Dawn Olsen gives us the lowdown on her personal scariest movies
Let's move this party to the family room and list the SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME.…
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Top Ten Scariest Movies of All Time - Comments Page 3
Dawn Olsen gives us the lowdown on her personal scariest movies
Let's move this party to the family room and list the SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments76 - Insanity Sauce
The scariest movies of all time are the movies that play on what happen in everyday life. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho where based upon a real person, Ed Gein. The realistic possiblities or "it could happen to you" factor exist in my mind. Halloween had no effect same as Friday the Thirteenth simply because no one comes back again and again. BTW The Ring was mediocre at best. Scariest Scene in a movie is the killing of the boyfriend in Halloween when Michael Myers looks twistedly at his work, scary.
Keith, 15
77 - Karen
I saw a good one a few years ago on cable with Andrew McCarthy in it. He is an architect over in England and sees dead folks and solves a 50 year old crime. Not scary so much as suspenseful and an "Others" and "Sixth Sense" sorta twist. Not out on video.
78 - Michael Myers
First of all let me start by saying to all of the "horror movie fans" who thought THE RING was scary arent real fans of horror movies. The only thing scary about that movie was the fact I got fooled into spending $8. to see it! I agree with the people who say there is no #1 horror movie of all time. I have seen every movie on Dawns list,pretty good list although I dont agree the order. One good scary movie not mentioned anywhere is "THE BURNING" your basic teenage-camp-slasher flick,worth seeing. "I Spit On Your Grave" isnt scary but its a pretty sick story about rape and revenge. Yeah "The Entity" was kinda scary too. Stephen Kings books are great but usually dont translate well onto the big screen,the are 2 exceptions though- "IT" and "Misery". Misery isnt scary but it is a cool story and the movie was made very well. Although there is no #1 horror movie my 2 favorites are Exorcist and TCM.... the new REMAKE of TCM was better than the other poor attempts at a sequel but it still didnt come close to living up to the original! I have always laughed hearing about how people were so scared they had to cover they're eyes the whole time,come on...nothing you will ever see in a movie is that scary.
79 - Kayelle
I'm sorry but i think Strangeland is by FAR the most disturbing movie ever... all the S&M in that movie is just PSYCHO...... plus the whole internet theme.... DAMN SCARY!
80 - Tim
I think we are all forgetting the scariest movie of all time...
Kazam. with shaquiel o'neil?
scared the bejesus out of me.
81 - Marvin
As a kid I watched "The Thing". No, my parents didn't make me watch it, it just got mixed with my cartoons or something, and I ended up watching the whole movie. This was scary for me before AND after the movie... you know, when it's dark you're in your bed and you use Santa Claus to block out memories of scenes from the movie. As an adult though, sadly, I haven't seen a movie that made me think of it AFTER the movie and still feel scared. Sure, movies can make you feel tense and jittery at the moment but I'm looking for something that, well, makes you feel like "a scared kid at night" (even just one night - right after the movie). Then I hear from everyone about the scariest movie of all time, "The Exorcist". As far as scary goes... HUGE disapointment. It had freaky stuff, but not scary enough to make it in a top 50 list for scary movies IMO. (Not being scary doesn't mean it's crappy though.) There are still acclaimed scary movies I haven't seen, so I have hope, and my quest to become a scared adult continues...
82 - SMDragons
While I agree that all of the movies mentioned are scary in their own right and I have seen 90% of them. I believe that how terrifying a movie is depends on when you saw it. I saw Jaws when I was 5, Salems Lot 7 or 8, Friday the 13th and the Exorsist 11 or 12 but I just saw TCM for the first time yesterday and while I would not have been able to sleep for weeks if I saw it when I was a kid it had no lasting effect on me as an adult. The first Aliens should have made the list for the alien birth stomach scene alone.
I find movies like Seven and Silence of the Lambs (while not classic horror) are truly disturbing enough to take the place of the classic horror film for an adult frame of mind.
83 - cheeks1128
I have to say for me personally (I'm 32 years old) my top twelve scary movies are (in no particular order)
Friday the 13th
Gates of Hell
The Shining
The Hearse
Salem's Lot
Halloween
Ghost Story
The Changeling
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Exorcist
The Amityville Horror
The Omen
84 - cheeks1128
Oh...sorry...If I were to name a 13th scary movie in my arsenal, it would
have to be Picnic at Hanging Rock...
Don't ask me why, I haven't seen it in 15 years or so, but I remember the atmosphere of this movie being REALLY CREEPY.
85 - Adele
Sure, some spinechilling movies mentioned here, but you've all left out the most truly haunting, terrifying one of all- an Austrian movie from Michael Haneke called "Funny Games."
If you want to be scared, see it.
But take heed, it is definitely not for those of a nervous/sensitive disposition.
86 - Uncle Bob
I think it depends on when and where you see the film too. I've seen movies in theaters full of screaming teenage girls ("The Funhouse") that were pretty lame while watching them at home on a Sunday afternoon.
That said ... the only movie that ever made me sleep with the lights on was "The Evil Dead".
"The Exorcist" scared the crap out of me at age 15 in a crowded, screaming theater.
"The Hitcher" is a great psychological thriller.
"The Shining" was so creepy, I saw it on four consecutive nights in the theater.
"Return of The Living Dead" is a great mix of horror and humor.
I prefer "Dawn of the Dead" to "Night Of The Living Dead".
"Prince of Darkness" was kinda creepy.
"Joy Ride" is unnerving every time you hear that guy's voice on the CB radio.
When I saw "Halloween" in the theater in 1978, the theater had hooked up strobe lights which went off during the showdown between Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Myers and they stayed on for 15 minutes. That really added to the experience.
I haven't seen it in years and remember it being pretty amusing, but wasn't "Fright Night" a pretty scary flick?
87 - The Dark Chowboy
Everyone here has some really good lists, of course no one movie is going to scare everyone all of the time. Heres my 2 cents--I know at least one of these will get you.
Top 20 Most-scary must sees:
The Thing
Alien
Trilogy of Terror
The Ring
Exorcist I & III
Happy Hell Night
Salems Lot
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Evil Dead
The Shining
The Blair Witch Project
The Others
Poltergiest
The Entity
Phantasm
Night of the Living Dead
When a Stranger Calls
18 (yet to be filled)
19 (yet to be filled)
20 (yet to be filled)
Honorable Mentions & Scare-Props
(the second place, OK scare-list):
Signs
The Believers
Jaws
The Omen
Halloween
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the remake)
Jacobs Ladder
The Sixth Sense
Event Horizon
28 Days Later
Psycho
The Howling
Jeepers Creepers I&II
Darkness Falls
Movies I have not seen and now have to review thanks to this site:
The Changeling
Burnt Offerings
Beyond the Door
The Haunting (original)
Village of the Damned
The Vanishing
One False Move
Suspiria
(let's?)scare jessica to death
The town that dreaded sundown
Incubus
Silent Scream
Ed Gein
Funny Games
88 - Prodigy
THE MOST SCARIEST MOVIE EVER IS "THE STORY OF RICKY" ;)
89 - jenny
OMG! whoever said that tha ring wasnt scari well im sry but u got sum issues! THA RING WAZ 1 OF DA FUCKIN SCARIEST MOVIEZ I HAVE SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE lol im sry but its tru.. n ive never seen ne of tha movies on th alist xcept texas chainsaw n o my gosh i am neva visin texas. scared da shit outt me
90 - Gary W Craig
One of the scariest movies I've ever seen is the 1963 version of "The Haunting." Believe me, if you've never seen it, you're in for a real scaretreat.. Hill House is a place that will give you the creeps.. There's no blood and no gore, you have to use your imagination. The movie starts with a history of Hill House, and right there you're hooked.. Trust me, you'll love it.. If you like to be scared, that is.
91 - Gary W Craig
By the way, don't waste your time or money on the 1999 remake of "The Haunting." It was not scary, and it's pretty much rubbish. I just purchased a DVD of the original movie and am anxiously awaiting its arrival.. How scary is this movie? Last month my fiancee and I were watching it, and I had to leave for work and she wouldn't watch the rest of it alone.. How's that? This from a woman who's a volunteer firefighter and paramedic.. Sorry, I didn't mean to be so longwinded about this movie.. I don't understand how it's not on many of the top 10 lists for scary movies.
92 - Shawn
I'd Say The Top 5 Movies to scare me Were:
1. Halloween (I saw when I was 10 the mask and score were priceless)
2. The Ring (I'm not going classic style like most but I actually was very scared seeing this movie in theaters)
3. Nightmare on Elm Street (Nancy... Nancy... Save Me From... FREDDY)
4. Pet Semetary/IT (very good and frightening Stephen King films)
5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) (This remake was very well done Leatherface is awesome!)
Anyways Those who want to criticize my list go for it but it's my personal list and I honestly felt those movies were very scary.
93 - Eric Olsen
thanks to you all, lots of great comments, and like Shawn said, it's what's scary to YOU that counts
94 - Cindy W.
Well, my eyes are hurting of soo much reading....But I have to say a couple of things, some will agree and some won't. First of all... I have to agree with the people that say that The Exorcist is the one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The Ring wasn't. It was ok. NOt the scariest. One thing I couldn't believe was not seeing Poltergeist in any of the 90 something comments posted. That movie was great!! Not only was the movie scary as hell, but the little girl died in the making of the trilogy of this movie. Not only did she die but also 3 or 4 other people who stared in it too. Child's Play was good when I was a child obviously scary then. Carrie was also an awesome movie. Pet Sematary was such a good movie also. TCM was scary as hell also. Kujo was a dog lover's nightmare. You gotta love The Omen. The Exorcist III. There are just soo many I can't think of them all right now.
95 - Mauricio
COME ONE there's a movie that noone has mentioned and it's one of the most scary movies about haunted "houses" (it's a lunatic assylum..) it's... HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (the new one, not the old one).. there's alos a worth seen sequel "A Nightmare On Elm Street"(all of'em) and for those out there reading this... THE RING WASN'T SCARY AT ALL (maybe a little part when the girl come's out of the tv) and believe me, i'm not just another fan of scary movies, i've got 45 DVDs all about scary movies...and keep collecting
96 - Mauricio
MY TOP 10:
1: A Nightmare on Elm Street(all of'em)
2: Poltergeist (the trilogy)
3: Freddy vs Jason
4: Thiteen Ghosts
5: The Exorcist
6: Bless the child
7: The sixth sense
8: The house on haunted hill
9: Darkness Falls
10: Final Destination (both)
97 - Robbie
The Fog was really good, not too scary but suspenseful.
98 - Foxy
I am a 13yr old girl.I've seen every single film on ur list-it woz complete & utter crud.The ring & Halloween?How can they even b classed as scary?Physco iz not scary & nor iz nightmare on Elm strt.im soz but da Exorcist da best film.not jus scary but da best film eva.& it woz based on a tru story.How cool.....
99 - jackie
you have got to be kidding! all of you are forgetting the movie "IT"!!!!!!!!
great movie, not the scariest but deffinatly a top ten!!
100 - pembo1
I think 1 of the most scariest films upto date is 28 Days Later. Has anyone seen Braindead its not scarey but its got alot of blood and guts in it and thats another cheap budget film.One film that should be in your list is I.T. by stephen speilberg its quality a killer clown who hibernates for years and comes out every now and again to bump of silly kids who arn't street wise enought(IT'S A MUST SEE).
Top ten scary movies
(1) 28 Days Later
(2) Event on the horizon
(3) I.T.
(4) The Ring
(5) Nightmare On Elm Street
(6) The Entity
(7) Evil Dead 1,2,3
(8) The Shining
(9) Basket Case
(10) Zombie Flesh Eaters
101 - Stephen King
I have been getting word that many of my books that have made it on to the "big screen" have made it to many people's lists so I came to check it out. I thank those of you who said "it" was very scary but I am very dissapointed for the fact that no one has put "Storm of the century" down on the list. I dont know if it is because you people didn't have time to watch a 6 hour movie or what but you should go see it. P.S. Go see my latest film, Dreamcatcher
102 - Craig Lyndall
Dreamcatcher was kind of cool in spots and any Kevin Smith fan knows how great Jason Lee is, but I am pretty sure it doesn't belong on the scariest movies list Mr. King.
103 - Rajat
Whew !! finally finished reading the entire blog.
Good discussion and plenty of pointers to more movies I gotta see. One thing is for sure - "One person's scare, may very well be another person's amusement"
I personally prefer the psychological terror movies and grew out of Nightmare On Elm Street, Texas... and other gore types.
If you notice a typical scary scene has a deep bass sound building up before it happens. People who have become accustomed to such scenes miss out on the scare (I belong to that category).
I personally like movies with a really scary concept or sideplot. One such movie that left an impression on my mind was - Jacob's Ladder
104 - Eric Olsen
thanks for putting the time in, Rajat, and I'm glad it was useful to you
105 - faith
i have seen the exorcist and it was plain boring. although there were some disturbing parts, the whole film was just plain boring.
i have tried to watch all the films i here were pure horror but none of them make me wet my pants or even think about them when i go to bed.
106 - Robbie
"IT"-Stephen King, an excellent read, the movie frightened the kids which was delightful for me. Dreamcatcher was a good movie, the book was tough to finish. Stephen King, great stuff, MOREEEEEEEEE.
107 - Booger
What about the movie "Rose Red",you should check that one out. And, the "real" blair witch project called"project:Blair Witch. This is a little known movie, but I saw it on e-bay and I bought it after hearing alot about it, I thought it was a myth but there it was. It's the real footage the movie was based on. Apearantly, the story is true and the project did happen. I don't know where you can find it, cause I havent seen it anywhere except e-bay, but if you come across it, a BIIIIIGGGGG must! I'ts bloodyer,Scarier, you get to kinda see the wich a couple times,there's a hell of alot more cussing, and it's all real!!! It's called"Project:Blair witch"
108 - ronnie wright but plzz call me bill mosely
here are my favorite scary movies
10.nightmare on elm street
9.friday the 13th
8.night of the demons
7.evil dead 1
6.hotel hell
5.halloween
4.the exorcist
3.I.T
2.texas chainsaw massacre 1,2,3,4 and the remake
1.House of 1000 corpses
109 - allie
i saw THE RING when i was 12 and it only scared me the first day i saw it. Mainly because friends before me had seen it already and were making it seem 10 times scarier than the exorcist. So i went into the movie theatre all worked up like i was gonna see something soooooo scary when really it was nothing. i bought it on DVD because the plot and story was i thougt quite good but now i can watch it alone in a dark room laughing my ass off at how stupid the special effects are. i also was scared the first time i saw DARKNESS FALLS in a dark movie thearte. i saw it opening night with a bunch of friends who were all scared sh*tless. i have to admit that that night i did sleep with the light on but it now is the most retarted movie ever created. i mean come on! a tooth fairy that kills you?? god how low will movie producers go! i saw THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE on opening night also and i was so scared! all my friends and i were hugginh each other! haha so THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was the scariest movie i've ever seen...so far!
- allie, 13
P.S. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET the 1st one was good and it scared me the first time i saw it. seriously... a girl whose dreaming gets cut up and dragged up on a wall! scary! but i', not scared of it now
110 - ashley
i'm 13 and i LOVE horror flicks. the ring sucked. scary the 1st time u see it. only thing i thought was a lil scary was when u see the girl in the closet. darkness falls also scary first time u see it but now the special affects are gay. texas chainsaw masscre (remake) was absolutely great! it had me covering my eyes and looking through the holes cuz i couldnt stop watchubg it. i plan on watching the exorcist. i started watching it one night when i was like, 9 but i stopped cuz i was a gay lil baby and i got scared when the girl was walkin down the stairs backwards or whatever. im trying my best to get my hands on it so i can watch it again. it looks really really good. i saw some of the jasons and there PATHETIC. totaly stupid and unbelieveable. i mean he gets frozen in space??? come on. nightmare on elm street had an excellent plot line and everything but still not "pee-your-pants scary". if anyone has any suggestions on really scary movies that are comin up please post them here.
GOTHICA was suspensful but still i was laughing in the movie theatre with my friends at how fake everything looked. if ur scared of the ring ur a big-ass baby
111 - Scared guy
The scariesttttttttttt movie hands down is THE EVIL DEAD. I remember watching it at the movies and i couldnt sleep that night.. Also the exorcist is real scaryyyy. THE THING was a scary movie too. Also DEMONS 1 and 2.
112 - Paul
Check out "Carnival of Souls" if you're into seriously "creepy".
113 - Carol
There are two movies that scared me enough that I was literally "weak in the knees" - one was "Play Misty for Me" - although not exactly a "horror" or "monster" flick, the stalking psycho is excellent, and the timing of the movie is perfect (don't even consider watching it on TV, you have to see it straight through) - just when you are lulled into calm for a moment, BAM! And there's no drum roll build-up to set it up. The other one, which I probably saw 30 years ago was, I think, "Zodiac Killer" about a serial killer who shot people parked in lover's lanes and such - he had a small flashlight taped to his gun so he could hit you right in the heart, and his victims were totally random. I saw it at the drive-in and was too scared to get out of the car for popcorn, and kept sinking lower and lower into the seat under my blanket!
114 - HW Saxton Jr.
The all time scariest ever??? That would
beyond the shadow of a doubt have to be,
"Perfect" starring Jamie Lee Curtis and
John Travolta. Travolta aerobicizing in
a unitard,do I need to explain further?
Honorable Mention Department: This would
go to:"Teahouse Of The August Moon". In
which Maron Brando plays an Asian.Scary
kids,really truly scary.
115 - BB
I have to agree with Cindy "THE HAUNTING" is the all-time best horror flick. What made it so frightening is that it played on your imagination. You never actually see a ghost, but the inference is incredibly powerful. That is something we can all relate to because most of us have never seen actually a ghost but we have all thought we might have seen one. Second would have to go to "THE EXORCIST" because of its spiritual nature that plays on our primordial fear of the devil and possession. Who of us hasn't at least wondered if we might be possessed after seeing that?
116 - Sarah e.g.
I really liked Ringu. The Ring wasn't a bad remake, and it actually was better in parts (inside the well), but Ringu really emphasised a misty, desolate otherworldness. One of my favorite scenes was the girl's mother sitting on the rocky beach, watching the sea. Who or what was she waiting for? Horrifying.
One night, I was lying in bed, in total darkness, trying to get to sleep. I remembered, suddenly, that it was exactly a week since I'd seen Ringu. Just then, my computer monitor flickered on, filling the room with a blue glow. Then I realised I'd bumped the mouse with my pillow a few seconds earlier.
Took me a little while longer to get to sleep.
117 - DEBBIE JACKSON
THE EXORCIST IS BY FAR THE MOST HORRIFING AND DISTURBING FILM EVER!! I MEAN PPL RUNNIN OUTTA CINEMAS, MISCARRIGES, PPL BEING SICK OVA IT!!?!? AND THATS NOT TO MENTION A GIRL MY AGE STABBING HERSELF WITH A CRUSIFIX,PUSHING HER MOMS FACE IN2 HER PRIVATES AND TELLING HER TO LICK HER!!
HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY 13TH, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET SO UNREALISTIC- IT CANT SCARE U!! THE EXORSICT & TEXAS CHAINSAW MASACURE- BASED ON TRUE STORIES - THATS SCARY AS FUCK!!!!!!
118 - edgar
I'd say the scariest movie ive ever seen is the original version of The Ring, Ringu (it came out in Japan).
I was really dissapointed Ringu was remade for american audiences instead of subtitled. Anyone that saw the original will tell you that they removed the SCARIEST scene from the movie "the eye"..ringu fans..you know what im talkign about.
They also made the story a lot more simpler for "dumber" americans. The original movie had no references to "rings" or circles or anything of that nature. The only reason it was called Ringu was because it was referring to the passing on of the videotape to people (kind of like a ring).
The Ring = mediocre horror flick
Ringu = best ghost movie ever.
119 - BB
Oh yes.. I forgot about the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It is the only movie that I turned off the first time I saw it. It was filmed like a cheap home video which made it seem all the more realistic. Seeing people hung like cattle for the slaughter by a faceless lunatic with the constant, menacing buzz of the chainsaw was absolutely horrific to watch.
120 - Mike
DUde...how can you people not mention EVENT HORIZON???!!! That's a pretty damn scary movie
121 - Dustin
MY TOP 10 LIST (Not In Order)
1.The Sixth Sense (it may be the scariest i have ever seen, i tried ot avoid this movie after i saw it.)
2.I.T. (I saw this movie when I was little, it scared the shit out of me and gave me nightmares.)
3.Jeepers Creepers (The whole movie was scary but the scariest part was probally the first 20 or so minutes.)
4.The Ring (This movie is pretty freaky to, It's a great horror film.)
5.House On Haunted Hill (This movie had some real freaky parts to.)
6.The Exorcist (A real classic and a sick movie.)
7.The Shining (This movie didnt scare the hell out of me but it did have some freaky parts in it like the part with the dead twins.)
8.Psycho
9.Pet Semetary
10.Halloween
I Think Freddy VS Jason was a fantastic horror movie!....its not real scary...its just a great kick ass horror film....its a must have for any horror fan
122 - Nick
Ok...im tired of hearing about stupid movies like friday the 13th and nightmare of elm street. these are not scary and should be destroyed.
i like the exorcist but it wasnt terrifying.
i recommend Suspiria..its an italian movie that will undoubtedly be the weirdest movie you will ever see.
The original Haunting was also good.
and i saw the ring on opening night in this empty theatre that was closing down in a few weeks. only 3 other people were in there and i thought it was pretty frightening in the theatre..after i saw it on hbo it wasnt the same though..so dont say it isnt scary if you havent seen it in the movies..
but rent SUSPIRIA...
123 - kevin
hmmmm yes i agree on the fact that the ring was sortof scary the first time i seen it alone but as the months went by and it came out on dvd i bought it jus to review the scene when she comes out of the tv set.....but a was afraid that i wasnt scared or shocked at all its kindof corny when u see it up close...for me one of the best horror movies of all times happens to be the dawn of the dead it is a movie filled with suspence which i loved about it...it is not a vert FRIGHTENING movie but it is still very very entertaining to watch i just hope the new version coming this year can atleast relate to the original
124 - angel
if you know any horror films that made youcrap your pants let me know.thanks! :)
125 - Dustin
I'm back with my new and much better top 10 greatest horror movies list.....
1.The Exorcist
2.Halloween
3.The Shining
4.Psycho (1960)
5.A Nightmare on Elm Street
6.The Sixth Sense
7.Texas Chainsaw Massacre
8.Carrie
9.Suspiria
10.The Blair Witch Project
I'm sick and tired of people giving The Blair Witch Project a hard time. This movie did something that no other horror movie has done, and they made it work.
As for The Sixth Sense, a lot of people like it but there's some that think its not that scary or that it sucks. I got it at # 6 on my list cause it scared me more than any other movie ive seen before and anyways it is the # 1 Thriller of all time. If you don't believe me then read the cover of the movie.