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| This lot would give anyone a fright night... |
It’s that time of year when there’s a pumpkin on every porch, kids terrorize the neighbours for sweets and everyone enjoys a ruddy scare.
To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with FrightFest to countdown some of the most terrifying scenes in movie history.
The twisted minds behind the UK’s top horror festival FrightFest have just launched FrightFest Presents, a new download movie service for the very best in brand new blood-curdling horror.
Close the curtains, switch off the lights and get ready to scream into a handy cushion
Psycho (1960)
The Movie: Norman Bates loves his dead mother so much he dresses up like her and butchers anyone who checks into his motel. Honestly, it’s no way to run a business.
The Scene: Janet Leigh decides to take a shower and regrets it immediately. And not only because she’s forgotten her best flannel.
FrightFest Says: “The most copied scene in horror history. Alfred Hitchcock did it all first and minted an unnerving classic in the nerve-jangling process.”
The Exorcist (1973)
The Movie: Twelve-year-old Regan might look like butter wouldn’t melt, but when a demon possesses her she swears like a docker, gobs pea soup everywhere and does terrible things with crucifixes.
The Scene: After the priests are called in to cast out the demon, Regan shows off some very flighty supernatural powers…
FrightFest Says: “With religious-based horrors rarely seen in popular cinema, William Friedkin’s powerful, controversial and influential head-spinner put the devil in the details and made even pea soup scary.”
The Movie: Three documentary makers go into the woods to find a witch. They mostly find piles of rocks and twigs. Scarier than it sounds.
The Scene: After being lost for days, Mikey and Heather discover and old abandoned house. Then Mikey stands in the corner. Once again, MUCH scarier than it sounds.
FrightFest Says: “Arriving at the dawn of the Internet age, the first found-footage movie turned fake reality, crude imagery and the shakey-camera into blood-freezing box-office gold.”
The Movie: Burned child murderer Freddy Kruger returns from the dead to haunt the dreams of Elm Street’s children – and becomes every manicurist’s actual worst nightmare in the process.
The Scene: Freddy claims his first victim, chasing her with his razor-sharp fingers and strangely long arms (you want to get those looked at, Freddy).
FrightFest Says: “Wes Craven made sleep a terrifying place where even our dreams were unsafe – and created a boogieman for the ages in scarred Freddy Krueger.”
The Shining (1980)
The Movie: Jack Nicholson’s troubled writer takes a job as a caretaker at an isolated hotel. His family soon learns that all work and no play make Jack an axe-wielding maniac.
The Scene: After chasing his family through the hotel in a murderous rage, Jack comes up with a novel way of opening a door without a key.
FrightFest Says: “Psychotic derangement was never more perfectly captured than by Jack Nicholson teetering on the brink of insanity. You never knew when he was going to snap in Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant tale of possession.”
Ringu (1998)
The Movie: Terrifying Japanese horror about a cursed videotape that kills anyone who watches it (remade, of course, in the US as The Ring). We always knew too much TV time was bad for you.
The Scene: Ryugi’s television switches itself on, showing the image of a ghost-like girl crawling towards and right out of the screen. It’s enough to scare you to death…
FrightFest Says: “Who knew television was so demonic! Sadako’s emergence from the screen in is a landmark moment for modern chillers.”
The Omen (1976)
The Movie: Gregory Peck’s newborn son Damien turns out to be the antichrist himself. The 666-shaped birthmark on his head is a dead giveaway.
The Scene: The nanny ruins Damien’s birthday party by killing herself in front of the children, which seems to be a worrying trend whenever Satan Jr is around.
FrightFest Says: “The Anti-Christ is a little angel in disguise in this big budget Hollywood horror with a classy star cast and cutting edge special effects.”
Halloween (1978)
The Movie: Michael Myers leads the way for masked psycho-killers when he returns to his hometown and stalks super-virgin Jamie Leigh Curtis.
The Scene: Just when you think Michael’s dead, he jumps out of shadows for another bit of knifey stalking. And again and again and again and again…
FrightFest Says: “John Carpenter and ‘Scream Queen’ Jamie Lee Curtis laid the foundation for every slasher movie with this blend of teen terror, a masked maniac and eerie soundtrack.”
Salem’s Lot (1979)
The Movie: A small town is overrun by vampires after the arrival of mysterious bloodsucker Mr Barlow. No relation to Gary (that we know of, anyway).
The Scene: Young Danny opens his window to find his presumed-dead brother floating around with shiny new set of fangs. Seriously creepy stuff.
FrightFest Says: “Spookiness weaves throughout Tobe Hooper’s expert adaptation of the Stephen King bestseller – based on the Dracula myth and done in style of the old horror comics.”
Estranged, The Sand, Aaaaaaaah! and others are available on Digital HD from FrightFest Presents now.
For more info go to Frightfestpresents.com
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