The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History (Part 5)

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.

Click Here to View Part 1.

Click Here to View Part 2.

Click Here to View Part 3.

Click Here to View Part 4.

Part 5 of 5.

5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- Wonka's Chocolate Tunnel From Hell

I bet you didn't expect to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on this list did you?

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.

Review #2 (that rhymed)

I've been told that people can't write anything new; we can only rewrite what's already been written. Apply said phrase to film, and I think there are plenty of examples that prove it's true. Often this is an awful thing (i.e. recent movie Sorority Row, an uninspiring, poor nod [I'm being generous] to I Know What You Did Last Summer). However, some ideas, no matter if they are cliched can work. Jeff Nichols's Shotgun Stories, while treading familiar territory, is a story that delivers.

Taking place in southeast Arkansas, Shotgun Stories involves two sets of brothers, each set sharing the same father, but a different mother. The story is told from the perspective of Son, Boy, and Kid Hayes, their names proof of their father's failure to love them. Though their father has abandoned and failed the three, he does better by his second wife and sons. When the three are informed of their father's death, they head to the funeral, where Son asks if he can say a few words before the burial. After several scathing remarks, Son spits on his "father's" casket, enraging the four by the second wife. The feud begins.

Like any good story about war and hate, this one focuses on the futility of retaliation. A Wendell Berry quote comes to mind in connection to the film's plot: "Violence breeds violence. Acts of violence committed in 'justice' or in affirmation of 'rights' or in defense of 'peace' do not end violence. They prepare and justify its continuation." Nichols's film drives this idea home. For every act of violence one of the brothers commits, another one is returned. Think the futile retaliations in The Godfather set in the backwoods of Arkansas. Unlike Coppola's film, however, a glimmer of light is behind all the shadows cast in this movie.

As I said, the plot has been done before, but what makes up for it is the sincerity prevalent in this movie. This isn't a pretentious movie. It's not the hackneyed revenge story so many filmmakers tell us we should care about. There is real pain here, scars, the moments of resignation that all of us have to face when living. It's not perfect, and that's not the point. What is here is genuine, and worth your time.

Aside from the story, there are beautiful and moving images throughout its duration. The south in its glory. Nichols's work reminds me of the things I adore about Southern gothic literature. Violence, redemption, pain, and death. It's all here. I look forward to what Nichols does in the future.

The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History (Part 4)

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.

Click Here to View Part 1.

Click Here to View Part 2.

Click Here to View Part 3.

Part 4 of 5.

10. Twilight Zone: The Movie- "You Wanna See Something Really Scary?"

The first time I saw Twilight Zone: The Movie, I was pretty young. While I found most of the sequences forgettable, the opening scene left a lastly impact on me. That's because it honestly scared the crap out of me.

Directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks, this opening is one big deceptive trick. It consists of two guys driving down a desert road late at night, playing road games, trying to remember old TV show theme songs and just joking around. Due to its tone and comedic cast, it doesn't feel threatening at all. In fact, it just feels fun and relaxing. It really works to set the audience into a state of calm.

This all changes when Aykroyd's character asks if Brooks would like to "See something really scary?" That's when the thought that this is a Twilight Zone movie pops back up in the back of your mind. That's when you start to get a little nervous again.

The pay off of this question scared the piss out of me as a child. While it doesn't really affect me anymore, I still have to pay homage to it on this countdown. 

Watch the whole sequence below.

9. Fright Night- Vampire Revealed

Fright Night was a movie my dad made me watch when I was about ten years old. I'm not sure what possessed him to make me view this movie. However, he got it in his mind that I had to see it and, because of that, he made it happen. 

While Fright Night isn't really a scary movie as opposed to a being a really fun horror film, it does have some truly scary moments. Out of all of these moments, the reveal that neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon in an awesome performance) is actually a vampire really got under my skin. To me, this scene is one of the scariest things that could happen to me in real life. And that's why this scene works so well-- it feels real. Despite dealing with something fairly ridiculous like vampires, it feels like it could happen to any of us.

The set up is simple. Horror buff Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) believes that his new next door neighbor may be a vampire. So, late one night, he begins to spy on him with binoculars. After falling asleep on his watch, he awakes to a really seductive scene. Dandrige has a beautiful woman over and she undresses right in front of Charley's eyes. Things seem to be going well and fun... that is until Dandrige opens up wide and reveals some sharp fangs that have been hidden in his mouth.

There's so much about this scene that bothers me. I cannot imagine many things scarier than discovering that my neighbor is a vampire... and then have him make eye contact with me right after this discovery. The look on Dandrige's face after getting caught is so great. It exudes confidence and gives the feeling that he could kill you without even trying as well. Also, the triple cut reveal of Dandrige's finger nails always really bothered me too. 

Watch the scene below. It is NSFW due to nudity.

8. Audition- Man in Bag

Takashi Miike's Audition is one of the most unsettling movies I have ever seen. It starts off almost as a romantic drama about loneliness and then suddenly spirals into a bizarre torture film about an abused Japanese woman with issues she needs to take out on all men. While most people are bothered by the torture scene that ends the film, I am always more taken back and truly disturbed by the man in the bag.

Yeah, that's right-- the man in the bag. Asami has seemed like a shy but otherwise normal girl up until this point in the film. That is until we see her waiting patiently by the phone, hoping that Shigeharu will call her. When he does finally call, we see a giant bag in her room move and roll, a horrible groan coming out of it.

I don't know about you but that scares the crap out of me. Then, later on, we get to see what's in the bag. And, even worse, we get to see what it eats on a daily basis. 

Yeah, it's terrible. It really, really is.

Watch the phone scene below.

Watch the bag reveal below. Be warned... it's bad.

7. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me- Killer Bob Appears

David Lynch terrifies me. His movies and television work are some of the few things that can actually get me scared in this world. When I watched Twin Peaks last spring for the first time, I was terrified by the character of Bob. Everything about him terrified me. So, naturally, when I got around to seeing Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Bob's scenes once again scared the crap out of me.

The scene that bothered me the most was the scene where Laura Palmer finds Bob lurking around her room. Lynch's direction is bizarre and incredibly creepy. When Bob is finally revealed, you almost don't expect him to be there. Then, he pops up and Lynch for some reason gives us a close up view of the inside of his mouth.

It all doesn't really make much sense but it's very unsettling to watch. 

Watch the scene below. 

6. Halloween (1978)- Michael Myers Stalks Laurie

I've written on this site before about how bad John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) scared me as a child. The character of Michael Myers really got under my skin as a kid and just terrified me. I'm not sure what it was about him... I guess, for me, he really was an epitome of the boogeyman. 

While there are a lot of scary scenes featuring Michael Myers in Halloween, for me, none are more frightening than the ending of the film where he is stalking Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). The stalking scene is long but Carpenter's direction makes it incredibly tense and unnerving. The scene where he gets Laurie trapped in the closet is so claustrophobic and overwhelming to watch. And the moment where Michael sits back up in the foreground is an example of how to use well though-out framing to really scare an audience.

Overall, this scene is just one example of how Carpenter's expertise as a director makes Michael Myers a truly terrifying horror villain. 

Watch the scene below.

Be sure to stay tuned for Part 5.

Monster Fest Movie of the Week: The Halloween Tree (1993)

Hey everyone and welcome to a new article series taking place during Monster Fest 2009. In this series of articles, I will post a full length horror / monster movie for your enjoyment. With services like Hulu and YouTube, there are a lot of ways to enjoy movies you would have most likely never heard of before by just watching it at your own convenience on your computer screen. I will choose one horror film from these services every week and post them here for you all to enjoy.

The second Monster Fest Movie of the Week is The Halloween Tree (1993).

When I was a kid, I grew up watching this animated film version of Ray Bradbury's novel The Halloween Tree. It tells the story of a group of kids who get sent back in time on Halloween night in order to find the lost spirit of their friend Pip, who has just passed away. In the process, they learn the history of Halloween and how all of its traditions are steeped in history. 

This is a pretty nostalgic cartoon for me. It's one of the best that the Cartoon Network has put together. It really captures the Halloween spirit quite well and is really enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, it is not available on DVD.

Still you can watch the whole film below.

The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History (Part 3)

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.

Click Here to View Part 1.

Click Here to View Part 2.

Part 3 of 5.

15. The Evil Dead- The First Possession

The first time I watched The Evil Dead, I actually had to turn it off and finish it the next day. It wasn't because the movie scared me. It was just because it was so damn gross and disgusting. Not knowing what I was getting into, I made the mistake of eating pizza while watching this. By the time I got to the scene below, I was getting pretty nauseous.

While the payoff of this scene is pretty gross, the build is actually quite creepy. Up until this point in the movie, Cheryl is having a really crappy day. She has just been raped by possessed trees (no, really... I'm not kidding) and has discovered that there is no way out of the woods. So, she sits at the cabin with her friends as they play cards. Then something pretty strange happens. She starts seeing what cards her friends have without even looking at them.

There could only be one logical reason for this. Yep, thats right, people; she's possessed. And of course, director Sam Raimi makes the reveal of this is as creepy and bizarre as it could be. We're talking freaky contact lens, gnarly make-up, a bizarre levitation and the voice of the demon. Oh... and a pencil in an ankle. Try not to throw up.

Watch the scene, in two parts, below.

Note: This scene starts 8 minutes into this clip.

And here is the pencil in the ankle pay-off. NSFW, obviously.

14. Scream- The Opening Scene

While Scream gets a lot of flack today for starting the 1990's slasher revival, the film was pretty entertaining and, at times, kind of scary.

The first time I watched Scream, I was nine years old and in a hotel room in Memphis, TN. I begged my parents to let me watch the movie and, after an hour of my incessant nagging, they let me order it. Ten minutes into the movie, I was begging them to let me turn it off. Thankfully, they told me that I made them order it so I had to finish it. 

While I am ashamed to admit I was such a wuss at the age of nine, I am glad this happened to me. Because of this, this scene really is ingrained in my memory. There was something about it that really bothered me and got under my skin. While it doesn't scare me today, it really tapped into some great fear in my nine-year-old mind and really scarred me on that first viewing.

This really is a great scene. Kevin Williamson's script is clever and well-paced and Wes Craven's direction really brings it to life. The thing about this scene that I think bothered me so much the first time I saw it was that it really seemed real. It felt like it could happen. In fact, it felt like it was happening. Also, the shot of the guy with his guts hanging out didn't really help.

Watch it below.

13. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)- Hammer Time

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen in my life. After the first time I watched it, I felt drained and like I needed to take a shower. Not many movies can get that reaction out of me but The Texas Chainsaw Massacre did and in spades.

One of the most unsettling scenes in this movie is the first murder that takes place. In this scene, one of the kids wonders into a nearby house, looking for help. He's not in the house more than a minute before he's dead.

The scene works so well because it's just so sudden and bizarre in the manner it unfolds. The way the kid squirms and spasms after having part of his skull jammed into his brain is one of the most disturbing images I've seen put to film. However, the thing that really gets to me in this scene is the way that Leatherface slams the metal door after moving his body. There's just something about the way he does it, the resulting slam and music cue that honestly gives me goosebumps every time. 

Watch the scene below.

12. The Thing (1982)- The Blood Test Scene

John Carpenter's remake of The Thing is one of the greatest horror remakes of all-time. It's insanely gory while also being quite atmospheric and tense at the same time. For me, the stand-out scene in this film is the one in which MacReady (Kurt Russell) has a blood test performed on the remaining men to see which of them are still human and which are the thing.

The resulting sequence is one of the most intense scenes put to film. When one of the men do finally get found out, he begins to shape-shift into an hideous creature all the while tied to a few of the guys that are still human. Watching the guys freak out while they are tied to this shape-shifting creature is so freaky and insane that it actually is pretty hilarious at the same time. 

The scene is the pinnacle of John Carpenter's directing talents. It shows his ability to create an incredibly stressful scene that is full of horror, comedy, atmosphere, impressive special effects and strong character moments.

Watch it below.

11. Creepshow- The Crate

First off, let me say that, if you read this blog and you actually plan on coming to my Halloween party this weekend, do not watch the following scene. We will be watching "The Crate" section of Creepshow at the party.

Creepshow is a really nostalgic horror film for me. I grew up watching this thing on TV whenever it came on around Halloween. Written by Stephen King, directed by George A. Romero and featuring special effects makeup by Tom Savini, Creepshow really is a horror fan's fantasy. It is inspired by the infamous E.C. horror comics of the 1950's, covering five different tales of episodic horror.

Looking back at Creepshow today, it's really a hit or miss. The first few stories are dated and really don't hold up (especially "The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill" starring Stephen King; it is nearly unwatchable). However, no matter how much I mature and age, "The Crate" still freaks me out.

The basic plot of "The Crate" follows two college professors who, with the help of a janitor, find a mysterious crate under a stairwell in the university one day. When they open the crate and discover what is inside, all hell breaks lose.

I won't say what's inside but, if you want to know, you can watch a clip that takes place near the end of the story below. But, be warned, it's a big spoiler. And know this; what's inside scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

Watch the scene below. 

Be sure to stay tuned for Parts 4-5.

Hana-Bi (Fireworks)

After reading some great Japanese literature recently (Junichiro Tanizaki's Seven Japanese Tales), I've become interested in the Japanese and their art. Tanizaki's stories were incredibly powerful, yet so very quiet. Similarly, Takeshi Kitano's Hana-Bi delivers violence and beauty in one of the quietest, most profound films I've watched in years. This is a gangster film, carried out in a manner I'd never before encountered. I found out about Kitano's Hana-Bi from my creative writing professor Rick Barthelme, who has a poster of the film outside of his seminar room.

The movie involves an ex-cop named Nishi (played by Kitano himself). After a stakeout gone horribly awry, Nishi's partner Hirobe is paralyzed, and another officer is killed. Subsequently, Nishi quits the force, staying home with his wife who is dying of leukemia. In an effort to maintain his finances, Nishi becomes involved with the Yakuza (mafia). He goes into to debt with them, and henceforth, must make a few bad decisions to keep from being murdered over his debt.

The film switches from Nishi's present to the occasional slow-motion pain of his past experience, the circumstances that have made him the character depicted on screen. Often he is seen with Hirobe, before a visually stunning beach, as Hirobe describes how painful his life has become since he was paralyzed. Hirobe suggests that Nishi take his wife on a trip before she dies, and Nishi makes plans to do so. Unfortunately, he is broke, and in debt with the Yakuza, making these plans difficult to carry out. In order to obtain the money for the trip, he must go to some drastic measures (I won't give this part away). Before leaving for the trip, he pays the Yakuza back in full. However, they become suspicious of how he's obtained such an enormous amount of money in so little time; they want more from him. The rest of the film is a visually stunning and charming interaction between Nishi and his wife as they travel the countryside, being tracked by the Yakuza. This portion of the film is peppered with confrontations between Nishi and the gangsters--some of the most incredible violence I've ever seen in a movie.

Aside from the violence and visuals, Nishi's character is illustrated beautifully. He is a character depicted through action rather than words. You can literally count on one hand how many speaking parts he has in this movie, but this doesn't take away from the strength of the character.

The word Hana-Bi is a mixture of the terms "fire" and "flower," and I don't think a better title could be given to this movie. It is like watching an orchid unfold in a warzone. See it.

An Introduction

Me, Wesley and some other guy at The Dark Knight midnight show.

Hello everyone,

I'm Ellis Purdie, and I've been wanting to contribute to YDKS Movies for some time now. Wesley and I have been friends for a couple of years, and it's good to be involved with him in this little project. I am recently a member of the Netflix community, and am excited about all of the great film I'm going to be watching in the coming months. I think I'm going to be focusing on Indie and Foreign films as those are the two genres I tend to gravitate towards.

Background information: In May I graduated from Mississippi College with a B.A. in English (literature focus). I met Wesley in the two film classes we had together, and after a while I sort of caught on to the fact that he was a well aware of some hmm... awesome shit I should say. After some moviegoing, cynicism, and crude nights in the dormitory, I'd say he and I hit it off well. I'm now a little further south, in Hattiesburg, getting my M.A. in literature and creative writing. I like films that tell good stories, as stories are what I'm trying to get better at telling. I'll probably be reviewing films based on the dialogue, characters, their interaction, and whether or not the story was good, as I don't know much about apertures, shot lengths, digital film, etc. I just like good stories. Film ought to be utilized for telling a good story. 'Nuff said.

Well, enough about me, expect a review for Takeshi Kitano's Hana-Bi (Fireworks) soon. Good day to all!

The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History (Part 2)

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 personal25 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.

Click Here to View Part 1.

Part 2 of 5

20. Jaws- "We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat"

It was hard just to pick one scary moment out of Jaws since it is filled with so many of them. While I almost went with the moment where Quint gets eaten, this moment ended up taking the cake.

The beauty of this moment is that it takes place so late in the film. Up until this point, the shark really hasn't been revealed aside from P.O.V shots and distant shots. Here, we get to see it up close and personal and very suddenly.

The shark pops up in the middle of Chief Brody performing a mundane task and while he's talking to his shipmates. The audience is lulled into a sense of peace. Then, this happens. And we all realize just how big the shark really is. 

It's really one of the best "holy crap" moments in film and Brody really puts into words what the audience is thinking with his now famous line, "We're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Yes, Chief Brody. Yes, indeed.

Watch the scene below.

19. Psycho (1960)- Arbogast Meets Mother

While the shower scene gets most of the publicity and exposure from Psycho, it was the murder of Detective Arbogast that always really got to me.

The scene, like all powerful horror scenes, is quite simple. Arbogast slowly climbs the stairs of the Bates house, hoping to find mother. We see the door to her bedroom crack open. We know "she" is there. We know exactly what is going to happen.

And then it happens. And, for some reason, we're all surprised. I'm not sure exactly how Hitchcock pulls this off. It's obvious what is going to happen... but, somehow, he makes it still surprising and shocking. I think it is because of the framing of the shot where Arbogast is attacked. The camera hangs from the ceiling, looking down at Arbogast. Mother then very quickly enters from the right side of the frame and attacks with her knife. It all happens so fast.

Another thing that makes the scene so shocking is that Arbogast is stabbed awkwardly in the face. It's just such an odd place to be stabbed that you can't help but be surprised. 

Lastly, Hitchcock follows Arbogast as he falls awkwardly down the stairs with his camera in a tight close-up. The result makes the viewer fell like they are falling as well. It really is quite an overwhelming moment. After he hits the ground, mother follows up quickly with some fast stabs. Arbogast then lets out one of the worst cries of pain I've heard in a movie ever. The whole scene is really unsettling and hasn't left me since I first saw it years ago.

Watch the scene below.

18. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978)- Donald Sutherland Croaks Like an Alien

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) is one of those rare cases where a remake actually surpasses its original in many ways.

One of the reasons this movie is so memorable is its incredibly creepy and devastating ending. The ending is set up to make you think that Matthew (Donald Sutherland) is still human and is just faking the motions of the body snatchers in order to fit in. 

We see him go through his daily routine and begin walking towards the capital building. It is here that he is approached by Nancy (Veronica Cartwright), who assumes he is still human. That's when he turns around and gives a horrible alien screech to alert others that he has found a human.

The scene is very simple and very depressing. I get goosebumps every time I hear him give that awful screech. 

Watch the scene below.

17. The Hitcher (1986)- Girl Strapped A Truck

One of my first articles here on YDKS was a giant defense of The Hitcher (1986) and how awesome it was. My views on this movie have not changed since then as I still believe it is one of the most complex and well-made horror movies to be produced in the 1980's.

For me, the scariest scene in the movie comes when John Ryder (the awesome Rutger Hauer) ties Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to two parts of a truck, threatening to push down on the gas and rip her in two.

This scene is unbelievably tense because there really is no way out and we know it. Still, we all like to think there is because what kind of movie would kill their female lead, let alone rip her in half? Well... The Hitcher would. And it does.

Most of the scene takes place in the truck as Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) tries desperately to talk Ryder out of killing Nash. Of course, there really is no way to do this. When Halsey refuses to shoot Ryder, he simply lets the truck roll ahead. We see the wheels begin to turn. Then, the film washes out to white as Halsey cries out in horror. We never see Nash get ripped in two. We don't have to. That's why The Hitcher works so well. It creates truly horrific and shocking moments by building tension and characters, not relying on gore.

Watch the scene below.

16. Friday the 13th (1980)- Jason Pops Out of the Lake

While I've always preferred John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) to the more exploitive Friday the 13th (1980), the aforementioned film does contain one of the best jump scares in film history during its last five minutes.

After surviving the Camp Crystal Lake massacre and killing pyschopath Mrs. Voorhees, Alice (Adrienne King) lies in a canoe in the middle of the lake, waiting for the police to arrive. Finally, they do and everything seems hunky dory. The setting and atmosphere are very dreamlike and peaceful. It seems as if the nightmare is over and nothing else bad could happen. Then, the body of Jason pops out of the lake and drags Alice down.

The scene is scary because Jason's appearance just comes out of nowhere. Also, Tom Savini's make-up job on him is really horrific. 

Watch it below.

Be sure to stay tuned for Parts 3-5.

Monster Fest Movie of the Week: The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)

Hey everyone and welcome to a new article series taking place during Monster Fest 2009. In this series of articles, I will post a full length horror / monster movie for your enjoyment. With services like Hulu and YouTube, there are a lot of ways to enjoy movies you would have most likely never heard of before by just watching it at your own convenience on your computer screen. I will choose one horror film from these services every week and post them here for you all to enjoy.

The first Monster Fest Movie of the Week is The Man They Could Not Hang (1939) starring Boris Karloff.

I actually had not seen this movie until last night. I spent most of the weekend studying for the GRE (which I take on Saturday) and, during study breaks, I would watch sections of this movie on YouTube. Believe it or not, it really helped me keep my sanity in this long and pretty boring weekend.

The Man They Could Not Hang tells the story of Dr. Henry Savaard who invents a machine that can revive the recently deceased. To test the machine, he kills a medical school volunteer and attempts to revive him. Unfortunately, the police arrive before the scientist can revive the volunteer and, because of this, the man dies for good.

Savaard is tried for the murder of the medical student and is hung. However, the brilliant scientist had his machine hidden with his loyal assistant. The assistant obtains Savaard's body and revives him. That's when the film turns into a clever revenge film with Savaard going after the people that had him hung.

For its time, The Man They Could Not Hang really has a clever concept and its execution is pretty solid. I was also intrigued by the story and really sympathized with Dr. Savaard before he went on his revenge spree. Boris Karloff, best known for his portrayal of the Frankenstein monster, really does a good job with Dr. Savaard. The speech he gives in the courtroom before he is sentenced to death is a really stand out moment.

For me, the film does lose some of its edge in its final eight minutes but its not enough to really make me not like the movie. With that said, I did find Dr. Savaard's actions in the last minute of the film very satisfying. I do also wish that the movie was a little longer (it's only an hour and six minutes long) and that the revenge section was explored more (because it really is well thought out and entertaining). 

So, if you've got an hour and six minutes to spare, feel free to watch The Man They Could Not Hang below (cut into six parts). It's a movie not many people know about but they should. It's really entertaining and brings up some challenging issues, especially for a film made in 1939.

The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History (Part 1)

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 1 of 5

25. The Blair Witch Project- Mike in the Corner (The Ending Scene)

I know a lot of people like to say that The Blair Witch Project isn't scary and that it's not a good movie but that just isn't true. I re-watched this movie over the summer and it still holds up pretty well. It's really bizarre and unnerving to watch a couple of kids get lost in the woods and slowly lose all their trust in each other along with most of their sanity.

There are a lot of creepy moments in this movie (most of the night sequences when their tent is attacked / harassed) but the ending shot of the film always really gets to me. I think I literally get chills every time see this frame. The funny thing is that most people honestly don't "get" the ending.

If you listen closely to one of the townspeople that Heather and her film crew interview at the beginning of the film, he speaks of an old hermit who lived in the woods that killed children. When he would kill the kids, he would stand one of them in the corner, facing away, while he killed another child behind them. He then would take the child he placed in the corner and kill them.

When Heather stumbles into the basement of an abandoned house in the woods, she finds her camera man standing in the corner, facing away from her. That can only mean one thing. Then... well... you'll have to see for yourself. You can view the scene here (embedding was disabled on the clip I found).

24. Zombie (a.k.a. Zombi 2)- The Infamous Eye Scene

Italian director Lucio Fulci is known for filming some of the most gruesome and disgusting images in the horror genre. From exploitation films such as The New York Ripper to The Beyond, Fulci has sprayed the silver screen with lots of intestines and bright red blood.

In 1980, he filmed one of his most popular horror exploitation films: Zombie (a.k.a. Zombi 2). For those unfamiliar with this movie, the confusion over its title comes from the fact that this is actually an unofficial sequel to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (which was entitled Zombi in Europe, hence the alternate title Zombi 2 here). 

Zombie is infamous for a lot of things. For example, its the only movie where a zombie battles a shark underwater. No... I'm serious. This movie features a zombie battling a shark. Underwater. You can watch it here.

However, the reason it makes this list is because of its infamous eyeball gouging sequence. This scene is terrible to watch. However, it's also kind of brilliant. A beautiful woman gets grabbed through a door by a bunch of zombies and is slowly dragged towards a jagged splinter. The catch? Her eye is lined directly with the splinter of wood.

In any other movie, she would have escaped or the moment of impact would have happened off camera. However, this is Lucio Fulci we're taking about here. Not only is the moment of impact painstakingly teased and dragged out but it is shown in horrific detail. Yeah, that's right. You see the girl's eye ball get dragged onto the splinter and pop like a grape. And it's absolutely terrible to watch. 

Try not to squirm and yell at your computer screen during this scene. It's pretty much impossible. Fulci attacks our most immediate sense of fear: protection of our body; particularly a sensitive and vital area such as our eye ball. And it works. I know that some could argue that this moment is too exploitative to be a scary moment but I found it to be pretty scary, if not disturbing. 

For those who don't know, this is Quentin Tarantino's favorite scene in Zombie and it is a big moment in screenings of this film. You can actually find versions of this scene on YouTube with crowd reactions behind it from recent midnight screenings of the cult film.

Watch the scene below. However, be warned. It's very NSFW. And it's really awful. Really. I warned you.

23. Suspiria- Stabbed in the Heart and Hung

Since we're covering Italian horror directors, this list's next moment comes from Italian horror director Dario Argento. While less exploitative than Fulci, Argento can be equally as graphic. However, Argento often uses his gore for artistic purposes, as complicated as that concept may seem.

The scene in question comes from Argento's horror masterpiece Suspiria. Suspiria is a pretty horrifying movie in its own right. It is haunting, gets under your skin and throws some of the most beautiful and horrific images you've ever seen right at your face. It's really an overwhelming film experience.

While there are many scary moments in this film, for me, it doesn't get any worse than the opening murder. First off, let me admit that this murder is insanely over-the-top. A girl is attacked by an unknown force (it's a witch), gets stabbed multiple times, somehow gets stabbed right in her beating heart (and yes, this is shown) and then gets hung to death. It doesn't really make sense in a logical way. However, for some odd reason, Argento makes it work. It's graphic, horrible and the way it's carried out is terrifying. However, through his use of color and bright red blood, it almost becomes a piece of art. Unlike other directors in the horror genre, Argento is actually usually the blood he sheds from his actors like red paint on a canvas.

Aside from all the artistic and graphic properties of this scene, it's really just creepy and genuinely scary. It taps into some of our most universal fears (being watched and stalked by an unknown, evil force) and feels like it's right out of a nightmare.

If you've got the guts, watch the scene below. Be beware, it is NSFW for graphic violence. 

22. Cape Fear (1991)- Robert DeNiro Will Bite Your Face Off

Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear remake is one of the most entertaining thrillers ever made. In fact, the film often works like a tribute to all the thrillers that Scorsese grew up watching, often taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to the genre. However, no matter how over-the-top the film and its lead villain Max Cady (played awesomely by Robert DeNiro) can get, there's one scene that always brings everything back to a realistic stand point.

At one point in the film, in order to get back at Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), Cady picks up his co-worker and possible love interest Lori (Illeana Davis) at a bar and takes her back to his place. After some foreplay, things get real when he ties Lori up, bites her cheek off and then proceeds to beat and rape her.

Yeah. That's some tough stuff. I was watching this movie with a group and everyone was laughing and having fun until this scene. Then, you could have heard a pin drop. To Scorsese's credit, the way he films it is brilliant. He shows the horrible cheek bite in graphic detail but then zooms out of the window as Cady begins to beat Lori.

The scene is very sudden, graphic and terrifying. It's something that always leaves a mark on me whenever I decide to revisit Cape Fear and was scary enough to make this list.

Unfortunately, I could not find a video of this scene online. So you'll just have to take my word for it. Or go and rent it.

21. Dawn of the Dead (1978)- Zombies Storm the Elevator

For me, George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead is the greatest zombie movie ever made. It's thrilling, funny, scary and even has some impressive social commentary attached to it. It's everything a zombie movie should be.

So with that said, here is the scariest part of the movie to me. 

Dawn of the Dead is a pretty ballsy movie in the sense that no one is really safe. The character of Stephen (David Emge), despite being flawed and kind of a wimp, is established to be the male lead of the film. Then, in the heat of a zombie take over of the mall, he gets ambushed in a tiny elevator by a crap load of zombies and gets eaten up pretty bad. 

This scene is so tense and heartbreaking at the same time. Stephen really gets torn up and the claustrophobic setting of the elevator really makes it all the more overwhelming. The violence done to David is really awful to watch. You can honestly feel the bites and ripping of his flesh. It's really terrible to watch. Romero also really manages to make the sequence realistically awkward and clumsy. I love the touch of how David shoots the zombie at the very end. It feels very natural.

While David actually survives the zombie attack, he doesn't last much longer. The image of his zombie walking out of the elevator a few minutes after the attack is one of the more shocking and upsetting images I've seen in film period.

Watch the scene below. It's NSFW due to violence. Also, note that the scene does not start until 2:00 into the clip.

Well that does it for Part 1 of The 25 Scariest Moments in Movie History. Be sure to stay tuned for Parts 2-5.