Baumer's 60 best Holy Bleep moments in horror movie history 3) The Changeling 2) Blair Witch 1) Sleepaway Camp

[baumer]

So I agree with what you were saying in principle @Ipickthiswhiterose. There definitely were some big movies before scream in the horror genre and I'm not debating that nor was that really my point. That's on me, I don't think I explained it properly. What I meant, is that horror in general was on life support. Yes there was a hit here and there and a good-sized one as well. But after scream to me I feel that studios were more confident once again to sink money into a horror film and more frequently. And then once they started reaping the rewards of it especially after scream you have the Oren Peli and the Jason blums of the world and we haven't looked back since.

[baumer]

22 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

The Black Cat is such an awesome pull. One of those movies I've seen several times, and have always enjoyed, it helps that it's so short. Karloff & Lugosi were a great pairing. That scene you mentioned, genuinely freaked me out the first time I saw it.

It is a great film and it's awesome seeing two legends together in it. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and that just goes to show you the power of it. I haven't forgotten that scene because at that age I never thought you could even talk about skinning someone alive and doing it as painfully as possible. I know years later when I saw the actual thing happened in martyrs, freaked the hell out of me.

[Thrylos 7]

Just dropped by to say that Fulci’s Zombie flesheaters is the best zombie movie ever by a mile. 11/10 for me. From the opening scene , with the late, great Richard Johnson (was he a huge asset of this film or what ?) , to the last scene , this is the most nightmarish zombie film ever. You can basically smell the stench of these zombies and the atmosphere is second to none. Music is monumental (Fabio Frizzi, a genius) and as far as memorable scenes go I don’t even know where to begin and where to end. Scream 10/10, and Zombi 7.5/10 ? O.k.....😎😎

[baumer]

56 minutes ago, Thrylos 7 said:

Just dropped by to say that Fulci’s Zombie flesheaters is the best zombie movie ever by a mile. 11/10 for me. From the opening scene , with the late, great Richard Johnson (was he a huge asset of this film or what ?) , to the last scene , this is the most nightmarish zombie film ever. You can basically smell the stench of these zombies and the atmosphere is second to none. Music is monumental (Fabio Frizzi, a genius) and as far as memorable scenes go I don’t even know where to begin and where to end. Scream 10/10, and Zombi 7.5/10 ? O.k.....😎😎

 

Good to see you here @Thrylos 7. It's always good hearing from other horror movie lovers. 😊

 

[baumer]

Number 48:  The Invisible Man (2020)

 

 

Starring: Elizabeth Moss, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman

 

Directed by:  Leigh Whannell

 

Box office:  138M WW

 

My rating:  9/10

 

The Story:  A woman escapes an abusive relationship with a wealthy young tech entrepreneur. A short while later he commits suicide. She should now feel free to live her life but she keeps feeling that he is still there, invisibly watching her. Then things start happening which make her think that this is more than just a feeling.

 

The Holy Shit scene:  Leigh Whannell got his first directing gig jumping into a well established series after starring in and producing many of the Saw films.  Then he did Upgrade and that film caught me off guard.  It's one of the most surprising films I've seen in the last decade.  So it's no surprise that he managed to get me again in this film.  He's got a keen eye for detail and his timing (which is essential in every genre but especially horror) is excellent.  The scene in this film that made me gasp and put my hand over my mouth and cause my eyes to bulge (this is not hyperbole, this actually happened to me in the theatre when watching this scene) is the restaurant scene when the Kass sisters are having dinner together.  Cecilia (Moss) is practically hyper-ventilating the entire scene as she tells her sister that she has proof that her supposed dead husband has created a suit that can make him invisible.  The scene is the most basic in that it is mostly an over the should two shot.....you learn this the first day of film school (at least I did).  This keeps us engaged in the conversation...and then suddenly, a knife is suspended in mid air and slashes Emily's throat and then Cecilia's arm is grabbed and the knife is placed in her hand by an invisible force.  It caused gasps in the audience I was with.  It's just not something you see coming.  

 

 

Trivia:  The first name of the main character, Cecilia, is derived from the Latin Caecus which means blind or eyeless, Appropriately, she cannot see the Invisible Man. She is frequently called 'C' in the film, which, obviously, is pronounced like 'see.'

 

The password at Adrian's door is 1933, that was the year when the original film was released.

 

 

 

 

Here's a reaction video to the scene.  These reactions mirror mine:

 

 

[baumer]

Number 47:  Pet Semetary (1989)

 

 

Starring:  Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne, Miko Hughes, Church the Cat

 

Directed by Mary Lambert

 

Box office:  57.4 million

 

My rating:  8.5/10

 

The Story:  Eager to start afresh, the young doctor, Louis Creed, and his family--his wife, Rachel, their daughter, Ellie, and their three-year-old toddler, Gage--move to their new home in the small rural town of Ludlow, Maine, alarmingly close to a busy highway. However, after the inadvertent death of Rachel's cherished tomcat in an awful accident, reluctantly, a desperate Louis will take his friendly neighbour's advice to bury it in an ancient Micmac graveyard: a mystical burial ground imbued with alleged reanimating powers. Now, despite the terrible results and the insistent warnings from a recently deceased, tragedy-stricken Louis has no other choice but to go back to the Indian cemetery, in high hopes that, this time, things will be different. Nevertheless, can the dead truly return from the grave?

 

The disturbing scene:  I remember seeing Eli Roth's Hostel and the same scene in that film made me cringe as well.  There's just something about getting your Achilles tendon sliced open that elicits a strong reaction.  Making matters even more disturbing and shock inducing is that this time it was done by a child and even more sinister is that the child actor in this scene scared the bejesus out of me.  Gage doesn't just slice the tendon, he cuts into it and tries to slice off Judd's foot.  All of this is done while Church, the cat, looks on.  

 

Trivia:  In Stephen King's novel, Judd mentions that a dog went wild in a nearby town and killed several people. This is a reference to the events of Cujo (1983), another novel by King. It is common for characters in King's novels to mention the events of his other novels.

 

Since cats are difficult to train, the film crew ended up using nine cats. a jumper, a snarler and a cuddler. No cats were harmed during filming.

 

 

[baumer]

Number 46:  Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

 

 

Starring:  Dana Kimmel,  Larry Zerner, Tracie Savage, Richard Brooker

 

Directed by:  Steve Miner

 

Box office:  36.9 million

 

My rating:  9.5/10

 

The story:  Horny teens go to a cabin in the woods and Jason is waiting for them.

 

The scene that made every guy wince:  Andy and Debbie have just finished making love in a hammock.  Debbie jumps in the shower and Andy shows up in the bathroom walking on his hands asking her if she wants a beer.  He then leaves while walking on his hands, while telling her, of course, that he'll be right back. As he rounds the corner, we see Jason waiting for him, machete in hand.  As Andy looks up, he gets in one last gasp before Jason slices him almost in half.  This is one of the most imaginative and innovative deaths in the entire series.  When there is a poll asking for the favourite kills in the series, this is often mentioned in the top three.  When I saw these films as a teenager, this one kill always makes me wince, to this day, it still elicits a strong reaction from me.

 

Trivia:  Martin Jay Sadoff, the film's 3-D effects supervisor, is responsible for coming up with Jason's trademark hockey mask. Sadoff always kept a bag with him full of hockey gear on set because he was an avid hockey fan. While testing potential masks to use for Jason, he pulled out a Detroit Red Wings goalie mask for the test. Director Steve Miner loved the look and, after making some modifications to the mask, decided to use it in the film.

 

The film made $36,985,198 with a budget of $4,000,000.

 

 

[baumer]

The next five will feature:

 

It's all for you Damien

The Joker sees an alien

The transformation

Cronenberg grosses us out

A love story involving pollen and honey

[Krissykins]

1 hour ago, baumer said:

Number 48:  The Invisible Man (2020)

 

 

Starring: Elizabeth Moss, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman

 

Directed by:  Leigh Whannell

 

Box office:  138M WW

 

My rating:  9/10

 

The Story:  A woman escapes an abusive relationship with a wealthy young tech entrepreneur. A short while later he commits suicide. She should now feel free to live her life but she keeps feeling that he is still there, invisibly watching her. Then things start happening which make her think that this is more than just a feeling.

 

The Holy Shit scene:  Leigh Whannell got his first directing gig jumping into a well established series after starring in and producing many of the Saw films.  Then he did Upgrade and that film caught me off guard.  It's one of the most surprising films I've seen in the last decade.  So it's no surprise that he managed to get me again in this film.  He's got a keen eye for detail and his timing (which is essential in every genre but especially horror) is excellent.  The scene in this film that made me gasp and put my hand over my mouth and cause my eyes to bulge (this is not hyperbole, this actually happened to me in the theatre when watching this scene) is the restaurant scene when the Kass sisters are having dinner together.  Cecilia (Moss) is practically hyper-ventilating the entire scene as she tells her sister that she has proof that her supposed dead husband has created a suit that can make him invisible.  The scene is the most basic in that it is mostly an over the should two shot.....you learn this the first day of film school (at least I did).  This keeps us engaged in the conversation...and then suddenly, a knife is suspended in mid air and slashes Emily's throat and then Cecilia's arm is grabbed and the knife is placed in her hand by an invisible force.  It caused gasps in the audience I was with.  It's just not something you see coming.  

 

 

Trivia:  The first name of the main character, Cecilia, is derived from the Latin Caecus which means blind or eyeless, Appropriately, she cannot see the Invisible Man. She is frequently called 'C' in the film, which, obviously, is pronounced like 'see.'

 

The password at Adrian's door is 1933, that was the year when the original film was released.

 

 

 

 

Here's a reaction video to the scene.  These reactions mirror mine:

 

 

This is so well done. It’s the first time I’ve ever jumped 3 times from the one scare. Incredible. 

[baumer]

Number 45:  An American Werewolf in London (1981)

 

 

Starring:  David Naughton, Griffin Dunne

 

Directed by John Landis

 

Box office:  30.6M

 

My rating:  8/10

 

The story:  Two American college students are on a walking tour of Britain and are attacked by a werewolf. One is killed, the other is mauled. The werewolf is killed but reverts to its human form, and the local townspeople are unwilling to acknowledge its existence. The surviving student begins to have nightmares of hunting on four feet at first but then finds that his friend and other recent victims appear to him, demanding that he commit suicide to release them from their curse, being trapped between worlds because of their unnatural deaths.

 

The holy shit scene:  Before this film, there had been several other werewolf movies.  One of the more famous ones was the Hammer films The Curse of the Werewolf.  Lon Chaney might of had the most famous transformation scene prior to 1981 when he did the 1941 film The Wolf Man.  These films used trick photography and stop motion to achieve the effect of a frightening transformation.  Enter Rick Baker and his genius and werewolf transformations would never be the same again.  To the audience, this looks like it's happening in real time.  No stop motion no time lapse.  John Landis and Baker create the illusion that the actor is really changing in front of our eyes.

 

Trivia:  This is the first film to earn the Academy Award for Best Make-up. That category was created in 1981.

 

Rick Baker claimed to have been disappointed by the amount of time spent shooting the face changing shot for the transformation after having spent months working on the mechanism. John Landis only required one take lasting about seven seconds. Baker felt he had wasted his time until seeing the film with an audience that applauded during that one seven second shot.

 

 

[baumer]

@Krissykins And it really truly comes out of nowhere.  You just never see it coming.  

[baumer]

Number 44:  The Brood (1979)

 

 

Starring:  Oliver Reed, Art Hindle, Samantha Eggar

 

Director:  David Cronenberg

 

Box office:  N/A

 

My rating:  7.5/10

 

The story:  A man's wife is under the care of an eccentric and unconventional psychologist who uses innovative and theatrical techniques to breach the psychological blocks in his patients. When their daughter comes back from a visit with her mother and is covered with bruises and welts, the father attempts to bar his wife from seeing the daughter but faces resistance from the secretive psychologist. Meanwhile, the wife's mother and father are attacked by strangely deformed children, and the man begins to suspect a connection with the psychologist's methods.

 

The disturbing scene:  According to Guillermo Del Toro, Cronenberg is a master of organic horror.  He also says that in the Brood, it taps into something that humans are inherently frightened of, that being the decay of one's body, putting it another way, we fear getting old.  But in this film, like many Cronenberg films, there are several gross out parts but none more so than when the beautiful Samantha Eggar begins licking a fetus.  A fetus covered in mucus and blood and after-birth.  It's gross enough when you think she might just kiss it but she licks it like a dog might lick a bone.  Even for Cronenberg this is one of his more gross a vomit inducing moments.  

 

Trivia:  David Cronenberg wrote the film following the tumultuous divorce and child-custody battle he waged against Margaret Hindson. Cronenberg also said that Samantha Eggar's character, Nola Carveth, possessed some of the characteristics of his ex-wife.

 

Joe Dante edited the American theatrical trailer for this movie.

 

 

[baumer]

Number 43:  Signs (2002)

 

 

Starring:  Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin

 

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

 

Box office:  408.2M WW

 

My rating:  7/10 (1st half is a 10, second half, not so good)

 

The story:  Preacher Graham Hess loses his faith in God after his wife dies in a brutal car accident. He lives with his children and brother in a farmhouse. Crop circles start to appear in their cornfields; Graham dismisses them as mischief by miscreants. After hearing strange noises and watching news coverage on crop circles appearing all over the world, the family grows suspicious of alien activities. Now they must stick together as a family and believe, to survive and escape the ordeal.

 

The holy shit scene:  The scene is such a simple one.  Joaquin Phoenix is watching the news to try and catch up with what's happening.  There's some footage from Brazil and in it an alien walks by the camera nonchalantly and looks at the camera while doing so.  The tension builds before it happens and Phoenix's reaction to it is the same one we all had.  To describe it sounds so innocuous, but when we first saw it in theatres in 2002, it sent shock waves through the theatre.  

 

Trivia:  Joaquin Phoenix replaced Mark Ruffalo, who had to pull out of the film due to a brain tumor. It was later found to be benign.

 

The crop circles are real, as M. Night Shyamalan doesn't particularly like using CGI.

 

 

[baumer]

Number 42:  Candyman (1992)

 

 

Starring:  Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley

 

Director:  Bernard Rose

 

Box office:  25.8M

 

My rating:  8/10

 

The story:  Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn't believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true?

 

The WTF scene:  The bees.  The scene where Tony Todd has bees coming out of what appears to be every orifice in his body was done without any CGI.  They are all real bees.  The bees were bred specifically for this movie. They needed to make sure that the bees were only twelve hours old, so that they looked like mature bees, but their stinger wouldn't be powerful enough to do any real damage.  It's just a shocking and uncomfortable scene  because most of us have a fear or dislike of bees.  And when you see them oozing from his mouth, body and his clothes and everywhere in between, it was a very cringe-worthy moment.

 

Trivia:  Tony Todd negotiated in his contract that every time he got stung, he would be given an additional $1000.  He got stung 23 times.  

 

Virginia Madsen was hypnotized and given a trigger phrase on set for her scenes with Candyman. Madsen grew increasingly uncomfortable with this method so asked for it to be canceled.

 

 

 

 

 

[wildphantom]

That Signs one might be M Night’s greatest shock 

Edited November 23, 2021 by wildphantom

[baumer]

1 hour ago, wildphantom said:

That Signs one might be M Night’s greatest shock 

 

And it's such a simple shot....yet it scared the hell out of me.

[baumer]

Number 41:  The Omen (1976)

 

 

Starring:  Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stevens

 

Directed by Richard Donner

 

Box office:  60.9M

 

My rating:  9/10

 

The Story:  Robert and Katherine Thorn seem to have it all. They are happily married and he is the US Ambassador to Great Britain, but they want nothing more than to have children. When Katharine has a stillborn child, Robert is approached by a priest at the hospital who suggests that they take a healthy newborn whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife he agrees. After relocating to London, strange events - and the ominous warnings of a priest - lead him to believe that the child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate.

 

The shocking scene:  There are several in this movie.  The final shot, the beheading, the dog.  They're all creepy.  But the one that The Omen seems to be remembered for is the nanny hanging herself.  It happens while there is a birthday celebration for Damien on the grounds of the mansion.  First we see the hound from Hell presumably instructing the nanny to kill herself.  And then while the family is together having a wonderful time, the nanny puts a rope around her neck, goes out onto the ledge, and gleefully shouts out, "It's for you Damien, it's all for you."  It looks real and terrifying and it definitely sent shocks through the audience.  I've never forgotten that scene.  

 

Trivia:  Harvey Stephens, as Damien, was largely chosen for this role from the way he attacked Richard Donner during auditions. Donner asked all the little boys to "come at him" as if they were attacking Katherine Thorn during the church wedding scene. Stephens screamed and clawed at Donner's face, and kicked him in the groin during his act. Donner whipped the kid off him, ordered the kid's blond hair dyed black and cast him as Damien.

 

Gregory Peck had essentially been retired for several years when he quite unexpectedly agreed to make the film. By doing so, he effectively validated the production, and other members of the cast and crew soon came on board.

 

 

 

 

[baumer]

20 down and 40 more to go.

[baumer]

Number 40:  The Devil's Rejects (2005)

 

 

Starring:  Sig Haig, Sherrie Moon Zombie, Bill Mosely, William Forsythe

 

Directed by Rob Zombie

 

Box office:  20M

 

My rating:  9/10

 

The Story:  In Ruggsville, Texas, the police under the command of Sheriff John Quincy Wydell attack the house of the sadistic serial killers Firefly family (a.k.a. The Devil's Reject) and they arrest mother Firefly, but Otis B. Driftwood and Baby Firefly escape from the siege. Tiny is wandering nearby the house and also escapes. Otis and Baby call their patriarch, the mad clown Captain Spaulding and they schedule to reunite at an isolated motel in the desert. When Otis and Baby arrive, they kidnap two families of singers, using sadism and violence against the harmless persons. Meanwhile, Sheriff Wydell promises to capture and kill the runaways, seeking revenge for the death of his brother, the Deputy George Wydell.

 

The shocking scene:  The Firefly family are murderers.  We were introduced to them in Zombie's directorial debut, House of 1000 Corpses.  There's nothing redeeming about them.  They spend the entire movie killing, torturing and maiming as many people as they can.  When they make a getaway from the law, they hit the open road in a convertible caddy.  As the final scene begins, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird is playing over the soundtrack. The three members of the Firefly family are battered, bloodied, bruised and seemingly on life support.  As they come over the horizon, they see a blockade of police officers.  To the audience, this is gratifying and a huge relief.  We hate the Firefly family.  But to the family, it's horrifying.  They have two choices.  Give up and fight through.  They decide to channel their inner Thelma and Louise and ride to their death.  As they begin, the guitar solo of Freebird starts and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling the criminals must feel as they get shot down in a blaze of glory.

 

This scene is just shot, directed and acted perfectly but the best part about it is the timing of the music.  It's one of the more gratifying and stress relief endings in horror history imo.  We need to see this notorious family finally get what's coming to them and Zombie pulls out all the stops here.  

 

Trivia:  Chris Jericho auditioned for the role of Rondo, but was told he was "too pretty" for the part. Danny Trejo was cast instead.

 

Won Most Vile Villain(s) (for The Firefly Family) and Best Horror Movie at The 2006 Scream Awards.

 

  

[Krissykins]

Ooh that Signs one I remember so clearly in the cinema. Chills.