Not the entire movie, but this scene:
Oh man this scene haunted me when I was 8 or 9. A couple years ago I convinced my wife to watch this movie, and I eagerly waited to see her reaction to this scene. And when it finally happened, nothing. No reaction at all. I asked her, “wasn’t that scary?” And she replied, “That?! That was the worst costume I’ve ever seen.”
It was all the build up to that point. The fields, the dogs, the encounters where the characters never actually see them. The denial, trying to convince themselves it’s nothing. Animals, or prankster neighbors. Then in an instant, all their worst fears are true.
Your wife Shyamalaned you with that response.
What is this?
Looks like Signs to me.
Office Space. I could handle horror movies but that one instilled a fear of losing my life to the grind. I pretty much set up my whole career to avoid it. On the other hand, I’m in a pretty good place because of it. So I guess thanks, Mike Judge
Corporate Accounts Payable Nina speaking, just a moment! Corporate Accounts Payable Nina speaking, just a moment! Corporate Accounts Payable Nina speaking, just a moment! Corporate Accounts Payable Nina speaking, just a moment!
What career did you choose?
Programmer likely
Animator. And I was freelance for most of that time, so didn’t have much to do with office bullshit and felt I’m control of my destiny. I switched gears to software engineering, and now I’m fully remote (since well before covid) and work mostly on things I like, and make my own schedule.
E.T.
I saw it when I was probably 4 or 5? I had recurring nightmares for YEARS. Like, well into my mid teens. I’m pretty sure I even had one or two as an adult. I’m recovered now and I’ve watched the movie without incident, but I don’t like it and I don’t really want to willingly watch it again.
Which part scared you? I think for me, the guys in biohazard suits and big plastic tubes creeped me out.
That’s a good question. If I’m honest I haven’t seen UT in probably 15 years.
I think it was the cornfield chasing parts? I also recall just being super creeped out by E.T. himself. The way he made sounds, the way his fingers move, etc.
The biohazard stuff you’re talking about scared me, but I think just the sounds E.T. was making, not the guys in suits specifically.
arachnaphobia
I instantly tensed when I saw your comment, that movie scarred me for life.
The Mummy.
Conversation with my mom recently when the new movie came out:
Mom: Something something the old one was better, we should watch that one
Me: hell no I will never willingly watch that damned movie
Mom: What? But we used to watch it all the time! I thought you loved it!
Me: You loved it, I was 4 and the scarab scene traumatized me
Aliens. It wasn’t the movie itself, it was the TV adverts for it. A two-second shot of a door buckling as something pounded against it from the other side. I was exactly the right age to be shocked by the thought that you can’t shut the monsters out with just a closed door.
“The Thing” (1982)
I first saw this movie at the age of 13, in a very dark and creepy unfinished basement. It was terrifying.
Even after all these years, this movie still holds up very well to modern standards and stands out as one of the best sci-fi horror movies of all time. I just watched it again in October (my designated horror movie month) and it still never fails to make me uncomfortable and on edge while watching.
Coraline. I can watch breakdowns of that movie on YouTube, and even watched a several hour long breakdown of the Beldam and the entire story, but I still can’t watch the movie itself
I see you man they forced us to watch it when I was 5 or 6 at school, since it lasted longer than an hour I have never seen the end … I had nightmares for years I still can’t see that movie I’m 21 and I fear nothing except that ducking movie …
Now that I think about it, they read us Where The Red Fern Grows in 5th grade when I was 11, and the next year they had us watch it
We were barely teenagers and they hit us with that
Yeah that was pure sadism lol
Nightmare on elm Street. That scene where he’s walking menacingly down alley, his arms stretching so long so his metal fingers scrapping along alley walls… terrifying.
Poltergeist.
It’s only been very recently that I’ve been able to watch that movie and then sleep with the lights off. It just hit at that right time when I was in middle school that it cemented in my mind for life.
I feel like the practical effects still hold up, and the acting definitely holds up from the entire family. Just seeing a mom that freaked out onscreen messed with me as a child.
Also, anyone who watches that now needs to understand the social and cultural context of the 70s and 80s. We had this new technology that could allow recording and sharing of video, but it was slow and low resolution. There was nothing like ubiquitous cell phone cameras of today. So there was this constant sense that maybe mysterious things were happening just beyond your ability to see and document them. Like having bad glasses in a foggy room.
The advent of cell phone cameras really washed away that sense, and made the world feel much more concrete and exposed. But back then, there was still a sense that something like Poltergeist might really be out there happening.
I had a nightmare about that damn tree. Which made the Family Guy parody many years late somewhat cathartic. “You shall not pass!”
This was gonna be my answer. Watched it as a kid when my parents weren’t around. Finally got up the courage watch it as an adult. Yep, holds up really well.
The librarian ghost in Ghostbusters is still pretty creepy, you guys.
I’m very tired and thought you said “libertarian ghost”. Lol. Jesus Christ on a motorbike that would be awkward…
Dooooo youuuu have a moment to talk about the ghost-andard?
“ghost-andard”?
Sounds like “gold standard,” best libertarian-ghost pun I could come up with, without too much effort.
Lol, not bad, not bad. I’m just stupid. xD
Not scared, but Bridge to Terabithia scarred me for life.
The book similarly scarred us all when we read it in school
That’s the first book I ever encountered with an ending that made me angry.
The Fly… fuck.
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I watched the old movie from the 50s, it was playing on tv during an afternoon on a weekday, I was homesick. That was in the mood 80s. It scared me a lot, and I never watched the remake with Jeff Goldblum because of this.
Wrath of Kahn,
It was the first movie my mom dropped me off at at about 12nyears old. I’m sure she was grateful she didn’t have to go.
I was not ready for the earworms. Still gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Gah! The worm scene is the WORST.
When I read the thread title, that’s what I instantly thought of. I was about the same age and it was about the same situation, and I had the same reaction. And still do.
Ayy me too
The TOS Trek movies had some weird moments like that.
The transporter accident in the first movie is another weird tone mismatch
C.H.U.D.
Early 80s b-grade movie. Absolutely laughable from a modern cinematic perspective, but I haven’t touched it in over a third of a century due to how it scared the fark out of young-teenaged me. I have also taken a disliking to horror movies (in general) for that same reason.
