# what is the scariest movie ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2001, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839 "2001-09-15T17:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/41 "2001-09-17T04:28:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\*I can’t get the imdb to give me a listing for _The Haunting of Hill House_, although I am sure I have heard of it. Every time I type the title in, it gives me _The Haunting_ remake. \*\* Please refer to my post above. _The Haunting of Hill House_ is the title of the **book** , by Shirley Jackson, from which came the two _The Haunting_ movies. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/42 "2001-09-17T04:46:09Z")
This one wasn’t really classified as a horror film, per se, but it scared the holy crap out of me, and still does each time I have the nerve to watch it again: **Jacob’s Ladder**. Some of the scenes simply terrify me just by remembering them. I also am probably one of maybe three people on the planet that was scared after watching **Halloween III: Season of the Witch**. I think all the other Halloween movies are asinine, but that particular one just totally tripped me out. Oh, and count me as another one that thought BWP was the sorriest horror movie of all time. I considered it a waste of good yawning. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/43 "2001-09-17T04:50:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > \*\*Please refer to my post above. _The Haunting of Hill House_ is the title of the **book** , by Shirley Jackson, from which came the two _The Haunting_ movies. \*\* ::Slapping self in the forehead:: So that explains both why it sounds familiar and why I couldn’t find it on the imdb… ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/44 "2001-09-17T05:00:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > > \*\*Please refer to my post above. _The Haunting of Hill House_ is the title of the **book** , by Shirley Jackson, from which came the two _The Haunting_ movies. \*\* > > ::Slapping self in the forehead:: > > So that explains both why it sounds familiar and why I couldn’t find it on the imdb… \*\* Hey, it happens to the best of us ! 🙂 A movie (definitely **not** a horror one) that had me very disturbed was Tim Robbins’ _Bob Roberts_. That one really creeped me out. Keep in mind that I have been looking for a really scary movie since the 60s and there were only a couple of them that affected me (but never to the point of giving me nightmares). The search continues… ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/45 "2001-09-17T05:14:13Z")
My personal list: Kubrick’s Shining Hitchcock’s Psycho Exorcist III -Ben ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/46 "2001-09-17T05:57:35Z")
Oh Yeah. the Haunting, of course! I thought it was '63 though. Hey, what about all the kids forever damaged by the Wizard of Oz? Not those darn monkeys, but that mean apple tree! Another one that did serious things to my childhood was called, I think, Dr. Sardonicus. I’ve done fairly serious studying in the area of older movies but I can only find one reference to this one. The story went something like this- a man burys his father with a lottery ticket in his suit pocket. The ticket is a winner. Son goes to dig up the ticket(and Dad). Dad’s face has been pulled into a horrible mask by the rigor mortis. Son goes home, walks into dark bedroom, making weird grunting noises. Son’s wife lights candle and SCREAMS! Son’s face has become horrible grinning deathmask JUST LIKE DAD’S!!! Scared the pants off me! ``` :eek: ``` ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/47 "2001-09-17T06:17:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zoogirl \* > **Oh Yeah. the Haunting, of course! I thought it was '63 though.** You are right, my bad, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa [sub] although I CMA by putting a ? after the date :p[/sub] I guess that **Gaudere’s law** is not limited to grammatical errors. ---
**Author:** ![23skidoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f04885/32.png) [@23skidoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/23skidoo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/48 "2001-09-17T06:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*_The Barney Movie_ > > ::shudder:: > > Well, seriously, I gotta say the scariest one I’ve seen recently is _The Others_ - that was pretty good. Though the ending was predictable and too drawn out. > > _Session 9_ was pretty spooky. I’ll second that about Session 9. Sweet Marie, that movie gave me the creeps. I think that’s the “scariest” kind of movie, one that doesn’t have any real “BOO!” scenes, but one where you have a sneaking suspicion that something is going to happen. Even after you leave the theater. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/49 "2001-09-17T06:50:52Z")
Showgirls. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/50 "2001-09-17T08:45:57Z")
Although **The Shining** is still my favorite scary movie, I’ll have to agree with those who mentioned **The Exorcist**. I recently rented the DVD-- the so-called “Version You’ve Never Seen!”-- and damn, if that upside-down spiderwalk down the stairs wasn’t the friggin’ creepiest thing I’ve seen in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/51 "2001-09-17T09:02:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > > \*\*_The Evil Dead_ is a great low budget horror movie. It was remade with a bogger budget as _Evil Dead 2_ \*\* > > ED2 is not a remake of ED1. Same plot, sure, but different characters, etc. Remember at the beginning Ash goes a little crazy as a result of the events of ED1. The continuity is pretty screwed up with the flashback scenes at the beginning, but it is not a remake. From co-producer Bruce Campbell’s [website](http://www.bruce-campbell.com/) (sorry, can’t link directly to the page. From the home page, click on the link on the left “Everything Evil” then click “Incantations” then “Necronominconifesto” and scroll down): > > > [@](#): > > > > Q: WHY ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II, AND ARMY OF DARKNESS EACH DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE BEFORE? > > > > Well…it’s like this: > > > > When it came time to do ED2 (7 years later), we couldn’t get the rights to the original footage from ED1 (to do re-cap stuff), and the original actors had all gone off to do other things. So, in our infinite wisdom, we decided to “lie” about how Ash got to the cabin and who he was with (i.e. just Linda). > > > > This, indeed, confused a lot of people and caused them to think Ash was dumb enough to return to the cabin with another girlfriend (as well as fuel the useless debate that ED2 was really a “remake” and not a “sequel” – pardon me while I fall aslezzzzzzzz). Granted, Ash IS dumb enough to return to the cabin, but that was not our original intent. > > \*\* SPOILERS FOR THE EVIL DEAD SERIES Hmmm. Until I read that, I didn’t realize there was any debate. I use the word “remake” because there really isn’t a word to describe the relationship between Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. #2 isn’t exactly a sequel. It doesn’t continue the events of the first movie. It tells an entirely new story starting from the beginning. But because it’s an entirely new story, I suppose it’s unfair to call it a remake. ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/52 "2001-09-18T00:16:52Z")
Getting abducted by aliens has always scared the pants off me, so I’ll go with **Communion**. It has the creepy Christopher Walken _and_ those horrible big-eyed grey aliens. The scene when the alien is peeking around the bedroom door kept me up for many nights. I’ll give another vote for **Prince of Darkness**. That whole “this is not a dream…” thing made my life miserable for a while. **Silence of the Lambs** is another good one. I still can’t listen to _American Girl_ in the car. I can’t stand to watch people suffer, nor can I stand to watch things that frighten me in real life (like plane crashes…ugh). I think that that’s why **Alive** is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen, even though it’s not a ‘horror’ movie. I almost walked out of the theatre when I saw that, but I didn’t because I was with friends, and I didn’t want them to think I was a sissy. I had nightmares for _weeks_. (As a side note, the cannibalism didn’t bother me one bit. ::shrug:🙂 Good luck scaring your sister! Rose ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/53 "2001-09-18T16:34:55Z")
[ol][li] **Halloween**. Are you kidding me? When he attacks the car at the asylum? Yikes! The definitive teen slasher film.[/li][li] **The Thing**. (Carpenter’s version.)[/li][li] **Salem’s Lot**. Who knew a made-for-TV movie could be so creepy. Scariest vampire flick ever?[/li][li] **The Shining**. (Kubrick)[/li][li] **The Omen**.[/li][li] **The Hitcher**. Under-appreciated, and very creepy.[/li][li] **Funny Games**. My foreign-language entry. Rent it if you haven’t seen it.[/li][li] **Angel Heart**.[/li][li] **Alien**. (Singular.)[/li][li] **Se7en**. Depressing as hell, but you can’t deny it’s creepiness. This movie just plain _disturbed_ me.[/ol][/li] For some reason, The Exorcist never scared me the way it seems to scare most folks. Jaws and Night of the Living Dead just missed making my list. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/54 "2001-09-18T23:46:33Z")
**Freddy Got Fingered** when I heard there might be a sequel. ---
**Author:** ![decafe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7993a0/32.png) [@decafe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/decafe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/55 "2001-09-20T07:27:15Z")
Child’s Play. I watched it when I was about 10 and it scared the hell out me. I was afraid of dolls for a couple months after that ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/56 "2001-09-20T14:13:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\*Showgirls. \*\* Hehe. Is this is a tribute to **Scream 2**? ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Baroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@Billy\_Baroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Baroo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/57 "2001-09-20T19:25:45Z")
Paramount Pictures presents `The Freak.’ This movie won’t just scare you, it will fuck you up for life. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/58 "2001-09-21T03:47:43Z")
Most disturbing- SYBIL w/ Sally Fields (Evil Mom abusing little Sybil- I still turn away) JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN HENRY-PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER Scary- the B&W CARNIVAL OF SOULS BLAIR WITCH PROJECT both INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY aka MASK OF THE DEMON ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/59 "2001-11-01T01:24:37Z")
:bump: I’m so disappointed. I rented the scariest movies my brother and I could think of- **Event Horizon** which I hadn’t seen was his choice, and **In The Mouth of Madness** was mine- this past weekend. So I watched Event Horizon and it was good, but not overly scary. I figured I’d really be scared by In The Mouth… again, but I wasn’t. It doesn’t seem half as scary now. Oh well \*\* Phantoms\*\* still scares me even though I’ve seen it more than once… I need a new scariest movie now, though. ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839/60 "2001-11-01T04:54:34Z")
have you seen “the House on Haunted Hill”? all these other ones look great, and (though my original goal was a bust) i might want to see some. still, for visceral horror, HoHH is still the biggest bang for your buck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scariest-movie-ever/81839.md?page=4)