EVERYONE LIKES A LIST! I love lists, as they proselytize the fan base, and energizes them into conversation. I know it wasn’t required, and it definitely isn’t short. But I think these sort of pieces really brings a lot to the community, as it gives people a chance to respond with why *they* love horror. Rather than simply transmit news and opinions, you have the opportunity to build the base, involve the user, and spark intelligent conversation about horror.
A list… of movies that were devastatingly effective at messing me up and spurning my love of horror:
What films really messed with you as a kid? There are certain moments in our youth that we are privy to a chance moment on weekend cable TV, or you are in the care of a liberal neighbour for just an hour too long, or possibly you followed a latchkey kid home one day to exploit their parent’s unguarded video collection. Heck, when I was a religious young lad I found my bible school mentor’s horror collection. There are so many chances, and so many moments in time, that developed our love of horror, that scarred us perfectly and just so that we are drawn back into the fold, always looking while others look away. There are certain films that throttled us at the perfect age. Those films, I attribute these to my love of horror…… chant these scenes out loud. Share them with friends. Cringe, bob your head knowingly. Laugh and jump back in memory of mock fear. Here are moments that defined me, in no particular order:
The scene in Close Encounters when the kid is sucked through the door.
The scene in The Last Starfighter where you see the android forming to be the main character…. he is a developing fleshy and dripping android, and looks like he is melting in acid. That was a huge moment of intrigue for me, while lost in fright with questions and curiosity.
The Shining we all saw too young, whether 40 or 4., and we all know the blood elevator was bad, but the butler with the bear messed us up beyond comprehension.
Scanners – the head explosion. I saw that at age 6 or so. Totally wrecked me.
Creepshow – Ted Danson, our friend from Cheers, getting owned on the beach. As for the oil slick, it made me look both ways and think twice and summer camp and more.
Something Wicked this way Comes – This isn’t a normal Disney film, is it?
Watcher in the Woods – I cannot begin to explain how badly this messed with my mind. Horror and time vs. dimensional paradoxes. A young mind is impressionable to say the least, but this had me on my parents floor for weeks.
Friday the 13th Part II – I can only remember reliving the handicapped gents backward roll into oblivion. It was also the first time ever that I was totally aroused one second before a sexy slaughter. I know all the arguments about what that did to young male psyche. I don’t know what it did to most male psyches…. but boy that messed *me* up!
The Day After – It destroyed my ability to read reality from fiction. The Cold War had us teetering on the edge of believing Nuclear Winter might happen at any moment. At that age, the different between watching and living the experience was too impressionable, too fine a line. Forever melted into our collective consciousness.
My 7th grade Sex ed class that showed herpes pictures. This might be the leading horror story.
Poltergeist – the face peeling scene. The maggot ridden meat was one thing, but watching a confused videographer peel his face off was too much for this young buck to manage. Haunted me for years, while I could still eat a steak the next day.
Thriller – not much, but I have to have my zombie lovers here. For whatever fun or awareness I had in enjoying the pre-totally batshit insane Michael Jackson, the scene with the oil dripping from the zombie’s mouth broke me from my enjoyment. (Yes, Landis got me.. speaking of Landis)
American Werewolf in London – the offhanded way they dealt with horror as real… a conversation with a corpse… haunted me for a long time. I remember re-watching it years later, laughing at the dry, dark humour. Stunned that it effected me that much, to this day I can still see why… Landis’ stunning direction and the top notch special effects of the time, as well as to this day!
Blue Velvet when he finds the ear. Blue Velvet when Hopper is with Isabella Rosselini. Blue Velvet when… when… well… Blue Velvet. Normal Horror? FUCK THAT SHIT!!!! BLUE VELVET!!!!
Willy Wonka…. wait for it….. you know it….. the chicken head cut off during the tunnel. Yeah, they were right. I totally had no idea where that boat was going.
The Thing – the dog scene. I didn’t even grow up with dogs, but I felt… wow.. really, really bad for that dog. I mean, if you gotta go… try not to be infested and busted open by Aliens. You know you don’t always have a choice, but come on… just.. try not to.
We all have out own… There are so many! What about much of the arcane and bizarre Dark Crystal… I could have mentioned that. I didn’t mention the pea soup from the Excorcist. Or the creepy omens from the Omen. Or Halloween, or Nightmare on Elm Street. Or Hellraiser. Because we all have our own… and you have yours. Use the comment section to talk about yours!