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Staff shares what movies scared them silly
Freddy Krueger in "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors."
Updated: October 25, 2012 10:05AM
Everyone wants to be scared on Halloween, right?
Maybe, maybe not. We asked our staff: “What movie scared the living daylights out of you?” Some have fond memories of scary movies; others share tales of terror and how certain movies scarred them for life.
The scariest movie of my childhood was “Night of the Living Dead.” As a kid from Pittsburgh, the intermittent news reports from actual local TV news anchors made the movie — which I’ve only ever seen on TV — almost too real. The idea of zombies out roaming the streets was wild stuff, and just creepy enough to be captivating. It’s fun to watch the movie now, because it’s black and white composition and the complete absence of special effects is so vastly different from the horror movies of today. — Chris Krug, Publisher
When I look back at my childhood, the movie I remember scaring me most was 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” There is one scene in particular that made me scared to go to sleep: Johnny Depp’s death in his bed. “Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep,” Heather Langenkamp tells him. Predictably, Depp falls asleep, and what ensues is the one horror film scene I will always remember. I didn’t sleep well the night I watched this film. — Jason Schaumburg, Executive Editor
I scared the bejeebus out of myself countless times as a kid by watching horror movies. And I loved it. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of cruising the aisles of Blockbuster, admiring the covers of horror movies — everything from a noose-braided woman with a knife behind her back (“April Fool’s Day”) to Linda Blair clinging to the gates of a creepy mansion (“Hell Night”). But one movie came close to beating me. I can still remember being my 10-year-old self hanging out in a park during the day with my family, and feeling quesy because it was starting to get dark and that meant closer to going to sleep and going to sleep meant dreaming and dreaming might mean “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you...” “Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” literally made me terrified of sleeping for weeks. I spent some of those nights tossing and turning, trying not to think about Freddy Krueger using a guy’s own tendons to puppet-walk him off a building. I should have listened to the end of the rhyme in the movie, “Nine, 10, never sleep again.” — Jenny Thomas, Features Managing Editor
I was about 7-years-old and all alone in the apartment on Churchill Avenue in Niles, and I wasn’t supposed to be watching television.But I carefully turned on our fragile, used TV set — yes, there were such things in 1963 — and tuned in something British called “Horrors of the Black Museum.” It started with hokey stuff about how the movie was in “Hypnovista” and I was supposed to be in the control of a limey who was going to murder people as an experiment. At my age, I half believed it. And then a pretty lady got a gift of binoculars, and put them up to her face. I can still remember thinking, “Come on, you’re not going to do that to her,” and they did it to her. Two big spikes shot into her eyes. I was hysterical. I barely slept for a week, and the scene kept replaying over and over in my mind after that — for at least 30 years. Stabbed in the eyes, stabbed in the eyes, stabbed in the eyes. Finally, I saw the scene again (accidentally; I would never have done so purposely). I saw the actress scream with her hands over her face, blood leaking between the fingers. Then, a shot of binoculars with bloody spikes. They never actually showed her getting stabbed in the eyes. — Irv Leavitt, Staff Writer
I tend to stay away from the so-called horror movies out today. I can’t handle torture and mutilation. I used to love slasher films like “Scream” and “I Know What You Do Last Summer.” I tend to find psychological thrillers more scary than horror fims. The Spanish film “The Orphanage” was one of the more recent films that kept me tense and on the edge of my seat. The atmosphere of the film plus the freaky child wearing a sack mask was totally scary. — Heather Leszczewicz, News Producer: Digital and Features
When I was 6 or 7, I stumbled on “Psychomania,” and it still gives me chills. It’s a British flick from the ’70s about a gang of zombie bikers. The scene I’ll never forget was a daylight funeral during which an undead Harley rider exploded out of the grave like a bat out of hell. Creepy. — Richard Bird, News Producer
“The Shining” ... All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy... — Matt Schmitz, News Producer
John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” back in 1978. It’s so parodied now through the successive “thrillers,” but this first (and only this first) movie with Michael Myers scared me throughout, especially the end when he disappears. Left the theater knowing he was “still alive.” Eventually the franchise parodied itself, but even now if I watch this original, I find myself wondering if Jamie Lee Curtis will escape death. — Brett Johnson, News Producer
My mom took me to see “The Exorcist” when I was perhaps a shade too young to see it. I’ll never forget her suddenly pressing her hand across my eyes during a particular scene. After we got home, my older brother crept up behind me and gutturally recited a line from the film. Him sneaking up on me like that probably scared me more than the movie. — Cyndi Wyss, News Producer
As a kid, I was terrified of the “Wizard of Oz.” Particularly the scene with the evil flying monkeys. Even though its not a scary movie, I think it scarred me and I haven’t watched a scary movie since. — Charles Berman, News Producer
As a younger mother, my teenage children thought it would be a hoot to take me to see the movie “Halloween” for my birthday. I was terrified and horrified at all of the blood, and the huge knife, etc. Of course, the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is usually scary, especially when falling into a pit of snakes. Women hate snakes, you know. And then you have “The Mummy.” Nothing like beetles crawling out of one’s cheek. I hate being frightened and try to stay away from movies like that! — Joan Molitar, Editorial Assistant
I saw “The Exorcist” when it was replayed in a theater many years after it was first released. It spooked me for weeks. I’ve never watched it again and never will. — Linda Blaser, Staff Writer
The original 1968 “The Night of the Living Dead” in black and white scared the living daylights out of me the first time I watched it. Maybe it was the zombies munching happily on people that grossed me out, but I think it was the concept of no escape from a certain dinner date with a zombie that really frightened me. For some reason, I could not reassure myself with “it’s only a movie.” It just didn’t work. — Mary Voelker, Assistant Editor, Page layout and design
I still remember the day I saw Stephen King’s “It.” I was in high school and was supposed to do laundry that day while my mom was out shopping. Instead, I remained glued to the couch for a good hour, petrified of walking around any corner or into any dimly lit room. The washer and dryer were in the basement so obviously no laundry got done. — Anna Tarkov, Staff Writer
The easy answer is “The Exorcist.” Little Regan writing messages from inside her body is pretty cool. But I first saw that movie at an older age. My childhood nightmares would occur after seeing “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for the umpteenth time. The Child Catcher was the scariest movie character I can think of as a kid. At first they are singing about whistle pops and Truly Scrumptious, and then there is the Catcher riding around town in his welcome wagon. I was determined that he was going to catch me. — George M. Wilcox, Sports Writer
In high school my friend Kathy had a sleepover and someone forced us watch “Lisa,” a B-grade, 1990 horror flick starring Staci Keanan of “My Two Dads” fame. The movie basically revolved around a guy named Richard who would break into young girls’ homes and leave messages on their answering machines, deadpanning, “My name is Richard, I’m in your house and I’m going to kill you.” And then he’d jump out and fulfill his promise as soon as the unfortunate girl pressed the play button. The movie was probably more hokey than genuinely frightening, but when Kathy’s doorbell rang in the middle of our viewing, every single girl in the dark living room screamed as though the psychopathic Richard had suddenly materialized on her Park Ridge doorstep with a hatchet and a huge Zack Morris-style cell phone. — Jennifer Johnson, Staff Writer
This is going to sound silly but the movie that I remember traumatizing me the most as a kid was “Little Shop of Horrors.” The idea of a man-eating, bloodthirsty plant — even though he could talk and sing — had me leaving the lights on for days. — Jennifer Kranz, Page Layout Coordinator
When I was 10 years old, “Child’s Play” came out and I watched it, (despite knowing that I was a total wimp when it came to horror movies,) during a slumber party. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep at all and every doll I came in contact with afterwards gave me the heebie geebies. Fast forward to being in my 30s. When I watched “Chuckie” make a late night appearance during a replay of the ’80s flick I couldn’t help but laugh. Why on earth would a doll barely 2 feet tall ever scare anyone? Kick the little jerk and be done with it! — Michelle LaVigne, Photographer
I also don’t get scared easily by movies, so it’s a tough question. When I was a kid, though, we stayed at a woodsy resort in mid-Wisconsin and late one night we watched “Night on the Living Dead” on the TV (Probably the only channel getting reception). It didn’t affect me that night, but when we drove home, I couldn’t look into any of the cemeteries we passed, even though it was daylight, because I was afraid I might see a zombie walking around as the one did in the beginning of the movie. “Living Dead” was a pretty low budget movie, but I think it being in black and white, and the fact that the “zombie” factor started slowly (we see only one zombie in the very beginning) and slowly increased adds to the creepy nature. — Laura Enright, Editorial Assistant
“Tremors,” as a kid it made me paranoid to walk on the ground, thinking some giant, underground monster was ready to come up and eat me. Now that I’m older I realize how cheesy-looking the entire production was and I can laugh at it. It’s still one of my favorite “bad” movies that I watch from time to time. — Steve Schering, Staff Writer
“Psycho” was the movie that scared me as a young adult and still continues to scare me. The character Norman Bates made you cringe, yet, at other times left you feeling sorry for him at the same time. Everytime you see this movie and you begin to hear that music during the shower seen, your heart starts to race and then when the shower curtain is being pulled back, you know what is coming, however you still jump keeping you on the edge of your seat. — Jo Ann Lazar, Senior HR Rep
“Deliverance” ... It was the terror of being stalked by inhuman-like killers in the unknown wilderness, as well as the appalling Ned Beatty scene, that sent me reeling in high school. Also, the strange backwoods Georgia characters the four “city boy” friends meet along the way, such as the banjo-playing boy. Great acting, great novel and screen play. I remember watching it in a downtown Joliet theater; it ended, and a full house sat motionless for 30 seconds or more. — Todd Shields, Staff Writer
Well, I remember “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson freaking me out as victim and pursuer wandered the empty halls of the abandoned building. A bit earlier in my life, there was the original “The Thing” which was preceded by much hype. It certainly didn’t disappoint. Then as a very young girl, my older brother took me to see an Abbott & Costello film, but it was “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” and I was so frightened I bit my brother’s arm. — Mary Ann Bottari, Editorial Assistant
