Frightening Film Friday

Day 148

I’ve saved the best for last - these three “frightening” films

 are the scariest movies I’ve seen:

Psycho (1960)

The American Film Institute (AFI) came out with their list of “100 Years 100 Thrills” - the Top 100 most thrilling movies, and Psycho was named #1. I can totally agree with that! Even today, after 50 years(!), this movie still holds up as a thrilling, frightening, terrifying experience! This movie inspired so many other “slasher flicks” and it has been parodied, copied and even remade. Alfred Hitchcock is a genius (again, I’m going to have to do a future post about him) and with this movie he managed to make us completely paranoid and frightened about something as ordinary as taking a shower! The plot concerns an attractive young woman (played by Janet Leigh) who embezzles $40,000 from her employer in order to start a new life with her fiance. While on the run she decides to stay the night at a tiny motel…The Bates Motel, where she meets the proprietor, Norman Bates (played to perfection by Anthony Perkins). I won’t give anything more away, but let me just say that the movie quickly shifts gears from being about a woman stealing money to a brutal, violent, horrifying thriller! And might I recommend that you consider taking baths from now on! You’ve been warned!

Poltergeist (1982)

Speaking of warnings, if you are looking to buy a house, make sure you find out where it was built (preferably not over an old cemetery!) This movie placed at #84 on the AFI’s “100 Years - 100 Thrills” list, and was produced by Steven Spielberg. I remember that I saw this movie on TV a few years after it was released and it scared the crap out of me!! The movie concerns the Freeling family, who live in a beautiful home in California. But then a series of disturbing events unfolds--starting with the mysterious death of their pet bird--that evolves into the realization that there is an evil presence in the house. Then the youngest daughter, Carol Anne, is abducted into a parallel realm within the house and the family seeks the help of parapsychologists, who reveal that there is a poltergeist in the house. This movie still creeps me out - I will never feel the same about big trees, clown dolls, TV sets with static and the words “they’re here.”

The Sixth Sense (1999)

This is one of my all-time favorite movies, period. I remember that when this movie first came out it looked intriguing, interesting, but I had no idea to what extent it would be. This movie placed at #60 on the AFI’s “100 Years - 100 Thrills” list, and went on to earn 6 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture! Bruce Willis gives an outstanding performance as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who finds his new patient to be a real challenge. The patient, Cole Sear (played brilliantly by Haley Joel Osment), is a troubled 8 year-old boy with a dark secret: “I see dead people!” At first Dr. Crowe doesn’t believe Cole, but through a series of events he begins to see things differently and becomes determined to help Cole. There’s also a terrific performance by Toni Collette, as Cole’s single mother - a woman who wants to help her son but just doesn’t know how. This movie is full of shocks/jolts/scares, especially with the images of the “ghosts” that pursue Cole. And as you may know, there is an amazing twist to the movie, which I won’t reveal, but I will say that it is a doozy! If you haven’t seen this movie I highly recommend it! You won’t be disappointed!