Thursday, August 11, 2011

Limits. Find Yours.


The scariest movie I ever saw.
The scariest movie I ever saw, was a made for television film chronicling the real-life homicide investigation of Sam Sheppard, a neurosurgeon on trial for the murder of his pregnant wife. He claimed a bushy-haired intruder had entered their home and done the killing. It was a brutal act. A blunt instrument was employed to violently pulverize the woman’s skull and spatter her brains on every wall of her bedroom.
From my memory, it wasn’t an exceptionally well done film, though I could hardly be the judge. I was eleven. I’d snuck out of bed and was hunched on the stairs, peering through the stair rails at the shimmering cathode ray tube in the far corner of our sunken family room. The backs of my parent’s unknowing heads were silhouetted against the television’s flickering light. The carpet was shag. The rails wrought iron.

I worried for the doctor, I worried for the intruder, I worried that my parents would turn and catch me watching. But what worried me the most had nothing to do with declared innocence or guilt. What worried me the most was that just like me, someone had fallen prey to an urge to do wrong, and wrong they had done.

Which movie scared you the most?

Munk's Opening line...
"Pam was hardly a name suitable for a murderer, so I changed it."
Munk's "Opening Line" is yours to keep, use it. Munk

This week's music... Johnny Cash, The Man Comes Around.  

Oh... and anyone who has yet to meet Rebecca Kiel, should do so now. Her blog is well spoken, thoughtful and inspiring.

18 comments:

Bryan B. said...

Two movies scared the crap out of me as a child.

1.) Nightmare on Elm Street
2.) Critters.

Now they scare me for entirely different reasons.

Luanne G. Smith said...

You're scaring me with all these frequent posts.

Silence of the Lambs is one of those movies that really disturbed me. And Jaws. That one marred me for life.

Dawnelle said...

Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The dog with the human head still freaks me out!

Clowns are freaky too!

triles said...

This one is easy for me. The Exorcist hands down. I was raised Catholic, was an altar boy when I saw it, lost my mind. In fact, now that you've got me thinking about this, I'll probably have a hard time falling asleep tonight. Thanks.

I love the description of hiding to watch the movie. I have many similar memories.

DB Stewart said...

Race with the Devil. I think it terrified me because I was like 9 years old.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3484352793/

Suze said...

When I was in 5th grade, I watched 'Children of the Corn' at a sleepover. That was it for me. Never watched another scary movie again. Really hate 'em.

Libby said...

When I was 11, I watched IT on TV. I thought it was the scariest movie I ever saw. Then I watched it as an adult. Kind of lame. Perception is everything.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

The Fugitive scared you? Like wtf?

Marsha Sigman said...

I watched Stephen King's 'Carrie' when I was five. Don't let older brothers babysit. They suck and now I have been warped forever.

Munk said...

@BB-and they just keep coming (the Elm St. movies, I mean).
@LG-Yeah... early this week, got work on the week end. I can't say fava beans without imitating Sir Anthony.
@D-dog head, got it. This Halloween, be ready.
@TR-Your mother sews socks that smell.
@dbs-I remember that movie... campers that disturb a nest of crazies.
@Sz-my wife starts whispering at me every time we get near a fully fledged cornfield.
@LH-That is one SK I never saw, nor read... probably should.
@MO-damn, it took me a while to get that reference. How can you help but not be freaked out by David Janssen? Look at the way he spells his name.
@MS-Carrie was one of my first, "go to the theater and have the shit scared out of you movies". To this day Sissy Spacek is still Carrie for me. The Miner's Daughter... starring Carrie, Get Low, starring Carrie (just a little older)... the list goes on, but you get the picture, I keep waiting for her to send a fork into someone's eye.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I'm a master of pop-culture references. It comes from my brilliant mind. Those are not my words but Dr. Who's.

j. littlejohn said...

i really can't remember making it through many horror films. too disturbing

Anonymous said...

I'm easily scared, so the list is long. But I do appreciate the kind words.

K.C. Woolf said...

I've given up watching scary films because they make me so nervous I start seeing and sensing things all around.

Love the opening line, again!

Lydia Kang said...

Lots of movies scared me, but Amityville Horror was pretty bad. I was afraid there might be a portal to hell in my basement too.

Rubye Jack said...

First, The Shining and then The Exorcist. I quit watching scary movies after The Shining since I tend to scream when I get scared and then everyone in the theater laughs at me. Whatever.

Anonymous said...

"Jaws" did it for me. Darn soundtrack.

Now I commandeer the remote whenever my wife wants to watch a scary movie. If I sense something bad is about to happen, I simply push the mute button.

I might even end up starring in our own horror home-movie, if I keep it up.

K.C. Woolf said...

And now for something completely different:

I don't know if you do the award thingy, but I have thrown one in your general direction.