Best horror film scenes

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) presaged the Saw series. It features a household of cannibals and, of course, a highly applicable chain saw. Most memorable moment: The fast-cutting (in more ways than one) final murder.

The Exorcist (1973) was based on a novel they said could never be filmed — but filmed it was, in grandly Gothic fashion. The spewing of split pea soup and the rotating-head routine linger in moviegoers’ nightmares. As one critic sagely summarized the Satanic saga: “It’s scary as Hell — and that’s just what it should be.” Truly, a holy terror.

The Godfather (1972) had to reckon with over-familiarity. Everyone who’d read the novel — or even heard people talk about it — knew all about the horse’s head episode. But Francis Ford Coppola knew how to turn that knowledge into an uncanny mixture of dread and expectation. For years John Marley, who played the loathsome movie executive, was stopped by strangers and asked, “What did they do with the rest of the horse?”

The Birds (1963) was deemed a disappointment when released, with columnist Walter Winchell headlining “Even Hitchcock can strike out!” But it’s grown in stature through the years. Its scariest scene has only the suggestion of sharp beaks: Jessica Tandy is horrified by the shattered coffee cups hanging in a neighbor’s kitchen. You want to warn her not to search the rest of the house.

Psycho (1960) has a great scene, but not the one you think. The shower scene is a masterpiece of technique, and that’s the problem. We’re more intrigued by Hitchcock’s technique than by the murderous action. Far scarier is Detective Arbogast’s demise, with Ma Bates springing down the stairs and stabbing him repeatedly. It’s spontaneous and shocking.

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) makes sure you’ll never again look at a lovable if territorial cat in the same way. The hapless hero, shrunk to the size of a matchstick, must battle a basement spider. But the scariest moments come when he runs afoul of a clever feline with the temperament of a tiger.

Related lists:

• Top Halloween Movies
• Top 10 Horror Movie Franchises That Will Never Die
• William Friedkin on 13 Must-See Horror Movies
• Top Halloween Web Sites
• Top Haunted Houses
• Great Places To Sleep With A Ghost

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