On this snowy October 29th I’ve been preparing for Halloween and thinking about horror movies I love.
Watching horror movies is one of my favorite things to do. I’m a huge horror fan and will watch anything from zombies to psychological horror. All kinds of horror movies appeal to me, both the truly scary ones and the campy, comedy types. People who know me best call me the Queen of Grade B. Most of the time I simply enjoy watching the movies, seeing the crazy plots, special effects and characters who are guilty pleasures. It takes a lot for a movie to scare me. If I’m not scared that doesn’t mean I didn’t love the movie. In fact I think of certain movies almost like old friends. I can watch them alone at midnight with all the lights off and love every minute without being the slightest bit uneasy. Then there are movies that are incredibly disturbing. No matter how many times I watch them, I’m always terrified. The following is a list of horror movie characters who leave me feeling more than a little nervous.
Guy Woodhouse (Rosemary’s Baby) – You’d think I’d pick the devil as the scariest guy in this movie, wouldn’t you? No way. To me Guy is the ultimate evil. Anyone who sacrifices his wife for money and fame is a total stomach turner. Guy is a monster among monsters.
John Torrance (The Shining/Steven Weber version) – Like Guy Woodhouse, John turns his venom to his wife and child. The implication of his lifestyle is scary before he gets possessed, but once the spirits at the Overlook join forces with him, he becomes one of the horror genre’s worst—and I definitely mean that in a good way.
Captain Spaulding (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects) – Here’s a clown even scarier than IT. Everything about him makes my flesh crawl. Why is he so scary? He could be your next door neighbor. He has no supernatural powers and no reason for doing what he does other than the pleasure of it. He’s twisted, sadistic and a truly awesome horror movie character.
Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street) – The first Nightmare on Elm street scared me like crazy. A disgusting killer from whom you can’t escape, even in your dreams, is almost too creepy.
John Kramer (Saw movies) – I have a love/hate relationship here. He’s a truly fascinating character and while his actions terrify me, he is strangely appealing (yes, I admit it). He has reasons (twisted as they may be) that make his horrifying games almost understandable. Almost.
Norman Bates/Mother (Psycho) – Norman is another guilty pleasure. When he’s “himself” I actually like the guy. He’s kind of cute and sweet in a weird way, but as Mother. . .watch out. Norman is a scary but sad case. A dude so messed up from childhood trauma that he turns desire into murder.
Dr. Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes) – Like John Kramer and Normal Bates, Dr. Phibes has a reason for his tirade of torture. Still his exceptional planning, keen intelligence and inability to see past his rage make him one of the horror genre’s most frightening characters. Maybe it’s my romantic side, but I still can’t help being moved by his devotion to his wife.
These are my top seven scariest. What are yours?
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