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Top Five Chilling Moments with Iconic Villains

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As the season of fear (and cheer) comes to a close, lets take a look back at some of the horror genres most beloved characters and their creepiest moments that spiced up Halloween for many years to come.

Every entry was chosen because of the effectiveness of the makeup and/or practical effects of the scene. No digital effects were considered while constructing this list.

1.) ‘Child’s Play’ (1988)

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Via youtube.com

Tom Holland’s Child’s Play has many scary moments featuring the titular killer doll, Chucky. But the scariest moment stems from the climax of the film, wherein Chucky is engulfed in flames by Andy and his mother and presumed dead.

After Andy runs to call the police he discovers Chucky horribly melted and charred and brandishing his signature blade. Chucky’s murderous gaze through lidless eyes and barred teeth and gums makes for a very menacing villain (despite his short stature).

2.) ‘The Descent’ (2005)

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Via weeatfilms.com

The “Crawlers” as they have been aptly named in Neil Marshall’s second feature are unique and absolutely terrifying. And a lot of that stems from their resemblance to humans paired with their veracious appetite for fresh meat.

“I wanted to make them human. I didn’t want to make them aliens because humans are the scariest things.”

The scene in the picture above is the first time the viewers (and actresses) see the monsters after a lengthy buildup, and the result is masterful and frightening.

Marshall’s decision to hide the creatures appearance and design from the actresses until the moment they are introduced was a brilliant decision that created authentic performances based on genuine fear.

3.) ‘New Nightmare’ (1994)

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Wes Craven’s first dive into the meta-horror game wasn’t perfect, he would come to master the concept later on with the Scream franchise alongside Kevin Williamson. But he did manage to produce the scariest iteration of Freddy Krueger, bar none!

While Craven would later come to regret changing Freddie’s look for New Nightmare, this design was actually his original idea for the titular dream killer in the first Elm Street film.

This scene in the hospital were Freddy comes to the “real world” and brutally murders Dylan’s babysitter Julie is not only a perfect callback to Tina’s death in the original film, but one of the best death scenes in the franchise.

Robert Englund gives a truly menacing performance as he towers over the human characters before delivering the killing blow.

4.) ‘Insidious’ (2010)

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Via wegotthiscovered.com

James Wan’s ‘Insidious’ is the scariest movie I have ever seen. It takes the concepts and setting of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist and amps them up in ways that didn’t seem possible before.

The red-faced demon is just one of many unsettling entities haunting the family. But this particular scene where Barbara Hershey is recalling a “vision” she had, revealing the silhouette of the bone-cracking demon hiding in the corner of the frame.

Once her recollection is over, the cracking bones linger, leading to the epic scare behind Patrick Wilson. A scare that will become a trope in the franchise, and subsequently become obnoxious. But in the franchises infancy, it’s still scary-as-hell and effective.

5.) ‘The Thing’ (1982)

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Via PopHorror

Most probably wouldn’t consider John Carpenter’s remake The Thing as a scary movie, but in the sci-fi/horror subgenre this classic is in a league of its own. It bleeds horror, and is genuinely creepy and unsettling.

From a practical standpoint, the effects are unbelievable! They defy imagination, and appear to only get better with age. The grotesque transformations, and bone-chilling sounds this creature emanates are completely unlike anything cinema has ever seen.

The constant state of dread and nihilistic approach alienated critics and fans alike when the film first premiered, and its not hard to see why. It’s an unpleasant (in a good way) film that ultimately ends on a downer and uncertainty.

If you liked the article or any other articles on the sight, give us a shout out in the comment section below.

You can also check out these awesome articles from other ihorror authors: Tony Runco’s ranking of all of the Halloween films or Waylon Jordan’s coverage of the Nightmares Film Festival.

 

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News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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