Anxious and Scared

This blog is dedicated mostly to horror films but will include any media of any genre that snags my interest. I have horrible anxiety, and I'm scared of pretty much everything all the time, but I still love things that risk making both of those things much worse. I'm sure there's some science behind it being a controlled environment, having power over it because I'm not actually in it, something like that, but the short of it is simply that I like it. If it freaks me out, gets my heart racing, makes me uncomfortable, count me in! Call me a glutton for punishment.

So, I want to collect what I've seen or whatever you guys recommend and share my thoughts. The layout for posts will be ever evolving, I'm sure. I don't have a clear cut consistent idea, but to start, I'll likely just include production info, simple plot, some fun facts, and my thoughts. I hate doing number ratings, it never feels right, so brief opinion instead. I could rate something realistically a 2/10 but still watch it a million times, so the number feels less important. As of now, I'm also not expecting a daily or really generally consistent posting schedule, just posting as I'm able or the mood strikes me.

Cube

Director: Vincenzo Natali Release Date: September 9, 1997 MPAA Rating: R | Some strong sci-fi violence, gore, and language Runtime: 90 minutes Budget: $350,000 Box Office: $9 million

Single Sentence Summary: A group of people wake up in a deadly maze, and the only thing that can save them is whether or not they actually paid attention in math class.

Fun Fact: Cube was considered a flop in Canada, making only about $500,000 domestically. Distributor Samuel Hadida created a $1.2 million marketing campaign in France to bring more attention to the film. As a result, the global box office increased drastically with reports between $8 million and $15 million in France alone.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: I absolutely adore Cube. It's a great showing of what a low budget but a lot of passion can do. It's such a simple plot (excluding, ya know, all the math) with a simple set design but the amount of dialogue and constant changes in scenery and planning makes it complex and constantly engaging. Each character brings something different and important to the table. Each room comes with loads of suspense. I mean, we see someone who is seemingly a master at getting through recognizing smells and talking about sensors that can detect living matter, but he still manages to go fully into a room before getting got, so nothing is safe. Add to that the very realistic threats of thirst, starvation, and other people, there's so much dread looming overhead the entire time. Maybe my favorite element is the fact that it's completely open in terms of why. There's no big reveal of why they're there, why the cube is there, or who actually runs it. The closest we get to any sort of explanation is Worth saying it's essentially just a lost project that's functioning simply because it exists. "You either use it or admit it's pointless." No one person actually runs it, no one knows or remembers the purpose, they just know that a ton of effort and money has been placed into this thing, and it needs to keep functioning to whatever extent it can. Is that the actual explanation? Who the fuck knows, everything is basically an assumption being made by someone who assisted in the construction of the shell in the absolute peripheral, not actually meeting anyone. I mean, fuck, by that level of knowledge, you can even say his involvement in the shell is an assumption as well and this is a different thing entirely. It probably is the same, cause the likelihood is pretty slim, but we can't know because we're given absolutely nothing, and I fucking adore that.

Scariest Moment: The sound activated room still leaves me realizing I haven't breathed in a while even though I already know the outcome. The entire scene is so suspenseful. We've seen the threat and can imagine what it would do, and we have the added threats of everything from Kazan unexpectedly vocalizing to someone landing a little too hard on their feet or even gripping a bar a little too quickly. There's no indication given to us of the threshold, so what amount of noise could actually set off the trap?

Favorite Moment: Honorable mentions: 1) Rennes' death. The effects are fantastic, and it's so disturbing to watch his face melting away and caving in while he's still screaming in agony. He just had to make a speech and seal his fate. 2) The realization that they've made so much progress just to end up back in the room where Rennes died. Devastating. Gut punch. Love the way Worth is laughing as soon as he lands in the room and recognizes where he is. The winner: One of the best opening scenes of any movie. There's no context but it's still so suspenseful. We have a guy that we assume is our main character, some rooms he's going through that only differ in color, and suddenly bam, he's falling to pieces. I wonder what he would have brought to the group. Everyone seemingly was chosen because they have a quality to bring to the situation to help them through the maze. What was Alderson's quality, if any?

Least Favorite Moment: The acting drifted from good to underwhelming to over the top throughout. Overall it's enjoyable, but there are moments here and there that are a little off-putting. Love the entire cast regardless.

Also, Quentin. Fuck Quentin. The shot of Leaven's death was great, though.

Would I Recommend It?: Worth it. Get it? Worth it? Ge- Yes, watch it.

Megan is Missing

Director: Michael Goi Release Date: May 3, 2011 MPAA Rating: Not Rated | Includes scenes of sexual violence, torture, disturbing images, drug use, alcohol, and language Runtime: 89 minutes Budget: $35,000 Box Office: N/A

Single Sentence Summary: Fuck this movie.

Fun Fact: This movie was chosen by a wheel. That's the only reason I'm doing this. Fuck this movie.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers and Cat Gifs Ahead]

My Rating: This is what I get for actively selecting movies that I love to no end. This is the universe creating balance. I'm gonna preface this entire rant by saying that yes, there may be films with upsetting plots that I like and maybe even praise. This is not to be compared to any of them. This tries so hard to push for "realism" that it feels like underage snuff fantasy shit set to film. I like a good disturbing film. I like to feel uncomfortable and unsettled. This movie pisses me off. I had multiple paragraphs typed out trying to give a well spoken rating, but I kept getting so annoyed that I deleted it all. I've seen this movie a couple times before and watched it again to get a real-time rating, and I ended up taking a break 15 minutes in to rant to my husband about how shit it is. Now that I've mostly escaped my edgelord days when I first saw this film, I find that I hate it more than I already did. Summary of my thoughts are this: - This has the story of an afterschool special with the vibes of a school play put on in the gym by the local teen safety awareness group and depictions of a shock film. Fuck this movie. - Trying to market this as some PSA for the horrors of the internet and stranger danger was incredibly misleading. This comes across as nothing more than an intentional endurance test in the era of disturbing video reactions on YouTube. This is not a film being sent to schools to teach their students about internet safety, and I hope to god parents aren't having watch parties with their kids with this film. Fuck this movie. - There is NO REASON for the amount of gratuitous visuals and conversations considering it's about literal children. It feels like it's constantly teetering between trying to be an extreme depiction of the "reality" of kids these days and getting away with having minors in situations that no one should be privy to. Fuck this movie. - Amy and Megan were going to watch the new Matt Damon movie. In January 2007, the most recent Matt Damon film release was The Good Shepherd. A known hit with 14 year old girls. Fuck this movie. - There are scenes - namely the photos of Megan and the scene with Amy in a dungeon chained by the neck to a wall and being forced to eat from a bowl like a dog with her hands behind her back and being called a good girl trying to earn a reward in the form of her childhood teddy bear - that feel like fetish content with no actual reason to be there other than shock value. Fuck this movie. - The scene that follows is a 3-minute uncut close up of Amy's face while being assaulted. She's just turned 14. And don't worry, in case you forgot that she's a virgin, they make sure to give a visual reminder. Fuck this movie. - Despite all my rage, there are some small good things I can discuss. Unfortunately, they're stuck in this piece of shit movie. The only positive opinions I can give: 1, the My Child is Missing scenes are kinda funny, though I don't think they were supposed to be. 2, the previous scene when her face goes blank is an uncomfortably realistic depiction of complete shut down and has some level of emotional impact, but despite that, fuck that scene entirely, it's only there to be shocking. 3, the final scene when Amy goes from screaming for help to resigned fawning and begging was well done on the actress's part, and having the extended scene leaving you thinking that maybe something could shift and she may be freed because it just keeps lingering, even though you know it's not actually going to happen. In my notes, I said "This could have been well done in an actual film." Fuck this movie.

Scariest Moment: The reveal of Megan in the barrel is genuinely chilling. Props to the effects department, I guess. Fuck this movie.

Favorite Moment: "Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the North Hollywood Police Department. And when we return, a purebred Cocker Spaniel accidentally drives his owner's car through a store window :)" honestly kinda made me laugh. Fuck this movie.

Least Favorite Moment: The vast majority of the film. Worst is probably the summer camp scene. This is a 14-year-old going into detail about an assault when she was 10, which is realistic and unfortunately a relatable situation for some, but it's written like erotic fiction and in way more detail than would ever be considered necessary. Fuck this scene. Fuck this movie.

Would I Recommend It? No. Fuck this movie.

Midsommar

Director: Ari Aster Release Date: July 3, 2019 MPAA Rating: R | Drug use, disturbing ritual violence, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, grisly images, and language Runtime: 141 minutes Budget: $9 million Box Office: $48.5 million

Single Sentence Summary: Real family is the cult you join along the way.

Fun Fact: There are several Easter eggs to be found throughout the film that require multiple watches to catch. A personal favorite of mine is during a shot of Dani's parents in their bedroom at the beginning of the film. There's a framed photo of Dani on her mother's nightstand with a flower vase behind it giving it the look of a flower crown above her head, hinting at the idea that Dani's path was destined.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: Listen. I consider part of shadow work accepting the part of me that fully acknowledges that I have an uncomfortable emotional connection to this movie. I accept that of myself. Every piece is a part of the whole, without darkness there is no light, accept the whatnot and all that. Do I cry a little bit when she's crying surrounded by the other women? yeh. And I'm okay with that, because I am who I am. That said, actual thoughts on the movie - it's the tits, man. Anyone who has dealt with soul crushing grief and/or a partner who isn't emotionally available enough to provide support at the worst times of your life when you really need it knows how much more crushing the bad times can get. The people who are there for you when you need it can truly shape your entire world from that point on. When someone as devastatingly perfect as Pelle comes in to sweep you off your sad little feet and literally everyone around you makes it their life's mission to be accepting and loving and comforting, it can sometimes lead to being integrated into a cult, it happens. The story is painfully beautiful. The acting is incredible from everyone. Specific shoutout to Florence Pugh for making me weep throughout the entire goddamn movie, she has one of the best from-the-gut cries. The setting is gorgeous, always a sucker for daytime horror. The flashes of her sister throughout is so fucking well done. Gush gush gush.

Scariest Moment: The self-sacrifice scene feels like the obvious answer, but it's more shocking than scary. I guess I don't consider this film in general scary in the classic sense, it's not striking fear in the hearts of millions or making me jump out of my skin, but it takes a toll emotionally to get through, especially when you can find any level of empathy or similarity with Dani. For that, this moment I'll change from scariest to most devastating and give it to the hard cut from Dani being brushed off for her concerns with her sister to the quick realization that the worst case scenario has actually happened. Her cries as soon as Christian answers the phone while knowing how emotionally detached he's sure to be, fucking brutal, and it just keeps extending into deeper and deeper grief.

Favorite Moment: The May Queen sequence. It's so bright and fun and hopeful in this sea of emotional turmoil, but there's also so much happening in the background with Christian, the distortions from the hallucinogens, the flashes of her family in the crowd, and being fully aware of what the hell you're watching, you can't actually be that happy for her, but you're also just so fucking happy for her. Also, Pelle.

Least Favorite Moment: Since I don't have an actual least favorite part of the film in a technical sense, least favorite in idea will go to Christian's entire fate. As much as we all love to "good for her" this movie, being entirely honest, he didn't actually deserve what happened to him. Was he a fucking terrible boyfriend? Oh yeah. Was he going to cheat on her with Maja? Most definitely, yeah. But, technically speaking, he was ultimately drugged and assaulted, and his death is goddamn horrific. He definitely deserved something, but that wasn't it. He deserved to be single and miserable for being an emotionally absent partner and a total shitheel.

Would I Recommend It?: ***IF YOU ARE IN A GOOD HEADPSACE*** absolutely. This needs a few genuine "are you sure you're okay to watch this" questions before diving in. But if so, yes. Several times.

Gerald's Game

Director: Mike Flanagan Release Date: September 29, 2017 MPAA Rating: Not rated | Contains disturbing images, language, and violence including scenes of domestic and sexual abuse Runtime: 103 minutes Budget: N/A Box Office: N/A

Single Sentence Summary: A woman and her husband go on a romantic getaway only for him to find a way to get what's coming to him and still manage to nearly ruin her life in death.

Fun Fact: The headboard has the same design as the Lasser Glass from Flanagan's film Oculus.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: This is gonna be long. This is a tough watch, but I absolutely love this film. It handles trauma and trauma responses so incredibly well. It makes sure not much is left to the imagination about her abuse, but it doesn't feel gratuitous at all, just...real. Almost too real, but real. Her childhood scenes are heartbreaking to watch and really settle in so much of the present day of why she is the way she is and how she pushes herself. The imagined conversations with her younger self are so beautiful. Gerald is shown off the bat being this two-sided character. You can see some moments at the beginning between them before they even settle in where they seem like a totally normal couple and others where it's obvious he's a terrible husband. She's uncomfortable even being touched, so once the handcuffs are placed, her discomfort is palpable, and he shows his true colors, pushing her and making it clear that he has no intention to respect her wants. After his death, she begins to think about how awful he truly was instead of grieving the good times they had together immediately after his death. We don't get a ton of their backstory, but there's enough to settle in that she knew he wasn't a great partner to her, but we get trapped in these cycles and only allow ourselves what we think we deserve. Having imagined versions of herself and Gerald in the room with her is done brilliantly. Both of their acting needs to be applauded throughout the film. They did great with depicting her thought process and seeming like their actual counterparts but still separate from them entirely. There's a few moments where Jessie and her hallucinations finish each others sentences or start talking over each other, it scratches something in my brain just right. And the Moonlight Man. Yet another man creating trauma and haunting her through her life. It's a great way to create an extra layer of terror. We know dying of thirst is real. We know the dog is real. We think the Moonlight Man is real, but she's still alive despite him entering the home and confronting her directly. We see the footprint in the blood, but we still second guess it to give her an extra chance at survival despite everything pointing to yet another threat to her safety. Having her confront him in the end was a great choice, and the face switching from his to her father to Gerald, god it's so fucking good. It's cathartic to see her stand up to him, and in turn stand up to each man that impacted her so severely through her life, and be able to stare him down, walk away, and finally see the other side of the eclipse.

Scariest Moment: The first night. The build with the dog reacting to something and running away followed by the excruciatingly slow reveal of the Moonlight Man in the corner. You're looking as close as you can right along with her just for him to step into what little light was coming into the room. It's a tense scene and sent a chill down my spine the first time I saw it. Still gives me the creeps watching the shadows begin to take form. The foot licking dream is a close second, it's terrifying for shock factor, but I love me some good old fashioned slow building fear.

Favorite Moment: Most memorable goes to the escape. She's such a fucking badass. The effects were good enough to cause a visceral reaction, but it's so fucking awesome seeing her say goodbye to her imagined self, accept it, and do what she needed to do to survive. Most impactful goes to the note she wrote to her younger self and speaking with her on the bench during the eclipse. It's such a beautiful moment. Watching the eclipse finally leave in the final shot, fucking chef's kiss.

Least Favorite Moment: Not for filmmaking reasons, but the eclipse is just hard to watch. Her father's coercion tactics are fucking disgusting and take a lot to just sit with, but it's so uncomfortably real that it feels like something that needs to be faced. It's devastating to see her realization of what's happening just suck all of joy out of her. The follow-up scene from her childhood when he's making it out like he has to tell her mother what happened is infuriating. It's integral to the story, it's necessary, it's handled extremely well, but it's just fucking brutal to sit through. Her explanation to her imagined self and Gerald trying to excuse his actions and blame her dress, fuck man, I never cry any less with each watch.

Would I Recommend It?: If it's something you think you can handle, absolutely. Mike Flanagan is an all time favorite and touches on trauma in such beautiful ways.

Creep 2

Director: Patrick Brice Release Date: October 24, 2017 MPAA Rating: Not rated | Contains violence, self-harm, nudity, and language Runtime: 80 minutes Budget: N/A Box Office: N/A

Single Sentence Summary: A total badass responds to a Craigslist ad and has a very expected Craigslist experience.

Fun Fact: The song Sara Loves Her Juicy Fruit by Albert Natural can be found on Spoofy.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: Hey la, hey la, my boyfriend's back!

Such a great follow up to the first. Everyone involved seems to have an amazing grasp on mixing tension and comedy. You're laughing throughout, but you know full well that now-Aaron is unpredictable in a kind of predictable way. You know it's gonna go to shit, just not how. Adding Sara as an counter to Aaron was a brilliant move. She has a reason to stick with him that isn't just naivete or kindheartedness. She has a job to do, and the insanity that is Aaron makes him a perfect subject that she can't let go of. She's smart, though, and she shows she can hold her own against him. He even admires her for it from time to time. Fantastic sequel to a fantastic original.

Scariest Moment: The final showdown is fantastic. It was a great choice to have the camera focus on Sara while he stabs himself. You knew something was gonna happen in those woods, but him actually going through with stabbing himself was pretty surprising. Desiree Akhavan does a great job throughout the film but especially during this shot, keeping a defiant look on her face but being obviously terrified. The moment that he tackles and stabs her as well is both entirely expected and kind of surprising. Good for her getting her shot in as well, though, she's such a fucking badass, I love her.

Favorite Moment: Oh boy........Where to start.........I know already this is gonna be lengthy, but here we go: - The opening scene with Dave is a great way to start. We learn that Josef is now taking on Aaron's name, adding more to his story, we see the first (and only) kill of the movie with a great amount of tension leading up, and we establish the plot, that he's lost his mojo, as he contemplates his life. Using Dave's head as an armrest. - Every moment that Sara matches his freak. She "yes and"s the shit out of him, and it's obvious that he genuinely doesn't know how to respond. I love how strong she is and how dumbfounded he is about it. There are times where he looks genuinely confused by her responses and reactions, or lack of reactions, and it's like a glimpse of actual him peeking through and unable to keep up the act. - Give it up for equal oppornudity. It's not common enough to get male nudity compared to female nudity in horror. Not just saying it because it's Mark Duplass (although congrats dude), but it really is just refreshing to have a prolonged dick shot. Him zooming in on her face when she blindsides him with a "my turn" was a great choice as well. Still can't decide if it's because he wanted to focus on her face to get a close up response to the vulnerability of being naked or if he was just extremely uncomfortable with someone else taking the reins and being that comfortable in front of him. - "December. 1978. It was the last days of disco. The cold war was heating up by the minute." Such a fucking funny sequence. The arms kill me. The constant interruptions. Top notch. I would love to see the entirety of cut scenes. - The hot tub conversation. Another super uncomfy back story that's obviously bullshit but still so much fun. Plus the delivery of the line, "I was 15, but I could pass for 18, I was big for my age" made me laugh. - The look on her face when she locks eyes with Aaron on the subway is a great final shot. - The entire goddamn movie.

Least Favorite Moment: I wasn't in it.

Also giving away Aaron's locket, the disrespect. Don't regift your ex's gifts to your new partner. It said forever for a reason, Josef.

Would I Recommend It?: Sara Loves Her Juice Fruit, and I love these films.

Creep

Director: Patrick Brice Release Date: June 23, 2015 MPAA Rating: R | Language and brief violence Runtime: 77 minutes Budget: $500 Box Office: N/A

Single Sentence Summary: A man responds to a Craigslist ad and has a very expected Craigslist experience.

Fun Fact: The voice of Angela is played by Mark Duplass' wife, Katie Aselton.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: The first line of my notes was "Mark Duplass is my hubsand."

*actual footage of Mark Duplass at the sight of me* I love a good psychopath. Josef is one of my all time favorite horror characters. The pace and slow realizations (sometimes not so slow...come on, Aaron) of him being completely unhinged and unreliable is super well done. The acting from both Duplass and Brice is top notch. They play off of each other so well. It does a great job at creating a balance of laughs and...well, creepiness.

Scariest Moment: After Josef runs away from Aaron and is slowly revealed from the feet up blocking the door in his Peachfuzz mask. Jesus Christ dude. It's such a solidly unsettling moment with perfect lighting to accentuate how goddamn creepy it is. Imagine going down the stairs to see that shit lurking in the shadows.

Favorite Moment: Top 3 cause this is 77 minutes of perfection. 1 - Tubby time. This is the first extremely obvious tell that it's not some quirky guy doing something meaningful for his unborn son, he's an actual nut and something is extremely wrong. He plays it so well pretending to be 100% genuine about what he's doing despite how unhinged it is. 2 - The Peachfuzz backstory. We got a weird but touching story of his childhood initially, and this switch to a horrific story of assaulting his wife just confirms that there's not a goddamn thing this man says that you can believe, including this. It's such a thoroughly fucked up story, which you know he's just making up on the fly as he tells it to see how far he can push Aaron. 3 - Aaron's death. It really is shocking even with the slow build up. That thud is fucking nauseating.

Least Favorite Moment: Almost want to have a critique of Aaron (my notes include "Survival instincts of a zucchini," "Don't fucking go outside, dude," "What do you mean raccoons," and "Aaron you sweet, stupid bastard") but if he was any more aware of his surroundings, we wouldn't have a movie, so maybe he wasn't naïve enough? Least favorite moment is the length of the movie. I want more. I have nothing but love for this film.

Would I Recommend It?: I will always love it, and it'll always be my favorite.

June 9

Director: T. Michael Conway Release Date: June 9, 2008 MPAA Rating: Not Rated Runtime: 95 minutes Budget: $12,000 Box Office: N/A

Single Sentence Summary: A group of turdy 90s kids roaming unsupervised with a camera struggle with situational awareness.

Fun Fact: If anyone has any info about this movie let me know, there's not a lot that I can find online. She's a mystery.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: This is a first time watch. Strictly picked because of the date, I knew nothing going into it. Pretty standard super low budget found footage. I don't really feel strongly one way or another about it, it was fine. The acting was fairly believable as a group of asshole kids in the late 90s with access to a camcorder being little shits. Felt fairly genuine as found footage. It dragged a bit and the tone shifted a little too quickly from time to time from the kids seemingly being in imminent danger to them just kinda fucking around the next day. Once or twice makes sense, but it was a little too much jumping imo. The effects in the final act weren't necessarily great, but for a low budget project, it was pretty fun and had some moments that were bordering on disturbing, sound probably being more of a factor than the effects themselves. Overall, it gets a solid sure.

Scariest Moment: The first time they went in at night and the very vague figure of someone watching them could be seen in the camera but was faint enough you had to really look to see what it was. That was pretty well done. Didn't like the full person being so clear immediately after quite as much, but still a pretty unsettling scene.

Favorite Moment: The cult at the end was kinda fun. Seeing them taking over the camera and filming their own lives gave it a pretty decent ending. Favorite moment goes to the dad playing with his kid pretending they were driving with the pick axe amidst the mass slaughter happening.

Least Favorite Moment: Watching them go from these moments of experiencing something going wrong to a jump to the next morning of them just hanging out like nothing had happened was getting a bit frustrating. Least favorite moment goes to the kid seeing a bunch of photos of the them and their van on the wall, and telling no one about it. He got back to the van in a panic, they joke around with him being scared, he talks casually about the people he saw in the house, laughs about it, asks for his money, and that was that, no mention of basically a stalker shrine in the house. Granted, the next day was the first time it didn't cut from "OH MY GOD DUDE WHAT THE FUCK" to them pummeling each other and laughing the next morning, but kind of a key detail that it seemed wasn't actually important enough to share with the class. At the same time, they hadn't really proven themselves to be the most cautious and observant people, so maybe it fits with their characters, I dunno.

Would I Recommend It?: If you're a die hard fan of slow-paced found footage, it has some moments. Definitely not for everyone though. It was alright.

Hereditary

Director: Ari Aster Release Date: June 8, 2018 MPAA Rating: R | Disturbing images, brief graphic nudity, drug use, horror violence, and language Runtime: 127 minutes Budget: $10 million Box Office: $90.2 million

Single Sentence Summary: If you go no contact with family, maybe it's better to not try to fix it.

Fun Fact: In Peter's classroom scenes, each lesson is about inescapable fate and signs surrounding the main character being ignored regardless of how blatant they are. As he looks at his phone. And his crush.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: This was one of the most quiet theater experiences I've ever had. So many moments that the most I'd hear from the audience was some gasps and then pin-drop silence. The marketing making it out to be entirely about Charlie just being a weird kid and the focus of the entire film was goddamn brilliant. The entire cast was perfect with Toni Collette being an obvious standout. Her depiction of grief is enough to bring me to tears every single time. I've seen it described as mirroring the cult members kneeling, so I may have seen it completely wrong, but her rocking on her hands looked similar to labor pains, bookending her child's life, fuck man. Devastation. Right to the gut. Nauseating.

Scariest Moment: There are so many contenders, from the outright scares like Annie running out of the shadows and headbutting the attic doorway to the subtle moments of her and other cultists hiding in the shadows in silence. The fuckin...The piano wire decapitation is horrifying to watch, and the look on her face sells it so much more. I have to give it to the most gut-wrenching moment to me, immediately after Charlie's death when Peter is trying to bring himself to look in the rearview mirror. He needs to confirm what happened, but he knows exactly what he's going to find in the backseat. The silence while he stares straight ahead and slowly moves his gaze to the mirror just to snap back is such a perfect way to show without showing. And then they show it anyway after the fact when you aren't expecting it which is fucking great. The conflict is such a hard thing to watch and having it ultimately end with him not even looking and just slowly driving off and going to bed while saying nothing is painful.

Favorite Moment: I need to stop doing movies that I loved from start to finish...goddamnit it's hard to choose. Runners up: The dinner scene was so well acted with a perfect script to go off of; The opening scene seamlessly shifting from a dollhouse to the bedroom; Charlie's death - going in blind and having no way of knowing that the person I thought would be the main character throughout was just gone was shocking as fuck. Favorite is gonna go to the final moments while Annie is possessed. Toni Collette is such an incredible actress. Her facial expressions alone from the moment she's taken over by Paimon to her staring at Peter while sawing her own head off, it's haunting. Favorite moment goes to Toni Collette's acting. Can I do that? My blog, I'm allowed, Toni Collette gets every award for everything ever.

Least Favorite Moment: Alex Wolff did an incredible job. He's a great actor that really showed his range. His crying during the seance was the only thing that kinda took me out of the movie. SLIGHTLY. Tbf the other person crying throughout the film was fucking Toni Collette so it gets a pass. Unrelated gif cause truly he did a great job as Peter and the weird facial contortions and panicked screaming also deserve a favorite moment mention.

Would I Recommend It?: With nuts.

Alien

Director: Ridley Scott Release Date: September 6, 1979 MPAA Rating: R | Sci-Fi violence, gore, and language Runtime: 116 minutes Budget: $8.4 - $14 million Box Office: $109.7 - $188 million

Single Sentence Summary: What happens when you don't listen to your smart female coworker and her cat.

Fun Fact: Allegedly, the chestburster scene was causing so many moviegoers to faint, vomit, and/or leave the theaters, some theater owners were manually removing the scene from their reels to be more palatable.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: I used to work at a craft store. One day a couple was shopping and I was talking to the husband for a bit and complimenting him on their absolute angel-faced baby. He said, "Her name is Ripley. After the movie Alien. *baby talking* Cause she's gonna be a little fuckin' nerd whether she likes it or not, yes you are!" I've never been more jealous of an infant than knowing that kid had parents like hers. Alien is a classic and hard not to love. It's a fantastic blend of sci-fi and horror. The sets and creature designs are some of the best, especially for its time but it's still impressive today. Ripley is such a fucking badass. It's impossible not to be impressed by basically every aspect.

Scariest Moment: I'm genuinely having such a hard time choosing between the two big Kane moments. Either the tension from the facehugger scene or the shock from the chestburster scene...Probably gonna give it to the chestburster.

Favorite Moment: Another solid tie - either the facehugger or the reveal of Ash being an android, it's such a surprise...crap lol, I'll give it to the facehugger scene. I absolutely adore the tension, but god that's a hard choice.

Least Favorite Moment: Small nitpick, the effect of the xenomorph floating outside of the ship is a little off looking.

Would I Recommend It?: Watch the movie. Priority one. All other priorities rescinded.

Candyman

Director: Bernard Rose Release Date: October 16, 1992 MPAA Rating: R | Violence, gore Budget: $8-9 million Box Office: $25.2 million

Single Sentence Summary: A woman studying urban legends finds herself haunted by the very subject she studies.

Fun Fact: To achieve the effect on Helen when she encounters Candyman, Virginia Madsen was sent to a hypnotist. She found herself to be highly susceptible to it. Rose was given a trigger word to send her into a hypnotic state which Madsen said worked so well, she had to ask him to stop putting her under for the film because it was too much.

***FLASHING LIGHTS AHEAD***

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: By far one of my favorite films of all time that I could watch on repeat. Absolute work of art. Tony Todd as Candyman is played perfectly, and Virginia Madsen as Helen is a beautiful counterpart. The story itself, based on The Forbidden by Clive Barker, is well written and only made better by the entirety of the cast. Philip Glass's score is yet another cherry on top of this delicious cake. I really just don't have much to say that isn't nonstop praise.

Scariest Moment: Maybe an unconventional choice, but honestly? Helen coming home after escaping the institution to find that her (yet another) fuckass husband moved his affair partner student into their home. And they're painting it pepto bismol pink like psychopaths. It's more the tension of the scene than any outright scares not knowing how Helen is going to react. Stacey's immediate reaction after hearing her voice behind her is fucking great, the way she turns kinda smiling and just sort of collapses in shock against the wall, I love how confused and terrified she plays it. The entire scene is chock full of uncertainty about what the hell she's gonna do. And then she just throws paint on the wall and leaves, the strength of this woman. GIF not found, so here's the runner up.

Favorite Moment: Helen's first encounter with Candyman in the parking garage. I love the dreamy, hypnotic look on her face with the lighting accentuating it. Tony Todd's voice oozing into your ears on top of it, it's enough to freeze you in your seat. Such a beautiful movie. Have I mentioned how much I adore this film?

Least Favorite Moment: I really can't think of anything I'd considerate not good enough to be least favorite. This wig at the end is kinda distracting? I dunno, that's all I got, I freakin' love this movie.

Would I Recommend It?: The film, I can assure you, will be exquisite.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Director: Wes Craven Release Date: November 9, 1984 MPAA Rating: R | Strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, language Runtime: 91 minutes Budget: $1.1 million Box Office: $57.1 million

Single Sentence Summary: Have you ever had a dream that, s-, that you, um, you had, you'll d-, you w-, you could, you’ll do, you w-, you want s-, you, you could do so m-, you, you’ll do, you could, you, you want, you want them to do you so much that you die in real life?

Fun Fact: Fred Krueger was named after Craven's childhood bully.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: I think the first time I saw it was on TV as a kid with my mom. It may have been on VHS. I was very young. I think it's safe to say that it was one of my earliest introductions to horror, and it made a massive impact. It scared me senseless but in a way that it was driven more by awe than nightmares. Goddamnit I adore this movie. The dream sequences are surreal in a perfect way without being too over-the-top with trying to look like dreams. Krueger is such a creepy and fun horror villain. The acting was pretty well believable as a bunch of kids and a drunk mom.

Scariest Moment: Nancy's classroom dream seeing Tina after her death. Seeing her friend in a bloody body bag is so effectively creepy. The way she gets dragged by her feet by an unseen presence with the little arm flop is such an unsettling image. This scene probably made the biggest impact on me as a kid and my taste in what I wanted to see in a horror film.

Favorite Moment: Tina's death. The effect of her being dragged up the wall and across the ceiling while Rod sits in the corner watching confused and helpless, it's fucking brutal.

Least Favorite Moment: "Oh god, I look 20 years old." Shut up Nancy.

Would I Recommend It?: With a twirling lawnmower. Sweet dreams.

Carrie

Director: Brian De Palma Release Date: November 3, 1976 MPAA Rating: R | Bloody violence, disturbing images, nudity, language Runtime: 98 minutes Budget: $1.8 million Box Office: $33.8 million

Single Sentence Summary: A teenage girl with telekinetic powers copes with religious trauma and high school horrors the best way she knows how.

Fun Fact: When Norma is getting her hair done at the salon, she is still technically wearing her signature red ballcap by putting it on top of the hair dryer dome.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: I feel like everyone who was an outcast teenage girl in high school has a special bond with this one. Spacek has a great ability to seem like a normal teenager while being just odd enough to be believable as a target of bullying. The imagery, especially in the final act, is stunning.

Scariest Moment: I'm struggling with which to put for scariest and favorite, but I think scariest will go to the prom scene. The tension as she's going toward the stage knowing what's coming. The absolute silence except for the rope and bucket while she's processing what's just happened. The erupting laughter finally coming through. The pure rage and mental break that Sissy Spacek does an incredible job of showing through her eyes being such a stark contrast to her smiling and in tears just before. The imagery of her in front of the fire, inspired by Moreau's Lady Macbeth beautifully. Her head following her eyes as she scans the room. Come the fuck on. It's so emotional and angering and devastating and like, good for her but also Ms Collins was trying so hard and didn't deserve that, man. Fuck it, scariest moment extends to when she gets home, the entire final scene with her mother is terrifying. Her just standing behind the door still freaks me out. Just a nonstop anxiety inducing ride through the finale.

Favorite Moment: Literally any moment Piper Laurie is on screen. Margaret White is one of the most terrifying villains. There's nothing supernatural about her, she's just an obsessively religious abusive mother, and despite Laurie thinking she was over-the-top to the point of being comedic, she's 100% believable as a real person. She plays her in such a calm way while still being absolutely insane and horrifying.

Least Favorite Moment: The tux montage was weird. The sped up segment that was just a conversation they already had for some reason? I dunno, it's just kinda not great and throws everything off for a sec. Although "I don't like ruffles!" almost saves it. I can't find a gif of it, so here's Carrie being happy cause we all need it.

Would I Recommend It?: In the words of Chris Hargenson, "Watch it, you stupid shit!"

Rosemary's Baby

Director: Roman Polanski Release Date: June 12, 1968 MPAA Rating: R | Graphic disturbing violence, nudity, sexual content, horror imagery Runtime: 137 minutes Budget: $3.2 million Box Office: $33.4 million

Single Sentence Summary: A pregnant woman is gaslit by the entirety of New York City.

Fun Fact: During the filming of the scene where heavily-pregnant Rosemary walked in a daze across a busy Fifth Avenue, the street had not been closed nor the drivers directed for the film. Mia Farrow was told to walk directly into traffic as "no one is going to hit a pregnant lady."

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: Another great film that I've loved for a long time. Great book-to-film adaptation. I read the book well after watching the movie and felt like the majority of it I could hear the dialogue word for word from the film, it was a pretty spot-on depiction. The cinematography was fantastic (however, fuck Polanski). The surreal visuals were gorgeous. The acting was very much a product of the late 60s but really enjoyable. Minnie is a delightful little evil tiny woman.

Scariest Moment: Rosemary's realization that her fears had been right the entire time. Her face when she sees that her baby was not only alive but an inhuman thing, while everyone is being so nonchalant about "Yeah, you birthed Satan's child, you did a great thing, be proud," followed by her motherly instincts slowly sinking in and realizing that she did love her child. That overwhelming divide of emotions is awful to think of.

Favorite Moment: The dream sequence. It's pure art and does a great job of depicting a strange, disjointed dream that is influenced by real life.

Least Favorite Moment: Her fuckass husband's whole post-Satan conversation, "It was kinda fun in a necrophile sorta way," like what do you mean you absolute psychopath. The two options are you allowed that to happen to your wife or you did it while she was unconscious, you come out smelling like a asshole either way.

Would I Recommend It?: With a nice side of chocolate mouse.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Director: Tobe Hooper Release Date: October 11, 1974 MPAA Rating: R | Violence Runtime: 83 minutes Budget: $80,000 - $140,000 Box Office: $30.9 million

Single Sentence Summary: A group of friends and their Franklin are driving through Texas when they cross paths with a family of cannibalistic killers.

Fun Fact: While the film was marketed as being a true story, it was actually inspired by everything from the crimes of Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley to the graphic nature of news coverage to the political climate of the early 1970s to Hooper being in a crowded store, seeing chainsaws nearby, and imagining an easier way to get through the crowd. We've all been there.

Thoughts and Scares [Spoilers Ahead]

My Rating: I've always fucking loved this film. It does an incredible job at being so gritty and disturbing that it seems more overtly violent than it actually is. The over-the-top gore that people remember wasn't really shown, but the filming and acting make it seem much bloodier. Speaking of, acting across the board is amazing. It's hard to narrow it down to any one standout performance, but Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface and Edwin Neal as the hitchhiker are probably the most memorable. I cannot praise the visuals enough. If I were to include a favorite shot in these, like 3/4 of this movie would be included. Genuinely beautiful.

Scariest Moment: Kirk stumbling through the door and coming face to face with Leather...face.

Favorite Moment: Hard to choose here, but probably he dinner scene. It's absolutely brutal and completely unhinged. Grandpa trying to kill Sally is one of the most darkly funny things I've ever seen. Runner up is the little chainsaw dance at the end. Second runner up is Sally getting hit with the broom. Third runner up is the entire rest of the movie.

Least Favorite Moment: Generally speaking. Bless him, love him, there's a reason him staying in character made everyone else avoid him during the shoot. RIP Franklin, you would have loved Colin Robinson.

Would I Recommend It?: You're darn tootin'.