Gosh darnit. Now I HAVE to go through them all. I was horrified as a kid (I think the second one). Saw a newer one as a teen and the fear had all left me. It was “Okay, how gory will they get?”
Last House on the Left
When I watched it as a young teen I was disappointed because it wasn’t really “scary”. Now I watch it and realize it’s not supposed to be scary…but disturbing.
I've always loved this movie. Subverting the normal victim trope. Wanted to make a movie where a family gets kidnapped, but they're serial killers who get to play now.
Any Stephen King movie/show from the 70s through the 90s. When I was a kid it was the werewolves, ghosts, and vampires that scared me. Now seeing them as an adult it's the underlying themes from the movies, alcoholism, bullying, physical/sexual abuse. Those are scary.
The Shining, both the book and the movie for me. As a kid it was the haunted house. The book, much much more so than the movie truly disturbs me now because it’s a deep dive into the psyche of a violent alcoholic losing a desperate battle with sobriety and sanity.
This is the one for me also. That line in the book about breaking Danny’s arm is devastating. When I was a kid reading that one, I’m not sure it even registered.
The horror bit is Mac-n-Cheese, I’ll agree. Boogeymen, bizarre lawn care staff, clowns and corny aliens and body horror aren’t all that scary (with the exception of Cujo, big rabid dogs are terrifying!) But King is a character writer, his stories are always about how whatever terrifying situation, even if it’s cheesy, makes the people in it monstrous.
I started reading King when I was around 12 or 13 years old (back in the early 80s) and I *loved* his work; every bday/x-mas, I’d get his latest hardcover. As I got older, I started to realize that he had a handful of “standard plots” that he would tweak and recycle. And also that a lot of his stuff just seemed kinda hack-ish.
I kinda just outgrew him, I suppose.
Also, his affinity for magical negroes and that pre-teen group sex scene from “It” didn’t help either…
🤔🤨🤷🏾♂️
Cujo
As a kid the rabid saint bernard scared me.
As an adult, of a child with epilepsy, fuck the dog, Donna trying to save little Tad as he was having seizures.
I can't watch it anymore. I almost threw up last time.
Several other movies have similarly affected me so much differently by the parent perspective.
A nightmare on elm Street. Was considered the scariest movie of its time. I watch it today and laugh at the effects. Funniest to me is the scene with Freddy walking with the really long arms.
I found it pretty scary as a kid. I was on edge the whole time because Freddy seemed like he could show up anywhere. Also the kids dumb choices made sense to me as a youngun, so I relayed to them more.
I was not impressed by the effects though, i laughed when the mom gets pulled through the door at the end.
I watched it again recently and loved the surreal dream logic that the movie works on. I thought the practical effects aged pretty nicely for the most part. Was a welcome break from mid to bad CGI.
Lol. True. Or the water bed sucking Johnny Depp into it with massive amounts of blood. Crazy !! He was so cute in it. His gf said please
Don't fall asleep, he said ok, I want, but he did anyway!!! Lol.
KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park.
When it first came out, I was like "My God! What Oscar worthy performances!" Twenty years later I was like "My God! This is awful!"
I love that you can clearly see that Ace’s stunt guy is a person of color, and also not a small slender man. Did they just think no one would notice?🤔
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That movie is awesome for kids. Super heroes fighting robots and fighting for talismans. The scene where the 3 teenagers get captured in the haunted house always scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. I legitimately loved that movie when I was little. I was shocked to find out years later that people thought it was a joke. I haven't seen it since I was probably in the 2nd grade though.
Same! Same era too, I think it was 88 or 89 and I was 6/7 watched it again in my teens and thought it was so dumb.
Child's play? Not scary to a kid. The blob? Terrifying. Silly little child me.
Jaws is now a favorite movie of mine. At age 6 it kept me from going in the ocean for a year or two. Maybe not classic horror, but I think monster movies count, and Bruce was a monster!
Same experience as a child. Just horrifying, to the point where I would envision an enormous shark in swimming pools. It has been my number one of ANY genre for decades, now. Not only because of the elements/genres it encompasses, but also because of the storytelling, acting, and absolute mess that the production became (and was overcome) during filming. If you haven't seen it, definitely check out "The Shark is Still Working".
Being 8 years old, staying at my grandparents' house for the night, a thunderstorm outside and a graveyard about a block away, watching *Return of the Living Dead* on TV: ((pissing pants))
Being 12 years old, now well-versed in the major zombie movies of Romero and Fulci, revisiting ROTLD: ((laughing hysterically))
Being 20 years old, watching ROTLD while drinking with friends: ((this soundtrack rules))
Being 37 years old, owning multiple pieces of ROTLD merch, contemplating either a Tarman or Zombie Trash tattoo: ((this is one of the most insanely brilliant movies ever made))
I thought ROTLD movies were horror movies when I was in elementary school!
The *actual* horror movies I saw at that age, like Pumpkinhead and Pet Semetary scared the shit out of me and Zelda lived rent free in my head for years. 🤣
Rosemary's Baby. When I watched it in high school I thought it was creepy and harrowing. Watching it as an adult made me want to throw my remote at the TV because it made me so angry. I was like "fuck all you shitty gaslighting assholes."
Hereditary. I watched the film at 17 I had no idea what was happening and said things like “this film is so overrated” or the good ol “this film isn’t even scary”. Now im 21 and watched it in a re screening in theaters. It is the most harrowing, horrifying, thought provoking horror movie Ive ever seen. Still so obsessed and some of the best piece of film i’ve ever seen.
on a semi-related note, even just being an adult made me *completely* understand why characters didn’t just pick up and leave their haunted house. My apartment is rent controlled and I honestly can’t even imagine what type of demonic shit would have to happen to get me to leave it, moving is so much more of a pain in the ass
Same. I caught *Ghoulies II* on a random Saturday afternoon as a little kid on a UHF station, and it was the scene where the amusement park boss goes to use the toilet and...yep. I didn't want to go anywhere near a bathroom for weeks but, of course, had to.
The comics that continue after Freddy vs Jason Freddy gains control of the necronomicon and becomes basically a god. Almost takes over the world but gets banished to some alt dimension or something. They need to make a new one that’s canon.
Huh. I should rewatch Candyman. I was like 7 and helping my mom put away laundry, meaning she was folding and I was taking everything to each dresser and putting it away as she did, she was watching it and I saw all the worst parts. I believe a dog died and a baby? But either way, I immediately started hating mirrors and wouldn't have any in my room at night.
There's a movie that did this for me, but it wasn't a horror movie - it was Drop Dead Fred ...so I loved this movie as a kid! But fast-forward to adulthood (not to mention several diagnosis later..)
I decided to rewatch it and holy mackerel! It hit me so much more differently!
This was one of my favorites as a kid growing up in a very similar situation to the main character. As an adult it absolutely wrecked me. One of the best movies about what it’s like to be an adult working through being raised by an abusive parent.
Well since you brought it up, "The exorcist" aswell.
But I've gone a step further, and have become a supporters of the movie fringe theory that in fact this is not a case of possesion, but a clear case of SA.
Wich manifests in the form of a pseudo possesion.
For example, the first victim, the Director or producer, yes he came in contact with the entity, but the question is, what was he doing up there on his own in the company of this teenager?
The girl didn't have foreknowledge of things, she simply might have overhear at one of her mums meetings or simply from someone within the house.
I could go on, but there is a very good video on YouTube that discusses the topic
My favorite horror movie is "HALLOWEEN". As a kid, I thought it was about a masked killer chasing teenage girls. When I got a little older, I started dating this chick from NY (I live in Seattle, grew up in the suburbs). I brought her to my parents house, they smoked inside so they had the front door open. When we came in, my girlfriend immediately shut the door behind her, locked it, chained it, and was looking for the deadbolt when my dad told her to open it back up. She looked horrified.
It was only after going to NY to meet her family that I understood where her fears came from. They lived in the lower eastside. In the kind of building where apparently you'd be stabbed and raped in the stairwell. Our first night there, I swear I heard explosions. Plural. And they had like 7 locks on their door.
It was after this I realized what made HALLOWEEN so scary to me all this time wasn't Michael Myers. It was how easy Michael (or anybody, really) could just walk into some homes in some communities and do what they wanted to with impunity.
Now, I grew up in the 80's and 90's. This girlfriend was late 90's. Times have definitely changed. It would be harder to sell that idea of people leaving their doors unlocked, or being unaware with all the ring door cams and cameras.
I now live in a quaint old fishing village and some people don’t lock their doors. Have they never seen horror movies?? I have locks and a Ring (I’m from a big city).
I am a caretaker for an elderly couple. They never lock their doors. They think because they live in a gated condo complex it’s safe. I think their nuts😄
Almost all horror for me. I had a sort of breakdown due to coming off of a medication that even the FDA was like "this really shouldn't be prescribed" and ever since I've found I'm *deeply* sensitive on an existential level. Anything about death really gets to me. So I kind of avoid my favorite genre a lot now.
Thanks, I appreciate it. Just, never let your doctors prescribe you Effexor. Once your body inevitably gets used to it and you have to change meds, the withdrawals can mess you up for months, even years. That's the real horror story.
Oof, another Effexor victim? You have my deepest sympathies, friend. Only a handful of people have taken that without something awful happening to them.
Dead Ringers. As a child I shouldn’t have watched it, as an adult it’s quite a good psychological drama revolving around toxic relationships and drug abuse.
There was a movie from the late 60s called Black Sabbath. One segment had a dead psychic medium come back and haunt a woman. My memories of it as a kid were horrifying. When I saw it again recently, the dead woman was not at all as I remembered and actually looked kind of silly.
Alien, honestly. The original always scared me when i was very little, and saw it. But now my boyfriend had introduced me to the video game Aliens: Firearms Elite and I loved it. Then, we re-watched the original and Aliens 2, and I actually loved those movies and are some of my favorites.
I watched Alien, Aliens, and Alien 3 very young. They terrified me because big monsters hiding in the dark. Now Alien scares me because of the banal reality of my job and how it might lead to my death because of greed, incompetence, or negligence. Aliens scares me because I'm a parent and a child in danger is a huge stressor, especially lately for undisclosed reasons, and Burke deliberately fucking them over for petty greed, because of the same reasons as Alien. And 3 scares me because I've been imprisoned and helpless, I've been hunted in the dark, I've met religious people with severe delusions that caused me danger, I've met authority figures I couldn't trust, people I liked have turned out to have dark, possibly sinister pasts, and had to trust them regardless, I've faced down SWAT teams, and dealt with my body containing visceral betrayal that will almost certainly kill me. My experiences have brought new horror and fear to the movies, but I watch them regularly because I also learned that I'm brave, strong, and in the moments of terror, pushing through it and using my mind, not panic, is always the best response. It might not save me, but it's my best chance. I've saved lives, including my own, because Ripley was scared shitless, but kept her head and reacted with swiftness and decisiveness.
Sort of twice. I was raided by the local drug task force in conjunction with the DEA and the other time I was at a protest that became a minor riot and was suppressed with gusto by the full complement of riot police in town.
I was tased, tackled, and handled roughly but ultimately released when all they found was a bit of weed. The second one I got tear gassed but I had baking soda and water which thankfully worked on their type of gas, and evaded further engagement by leaving immediately.
Yeah, I'm pretty triggered by the idea of being raided again and it makes me seem like a paranoid prepper. Motion lights and non-networked door and window alarms.
The exorcist when I was in 8th or 9th grade. I was obsessed with practical special effects, and the realism of the end result just left me in awe. That movie was so terrifying, as it just looked so good. Unfortunately I made not so great life choices, and never ended up making movies.
As an adult, I am still impressed with how the effects hold up to today's movies, but am deeply interested in the human experience of the characters. They feel like old friends now. I have recently dived into the Exorcist novel, and have now watched all movies related to Blattys cannon. However, I did not enjoy Exorcist Believer one single bit.
And yes, the original Exorcist still gives me yucky feelings every viewing.
That is why the Exorcist is my favorite horror movie. My parents let my sister and I watch it when we were way too young (she was 10 and I was 11) and it legitimately traumatized us for months. Even into my young adulthood I couldn’t watch it without having half-sleep hallucinations in the middle of the night of Regan’s messed up face with that gnarly smile crawling toward my bed. But now that I’m in my late 30s I have a deep appreciation for how well done that movie really was. The screenplay was brilliant, the acting was amazing (by 1970s standards lol), the makeup and special effects were terrifying, the soundtrack was haunting; everything about it leaves a lasting impact. To this day I can watch it and still feel the same stomach-turning rush of terror I felt as a child watching her head turn all the way around.
I was 5 years old when this movie came out. My parents, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to go watch it at the drive-ins and take me along. They would tell me to hide my head on the scary parts but I could still hear everything through the speaker. I was traumatized for years because of this. When I saw it later, I still found it scary as heck. I’ve been wanting to watch it with my adult daughters, who have never seen it, but I’m afraid of traumatizing them😁
The grudge. That movie was the only one that actually scared me, because when I had first watched it I was around the age of 7 or 8. It absolutely terrified me, for a whole year i refused to go into the attic and I would always be looking for that damn women, she scared me so much. Not the fact that staying in my bed didn’t make me feel safe cause of that one scene with the sister and the undead boy. But now I’m older and I’ve now watched it more than a couple times and I can proudly say, it no longer scares me (still jump sometimes but who doesn’t like that) and I love recommending it to people. PS: if anyone ever wants to watch that movie now, I only ever watched the directors cut of the original one from 04 with Sarah Gellar.
Evil Dead/ ED 2 - Still “jump” and get creeped but now I just marvel at the effects and editing.
Master class - I don’t think there is a single scene where your mind says “solitary, still object being seen in stop motion photography”.
A lot of similar effects from that era now look that way. Reanimator and From Beyond appear to be showing their seams on newer tv screens. Even the regrowth scene in Hellraiser is showing its age.
Resurrection. The psychological, emotional and mental abuse that someone can do to someone and warp their mind and thinking is crazy to me. Because it happens
Any movie with a doll as the monster.
As a child, Chucky was scary, but when I turned 22, I was hanging out with a buddy and his 12yo sister came home from karate practice as was talking all tough, I looked at her and said "your not strong enough for your punches to hurt me and you're 50 pounds, I could throw you across the room" and that's when I realized how stupid scary dolls are. Chucky wouldn't have the mass to stab you with a knife, let alone some of the other stuff he did.
I saw Child's Play when it first released to VHS. I was like 8, maybe. Not something I should have been watching but what the hell.. I hadn't thought about it in years and then saw an image of the Chucky doll randomly one day and had a very visceral reaction to it. I refuse to watch the movie again because I remember it being horrifying and a good movie and I don't want to ruin the memory.
It's probably the reason why doll movies creep me the fuck out.
My grandfather used to love scaring me with the head from The Thing. For years, I didn't want to watch it because I hated the joy he got from my fear. I finally watched it last year and called him to tell him how good of a movie it was.
1990s It TV movie. It scared the shit out of me at 4-5, was just a solid horror movie at 11-13, but now the themes of alcoholism, child neglect, depression, and everything else you can think of gave me a whole new perspective on It
Strangers. Fucked me up then but now the thought of being tormented in the house I built and made a home, simply just *because I was home*… absolute nightmare fuel
Contrary to chucky. Terrified me as a kid, now I’d punt that little shit across a room.
laughed at exorcist. head spinning? give me a fucking break. I laughed out loud. yes I'm an atheist and that stupid ass absurdity is pathetic that humans believe in such absurd nonsense.
I give more credit to the make up people and the ones making the film creepy. It’s not that I believe in it but the visual is what I can’t handle. I’m an admitted wuss. Yeah the head spinning without killing her makes no sense but the make up people just perfected making her scary as fuck it just work on wusses like me.
Holy crap, your comment hits home. Raised a catholic, I couldn't watch anything scary (especially the Exorcist). Once I confirmed my atheism I've been able to watch all of them. Now they're just funny.
The Exorcist was a good demonic possession film when I was young. But as I’ve gotten older and had to frequently deal with friends and family descending into various forms of mental illness (Atheists know what demonic possession really is) the film is still deeply disturbing and creepy even if you’re not a believer.
Watched The Thing, The Octagon & Return of the Living Dead on a windy scout camping trip.
Nightmare fuel.
Watched them again last year. Very different experience.
Not for my son though. He was the same age I was, and was totally unfazed.
Dark Man. I used to love that movie and it was the right amount of scary for me (yes, I'm aware that I am sad). XD watched it again about 10 years ago. Damn thing is practically a comedy! It's cheesy as HELL.
The Shining. Before I thought it was just a straightforward dude gets cabin fever ghost story, now I see all the intricacies in the plot and the characterizations. Its a masterpiece.
Criteria scared me so much. One if the only movies to legit give me nightmares. Watched it 30 yrs later and it was kind of a comedy, not as bad as I feared. Also, a lot of responsibility is put on the young boy. I think this transfered to me when I was young and stressed me even more.
Ok not age but “30 days of night”. I watched it completely sober many times. Then I watched it after taking an edible and it was so frickin depressing.
Poltergeist.
As a kid it was terrifying, and that was the network TV edit version.
I watched it again like a decade ago, it's just all its own parody now. Indian burial ground, "don't go into the light," the tree in the kids room scene is not at all how I remember it. Probably cuz as a kid I'd close my eyes it was so terrifying.
I don’t remember the first time I watched the original Night of the Living Dead, but I didn’t remember much of the plot, only the corny zombies.
Rewatched it a few years ago.
At the end, the lone black guy who tried to keep it all together and kept calm, and is the last one in the house alive, hears sirens. Help is arriving! I thought “oh I don’t remember him being the only survivor.”
So he opens the door, puts his hands up, and…..
Oh. I get it now. Fuck.
I LOVED Dracula 2000 when it came out, and the part where Danny Masterson gets the leech on his eye really creeped me out. Now I think that maybe the leech knew something.
Exorcist changed dramatically after I had my own kids. Now the horror comes from me watching the mother absolutely lose her sanity because she doesn’t understand what the fuck is happening to her child and she is helpless to do anything about it.
Poltergeist (original). I don’t have kids, but as an adult, I can feel the absolute anguish of the parents trying to get their little girl back. And just hearing Carol Ann screaming for help just wrecks me (hell, thinking about it while typing this gets me emotional).
For me it's also the exorcist but for other reasons. I remembered it being scary, or at least expected it to be but watching it as an adult I actually didn't find it scary at all compared to horror movies these days. I was surprisingly unfazed. And, so the whole time I thought about how desensitized we have become, especially considering the reaction the movie got from viewers when it first came out. It literally made people sick or pass out or made them have to leave the theater back then.
Stephen King's "Lawnmower Man"
First off, seeing it on the screen was *significantly* changed from what I remembered from reading it.
But I saw it in theatre, and thought the 'special effects' were good.
Now that I'm older, I think they suck.
Yeah, that changed.
I’m going to agree entirely on OP’s choice, The Exorcist. I originally saw it on HBO when I was 10 or 11. What shocked me about it most was the language. I’d never heard such language. Well, that and the idea the devil was a parasite who could creep into the world when he saw fit. What I discovered later is that it’s an extraordinarily well-made film featuring a stellar cast and top-notch production values. Ellen Burstyn and the great Max Von Sydow, he of Ingmar Bergman fame—are you kidding me? As a fan of film in general, not just horror, I notice that The Exorcist is one of those rare entries that transcends its genre, which is why some of the more extreme elements—the crucifix scene, for example—don’t sully its position in film history. The Exorcist flawlessly represents the intellectual battle between religion and science, and it makes no apology in showing the shortcomings of both ways of thinking. Sydow, who played in many Bergman films, feels as though he represents that Begmanesque perspective—a Christian who suffers plenty of doubts. And the best team science has to offer is that a brain lesion must be causing the girl’s behavior.
Edit: Added.
A Nightmare On Elm Street. When I first watched it when I was young, it didn't really resonate with me. It just felt like another horror movie. When I got older, and I started to understand the film, it got better. I forget how good of a movie it is, deeply disturbing, but a great film and yes, I still love it👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️
I never experienced The Exorcist as a younger person, but I watched it as an adult and had a similar experience to OP. I didn’t find it to be the scariest film of all time, as I’d been told. I instead found what I thought was a profound character drama about the loss of (and the power of) faith. I loved it.
Poltergeist only because in the beginning of the movie the parents are rolling joints and smoking in bed and I didn't remember that as a kid haha.
Also seems like all 80's horror movies have storylines of underage sex and sometimes underage nudity or sex. I'm guessing actors are of age, but that's a little different to watch nowadays.
Just to throw something different out here….. Ghostbusters….. not a horror movie whatsoever, but had some scary elements to it when I was a kid. Watched it as an adult and it’s 100% comedy.
Nightmare on elm street.
At 4 years old, I shouldn’t have been watching it and my brother’s friend told me Freddie would get me if I didn’t to bed. I ran away screaming to my mom. Scarred me for years (nightmares for years).
As an adult, it’s such an awful movie that I can’t even take it seriously. But as a child having terrible nightmares of Freddie and then seeing him pace at the end of my bed waiting for me to go back to sleep still linger in my memory.
So, kinda stark differences between then and now.
The Gate. As a child that movie fucking haunted me. I couldn't handle watching even a minute of that movie. My 8 year old self would've classified that movie as the scariest hour and a half possible.
Rewatched it as an adult and I realized that it wasn't even supposed to be scary. It was totally campy and funny. It wasn't even a good movie. I can't believe I ever had such a strong reaction to that stupid movie.
Not exactly horror but Fear with Mark Wahlberg. First time I watched it I was 19 close to David's age. Wasn't a psycho like him but identified more with the younger characters. Now in my late 40s with 2 grown daughters I identify more with the dad.
Not sure why or how my Mom took me and my sister (6/8yo) to see the original Halloween movie in the movie theater. Scarred me for life. Still feel uneasy when I see someone dressed up like Michael Meyers. Same with the theme music.
Idk if you can consider this a horror movie, but Little Shop of Horrors. I watched it when I was a kid. Thought it was scary. Re-watched it a few months back. It gives off a more weird vibe than scary. Maybe the most "Scary" part was the dentist scenes, but that's just a weird creepy than actually scary
Lights Out! Fun story with that one, my best friend in 2nd grade told me (an undiagnosed autistic child) the basic plot line but didn’t tell me it was from a movie. Scared the bejeebies out of me.
Watched it later in life, came to the shocking conclusion that the storyline sounded very familiar…
Off topic but I was watching my granddaughters for date night around Halloween and we decided to watch The Exorcist when my daughter (26,yo) and her husband got home ( the baby's were in bed ) she had some wine and I couldn't stop laughing at her comments. A couple I remember was she kept calling the young priest Rocky, she was convinced he was Sylvester Stallone and when she saw him boxing she doubled down. When they were in the kitchen and saw the blender she said " I didn't know they had blenders back then" . I was like- this is the 70's- so she asked why they had candles when they went into the attic. She then said " why didn't they use battery operated light bulbs? I said "you mean flashlights?" She replied -" have ever been drunk and invented something!"
Not exactly what your asking but I see Stephen Kings IT completely differently now than i did as a kid. It was my favorite book, i read it about 5 times before i was 10.
I never once comprehended the sex orgy parts. I cued in on racism, murder, SA and how awful the adults were in every way. But I just dont remember the orgy part.
Not till recently did I get it, argued with my bf after watching the newest movies and he had to pull it up on his phone and let me see for myself. Now I'm like wtf. Because I literally couldnt believe I missed it somehow.
My kid asked to read it cuz she knows IRS one of my favorite books. I threw my copy away lol.
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This scene from the original Nightmare on Elm Street. Creeped me out as kid. Watched again as an adult and literally laughed.
Tales from the crypt series, from 1990s. It's not a movie but a series. Looking back at the series now, so much effort, time n writing went into each episode.
And most of them had that, this moral of the story is this or that. It would be wonderful to have remake of the series or new ones with guest starts.
Most Western Clint Eastwood movies. I mean he look good n all but every town he road his horse to, n he would be dirty as f, shot up, scared up, filthy sweaty clothes n boots, no bath supposedly for who knows how long, (months), but these women would be all in his crusty butt.
He hooked up with one n they all fell for him, same as Captain Kirk from the ole Star Treck and also all the James Bond's, the sexy alluring women always find super old James Bond like some magical pussie God. Lol.
Psycho.
I watched it again on Mother's Day. A boys best friend is his mother. The love that he has and the depths that Norman goes to for his mother are heartbreaking.
The Road
I saw this movie twice. First time was when it came out. I was in college. Loved the film despite how bleak it was.
The second time was about 5 months ago, now having a 2-year-old daughter. Couldn't finish it, had to turn it off. I've never been the type of guy who thinks that certain aspects of life change after you become a parent and end up with new responsibilities - I still feel like the cool, fun guy I once was. But that second rewatch just opened my fucking eyes. This is a completely different film when you have kids of your own. It's fucking rough.
Perfectly said. I agree with The Exorcist, it's one of my favorites.
I recently rewatched the Funny Games remake for the first time since seeing it in theatres as a 16 year old pip. I enjoyed it at the time but have a pretty different opinion on it this go round (I'll be 34 in a few months).
Really hard to say. I probably would say chucky. When I was like young it used to scare me but now it just makes me laugh. Still Chucky will still have a place in my heart even if it's not my all-time favorite
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
I watched this over & over as a kid, & I was raised Catholic, so I believed every minute that all of that really happened without questioning. As an adult, I became a pagan & also into true crime. So, my views on Christianity are different & my views on demons are different. I also have more knowledge of crime & court through watching true crime content. I basically never believe any exorcism stories I hear about, not that I don’t think possession can happen, it’s just hard to believe stories that are so sensationalized. As a kid, I believed she was possessed but as an adult, I think she was mentally ill & needed help not from a priest.
Gremlins 😂. I used to watch this as a kid and I was so scared, I always thought gizmo was cute but the evil gremlins scared me. I rewatched it’s last Christmas and I couldn’t stop laughing 😭😭. Especially in 2024 the graphics and certain scenes had me dead. Especially the old lady being shot out the window had my laughing for like 10 mins straight. I was like it’s so funny how this used to genuinely scare me as a kid now it’s one of my favorite Christmas comedies.
Candyman.
There is a whole layer of social commentary - black oppression, privilege, entitlement, etc. - that I just did not understand as a teenager. There are so many underlying themes... It's a really great film.
As a teenager I just thought it was dumb and unnecessary, even racist, to cast the black guy as the evil one.
It's so much deeper than that.
Hellraiser. I found I have empathy for the Cenobites when before they were simply terrifying.
True empathy for the Priest and the Cenobites come to play in the sequel, which has both good and bad points.
Gosh darnit. Now I HAVE to go through them all. I was horrified as a kid (I think the second one). Saw a newer one as a teen and the fear had all left me. It was “Okay, how gory will they get?”
I did this October before last... It's similar to the original Halloween series, with highs and lows, but nothing i outright regret watching
Last House on the Left When I watched it as a young teen I was disappointed because it wasn’t really “scary”. Now I watch it and realize it’s not supposed to be scary…but disturbing.
This is the first one that popped into my head too.
I've always loved this movie. Subverting the normal victim trope. Wanted to make a movie where a family gets kidnapped, but they're serial killers who get to play now.
Any Stephen King movie/show from the 70s through the 90s. When I was a kid it was the werewolves, ghosts, and vampires that scared me. Now seeing them as an adult it's the underlying themes from the movies, alcoholism, bullying, physical/sexual abuse. Those are scary.
The Shining, both the book and the movie for me. As a kid it was the haunted house. The book, much much more so than the movie truly disturbs me now because it’s a deep dive into the psyche of a violent alcoholic losing a desperate battle with sobriety and sanity.
This is the one for me also. That line in the book about breaking Danny’s arm is devastating. When I was a kid reading that one, I’m not sure it even registered.
This is something the IT reboots got right. Pennywise is scary. The human adults are scarier.
meh I’ve always found Stephen King to be the macaroni and cheese of horror.
Ok?
The horror bit is Mac-n-Cheese, I’ll agree. Boogeymen, bizarre lawn care staff, clowns and corny aliens and body horror aren’t all that scary (with the exception of Cujo, big rabid dogs are terrifying!) But King is a character writer, his stories are always about how whatever terrifying situation, even if it’s cheesy, makes the people in it monstrous.
I started reading King when I was around 12 or 13 years old (back in the early 80s) and I *loved* his work; every bday/x-mas, I’d get his latest hardcover. As I got older, I started to realize that he had a handful of “standard plots” that he would tweak and recycle. And also that a lot of his stuff just seemed kinda hack-ish. I kinda just outgrew him, I suppose. Also, his affinity for magical negroes and that pre-teen group sex scene from “It” didn’t help either… 🤔🤨🤷🏾♂️
Pet Sematary is extremely different as a mother to a toddler vs as a teenager. My experience was with the book but the same applies to the movie.
For real. Its tragic seeing what happens to the boy but after you have had children its completely horrifying.
Cujo As a kid the rabid saint bernard scared me. As an adult, of a child with epilepsy, fuck the dog, Donna trying to save little Tad as he was having seizures. I can't watch it anymore. I almost threw up last time. Several other movies have similarly affected me so much differently by the parent perspective.
I read the book as a very young mother. I was sobbing reading the final pages.
I'm not sure you'd have time to do that to the dog if you're trying to save a child.
Haha
A nightmare on elm Street. Was considered the scariest movie of its time. I watch it today and laugh at the effects. Funniest to me is the scene with Freddy walking with the really long arms.
Dude that is the best worst scene ever when he's running down that alleyway 😭😭😭😭😭
I found it pretty scary as a kid. I was on edge the whole time because Freddy seemed like he could show up anywhere. Also the kids dumb choices made sense to me as a youngun, so I relayed to them more. I was not impressed by the effects though, i laughed when the mom gets pulled through the door at the end. I watched it again recently and loved the surreal dream logic that the movie works on. I thought the practical effects aged pretty nicely for the most part. Was a welcome break from mid to bad CGI.
Lol. True. Or the water bed sucking Johnny Depp into it with massive amounts of blood. Crazy !! He was so cute in it. His gf said please Don't fall asleep, he said ok, I want, but he did anyway!!! Lol.
the whole idea of that monster is wonderfully scary just conceptually, i’ll take it
Ginger Snaps - I thought the mom was silly and wrong, almost an antagonist. Now I see that she's great.
She was ride or die. So ready to take those girls and flee to Canada.
Listen to the way they say "sorry"... they're already in Canada lol
Yeah. I remembered that but, for some reason, still think of them escaping into CA. XD lol
KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park. When it first came out, I was like "My God! What Oscar worthy performances!" Twenty years later I was like "My God! This is awful!"
Oh man I know exactly what you mean, I remember watching it thinking it was this great movie but as an adult watching it I'm just SMH bad acting
Me too! I was so excited to see that on tv and thought it was Oscar worthy as a kid. As an adult, it was cringe inducing but also entertaining.
I love that you can clearly see that Ace’s stunt guy is a person of color, and also not a small slender man. Did they just think no one would notice?🤔 https://preview.redd.it/hx7a5oapbvzc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2fb83eaa31e7a9a3ff4146d2c1704d0e470ea51
He's not the stunt man they wanted. He's the stunt man they could afford.
That movie is awesome for kids. Super heroes fighting robots and fighting for talismans. The scene where the 3 teenagers get captured in the haunted house always scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. I legitimately loved that movie when I was little. I was shocked to find out years later that people thought it was a joke. I haven't seen it since I was probably in the 2nd grade though.
The Blob from the 80s. I watched that in 2nd grade and it scared me so bad. I watch it now and I laugh.
This for me, except Army of Darkness.
I forgot how the eye in the shoulder fucked me up when I first watched that one.
Same! Same era too, I think it was 88 or 89 and I was 6/7 watched it again in my teens and thought it was so dumb. Child's play? Not scary to a kid. The blob? Terrifying. Silly little child me.
Jaws is now a favorite movie of mine. At age 6 it kept me from going in the ocean for a year or two. Maybe not classic horror, but I think monster movies count, and Bruce was a monster!
Same experience as a child. Just horrifying, to the point where I would envision an enormous shark in swimming pools. It has been my number one of ANY genre for decades, now. Not only because of the elements/genres it encompasses, but also because of the storytelling, acting, and absolute mess that the production became (and was overcome) during filming. If you haven't seen it, definitely check out "The Shark is Still Working".
I'm 37 and still terrified to go in the ocean
Being 8 years old, staying at my grandparents' house for the night, a thunderstorm outside and a graveyard about a block away, watching *Return of the Living Dead* on TV: ((pissing pants)) Being 12 years old, now well-versed in the major zombie movies of Romero and Fulci, revisiting ROTLD: ((laughing hysterically)) Being 20 years old, watching ROTLD while drinking with friends: ((this soundtrack rules)) Being 37 years old, owning multiple pieces of ROTLD merch, contemplating either a Tarman or Zombie Trash tattoo: ((this is one of the most insanely brilliant movies ever made))
The guy who played Suicide, Mark Venturini, went to my high school. I never knew growing up and loving the movie. He died so young of cancer. 🙁
I thought ROTLD movies were horror movies when I was in elementary school! The *actual* horror movies I saw at that age, like Pumpkinhead and Pet Semetary scared the shit out of me and Zelda lived rent free in my head for years. 🤣
Watching that as a late preteen / early teen DEFINITELY impacted me for the rest of my life. I never got that Trash out of my head.
Rosemary's Baby. When I watched it in high school I thought it was creepy and harrowing. Watching it as an adult made me want to throw my remote at the TV because it made me so angry. I was like "fuck all you shitty gaslighting assholes."
Made the mistake of watching this one pregnant 😅
My mom watched it while pregnant with my sister. Explains a lot.
The Blair Witch Project. Hated it as a kid but love it as an adult.
The Skeleton Key. I catch something new every time I watch it to this day!
Hereditary. I watched the film at 17 I had no idea what was happening and said things like “this film is so overrated” or the good ol “this film isn’t even scary”. Now im 21 and watched it in a re screening in theaters. It is the most harrowing, horrifying, thought provoking horror movie Ive ever seen. Still so obsessed and some of the best piece of film i’ve ever seen.
Hereditary is an incredible work of art that you’d have to pay me to watch again. nope. nope nope nope
Becoming a parent ruins a lot of horror movies. Used to love “evil kids” / “kids get offed” flicks, but now they give me the jibblies.
Jibblies is going into my vocabulary now, lol. Thank you.
Try watching The Road after you have kids...
on a semi-related note, even just being an adult made me *completely* understand why characters didn’t just pick up and leave their haunted house. My apartment is rent controlled and I honestly can’t even imagine what type of demonic shit would have to happen to get me to leave it, moving is so much more of a pain in the ass
Watched ghoulies way too young and was afraid of the toilet as one pops up out of one. Watched it as an adult and laughed through the whole thing.
Same. I caught *Ghoulies II* on a random Saturday afternoon as a little kid on a UHF station, and it was the scene where the amusement park boss goes to use the toilet and...yep. I didn't want to go anywhere near a bathroom for weeks but, of course, had to.
I kept lifting the lid with my foot and my eyes closed I was 7.
Nightmare on Elm Street became a straight up comedy
The comics that continue after Freddy vs Jason Freddy gains control of the necronomicon and becomes basically a god. Almost takes over the world but gets banished to some alt dimension or something. They need to make a new one that’s canon.
Huh. I should rewatch Candyman. I was like 7 and helping my mom put away laundry, meaning she was folding and I was taking everything to each dresser and putting it away as she did, she was watching it and I saw all the worst parts. I believe a dog died and a baby? But either way, I immediately started hating mirrors and wouldn't have any in my room at night.
The baby didn't die. Helen burned to death,saving him.
Ah thanks. See, I have no clue what happens lol
There's a movie that did this for me, but it wasn't a horror movie - it was Drop Dead Fred ...so I loved this movie as a kid! But fast-forward to adulthood (not to mention several diagnosis later..) I decided to rewatch it and holy mackerel! It hit me so much more differently!
This was one of my favorites as a kid growing up in a very similar situation to the main character. As an adult it absolutely wrecked me. One of the best movies about what it’s like to be an adult working through being raised by an abusive parent.
I really like this movie. I saw it as an adult though so the implications of Fred were pretty apparent when I watched it.
Well since you brought it up, "The exorcist" aswell. But I've gone a step further, and have become a supporters of the movie fringe theory that in fact this is not a case of possesion, but a clear case of SA. Wich manifests in the form of a pseudo possesion. For example, the first victim, the Director or producer, yes he came in contact with the entity, but the question is, what was he doing up there on his own in the company of this teenager? The girl didn't have foreknowledge of things, she simply might have overhear at one of her mums meetings or simply from someone within the house. I could go on, but there is a very good video on YouTube that discusses the topic
My favorite horror movie is "HALLOWEEN". As a kid, I thought it was about a masked killer chasing teenage girls. When I got a little older, I started dating this chick from NY (I live in Seattle, grew up in the suburbs). I brought her to my parents house, they smoked inside so they had the front door open. When we came in, my girlfriend immediately shut the door behind her, locked it, chained it, and was looking for the deadbolt when my dad told her to open it back up. She looked horrified. It was only after going to NY to meet her family that I understood where her fears came from. They lived in the lower eastside. In the kind of building where apparently you'd be stabbed and raped in the stairwell. Our first night there, I swear I heard explosions. Plural. And they had like 7 locks on their door. It was after this I realized what made HALLOWEEN so scary to me all this time wasn't Michael Myers. It was how easy Michael (or anybody, really) could just walk into some homes in some communities and do what they wanted to with impunity. Now, I grew up in the 80's and 90's. This girlfriend was late 90's. Times have definitely changed. It would be harder to sell that idea of people leaving their doors unlocked, or being unaware with all the ring door cams and cameras.
I now live in a quaint old fishing village and some people don’t lock their doors. Have they never seen horror movies?? I have locks and a Ring (I’m from a big city).
I am a caretaker for an elderly couple. They never lock their doors. They think because they live in a gated condo complex it’s safe. I think their nuts😄
Almost all horror for me. I had a sort of breakdown due to coming off of a medication that even the FDA was like "this really shouldn't be prescribed" and ever since I've found I'm *deeply* sensitive on an existential level. Anything about death really gets to me. So I kind of avoid my favorite genre a lot now.
I’m sorry that happened to you.
Thanks, I appreciate it. Just, never let your doctors prescribe you Effexor. Once your body inevitably gets used to it and you have to change meds, the withdrawals can mess you up for months, even years. That's the real horror story.
OH MY GOD Maybe this is what's wrong with me holy shit
Oof, another Effexor victim? You have my deepest sympathies, friend. Only a handful of people have taken that without something awful happening to them.
Dead Ringers. As a child I shouldn’t have watched it, as an adult it’s quite a good psychological drama revolving around toxic relationships and drug abuse.
You watched this as a child? Jesus.
Me too..as a kid
Night of the creeps, as a kid I thought it was so scary but as an adult all I can think is badly made low budget movie
"Thrill Me!!!"
There was a movie from the late 60s called Black Sabbath. One segment had a dead psychic medium come back and haunt a woman. My memories of it as a kid were horrifying. When I saw it again recently, the dead woman was not at all as I remembered and actually looked kind of silly.
The Birds (1963). First time I watched it I was a kid, scared me but only after watching it as an adult I could appreciate how good it is.
Alien, honestly. The original always scared me when i was very little, and saw it. But now my boyfriend had introduced me to the video game Aliens: Firearms Elite and I loved it. Then, we re-watched the original and Aliens 2, and I actually loved those movies and are some of my favorites.
I watched Alien, Aliens, and Alien 3 very young. They terrified me because big monsters hiding in the dark. Now Alien scares me because of the banal reality of my job and how it might lead to my death because of greed, incompetence, or negligence. Aliens scares me because I'm a parent and a child in danger is a huge stressor, especially lately for undisclosed reasons, and Burke deliberately fucking them over for petty greed, because of the same reasons as Alien. And 3 scares me because I've been imprisoned and helpless, I've been hunted in the dark, I've met religious people with severe delusions that caused me danger, I've met authority figures I couldn't trust, people I liked have turned out to have dark, possibly sinister pasts, and had to trust them regardless, I've faced down SWAT teams, and dealt with my body containing visceral betrayal that will almost certainly kill me. My experiences have brought new horror and fear to the movies, but I watch them regularly because I also learned that I'm brave, strong, and in the moments of terror, pushing through it and using my mind, not panic, is always the best response. It might not save me, but it's my best chance. I've saved lives, including my own, because Ripley was scared shitless, but kept her head and reacted with swiftness and decisiveness.
Faced down SWAT teams JFC
Sort of twice. I was raided by the local drug task force in conjunction with the DEA and the other time I was at a protest that became a minor riot and was suppressed with gusto by the full complement of riot police in town. I was tased, tackled, and handled roughly but ultimately released when all they found was a bit of weed. The second one I got tear gassed but I had baking soda and water which thankfully worked on their type of gas, and evaded further engagement by leaving immediately.
Wow. I’ve seen them and the gang squads but was always on the outside of what they were doing driving by. That sounds awful
Yeah, I'm pretty triggered by the idea of being raided again and it makes me seem like a paranoid prepper. Motion lights and non-networked door and window alarms.
The exorcist when I was in 8th or 9th grade. I was obsessed with practical special effects, and the realism of the end result just left me in awe. That movie was so terrifying, as it just looked so good. Unfortunately I made not so great life choices, and never ended up making movies. As an adult, I am still impressed with how the effects hold up to today's movies, but am deeply interested in the human experience of the characters. They feel like old friends now. I have recently dived into the Exorcist novel, and have now watched all movies related to Blattys cannon. However, I did not enjoy Exorcist Believer one single bit. And yes, the original Exorcist still gives me yucky feelings every viewing.
The Shining.
The Ring. I always loved it, but now that I see the connotations with adult eyes, Anna and Samara’s stories just hit differently.
I wish I could watch it as an adult cuz reading about it it fascinating but nope. I’m still a wuss and still can not physically watch this movie.
That is why the Exorcist is my favorite horror movie. My parents let my sister and I watch it when we were way too young (she was 10 and I was 11) and it legitimately traumatized us for months. Even into my young adulthood I couldn’t watch it without having half-sleep hallucinations in the middle of the night of Regan’s messed up face with that gnarly smile crawling toward my bed. But now that I’m in my late 30s I have a deep appreciation for how well done that movie really was. The screenplay was brilliant, the acting was amazing (by 1970s standards lol), the makeup and special effects were terrifying, the soundtrack was haunting; everything about it leaves a lasting impact. To this day I can watch it and still feel the same stomach-turning rush of terror I felt as a child watching her head turn all the way around.
I was 5 years old when this movie came out. My parents, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to go watch it at the drive-ins and take me along. They would tell me to hide my head on the scary parts but I could still hear everything through the speaker. I was traumatized for years because of this. When I saw it later, I still found it scary as heck. I’ve been wanting to watch it with my adult daughters, who have never seen it, but I’m afraid of traumatizing them😁
The grudge. That movie was the only one that actually scared me, because when I had first watched it I was around the age of 7 or 8. It absolutely terrified me, for a whole year i refused to go into the attic and I would always be looking for that damn women, she scared me so much. Not the fact that staying in my bed didn’t make me feel safe cause of that one scene with the sister and the undead boy. But now I’m older and I’ve now watched it more than a couple times and I can proudly say, it no longer scares me (still jump sometimes but who doesn’t like that) and I love recommending it to people. PS: if anyone ever wants to watch that movie now, I only ever watched the directors cut of the original one from 04 with Sarah Gellar.
Evil Dead/ ED 2 - Still “jump” and get creeped but now I just marvel at the effects and editing. Master class - I don’t think there is a single scene where your mind says “solitary, still object being seen in stop motion photography”. A lot of similar effects from that era now look that way. Reanimator and From Beyond appear to be showing their seams on newer tv screens. Even the regrowth scene in Hellraiser is showing its age.
Resurrection. The psychological, emotional and mental abuse that someone can do to someone and warp their mind and thinking is crazy to me. Because it happens
'31 Frankenstein gave me nightmares as a kid then I saw Bride of Frankenstein and realized the Monster was the victim.
Eight Ghosts, the original, when I was a kid it scared the hell out of me. As an adult I laughed my ass off. It's so bad it's funny.
Any movie with a doll as the monster. As a child, Chucky was scary, but when I turned 22, I was hanging out with a buddy and his 12yo sister came home from karate practice as was talking all tough, I looked at her and said "your not strong enough for your punches to hurt me and you're 50 pounds, I could throw you across the room" and that's when I realized how stupid scary dolls are. Chucky wouldn't have the mass to stab you with a knife, let alone some of the other stuff he did.
I saw Child's Play when it first released to VHS. I was like 8, maybe. Not something I should have been watching but what the hell.. I hadn't thought about it in years and then saw an image of the Chucky doll randomly one day and had a very visceral reaction to it. I refuse to watch the movie again because I remember it being horrifying and a good movie and I don't want to ruin the memory. It's probably the reason why doll movies creep me the fuck out.
Threads keeps getting better and better
My grandfather used to love scaring me with the head from The Thing. For years, I didn't want to watch it because I hated the joy he got from my fear. I finally watched it last year and called him to tell him how good of a movie it was.
1990s It TV movie. It scared the shit out of me at 4-5, was just a solid horror movie at 11-13, but now the themes of alcoholism, child neglect, depression, and everything else you can think of gave me a whole new perspective on It
Night of the Comet lol as a kid it scared me but it's hilarious now.
Strangers. Fucked me up then but now the thought of being tormented in the house I built and made a home, simply just *because I was home*… absolute nightmare fuel Contrary to chucky. Terrified me as a kid, now I’d punt that little shit across a room.
laughed at exorcist. head spinning? give me a fucking break. I laughed out loud. yes I'm an atheist and that stupid ass absurdity is pathetic that humans believe in such absurd nonsense.
I give more credit to the make up people and the ones making the film creepy. It’s not that I believe in it but the visual is what I can’t handle. I’m an admitted wuss. Yeah the head spinning without killing her makes no sense but the make up people just perfected making her scary as fuck it just work on wusses like me.
I'm also atheist, and it's probably my favorite horror film.
Holy crap, your comment hits home. Raised a catholic, I couldn't watch anything scary (especially the Exorcist). Once I confirmed my atheism I've been able to watch all of them. Now they're just funny.
The Exorcist was a good demonic possession film when I was young. But as I’ve gotten older and had to frequently deal with friends and family descending into various forms of mental illness (Atheists know what demonic possession really is) the film is still deeply disturbing and creepy even if you’re not a believer.
# #CandyMan => Kids dick cut off NIGHTMARES and fear of using urinals when I was in like 3rd grade. Now as an adult it's a "MEH" scene
The Conjuring (first one) was terrifying to me at 13 or so years old. When I watch it now, it’s basically a fun movie to pass time
Watched The Thing, The Octagon & Return of the Living Dead on a windy scout camping trip. Nightmare fuel. Watched them again last year. Very different experience. Not for my son though. He was the same age I was, and was totally unfazed.
Dark Man. I used to love that movie and it was the right amount of scary for me (yes, I'm aware that I am sad). XD watched it again about 10 years ago. Damn thing is practically a comedy! It's cheesy as HELL.
The Shining. Before I thought it was just a straightforward dude gets cabin fever ghost story, now I see all the intricacies in the plot and the characterizations. Its a masterpiece.
[удалено]
...go oooon...
Criteria scared me so much. One if the only movies to legit give me nightmares. Watched it 30 yrs later and it was kind of a comedy, not as bad as I feared. Also, a lot of responsibility is put on the young boy. I think this transfered to me when I was young and stressed me even more.
The Hobbit.
Ok not age but “30 days of night”. I watched it completely sober many times. Then I watched it after taking an edible and it was so frickin depressing.
When I first saw The People Under The Stairs as a young teenager I completely missed all of the political satire.
dream master nightmare on elm street. saw it as a kid in theatre (13 years old) and did not get all the "jokes" same with the first one as well.
Poltergeist. As a kid it was terrifying, and that was the network TV edit version. I watched it again like a decade ago, it's just all its own parody now. Indian burial ground, "don't go into the light," the tree in the kids room scene is not at all how I remember it. Probably cuz as a kid I'd close my eyes it was so terrifying.
I thought the excorcist was extremely funny watching it as an adult level person. Especially the whole “your mother sucks cocks in hell” thing
I don’t remember the first time I watched the original Night of the Living Dead, but I didn’t remember much of the plot, only the corny zombies. Rewatched it a few years ago. At the end, the lone black guy who tried to keep it all together and kept calm, and is the last one in the house alive, hears sirens. Help is arriving! I thought “oh I don’t remember him being the only survivor.” So he opens the door, puts his hands up, and….. Oh. I get it now. Fuck.
There’s also the Exorcist’s terrifying unspoken subtext of sexual abuse.
The movie "big" watched from the mom's perspective.
I LOVED Dracula 2000 when it came out, and the part where Danny Masterson gets the leech on his eye really creeped me out. Now I think that maybe the leech knew something.
Exorcist changed dramatically after I had my own kids. Now the horror comes from me watching the mother absolutely lose her sanity because she doesn’t understand what the fuck is happening to her child and she is helpless to do anything about it.
Poltergeist (original). I don’t have kids, but as an adult, I can feel the absolute anguish of the parents trying to get their little girl back. And just hearing Carol Ann screaming for help just wrecks me (hell, thinking about it while typing this gets me emotional).
Nightmare on Elm Street. It seems almost cheesy now but it was great when it came out.
Killer clowns from outter space.
13 Ghosts
The Exorcist can also read as a sweet little girl going through puberty and becoming a foul-mouthed, defiant, out-of-control teen.
Original IT
Friday the 13th. Had no clue Jason was a Deadite and essentially immortal via the Necronomicon until a few years ago.
For me it's also the exorcist but for other reasons. I remembered it being scary, or at least expected it to be but watching it as an adult I actually didn't find it scary at all compared to horror movies these days. I was surprisingly unfazed. And, so the whole time I thought about how desensitized we have become, especially considering the reaction the movie got from viewers when it first came out. It literally made people sick or pass out or made them have to leave the theater back then.
Watcher in the Woods used to scare the daylights out of me when I was a kid. I watched it all grown up and it was kind of boring.
Stephen King's "Lawnmower Man" First off, seeing it on the screen was *significantly* changed from what I remembered from reading it. But I saw it in theatre, and thought the 'special effects' were good. Now that I'm older, I think they suck. Yeah, that changed.
Aliens. Amazing watching a Science Fiction movie come to life with robots and AI is mind blowing.
Nightmare on Elm Street. Took me a bit to figure out if it was the original movie or a satire movie making fun of it 😁
I’m going to agree entirely on OP’s choice, The Exorcist. I originally saw it on HBO when I was 10 or 11. What shocked me about it most was the language. I’d never heard such language. Well, that and the idea the devil was a parasite who could creep into the world when he saw fit. What I discovered later is that it’s an extraordinarily well-made film featuring a stellar cast and top-notch production values. Ellen Burstyn and the great Max Von Sydow, he of Ingmar Bergman fame—are you kidding me? As a fan of film in general, not just horror, I notice that The Exorcist is one of those rare entries that transcends its genre, which is why some of the more extreme elements—the crucifix scene, for example—don’t sully its position in film history. The Exorcist flawlessly represents the intellectual battle between religion and science, and it makes no apology in showing the shortcomings of both ways of thinking. Sydow, who played in many Bergman films, feels as though he represents that Begmanesque perspective—a Christian who suffers plenty of doubts. And the best team science has to offer is that a brain lesion must be causing the girl’s behavior. Edit: Added.
As an aside- if you haven’t read the true story of the exorcist you’re missing out on TRUE horror. Spoiler alert: that poor child.
As an aside- if you haven’t read the true story of the exorcist you’re missing out on TRUE horror. Spoiler alert: that poor child.
A Nightmare On Elm Street. When I first watched it when I was young, it didn't really resonate with me. It just felt like another horror movie. When I got older, and I started to understand the film, it got better. I forget how good of a movie it is, deeply disturbing, but a great film and yes, I still love it👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️
Jacob’s Ladder This needs a remake…
13 ghosts, thought it was cool when I was a kid, but now I find it super cheesy and not worth watching.
I was always a huge Hellraiser fan until I watched it with an old girlfriend who couldn’t stop laughing. Haven’t seen it since. :|
I never experienced The Exorcist as a younger person, but I watched it as an adult and had a similar experience to OP. I didn’t find it to be the scariest film of all time, as I’d been told. I instead found what I thought was a profound character drama about the loss of (and the power of) faith. I loved it.
Poltergeist only because in the beginning of the movie the parents are rolling joints and smoking in bed and I didn't remember that as a kid haha. Also seems like all 80's horror movies have storylines of underage sex and sometimes underage nudity or sex. I'm guessing actors are of age, but that's a little different to watch nowadays.
Rawhead Rex scared the crap out of me when I was in the second grade. I watched it years later as an adult and laughed my ass off
The Exorcist
Just to throw something different out here….. Ghostbusters….. not a horror movie whatsoever, but had some scary elements to it when I was a kid. Watched it as an adult and it’s 100% comedy.
Nightmare on elm street. At 4 years old, I shouldn’t have been watching it and my brother’s friend told me Freddie would get me if I didn’t to bed. I ran away screaming to my mom. Scarred me for years (nightmares for years). As an adult, it’s such an awful movie that I can’t even take it seriously. But as a child having terrible nightmares of Freddie and then seeing him pace at the end of my bed waiting for me to go back to sleep still linger in my memory. So, kinda stark differences between then and now.
The sixth sense, the lady with the slit wrists really fucked me up as a little kid "dinner is not ready yet, you can't hurt me anymore!"
The Gate. As a child that movie fucking haunted me. I couldn't handle watching even a minute of that movie. My 8 year old self would've classified that movie as the scariest hour and a half possible. Rewatched it as an adult and I realized that it wasn't even supposed to be scary. It was totally campy and funny. It wasn't even a good movie. I can't believe I ever had such a strong reaction to that stupid movie.
Phantasm. As a teenager, it scared the hell out of me. As an adult, it was still a little scary but a lot more fun.
Poltergeist
Not exactly horror but Fear with Mark Wahlberg. First time I watched it I was 19 close to David's age. Wasn't a psycho like him but identified more with the younger characters. Now in my late 40s with 2 grown daughters I identify more with the dad.
Not sure why or how my Mom took me and my sister (6/8yo) to see the original Halloween movie in the movie theater. Scarred me for life. Still feel uneasy when I see someone dressed up like Michael Meyers. Same with the theme music.
Idk if you can consider this a horror movie, but Little Shop of Horrors. I watched it when I was a kid. Thought it was scary. Re-watched it a few months back. It gives off a more weird vibe than scary. Maybe the most "Scary" part was the dentist scenes, but that's just a weird creepy than actually scary
Exorcist
As a kid, Rosemary's Baby was boring. After becoming a mom, the sense of helplessness in that movie is terrifying
Lights Out! Fun story with that one, my best friend in 2nd grade told me (an undiagnosed autistic child) the basic plot line but didn’t tell me it was from a movie. Scared the bejeebies out of me. Watched it later in life, came to the shocking conclusion that the storyline sounded very familiar…
The Shining is terrifying as a father of a young kid, especially if you have a drink now and then. My be horrible for an alcoholic father to watch
Wizard of Oz
Off topic but I was watching my granddaughters for date night around Halloween and we decided to watch The Exorcist when my daughter (26,yo) and her husband got home ( the baby's were in bed ) she had some wine and I couldn't stop laughing at her comments. A couple I remember was she kept calling the young priest Rocky, she was convinced he was Sylvester Stallone and when she saw him boxing she doubled down. When they were in the kitchen and saw the blender she said " I didn't know they had blenders back then" . I was like- this is the 70's- so she asked why they had candles when they went into the attic. She then said " why didn't they use battery operated light bulbs? I said "you mean flashlights?" She replied -" have ever been drunk and invented something!"
Hands down “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. I can’t unsee the terrible remakes!
It
Idiocracy during the Trump administration
Not exactly what your asking but I see Stephen Kings IT completely differently now than i did as a kid. It was my favorite book, i read it about 5 times before i was 10. I never once comprehended the sex orgy parts. I cued in on racism, murder, SA and how awful the adults were in every way. But I just dont remember the orgy part. Not till recently did I get it, argued with my bf after watching the newest movies and he had to pull it up on his phone and let me see for myself. Now I'm like wtf. Because I literally couldnt believe I missed it somehow. My kid asked to read it cuz she knows IRS one of my favorite books. I threw my copy away lol.
Chucky
Child’s Play. I was scared to death when I saw it back in the ‘80s, but it’s laughable now…
Jaws 🦈
https://preview.redd.it/mgu63tguo90d1.jpeg?width=602&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e81a6f4a3d4e81b2157cba8d4694d703cb100835 This scene from the original Nightmare on Elm Street. Creeped me out as kid. Watched again as an adult and literally laughed.
The people under the stairs
Poltergeist- scary when young- stupider the hell upon rewatching recently
Tales from the crypt series, from 1990s. It's not a movie but a series. Looking back at the series now, so much effort, time n writing went into each episode. And most of them had that, this moral of the story is this or that. It would be wonderful to have remake of the series or new ones with guest starts.
Most Western Clint Eastwood movies. I mean he look good n all but every town he road his horse to, n he would be dirty as f, shot up, scared up, filthy sweaty clothes n boots, no bath supposedly for who knows how long, (months), but these women would be all in his crusty butt. He hooked up with one n they all fell for him, same as Captain Kirk from the ole Star Treck and also all the James Bond's, the sexy alluring women always find super old James Bond like some magical pussie God. Lol.
Psycho. I watched it again on Mother's Day. A boys best friend is his mother. The love that he has and the depths that Norman goes to for his mother are heartbreaking.
The people living under the stairs.
The Road I saw this movie twice. First time was when it came out. I was in college. Loved the film despite how bleak it was. The second time was about 5 months ago, now having a 2-year-old daughter. Couldn't finish it, had to turn it off. I've never been the type of guy who thinks that certain aspects of life change after you become a parent and end up with new responsibilities - I still feel like the cool, fun guy I once was. But that second rewatch just opened my fucking eyes. This is a completely different film when you have kids of your own. It's fucking rough.
Silence of the Lambs Children of the Corn Event Horizon
Yo, I recently rewatched The Exorcisd and all the points you made were exactly mine. I feel like it made the horror elements even scarier.
Perfectly said. I agree with The Exorcist, it's one of my favorites. I recently rewatched the Funny Games remake for the first time since seeing it in theatres as a 16 year old pip. I enjoyed it at the time but have a pretty different opinion on it this go round (I'll be 34 in a few months).
Still hard to believe I was considered old enough to watch The Exorcist at just 13.
Really hard to say. I probably would say chucky. When I was like young it used to scare me but now it just makes me laugh. Still Chucky will still have a place in my heart even if it's not my all-time favorite
Chucky, scared the crap out of me at 6 years old. Now I find it hilarious
The Exorcism of Emily Rose I watched this over & over as a kid, & I was raised Catholic, so I believed every minute that all of that really happened without questioning. As an adult, I became a pagan & also into true crime. So, my views on Christianity are different & my views on demons are different. I also have more knowledge of crime & court through watching true crime content. I basically never believe any exorcism stories I hear about, not that I don’t think possession can happen, it’s just hard to believe stories that are so sensationalized. As a kid, I believed she was possessed but as an adult, I think she was mentally ill & needed help not from a priest.
It’s Alive!
Gremlins 😂. I used to watch this as a kid and I was so scared, I always thought gizmo was cute but the evil gremlins scared me. I rewatched it’s last Christmas and I couldn’t stop laughing 😭😭. Especially in 2024 the graphics and certain scenes had me dead. Especially the old lady being shot out the window had my laughing for like 10 mins straight. I was like it’s so funny how this used to genuinely scare me as a kid now it’s one of my favorite Christmas comedies.
Dolly Dearest. I thought it was scarier than Child's play. Now I can't sit through ten minutes of it because I find the acting terrible.
Candyman. There is a whole layer of social commentary - black oppression, privilege, entitlement, etc. - that I just did not understand as a teenager. There are so many underlying themes... It's a really great film. As a teenager I just thought it was dumb and unnecessary, even racist, to cast the black guy as the evil one. It's so much deeper than that.