Hey everyone and welcome to Monster Fest 2009 here on YDKS Movies.For Monster Fest 2009, I'm doing a very special countdown where I cover my personal 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History.
When I was a kid, I was actually pretty terrified of horror movies. I usually could not watch them all the way through and would be stuck staying up all night if I did. Today, that's not the case. I'm pretty lucky if a horror movie can get a jump scare out of me nowadays. Still, there are a lot of scary movie moments that have gotten to me over the years and I felt that Monster Fest 2009 would be the perfect time to celebrate them.
Please note that these are my personal picks for the scariest moments in movie history. They are based on the films that I have viewed myself. If one of your favorite scary movie moments doesn't end up on the list, don't take it personally. Either I didn't see that movie or it just didn't affect me like it did you.
Also, please note that a lot of these movie moments are big spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie in question, please know that the moment could spoil a very significant moment of the film for you (some key moments are taken from the endings of films). So read / watch at your own risk.
Part 5 of 5.
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- Wonka's Chocolate Tunnel From Hell
Despite the fact that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a children's movie, it has one of the most horrific scenes in movie history. I've actually talked about this scene on this site before. Everything is all magical and wonderful in the movie until Wonka takes everyone on a boat ride on the chocolate river. Then, everything goes straight to hell.
This scene comes absolutely out of nowhere and it truly is terrifying. It has visions of snakes squirming on peoples' faces, a chicken getting its head chopped off and Wonka giving a scary speech. Then, at the end of the scene, he screams like a banshee. It's so bizarre and terrifying.
This scene killed me as a kid. Watch it below.
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)- Freddy Kills Tina
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is one of the scariest movies ever made in my opinion. To me, the concept of Freddy Krueger is completely terrifying. There's nothing worse than a killer that gets you in your most vulnerable state: when you're asleep and in your dreams.
The first kill in the movie was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. The scene works so well because, at first, you cannot even tell that Tina is having a nightmare. Everything feels very real and like it could happen to someone late at night.
Wes Craven really sets up great tension and suspense in this scene. Everything builds up slowly until Freddy's big reveal. And what an awesome reveal it is. He comes down a small alley way, with his arms stretched out to a ridiculous length. Then, he delivers one of the film's most infamous lines. He refers to his killer glove as God himself. What's creepier than that?
The scene ends with one of the creepiest death scenes ever filmed. Freddy slashes Tina up, dragging her body up the wall and over the ceiling in real life. The image that results is really surreal and very frightening to see.
Watch the scene below.
3. The Shining (1980)- The Twins
It was hard to pick just one scene from Stanley Kubrick's film version of The Shining (1980). There are so many moments from this movie that get under my skin. Visions of an elevator overflowing with a wave of blood, a decaying corpse making out with Jack Nicholson and a woman in a bear suit performing oral sex all plague my dreams because of this movie.
In the end, I had to go with the scene where young Danny stumbles upon the ghosts of the Grady twins in the hallway. This scene is a definition of creepy. That and the fact that we see quick glimpses of their cut-up bodies really doesn't help things.
Watch the scene below.
2. An American Werewolf in London- Werewolf Dreams
An American Werewolf in London really is an unique movie. It manages to be both really funny and quite scary at the same time. While most people remember its Oscar winning transformation scene the most, it was the dream sequences that take place near the beginning of the movie that always scared the hell out of me.
There are three distinct dream sequences in this section of the movie. One deals with David stalking and eating a deer (very weird and surprisingly graphic), one deals with David turning into a werewolf / vampire hybrid and the other deals with werewolf Nazis breaking into David's home and murdering his whole family in front of his eyes.
While the last dream is completely horrific and leaves a lasting impression, it was the second dream (which is where the above screen shot comes from) that always really got to me. I'm not sure what it was about it that got to me... but it always did. The dream has a really haunting and surreal nature to it. And when David does eventually turn into the werewolf / vampire hybrid, I was always really surprised by it.
The first time I saw this scene, I was really young. Let's just say I didn't sleep for a week.
Watch it below.
1. Muholland Drive- The Winkie's Monster
First off, let me say that I know that this choice will divide people. Not everyone has seen Mulholland Drive and, technically, it's not even a horror movie. However, it does contain what I, and many others, consider the scariest scene ever filmed.
As I stated earlier with the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me scene, David Lynch is one of the few filmmakers that can actually still scare me. I didn't even see Mulholland Drive until I was a freshmen in college. Even still, it really freaked me out. And no scene freaked me out more than the Winkie's Diner scene.
Anyone who has seen Muholland Drive always brings up this scene. It really is a connecting factor for the people that have watched this movie. It's like all the viewers have gone through their own personal hell and they happen to find someone else who has gone through something really similar. I haven't met anyone who has seen this scene and wasn't scared in some way by it.
The set up is really simple. A man meets with his psychiatrist at Winkie's Diner to discuss a dream he had the other night. In that dream, he was eating at Winkie's and then he ventured outside. Once outside, he went behind the diner where he ran into a monster.
After talking to the psychiatrist about the dream, they decide to go outside and see what they can find.
That's all I'm going to tell you. Honestly, the best way to watch this scene is in the context of the rest of the movie and with a good surround sound system. Still, if you've never seen it before, please watch it below. It's just a small glimpse into David Lynch's talent as a director. It shows how well he can build atmosphere, tension and create a nightmarish scenario in a really boring, everyday setting. Also, it just shows how he can create really freaky scenes that will keep you up late at night.
Watch the scene below.
Well that's it for the countdown. I hope you all enjoyed it as well as Monster Fest 2009 here on YDKS Movies. Happy Halloween everyone.
5 comments:
yay!! top 5!! this is a wonderful top 5!
I was a bit shocked to find willy wonka on here...BUT that tunnel scene really is scary. I never understood why it was there.
Freddy Krueger. Scary.
I am soooo glad you put The Shining on here. so glad. that one will always be my favorite, i think.
I think you and I have talked about how we have both seen an american werewolf in london at a young age. It scared me when I first saw it.
I haven't seen the muholland drive movie, but I think I would like it. That scene really was creepy. and that black monster. wow.
wesley, I love your Halloween lists. I now have to wait 365 more days until your next one.
I can do it. It will be tough, but I can do it.
Hahaha, the garbage/shit/venereal disease monster from Mulholland Drive is pretty terrifying. Good list!
Thanks Rebecca and Ellis. I'm glad you both enjoyed the list. Good to know that people read this stuff. It takes awhile to put it all together. So thanks.
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