What Are the Scariest Movies You've Ever Watched?

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The discussion centers around the scariest movies experienced by participants, with many citing "The Exorcist" as particularly terrifying, often recalling how it affected their ability to sleep afterward. Other notable mentions include "Psycho," "The Shining," and "Alien," with some participants expressing that they found these films less frightening upon rewatching. There are contrasting opinions, with some individuals finding humor in horror films rather than fear, and others sharing personal anecdotes of being scared by various movies or scenes, such as "It" and "The Ring." The conversation also touches on the psychological impact of horror films, with some participants noting that true stories or realistic portrayals of violence tend to be more disturbing than supernatural elements. The thread highlights a range of reactions to horror, from genuine fear to laughter, and emphasizes the subjective nature of what constitutes a "scary" movie.
  • #31
I watched "It" when I was about six or seven years old, I was scared for several years.
Holy **** that movie is scary.
 
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  • #32
I'm not easily frightened by movies. I too laughed at the Exorcist. I leaned over to my brother and said, "Now the candle is going to blow out..." We cracked up while the rest of the audience shrieked when the candle blew out.

"Hostel" is disturbing and scary in that it could happen.

The "Silence of the Lambs" and its sequel "Hannibal" are both disturbing, especially the brains eating scene in Hannibal and the "It puts the lotion on its skin" part in Silence of the Lambs.

The "Shining" is creepy if you happen to catch it while you are staying in a hotel, as I did once. ("Hello Danny. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever.") That part still gives me shivers.
 
  • #33
Artman said:
I'm not easily frightened by movies. I too laughed at the Exorcist. I leaned over to my brother and said, "Now the candle is going to blow out..." We cracked up while the rest of the audience shrieked when the candle blew out.
Not that I want to come down on you like a ton of bricks, but you remind me of many people who seem to feel that movies are an opportunity for showing how clever they are.

They miss a point that everyone else gets intuitively. The act of watching a movie - for all but these types - is premised by the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief" . Key word here being willing.

We can all choose to stand outside a movie (or a party for that matter) and criticize what's going on. This is a defense mechanism for those who are insecure. If one goes into it willingly and confidently, one can let the experience carry them along serendipitously without it threatening their intelligence.
 
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  • #34
DaveC426913 said:
We can all choose to stand outside a movie (or a party for that matter) and criticize what's going on. This is a defense mechanism...

Well said: I married a man that had two children by a prior marriage. His older (and disabled) brother moved in with us right after our marriage, but his mother wanted to keep the younger child for "extra attention".. claiming siblings of disable children need this. Well, it turns out her view of extra attention was continued child support (which she continued to receive, and "extra" because she received it for BOTH children despite the fact that one was with us)... and she dragged the younger child into three different living situations in 6 months, the last of which resulted in moving into a shelter for abused women and children. After some battles (we thought we would have to pursue legal action but fortunately did not), he finally moved in with us. He probably feels safe and secure (we certainly hope)... but we notice that he has a general lack of empathy (this was especially the case when we read books or watch sad movies). If it does not directly involve him (and perhaps a refusal of a cookie), he has troubles understanding it... we trace this to both his youth (he's 9) and a defense mechanism regarding his past. Right now we're just keeping our eye on it.
 
  • #35
physics girl phd said:
but we notice that he has a general lack of empathy (this was especially the case when we read books or watch sad movies). If it does not directly involve him (and perhaps a refusal of a cookie), he has troubles understanding it.
Please don't be alarmed by what I am about to say, but you might think about taking him to a neurologist to check for autism. It's not likely, but these are common symptoms.
 
  • #36
DaveC426913 said:
Not that I want to come down on you like a ton of bricks, but you remind me of many people who seem to feel that movies are an opportunity for showing how clever they are.

They miss a point that everyone else gets intuitively. The act of watching a movie - for all but these types - is premised by the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief" . Key word here being willing.

We can all choose to stand outside a movie (or a party for that matter) and criticize what's going on. This is a defense mechanism for those who are insecure. If one goes into it willingly and confidently, one can let the experience carry them along serendipitously without it threatening their intelligence.

Or maybe he legitimately isn't scared by movies and his sense of humor is geared towards pointing out the obvious? If you really think about it, its funny that we can be scared by things that we know are going to happen in movies such as the candle situation.

Many people go into horror movies with a humorous mindset (myself for one because I am always looking for subtle yet obviously funny things, and horror movies are among one of the best places to search for those kind of things). I don't really think its a defense mechanism for being scared in most cases, some people just have a generally comedic mindset.

Similarly, for your above statement someone could make the case and say that you came back at him to prove that you are say... wise, or have a deeper meaning of things than most(and I am sure you could make the same case for my post here). Or maybe that's just actually how you think. its all relative is my point. This isn't an attack btw, I am just pointing this out... or maybe I am trying to sound like a philosopher...:devil: ... WHO KNOWS...
 
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  • #37
I don't know what's the scariest movie I've ever watched. I can tell you what's the scariest movie my brother-in-law ever watched, though. We were living in Bangor (home of Stephen King) when Carrie came out, and we went to see it together. I was sitting between my wife and Allen, and my wife was holding my left hand. My right hand was on the armrest between me and Allen. There was a scene when Carrie's only friend visited the charred remains of Carrie's house, when suddenly a hand reaches up out of the ash and grabs her. That jumped the hell out of me and I grabbed Allen's leg reflexively. He jumped up and shrieked, sending what was left of his jumbo tub of popcorn flying everywhere. People sitting behind us got a good laugh. He was miffed at me for a few days for causing him to embarrass himself so badly.
 
  • #38
jimmysnyder said:
Please don't be alarmed by what I am about to say, but you might think about taking him to a neurologist to check for autism. It's not likely, but these are common symptoms.

He's been examined before, and he's ADHD but not autistic... nonetheless.. maybe it has something to do with his medicine (Concerta)... it would be worth talking to his doctor about on the visit we have planned this month. Maybe as second wife/mom, (and disgrunted ex-husband), we prefer to think of it as defense against his mom's poor decisions... but looking at it medically is a good idea. Some of these medicines are sketchy; I was against putting him on any, but at the time I wasn't married to his dad... and he was living with his mom.
 
  • #39
I can't remember the titles of the scary movies I saw when I was a kid, except for the classics, like Hitchcock's thrillers. I'd scavenge the roadsides for returnable bottles to try to drum up 25 cents for the matinee whenever there were scary movies shown. 15 cents for the ticket and 10 cents for popcorn - pretty pricey entertainment back in 1960 or so.
 
  • #40
physics girl phd said:
He's been examined before, and he's ADHD but not autistic... nonetheless.. maybe it has something to do with his medicine (Concerta)... it would be worth talking to his doctor about on the visit we have planned this month. Maybe as second wife/mom, (and disgrunted ex-husband), we prefer to think of it as defense against his mom's poor decisions... but looking at it medically is a good idea. Some of these medicines are sketchy; I was against putting him on any, but at the time I wasn't married to his dad... and he was living with his mom.
Forgive me for pressing you, but was he checked by a neurologist?
 
  • #41
jimmysnyder said:
Please don't be alarmed by what I am about to say, but you might think about taking him to a neurologist to check for autism. It's not likely, but these are common symptoms.
Not likely? Latest statistics report 1 in 150 have something in the autism spectrum. 1:150!
 
  • #42
turbo-1 said:
That jumped the hell out of me and I grabbed Allen's leg reflexively. He jumped up and shrieked, sending what was left of his jumbo tub of popcorn flying everywhere.
Just garden-variety homophobia... :rolleyes:
 
  • #43
DaveC426913 said:
Not likely? Latest statistics report 1 in 150 have something in the autism spectrum. 1:150!
Not even to mention 1 in 50M is a PF member, and all of us around are !
 
  • #44
My favourite cousin, from New Jersey, was up visiting when 'Alien' came out, so we went to see it. When there was finally a close-up of the adult alien, and that tongue slid out with the extra jaws on the end, the whole theatre fell silent... so everyone could plainly hear Trev say 'Wow, man... cantilevered lips!'
 
  • #45
DaveC426913 said:
Not that I want to come down on you like a ton of bricks, but you remind me of many people who seem to feel that movies are an opportunity for showing how clever they are.

They miss a point that everyone else gets intuitively. The act of watching a movie - for all but these types - is premised by the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief" . Key word here being willing.

We can all choose to stand outside a movie (or a party for that matter) and criticize what's going on. This is a defense mechanism for those who are insecure. If one goes into it willingly and confidently, one can let the experience carry them along serendipitously without it threatening their intelligence.

Some of us just expect something different from the movies we watch. Not to be defensive or anything... But since I have read a lot and seen quite a few movies i am much more impressed when the story goes in a direction that we are not programmed to expect.
A rather artful representation of this is in a recent movie called Burn After Reading in a scene where Brad Pitt is hiding in a closet. Not a scary movie and liking it probably depends on taste but the director certainly likes to trip up your "suspension of disbelief" by hitting you with something you don't necessarily expect.
 
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  • #46
TheStatutoryApe said:
where Brad Pitt is hiding in a closet. ...the director certainly likes to trip up your "suspension of disbelief" by hitting you with something you don't necessarily expect.
Yes, I thought it was Tom Cruise that was in the closet.
 
  • #47
mgb_phys said:
Yes, I thought it was Tom Cruise that was in the closet.

lol... no that would be hiding behind an alien. ;-)
 
  • #48
Oerg said:
So what are the scariest movies you have ever watched?

For me, I just watched the exorcist recently in the dead of the night and it scared the crap outta me. I wasn't able to get to sleep for the rest of the night.

It has got to be the scariest movie i ever watched.

i have watched other horror movies like the shining and the ring and they weren't really scary to me.
Same for me. I watched it when it first came out at the theaters (years ago). I remember driving home at night on the back country roads. Felt like I was being watched all the way home. Couldn't get home fast enough.
 
  • #49
TheStatutoryApe said:
Some of us just expect something different from the movies we watch. Not to be defensive or anything... But since I have read a lot and seen quite a few movies i am much more impressed when the story goes in a direction that we are not programmed to expect.
A rather artful representation of this is in a recent movie called Burn After Reading in a scene where Brad Pitt is hiding in a closet. Not a scary movie and liking it probably depends on taste but the director certainly likes to trip up your "suspension of disbelief" by hitting you with something you don't necessarily expect.

Good point. You're right, it depends on how much one expects from ones movies. Admittedly, these days one can easily throw up ones hands at the whole movie industry and say "C'mon! Now you're not even tryin'!"
 
  • #50
TheStatutoryApe said:
A rather artful representation of this is in a recent movie called Burn After Reading in a scene where Brad Pitt is hiding in a closet. Not a scary movie and liking it probably depends on taste but the director certainly likes to trip up your "suspension of disbelief" by hitting you with something you don't necessarily expect.

That movie was quite...something.

Back on topic: When I was 8-11 or so, any history channel documentary on aliens would scare the hell out of me. Movies were never able to actually scare me (this is different from jumpy parts during the actual movie)... There were times when I couldn't sleep for hours upon hours fearing I was going to get abducted, even though I knew it was completely irrational.
 
  • #51
When the Evo Child was little, she watched a documentary with me about asteroids. Well, it was a highly sensational show about asteroids destroying the Earth and all through the show they kept basically repeating "it's going to happen and we're all going to die". It scared the crap out of her and she's never forgiven me. I hadn't seen it before, so I didn't know. :frown:
 
  • #52
I'm sitting here reading this stuff about scary movies and I'm not scared or jumpy, but I just heard gunshots outside. that always makes me jump a little bit.
 
  • #53
tribdog said:
I'm sitting here reading this stuff about scary movies and I'm not scared or jumpy, but I just heard gunshots outside. that always makes me jump a little bit.

Duck, trib!
 
  • #54
lisab said:
Duck, trib!

jumping's probably the wrong reaction to flying bullets isn't it.
 
  • #55
tribdog said:
I'm sitting here reading this stuff about scary movies and I'm not scared or jumpy, but I just heard gunshots outside. that always makes me jump a little bit.

Is it weird that it's almost normal for me to hear gunshots? I don't live in a bad part of town, but kinda right next to it. I've talked to cops several times telling them where I think I heard the shots from, how many shots I heard, etc.
 
  • #56
I was pretty on edge watching Alien I. Also had a big scare during Friday the 13th, right when
... the hand came out of the water at the end of the movie ...
my friend who was behind me placed his hands firmly on my shoulders and gave a little shake. I yelled pretty loud (or so I am told) when he did that.
 
  • #57
moose said:
Is it weird that it's almost normal for me to hear gunshots? I don't live in a bad part of town, but kinda right next to it. I've talked to cops several times telling them where I think I heard the shots from, how many shots I heard, etc.

In my neighborhood if you act like that the next gunshots you hear will be aimed at you.
 
  • #58
tribdog said:
In my neighborhood if you act like that the next gunshots you hear will be aimed at you.

I heard an explosion in my area about a week or two ago. I was a little concerned when I never heard any sirens. :-/
 
  • #59
Milk looks a little scary?
 
  • #60
tribdog said:
In my neighborhood if you act like that the next gunshots you hear will be aimed at you.

Lol, it's not my fault I always happen to be walking around at that time and a cop drives past me and asks me if I heard anything. It's never me who actually calls the cops or anything...
 

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