Scariest Scene in the History of Cinema

[ScipioCowboy]

Not really.

However, I'm a horror movie buff. I've been watching horror films for as long as I can remember. And I can say with absolute certainty that this scene from Superman III, which I first watched at the tender age of 5, terrified and traumatized me more than anything from Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, or any other graphic slasher flick.

As you might've concluded (and quite reasonably), Superman III is not a horror movie. It's barely an action picture. By my recollection, no one dies in the film, not even the bad guys. Superman III was a pure camp fest wrought with B-movie cliches and devices.

But there is a pivotal scene: One of the female antagonist is trapped and robotized by the evil supercomputer, which (as was the case with most supercomputers in movies of the 1980s) developed self-awareness and immediately devised a plot to take over the world.

Literally five minutes after the woman is robotized, Superman shows up, saves the day, and the woman returns to normal.

Watching the scene now, you'll probably laugh uproariously at the poor special effects and acting. But just remember a five-year-old me, balling his eyes out on his couch at home and plagued by nightmares for the next few years of his life.

[youtube]qFKJ144Yg9I[/youtube]

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I remember when I was really young, I was watching this movie where this guy was stabbing high school kids in a gym, and you could see blood splatter on the camera

idk if anyone knows that movie, but that was some scary ****

 

[Dallas]

I am a huge fan of horror cinema. This is by far the scariest movie I have ever seen. If you want the bejeeebies scared out of you, watch this movie. Don't say I didn't warn you. It is old school scare the pants off you. It probably doesn't help that it is a true story and the killer was never found.

(1976) release of...

 

[Hostile]

Any scene from The Exorcist.

 

[Hoofbite]

I watched Pumpkinhead when I was about 4 years old.

For a long while after that I absolutely hated the trees whose branches would slap up against my window when it was windy.

 

[phillycard]

The end of Phantasm. That has without a question top 3. It traumatized an entire generation of kids who were scared to go in their rooms after dark. Let alone look behind a door again.

 

[CowboyWay]

I am a huge fan of horror cinema. This is by far the scariest movie I have ever seen. If you want the bejeeebies scared out of you, watch this movie. Don't say I didn't warn you. It is old school scare the pants off you. It probably doesn't help that it is a true story and the killer was never found.

(1976) release of...

I would have said anything from the Exorcist too, but I'm going to check this one out. I've never heard of it, but it sounds good.

 

[jimmy40]

The end of Phantasm. That has without a question top 3. It traumatized an entire generation of kids who were scared to go in their rooms after dark. Let alone look behind a door again.

Glad I read through the thread, I was going to say the same thing.

 

[jimmy40]

Of course the scariest scene ever would be any scene showing this:

 

[peplaw06]

I remember when I was like 4 years old my parents were watching Poltergeist, and the electricity went out. Don't remember anything about the movie, other than the gist of it, but I'll probably never watch it again, because I was traumatized...

 

[ScipioCowboy]

This thread took a more serious turn than I expected.

That's fine. It's give me an opportunity to mention the only horror movie that, at the age of 30, still frightens me:

​

Hellraiser.

 

[kmp77]

Cathy Bates naked in "About Schmidt".....scariest thing you'll ever see.

 

[jimmy40]

Any scene from The Exorcist.

When Linda Blair's head spins around is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I don't know about scary, maybe more bizarre or disturbing would be a better description for me.

The part in John Carpenter's The Thing when the guys head comes off and sprouts spider legs and is crawling away.

Poltergeist II. The old preacher man Kane freaked me out. Walking around looking so creepy while singing Singing God is in his holy temple.

The original Salem's Lot when the kid is floating outside and scratching at the window of the other kid's room and is wanting in.

The ending of Sleepaway Camp...I guess one could say the crying game scene before the crying game was made.


The scene in the omen when the nanny is on the roof and screams It's all for you Damien and then hangs herself.

Cabin Fever...not sure which was more disturbing. The girl shaving her legs/skin, the one sex scene or the crazy hillbilly ninja kid screaming pancakes, biting the guy and doing karate.

Deliverance Squeal...Nuff Said.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

The Evil Dead. I was eight when I first watched it and that scene where the girl started listing off the card names when she was staring out the window (camera pointed on the back of her head). Turned around and was possessed by whatever the heck it was that tree raped her.

Of course, I watched it again when I was twelve and laughed my hiney off (the claymation dated pretty quick).

 

[Kevinicus]

When Linda Blair's head spins around is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen.

I laughed my *** off the first time I saw the Exorcist. I was like 24 at the time, but I found it much more humorous than scary.

 

[Hoofbite]

I laughed my *** off the first time I saw the Exorcist. I was like 24 at the time, but I found it much more humorous than scary.

The scene from Scary Movie 2 with James Woods is classic.

He walks in the room and that chicks head spins. He says "f-this" and tries to bolt out the door.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The scene from Scary Movie 2 with James Woods is classic.

He walks in the room and that chicks head spins. He says "f-this" and tries to bolt out the door.

Scary Movie 2 was great. Did not like the others but that one cracked me up.

The turkey scene still kills me.

 

[dcdallaschick]

I'm still creeped out by this...

Saw this movie WAY too young...

 

[Khartun]

When I was a kid, there was a movie about a mutant baby, It's Alive.
Scared the hell outta me.

Also, a movie called the Car that I belive had James Brolin in it.

I'm sure they would be cheesy now but when I was little they were terrifying.

Also, a movie called Prophecy. Not the one with the angels, the one with the mutated bear.

Many scenes from Alien when it came out were scary, IMO it's one of the best horror/sci-fi flicks ever.

and the scene from one of the Friday the 13ths, where the kid is walking on his hands and Jason splits him from his crotch to his chest. Not so much scary as excruciating.