Horror movies are made to scare or startle their audiences, sometimes even disgust them. The genre allows writers a certain amount of creativity to play with and explore their disturbed, dark side. The evil masterminds behind these movies brought something new to the table that altered the horror/thriller genre and how it is created now. These films are the scariest films ever created that impacted the horror movies that came after them including the films that are not yet created. Those who scare easily when there’s bump or noise in the night should be warned that these movies are not for the fearful or meek (In some cases, not for those with a queasy stomach).
Name of the film: “The Exorcist”
Director: William Friedkin
Year: 1973
Scariest scene: Regan is fighting with the demon inside her mind. Her face changes from her own to one of a demonic creature.
What makes this movie so important?: The Exorcist was one of the first films to deal with the topic of possession which has become a staple in the horror genre. It inspired movies such as “The Devil Inside Me” and even “Paranormal Activity.” This film is known as one of the scariest films of all time because it is dealing with something that everyone secretly fears.
Name of the film: “Jaws”
Director: Steven Spielberg
Year: 1975
Scariest scene: Brody is shoveling fish chum over the side of the boat into the water when a giant great white shark comes up out of the water behind him.
What makes this movie so important?: Most horror movies deal with serial killers, ghosts and other mainstream topics. “Jaws” takes a new twist to the horror genre. Not only did “Jaws” play on some people’s fear of sharks, but it instilled fear in its audiences. “Jaws” kept many people from going back in the water for a long time.
Name of the film: “Night of the Living Dead”
Director: George Romero
Year: 1968
Scariest scene: The mother in this film comes into the basement where she finds her daughter, Karen, eating her own father.
What makes this movie so important?: This is the first true zombie movie. An entire generation of people in college and high school is obsessed with the zombie “apocalypse.” There are several video games, movies, television shows and Halloween parties centered around this idea of the undead feeding on the living.
Name of the film: “Psycho”
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year: 1960
Scariest scene: Marion is taking a shower when she is killed.
This shower scene has become infamous because of Hitchcock’s ability to use tactful camera angles and other effects. This scene created so much fear that it induced a fear of showering for many individuals after seeing it.What makes this movie so important?: This film was one of the first to mess with someone who was in the shower, which is supposed to be a safe place. It also affected people’s minds when it came to being in a motel room, giving people fear in an everyday task. It all seems so normal, then the psycho shows up.
Name of the film: “The Shining”
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1980
Scariest scene: There are a number of scenes that are scary in “The Shining.”
One of the creepier scenes that gives the audience the “heebie-jeebies” is the scene where blood pours into the hallway from the elevator and sloshes up the halls.What makes this movie so important?: For one, this movie deals with the topic of a haunting. The hotel is the possessed object in this movie that is trying to take control of its residents. The film inspired the idea that a building could take control and take over human life.
Name of the film: “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Director: Tobe Hooper
Year: 1974
Scariest scene: Sally is forced to have dinner with Leatherface’s family.
That should be scary enough, but then they have her tied to a chair made of human body parts. The whole family is laughing while Sally is screaming. What makes this movie so important?: This is the first real slasher film. Slice ‘em and dice ‘em is the best way to describe this movie. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” inspired the gore that comes with horror movies in present day. It brought the theme of killing to the table.
Name of the film: “Halloween”
Director: John Carpenter
Year: 1978
Scariest scene: Lauri Strode has become the target of Michael Meyers.
She runs into the closet to hide and ties the door shut. Then Michael smashes through the door and into the barely-there lighting, showing his masked face.What makes this movie so important?: “Halloween” started a trend in horror movies, but none of the copy-cats were successful with the exception of “Friday the 13th.” “Halloween” was a low-budget, independent film that happened to kill at the box offices. The film was one of the first to give audiences that eerie feeling when they are home alone.
Name of the film: “The Blair Witch Project”
Director: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
Year: 1999
Scariest scene: The movie is full of intense scenes with moments that make the audience scream.
The entire night is filled with tent-rattling and screaming. The next morning leads to one person finding a gift-wrapped human body part. What makes this movie so important?: This is the era of the handheld camera. Thriller and horror films alike have begun using the hand-held camera look in order to make it more realistic with a faux-documentary style. “The Blair Witch Project” inspired the style for “Paranormal Activity,” “Quarantine” and “Cloverfield.”
Name of the film: “Nightmare on Elm Street”
Director: Wes Craven
Year: 1984
Scariest scene: The shocking scene where Tina is captured by Freddy Kruger in her dreams.
Audiences can see her sleeping body being ripped up into the air and sustain four fatal slashes. She’s dragged along the ceiling, screaming, as her boyfriend watches in horror.What makes this movie so important?: “Nightmare on Elm Street” hit audiences below the belt, in their dreams. The lack of safety during sleep is a horrifying feeling for many audience members and this movie played on that fear. It brought about the “reality” to dreams and made its viewers stay awake for as long as possible.
Name of the film: “Scream”
Director: Wes Craven
Year: 1996
Scariest scene: The opening scene of “Scream” is one of the scariest parts of this movie.
Audiences watch as a young school girl, Casey, receive a series of ominous phone calls. Ultimately these phone calls lead to a ghost-masked villain showing up at her house .What makes this movie so important?: Scream played on the safety of one’s home and the fear of being alone. This movie also played on the fact that the killer is not always a stranger but sometimes a regular member of the community.
Name of the film: “Dracula”
Director: Tod Browning
Year: 1931
Scariest scene: Renfield meets a creepy carriage drive.
During a midnight ride, the carriage leads him towards a castle. This castle is covered in fog with the lights burning inside. The scene is full of drama and tension. What makes this movie so important?: “Dracula” inspired the vampire phenomenon. He was the original vampire that brought about “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Twilight” and “True Blood.” Another factor that “Dracula” brought into the horror genre is the idea of lust for a killer.
Name of the film: “Friday the 13th”
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Year: 1980
Scariest scene: The ending of “Friday the 13th”leaves its audience screaming as the credits roll.
Alice has survived a night of horror and terrors, watching her friends die. She takes refuge in a small boat to wait on the police to arrive. Suddenly, the deformed boy, Jason, leaps out of the water behind her. What makes this movie so important?: It is the only copy-cat of “Halloween” that was successful. “Friday the 13th” is considered one of the original slasher films. Most people did not want to go camping after seeing this film.
