Horror is a complex film genre that blends beauty and the macabre together to elicit fear in thrill-seeking audiences. They can be simple, blood-soaked tales about the dangers of vice, or they can be complicated challenges to society and the status quo (though, also usually blood-soaked), but one thing they all have in common is the fact that they feature some of the most disturbing, cringe-worthy, and terrifying cinematic images we've ever seen. To celebrate these scary, often beautiful images, One Perfect Shot put together what they think are the top 10 shots in horror film. Check it out below:
If you're a horror fan, surely you could add a myriad more to the list, probably starting with your own top 10 horror films. If you're into zombie flicks, you're probably imagining shots from 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead. If you're into slashers, shots from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Sleepaway Camp might come to mind. If you're a fan of the slew of body horror films that came out in the 80s, the special effects shots from The Fly, The Thing, Dead Ringers, and Videodrome are probably permanently imprinted onto your brain.
Here are a few of our own favorite shots from a range of different horror films. Feel free to share your favorites down in the comments!
The "killer POV" played a major role in the voyeuristic approach in Michael Powell's 'Peeping Tom' (1960). The film is highly regarded by critics today, but it was so controversial upon its release that it actually destroyed Powell's career.
Who doesn't love this moment when an alien suddenly bursts through Kane's abdomen in Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979)? From this point on, the audience won't be able to feel a sense of security knowing that at any moment one of the xenomorphs could burst throw a wall, a door, or yeah, someone's tummy.
The blood test scene from John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (1982) has to be one of the most tense moments in cinematic history. This is truly a masterful execution of both editing and cinematography to create tension.
Roman Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968) is truly an emotionally exhausting and claustrophobic experience, and Rosemary's reaction to finally seeing her demon spawn for the first time is as iconic as it gets.
Right before directing 'An American Werewolf in London' (1981), John Landis made hit comedies like 'Animal House' and 'The Blues Brothers'. So, clearly this werewolf picture wasn't going full horror, but Landis managed to combine elements of both horror and comedy in such a way that fans of both genres could enjoy it. This shot is a perfect representation of that.
I won't ruin it for you. Just watch Robert Hiltzik's 'Sleepaway Camp' (1983).
Source: One Perfect Shot
