightened for several days after that. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/10 "2004-02-26T07:19:04Z")
> [@TOTBP](#): > > _The Changeling_ (1980) with George C. Scott When I read the tread title this movie came to mind. While the movie has a very late 70’s feel to it, there are a handful of parts that make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/11 "2004-02-26T07:21:06Z")
Even upon preview “thread” remained as “tread” DOH! ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/12 "2004-02-26T07:33:05Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > When I read the tread title this movie came to mind. While the movie has a very late 70’s feel to it, there are a handful of parts that make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. > > Good movie. Are you the boy…the boy killed by the coal car? creeeepy ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/13 "2004-02-26T08:04:42Z")
session 9 gave me the same feeling as well. aliens scared me but in that false jump out at you startled way. im a big fan of horror movies, but alot of them rely only on the monster jumping on screen at the right moment, and there is alot more to be said about getting legitmately scared versus startled ---
**Author:** ![PalJuicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@PalJuicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PalJuicy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/14 "2004-02-26T11:09:56Z")
I’ll agree with **Session 9**. It was that _place_, the asylum. Brrrr. (plus, that poor mullet-head who was afraid of the dark, and the lights went out one by one. . .) ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/15 "2004-02-26T13:22:52Z")
I’m with **ColonelDax** Alien still works on me. But the first time I saw it geezus! As for Eraserhead - _This film won’t just scare you it will fuck you up for life_. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/16 "2004-02-26T13:45:19Z")
The ending of Carrie. The scene in The Shining where the wife finds out what her husband has been typing all the time. Many scenes in Ringu (the original version). ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/17 "2004-02-26T14:27:53Z")
Jacob’s Ladder always raises the hackles on the back of my neck. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/18 "2004-02-26T14:31:17Z")
Back in college, my roommates and I rented _In the Mouth of Madness_. Then we proceeded to drink and smoke ourselves into vegetables and watch the movie. I have absolutely no recollection of what happened in the film, I can’t even recall a single specific moment or scene. But to this day, the trailer still scares the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/19 "2004-02-26T17:55:46Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > It is seriously uncanny how the various locations and scenes used for the film so closely resembled how I envisioned them while reading the book (years before the movie came out). Me too. Well, I wasn’t creeped out at all, but I was seriously shocked by how well the locations matched the mental pictures I had. It was the very first (and pretty much ONLY) time that has ever happened. _The Changeling_… the _wet_ rubber ball. _eep!_ Strangely what creeps me out most of all is when films feel claustrophobic… er, I mean that in a weird way. In _Eraserhead_ for example, it felt as if there were nothing in that entire universe except his apartment interior, the hallway, his in-laws front porch… like that. Similarly, _The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover_ was the same way for me. As if there was nothing in the universe except certain rooms (not even buildings, sometimes it felt like _just_ rooms). Like there was nothing beyond the few things we saw. Nny film that has that very isolated set feel to it gives me the heebie jeebies. Lone cabin in the woods? No problem, as long as there are _woods_ and it feels like the world continues beyond what were seeing. Lone cabin on a blackened sound stage so it looks like the cabin itself is the only thing in existence? EEEeeeeEEEEK! ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178/20 "2004-02-26T18:09:16Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > [Pet Sematary (1989)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098084/) has always been extremely eerie for me, but not because of anything in the plot. The way that dude who got hit by the car kept popping up the way he did made creeped me out quite a bit. (Though you weren’t talking about the plot.) The eerier scenes in Sixth Sense still give me such a chill, and there are so many of them- [spoiler]When the ghost of little girl first appears outside Haley Joel Osmond’s “tent” and she’s puking up the soup… the ghosts of the people hanging in that school (?) hallway… that kid saying to Haley Joel, “Come on, I’ll show you where my dad keeps his gun,” and he turns around and he’s got this gaping head wound… the screaming lady in the kitchen… on and on. [spoiler] (Didn’t really give anything away to anyone who hasn’t seen it -do they still exist?- but I like to be surprised with details, so… Anyway. I still put the movie in from time to time because it’s such a superior suspense film, but I have to be honest, if it’s night and I’m alone at my place, I’ve been known to hesitate. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gave-you-the-heeebie-jeeebies-willies/231178.md?page=2)