Dunno if such a thread has come up before, so...

What's the scariest (read: can't sleep despite having the lights in your room on and other 'self-courage' measures which fail) movie you've ever watched?

I thought that Ringu (on which The Ring was based) was scary enough for me - wasn't able to sleep well, kept on thinking of Sadaku, especially when the tv shows nothing but static.

But then I over came that fear after seeing some, uh, "nice" (a very big understatement) pictures of the Japanese actress who played Sadaku hehehe

Then, younger sister here comes with a VCD of "The Grudge." Ok, fine, I was building my TW2K (hehe plugging! ) entry and wanted to stay up night, so I watched it with my sis, after the latter's urgent requests to watch the movie with her.

I should NOT have listened to her.

How many here cover themselves totally with a blanket when afraid? Or leave the lights on? Or sing in the shower to keep your mind off the horror? Well, such "defensive measures" will FAIL MISERABLY after you watch "The Grudge" because, comrades, the Japanese THOUGHT OF EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK TO SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU!

Watch it. It's a must-see movie. Please share in my misery.

I'm able to sleep more-or-less now (after 2 weeks of fear-induced insomnia), but I still feel that she is there at the corner, crawling, coming, creaking... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!

Good thing I never watch those kind of movies. I dunno why. Last time when I watch it all alone at nighttime, I ain't afraid - until I go to sleep which really freaks me up! No kidding. Maybe a delayed fright effect happens on me. It could last up to a month without proper meditation. I tell you... I ain't afraid, it just freaks me at night, every night after the day I watched those kind of shows.

I'm with Shone_Red on this one, I never watch horror movies. I've just got too much imagination and can keep seeing things well after the movie ends in my mind. I remember very well being scared spitless by a later 50s early 60s movie called "It, the terror from outer space." I had nightmares about THAT movie for quite a while.

Back to the scarriest, can't sleep even with the lights on, movie. Some friends of mine in high school were horror film fanatics. They'd go to every horror movie as soon as it came out. The one that messed them up the most was the Exorcist. One of them, and this is a high school senior, wouldn't go into his house until his friend went with him to turn EVERY light in the house on.

Here is a morbid side story. Another friend of mine when I was in high school worked at the concession stand at a drive in. (Anybody out there remember drive ins?) He said they would always go through about twice as much catsup when a horror movie was playing than any other time. Kind of sick, don't you think?

Two 50's era movies scared the bejesus out of me at the time., The first was "The Day World Ended inwhich this group of post nuke survivors are stalked at night by the mutant humanoids with antennae, (Ok, today it'd be laughable) and then "The FIrst Man into Space" wherein the first US astronaut get seriously irradiated and comes back in this glitter suit craving blood. (Yeah, that's even MORE laughable...now. But I was like 9 years old at the time).

Truly great horror...Night of the Living Dead , Romero's 1968 original. Lugosi's original Dracula . As classic gothic horror, nothing beats ALIEN even though it's in a Sci-fi milieu.

I have to say that the new version of "The Exorcist" was enough for me. The "crab-walk" was just over the top and creeped me out altogether! I loved it - in a morbid sort of way!

I want to see Ringu too - The Ring was creepy but peetered out too soon.

The most scary thing that I've ever seen were every episode with Daggets in them from the original Battlestar Galactica! Nasty friggin' creatures those were! Can't sit through the whole episode without running from the room, screaming in bloody terror...

Got the shivers just thinking 'bout them...

Gunnie

When I was a kid around 7 my dad took me to see Curse of the Werewolf...I was scared for the next three nights. Now love a really good Vampire movie...like the first Dusk 'ti Dawn or John Carpenter's Vampires. I collect the classic 30's Universal stuff. Only need King Kong on DVD to complete it.

The Ring

While "The RIng" was in parts creepy, I found it ultimately very unsatisfying and failing in its internal logic.

Alien for me,for yuck The Thing, must admit Im a horror fan but I do prefer books, Dean Kootz The watchers and James Herbert The Survivor scared the crap out of me I have a vivid imagination. :-)

Funny Easy_Co, I can't stand horror movies but I'm a big Stephen King fan. The only book of his I haven't been able to get through is The Shinning. I get to the part where the old lady dies in the tub and it freaks me out too much.

Only Dean Koontz book I've read is The Watchers. Isn't it the one with a golden retriever as hero? I've got a Golden and I grew up in Southern California where it takes place so naturaly that one hits home.

I forgot about the first time I saw Alien. We lived in Germany then and had not heard anything about this flic. Word out was that there was a great Sci Fi flic playing. I took a couple of my Boy Scouts...one got so scared he left and went into bathroom to calm down. Yea that was one shocker if you didn't know anything about it. I met one of the cast a year or so ago. I had heard that when the critter popped out of chest, they hadn't told the cast so they could capture the real look of horror and surprise on their faces. MS Cartwright confirmed it

Back in the mid 70s there was a slot on British TV for horror films called Appointment With Fear. The usual type of film shown was the Hammer films from the 1960s. I could watch any of them [werewolves, frankenstein, the mummy etc] without any trouble EXCEPT when Christopher Lee was in one as Dracula. He was too terrifying for me as a pre teen and gave me nightmares. Even now if I see a still in a book of him in vampire costume the hair stands up on the back of my neck and when one is on the telly I record it and watch it the next day in daylight. No other film has ever given me the creeps like that. Just shows how some things from childhood stay with you.

Okay - no slappin' Daggits here...

The worst thing I remember - and it still creeps me out - wasn't in the Movies. Television's "The Night Stalker" just gave me the willys most of the time I watched it.

Gunnie

Nothing even comes close to the Excorcist. Still gives me the creeps.

Patrick

Update: I can now sleep better - but still with one light on, not ALL lights like before. Honest! hehehehe... sigh....

AJLaFleche: The Ring probably disappointed some because of the "high tech" effects used. For a much scarier feel, go see the original Japanese version Ringu. Ring 2 (the sequel) was also scary, but not much, while the prequel (which deals how Sadako became, well, er, Sadako hehehe) wasn't scary at all (although she was mighty pretty!)

Those who have an insatiable appetite to scare the bejeezus out of yourself, try watching The Grudge. I just hate undead crawling around with creaking noises and making weird head movements with open eyes and such

I don't know, I just don't get scared by horror movies, I don't know why...

But don't get me wrong, I am definitely interested in anything paranormal, it's just the stuff in the movie is not a very real representation of the true paranormal stuff. hehe.

Roger, thats the book, the part what got me was the cabin scene in the mountains when the guy goes out side and the beasties watching him from the woods then chases him as he runs back.i was reading that at 2.00am just me and the cat, all of a sudden the cat jumps up staring out into the garden,damm near fouled my breeches,i would reccomend James Herberts The Survivor.all about a Jumbo Jet that crashes over Eton in the country only survivor is the pilot he walks out without a scratch, then it really starts to warm up. They made a completely crappy film of it in the seventies Book is far better. :-)

Easy_Co, I have to agree with you about James Herbert's books being really scarey. Have you read "The Dark" or any of the "Rats" trilogy?

Martin.Im a avid book collector Ive got most of his books in hard coverexcept the rats which is worth about four grand Ive got it in paperback.i love his books their very English,I like the Domain the last in the rats triology,Ive just finished reading ONCE another great yarn Ive got his new one on the shelf but I havent got around to it yet.Have you tried Shaun Hutson or Graham Marsterton, both good horror writers more action and gore than the old Master but good reads all the same. :-)

Most "horror" films these days are disappointing. The are just too predictable. The first Alien film scared me the most, followed by the severed head scene in Jaws. Since then can't say I've been scared, just disappointed.

Hmmm, Legally Blond scared the living bejesus outta me. Does that count?

Yep! Both the first and the sequel scare the bejezus outta me too!

Gunnie