Top 50 scariest movies of all time

[Bianca Markos]

Top 50 scariest movies of all time



50. 'Arachnophobia' (1990)

Spiders. John Goodman with a blowtorch. Who's scarier? I'm sure we could ask Roseanne, but that's the subject of a much more frightening movie. Anyway, as anyone who has er, squashed a spider can attest, things with eight legs are creepy. Gross. Big ones that fly through the air when provoked? Even worse.

—Text by Boston.com Staff

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/top_50_scary_movies/

[Bianca Markos]

49. 'The Innocents' (1961)

There are few films that deal with insanity as deftly as this one, based on Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw." Are the ghosts in this film real, or just imagined by the nanny and the creepy children she's sworn to protect? While there are a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments, most of the scares come from the gothic atmosphere.

[Bianca Markos]

48. 'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2' (2000)

Blah, blah. Save your breath. Yes, "The Blair Witch Project" was good, but wasn't it a little gimmicky? I mean, if you find someone stupid enough to believe that crap was actually a "real film found in the woods," then you could also probably convince him or her that you spend your weekends in the clown car at the local circus. "Book of Shadows," on the other hand, is dark, creepy, original, and smart. Yes, smart. Trust us.

[Bianca Markos]

47. 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' (1971)

How could a children's movie sneak onto this list, you ask? What about the Oompa Loompas? What about all the whimsical sets and family-friendly ending? Apparently you haven't seen this film in a while. The scene on the freaky ferry boat is ridiculously scary — especially if you are a kid. We still can't eat chocolate without crying hysterically.

[Bianca Markos]

46. 'The Wicker Man' (1973)

A British police officer heads off to a remote island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Of course, he uncovers evidence of something more ominous going on and ends up getting a place of honor at a druidic ceremony -- inside the wicker man. This is not one of those thrill-a-minute movies. The pace is slow, but the payoff at the end is well worth it.

[Bianca Markos]

45. 'The Blob' (1988)

The posters for this movie carried a simple tagline: "Scream now, while there's still room to breathe." Get your Rosie O'Donnell jabs out of the way -- we don't want to hear them. "The Blob," contrary to popular opinion, did not resemble and did not care about your petty human humor. It just wanted to eat you alive. Still laughing? We didn't think so.

[Bianca Markos]

44. 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968)

Roman Polanski wrote the screenplay to this classic, which deserves credit for its sheer audacity: the devil on earth? We thought that honor went to Derek Jeter. But seriously, it doesn't get much better than this: Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation (was it in Allston?). Bad things happen. Watch the movie for details.

[Bianca Markos]

43. 'The Brood' (1979)

This one centers on a husband trying to uncover a shady psychiatrist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife. Sound good so far? Wait 'til we get to the bloody attacks committed by a brood of mutant children. They're like teletubbies covered in mucus, minus the handbags and those stupid antenna things.

[Bianca Markos]

42. 'Event Horizon' (1997)

This movie is visceral, gritty, graphic. The plot is complicated, intelligent, and rewards the viewer who pays close attention to the film. Unfortunately, the above ingredients probably canceled out the enjoyment of the majority of the folks who rented this flick — after all, we all like a dose of stupidity and a glossy sheen to our horror. Oh, well. If you're still searching for the best futuristic scream-fest since "Alien," look no further.

[Bianca Markos]

41. 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

A remake of George Romero's classic (#7 on this list). Same basic story, but updated. As the world is over-run with the undead, a group of survivors find refuge in a shopping mall. This time around, the zombies don't shuffle they haul ass. And they don't stop until they're in little pieces. While it lacks the satire of the original, it's bigger budget means more thrills. Oddly the best, and scariest scenes in the film happen as the closing credits roll. Just hang in there.
(Michael Gibson/ Universal Studios)

[Bianca Markos]

40. 'Eraserhead' (1977)

Considered the greatest cult movie of all time, "Eraserhead" is not your average horror movie. The film employs bizarre imagery to create a deeply unsettling tone. We dare you to not reach for the remote in the scene of Eraserhead trying to feed his misshapen "son." It might go down in history as the single most disturbing movie scene ever. Even by art-house standards, this flick is a tough pill to swallow.
(American Film Institute/Photofest)

[Bianca Markos]

39. 'Amityville Horror' (1978)

A family moves into a perfectly nice house in Amityville, N.Y. Then things begin to happen: black goo comes out of the toilet, flies appear (does this have anything to do with the toilet?), a voice tells a priest to "get out," and something with glowing red eyes peers through the windows at night. Sure it was an "Exorcist" rip-off, but it was "based on a true story!" That's got to count for something.
(MGM Studios)

[Bianca Markos]

38. 'Pet Sematary' (1989)

When you've penned the book behind the Jack Nicholson screamer "The Shining," people start closing their eyes in advance. That's not always such a bad idea. "Pet Sematary" is an oft-overlooked horror gem, which elicits chills less through a constant barrage of suspenseful plot jolts than a dead-on portrayal of the darker side of human nature.

[Bianca Markos]

37. 'Open Water' (2003)

A simple plot is sometimes the best. The film tells the story of a married couple on a Caribbean diving expedition left in the open ocean accidentally. They assume someone will discover they're missing and start searching for them. Wrong! Sure, the circling sharks are scary, but the sense of being hopelessly forgotten left us squirming.
(Handout)

[Bianca Markos]

36. 'Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)

Here's the gist: In the dreams of his victims, a murderer named Freddy stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him. Sounds boring? Just wait for the scene when Johnny Depp gets swallowed by his bed and spit out in a giant spray of blood. Awesome! Plus, those claws Freddy has are kind of creepy.
(Gary Farr/New Line Cinema)