Horror films that made you

[poopontheshoes7]

This is a ripoff of the TOP 10 article on the home page. I thought it was pretty cool and would like to start a thread to see what got our horror loving Schmoes into the genre. It doesnt have to be a top 10 or anything, just a list of genre flicks that influenced you as a wee brat to become the horror hound you are today.

Mine are:

JAWS: No other film has affected me like JAWS. I saw it at an age I really shouldnt have, and till this day I cant even close my eyes in a pool for to long before getting a little freaked out. Jaws is my all time favorite movie and it also spawned my love (and terrible fear) of sharks.

Gremlins: It all started when my mom gave me an original stuffed Gizmo from 1984 when the film was released. My parent went to see it then and my dad got my mom the Gizmo plush. I loved that thing and still have it today. I was about 5 when I first got the chance to see this little gem of a film and its been #2 right behind Jaws all my life.

Critters: Rounding out the top 3 genre films of my youth is Critters. I remember my mom getting this for me at Blockbuster one night because she thought I'd like it because I loved Gremlins so much. Good choice ma! To this day I still love Critters. The first 3 for that matter. I also remember them giving me the willys on a few occasions. Creepy little buggers if you ask me.


Aliens: I remember being blown away by Aliens when I first saw it. I loved it so much I started a rather impressive collection of Alien toys I wish I still had. I foundly remember watching Aliens with my dad and getting so pumped and excited when The Queen arrived I could barely contain myself. Been Hooked ever since.

Predator: Once again, like all the other movies on my list, I saw this at a rather questionable age. Predator had the same affect on me as Aliens. It pumped me up and I had to have a rather large assortment of toys. I remember battling my Aliens and Predator toys all the time in my room, wishing they would make a movie out of it one day...;)



Honorable mentions:
Poltergiest
The Gate
Ghoulies 2
House


Your turn!

[Freddy Krueger]

The Lost Boys, Jaws, Poltergeist, The Shining, All the Friday's and Nightmare's.

[LordSimen]

8. Halloween: Halloween was the film that sealed the deal for me. After seeing this movie and realizing how much of a perfect film it is, and how much I loved horror movies in general, I decided that I was going to make horror films. It was around middle school when I saw it.

7. Scream: Scream was very popular and in the limelight when I was kid, and I ended up seeing it for the first time at a friends house and even though it was light hearted I remember being scared shitless for the rest of the night that someone was outside and wanted to "gut me like a fish."

6. Candyman: A couple friends of mine saw this movie one night at a sleep over that I was too sick to go to back when I was a kid. They told me it was the scariest film they had ever seen in their life and that "afterwards none of them could look into the mirror for a week." I just had to see it after that and ended up watching it at my aunt's house. I too was stricken with an inability to look into the mirror. I had to duck under it for almost a year after that film.

5. Poltergiest: Poltergiest was the film that made me officially scared that a ghost was going to get me. I saw it on T.V. one night when I couldn't sleep and for a long time after seeing the movie I had to sleep with the night light on.

4. The Gate: I saw this the same night I saw poltergiest. I'm pretty sure it was a horror movie marathon. Same effect.

3. Nightmare on Elmstreet: This was yet another film I saw late night on T.V. because I couldn't sleep and afterwards I couldn't even sleep in a bed any more. I slept on the floor for a while after that. Eventually I got over it.

2. Jaws: Because of this film I am still, to this day, unable to swim in the ocean. Do the math.

1. Aliens: The first horror film I had ever seen in my life and afterwards I had to look up every time I walked through doorways.

[doaflip]

Child's Play, for reasons too long winded, self-indulgent and ironic to go into.

[Salieri]

Creature from the Black Lagoon - My mom said this was the first movie I ever stayed up by myself and watched. I was really young and don't remember doing this, but it did start my love for monster movies.

Friday the 13th's - When I was around 10ish I used to stay at my grandparents and had them rent various Friday the 13th's for me. Only now do I realize how weird that was because they'd watch them with me and they definitely aren't their sort of movies.

The Exorcist/Shining - My mom was awesome enough to let me watch these very young. I think it took me like 6 years before I'd watch them again because they scared me so much.

Anything that was played on Super Scary Saturdays (hosted by Al Lewis as Grandpa Munster.) There was a lot of Godzilla in particular.

Anything on Monstervision. I remember a time before Joe Bob became the host, but I can't remember what happened in those segments before the movie or the intro.

[Donnie_Darko]

The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, Alien, The Thing...

...then I died or a while (well, actually, horror died for a while)...

... then I was reborn in 1999... The Blair Witch Project. :cool:

[Kikabi]

I didn't get into horror until a year and half ago and have been playing catch-up ever since. Before then, I've seen horror movies I've liked and had a number of "mainstream horrors" (Signs, The Others, Fraility - ok, that one's not so mainstream) in my DVD collection. But I'd gone through life avoiding 80's horror, so I don't have the sense of nostalgia about that era that most horror fans have.

Anyway, one day in January 2007, I was in the mood to watch something that would scare and get my heart pumping, and something I haven't seen before. So I rented Descent - that did the trick and started me off on seeking out more horror movies I haven't seen before, and revisit old ones I haven't seen since they were released.

Some important ones that led me further: Black Christmans and Don't Look Now helped me to really appreciate 70's horror and seek out more and re-rewatch others, of that era.

Saw made me take a chance on more gorey, violent films, (even though that isn't very gorey.)

Frankenstein turned me into a James Whales fan. Horror Express made me love Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and happily watch nearly everything they're in, especially Peter Cushing. More recently, The House on Haunted Hill and The Raven has made me adore Vincent Price.

The Eye: my first Asian horror movie, starting my love of Asian horror and also leading me to checking out other non-English language horror movies.

Shaun of the Dead has probably influenced me more than I know, bringing out a desire to see more zombie movies and horror/comedies (although this one is the best.)

[Cronos]

Without taking a shovel to dig further into my memory:

The Raven - The film that introduced me to Vincent Price, I've adored both ever since.

Christine - Watched with my older brother and we both loved it, might have been one of the first Stephen King adaptations that I saw, also started me love for Carpenter.

Predator - Arnie fighting an alien.... Blew my little mind away.

Frankenstein / Bride Of Frankenstein - Can still remember watching these at christmas when I was 8 or 9, got me interested in older/B&W horror films.

I was held back from a lot of horror films when I was younger so I didn't really get to see a lot of none kiddie friendly horror stuff until I was around 11 when I snuck downstairs and set a video to tape:

Hellraiser 1-2 / Jason Goes To Hell - I then had to get up really early at the weekend to watch them, the best time since my parents would always sleep in then :D. My first introduction to horror icons Pinhead and Jason, and I fell in love with both. Those really helped put my love of the genre into motion.

Day of the Dead - My introduction to Romero and Savini's wonderful gore.

And a bit later on in my life as a horror fiend:

Blair Witch / Ringu - Showed me that movies could manage to freak me out. Pretty sure Ringu was also my introduction to Asian horror.

[Cropsy]

I became a horror fan back in the early 70's.The first movie i think i saw was The Birds.Every saturday night my parents would go out and the babysitter would let us watch a tv series called Nightmare Theater that would show two horror flicks starting around 11:00.They would show a lot of 60's black and white movies like Creature From The Black Lagoon,Island Of Terror,and a bunch of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.70's tv was awesome.They would show uncut movies late at night like Black Christmas,Lets Scare Jessica to death,TCM etc.The made for tv movie The Night Stalker was a classic.I remember everyone the next day talking about that when it first aired.This was the first flick i remember actually scaring the shit out of me.
I remained a huge fan into the 80's but started to stop watching when comedy/horror started to come into the genre(see Child's Play).
I watch horror to be scared not to laugh.
It's just been the last 10 years that i have gotton back into it.It's great to see the genre go back to what horror fans want to see.

[nayland]

I think the three movies that definiety made a mark on me was first is JAWS. I don't think i am not alone when i say this one changed swimming in oceans difficult for me. I recently went to Florida with my wife and she wanted a photo of me in the water and all i kept thinking was i am going to be eaten.I don't think any movie has ruined so many vactions as JAWS.
Second would have to be THE EXORSIST. I snuck downstairs to watch it with my sister when i was young and after it was over i wished i didn't! I slept with a light on for awhile after seeing that. That movie was just over the top for it's time.
The third i would have to say is THE OMEN. It didn't really freak me out but it was definitly a great horror film.

[Brendan M.]

Evil Dead made me want to make movies.

[MightyCelestial]

First of all, movies don't scare me easily. A few did when I was a kid, but not anymore now as an adult. Therefor, I rarely watch 'em with the idea that I'm going to get frightened in any way. These days, I just judge 'em based soley on the quality of entertainment that I get from the story, art direction, acting, blah blah blah....


10. Wolfman - Just a plain ol' classic, this one is right there. I'm am a Huge fan of the original black & white Universal Monster series of way back in the day. Any datedness from these original gangstas of horror seemed to be fade with the integrity of the energy that was captured in the filming. I'm really looking forward to what they're gonna do with the the Benicio Del Toro adaptation. I was really glad that they didn't get him to look like the more wolf than man make-up that has become the standard for today. I still think that the modern look is cool an' all, but it doesn't need to be limited to one style. Despite the push that Hollywood has given movies like these as just empty escapist fare, the reality is, on a integral level, they're still an artform & thus should never be limited by any type of boxed labels.

9. Lost Boys - Okay, let's just forget the vampires in this movie for a second.....
Any movie that can feature a Corey in it, let alone two, & still come off as cool,
well, that would be a movie that surely had to have been touched by the hand of God.
I wouldn't be surprised if the director, Joel Schumacher was actually the Christ in his Second Coming ( I mean seriously.... Jesus did rise from the dead after 3 days, often spoke of drinking his blood, & simple logic would dictate that he would have developed an aversion to wooden crosses....
so, you'know.... it all fits....)

8. Dracula - I don't care what any of you might think of the old Count, he's the O.G. bloodsucker, suckas. If it weren't for him, Count Chocula cereal would be just called Choclate Flavored Cereal Wit' Chocolate Flavored Marshmellows In It.
So pay 'em his due propers.
Suckas.

7. Frankenstein - What Dracula did for Count Chocula, this guy did for Frankenberries.
Mann.....
I'm getting hungry.

6. An American Werewolf In London - The first time we got see just how cool werewolves can really be.
Plus, if I remember correctly, this guy wanted to be a Pepper too ( Sorry kids. I know that you most likely don't understand that comment, b'cuz it's before your time. Look it up on youtube if you don't wanna be left in the dark.
And the dark, by the way, is where werewolves like dwell).

5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre - This movie's story came off as very genuine. While most horrors tend to want the viewer say things to the screen like "Idiot! Run outside, not to the upstairs!" or"Don't go in there, you moron!", this movie actually made the situation of the onscreen victims seem logistically believable. Therefor, their fright & inevitable demise doesn't come off as deserving as those characters in other films who make one feel that their stupidity justified thier grisly end. This film sory's intent was aimed at making the obseverer feel the fear thru the fear of the victim, not just thru the idea of a mad demonic slash-object-wielding maniac.

4. Silence Of The Lambs - Fava beans & Chianti? Pffft! When it comes to human carcasses, I'm more of meat & potatoes guy, myself.

3. Night Of The Living Dead - This was almost the "Blair Witch Project" of it's time. It has the a very documentary feel to it. And to my mind, it was the first time I had ever seen the idea of zombies as truly scary.

2. Blair Witch Project - As I said before, I really can't get scared from movies anymore. Especially, if there's a monster or a Jason/Freddy/Michael Myers involved. The minute I see these guys, I am instantly reminded that I'm watching a movie, thereby negating any chance of being frightened anymore. Blair Witch tried to come as close to reality as any horror movie could. Making it seem like this could actually happen. Plus, we never saw the witch. And as it has been stated many times over centuries, "The greatest fear is that of the unknown". This movie, while it still didn't scare me, it came as close as it possibly could at this point in my life. Something that I can't ever see happening much again.

1. Exorcist - I saw a preview of this as a kid, where the girl was on the bed as it shook. That night, I was scared as hell to go upstairs to my f#ckin' bedroom.
That f#ckin' movie.......

[KevinR1990]

1. Carrie. This was the first real horror film I had ever seen. Before this, I had been reading Goosebumps books (which I must credit for getting me into horror in the first place). You can imagine what I was in for. Plus, having been teased relentlessly in grade school, it didn't take much for me to identify with Carrie White. The only problem was that my mom, who had recommended the film to me, spoiled the shock ending in the process, so it didn't have much of an impact.

2. The Descent. Pure horror cooked to perfection. Proof, in my mind, that Neil Marshall is a living god.

3. The Mist. Remember the scene in the storeroom, where the tentacles came under the loading door? Yeah, me too. Plus, there was one moment (I won't spoil anything) that marks the only time I have stood up and CHEERED in the middle of a movie. When you see it, you will do the same.

4. Donnie Darko. Okay, it's not a pure horror film, but any movie that has a demon bunny rabbit that only the main character can see (Anya would be scared shitless watching this) gets points in that regard. See it at least twice, and we can talk about what it all meant.

[MidnightAngel]

1.Friday the 13th
2.The Exorcist
3.Jaws
4.Dracula
5.Frankenstein
6.Halloween
7.The Wolfman
8.Christine
9.Alien
10.Night of the Living Dead

[#1dvdfan]

Let's see when I was a kid i was not held back from what i got to watch I always got draged to R rated films with parents and watched them at home.

I always rented HORROR films I never brached out untill 5 years ago, i stuck in that genre till then. These films I first saw and what got me into a horror junkie.

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE
HOUSE
HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY
THE EXORCIST
WICTHBOARD
WITCHBOARD 2
WITCHBOARD: THE POSSESSION
WISHMASTER
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
GHOULIES
PHANTASM
THE HOWLING
GHOULIES
GREMLINS
WATCHERS
WATCHERS II
EVIL TOONS (IF YOU CONSIDER THIS):D
C.H.U.D.
DEMON KNIGHT
BORDELLO OF BLOOD
TROLL
WARLOCK
DAY OF THE DEAD
PHANTASM
MONSTER SQUAD

[Henry Lee Lucas]

Like Cronos said earlier, it would be waaayyy to self-indulgent if i got into it. but quickly?

Ive always been interested in film and I was raised on classic hollywood and a lot of new hollywood, french new-wave, and kurasawa (thanks to my dad)
In junior high a close friend/mentor lent me Day of the Dead and Dead Alive, and it began.

so yea, Day of the Dead and Dead Alive.

Alien has also been a big part of my life since I was little.

[darknite125]

Frankenstein,Bride of Frankenstein,Dracula and the rest of the Universal Monsters> I remember as I kid I used to check them all out at the library and watch them every night and I was and still am completely fascinated by them.

Texas Chainsaw Massacreand Night of the Living Dead were beautiful in their raw and gritty realism.

[Mopar Fanatic]

Night of The Living Dead-Because of it's controversy and original idea, which reaches out to the audience leaving them with the question of what they would do in the situation.

Halloween-One of the first slashers that set the bar in it's category. Evil stalking killer let loose on suburbia is what scared me.

Nightmare on Elm St-The scene when Nancy's recently slaughtered friend pays her a visit in a blood soaked body bag at school was the scene that did it for me.

It was a combination of the three that lead me to horror movies and making me have the great appreciation for the genre to this day. I also look out movies that scared me the most in my younger days these ones certainly did that the most.

[Nunslaughter]

Dawn of the Dead- I remeber whn I was little I was obsessed with the Resident Evil series when the second one came a game magazine I bought recommended zombie movies to check out

So I begged my dad to rent the movie out and he let me watch it that film was the beggining of my lve of horror

Evil Dead My cousin brought this Video over and I watched it with him and his girlfriend at the time they then spent the entire night torturing me by making deadite noises

Nightmare on Elm Street Stayed up till 11 to watch this film when I was young (It was a big deal back then) and watched it with some friends

[BatDaddy]

My trip into horror began when I was 12 and my dad convinced my mom to let me watch horror movies (which he loves). So one day I got to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street and Jaws back to back. Quite the intro!

Since then I've been gobbling up all different kinds, and I believe I'm still playing catchup after all these years. Some others that I saw early on and still recall quite fondly:

Halloween and its sequels
Pet Sematary
The Shining
Hellraiser
Nightmare on Elm Street 3

I think there were more but that's all I can think of right now.

[snoopmish]

First and foremost I would like to thank Sir Graves Ghastly! Every Saturday afternoon I sat in front of the TV watching all the old horror classics. That started it all!

http://www.sirgravesghastly.com/

After that I'd have to say...

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things: That film was seared into my brain at about 7 or 8 when my Dad woke me up to watch it on late night with him. First film to really scare me. (Thank you to the Ghoul, the late night equivalent of Sir Graves)

Jaws: I LOVED this film!!!!! LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! I still remember sitting in "the pit" (old 70's sectional couch put together in a square) with the fireplace going and fresh made popcorn watching the broadcast premiere with my folks. It is still my all time favorite movie.

Halloween: We all rushed home from trick or treating to watch it's first broadcast premiere. About 5 of us laying down watching the film and eating too much candy. Then after the movie, my dad turned off the fuse box and hid in the house and scared the shit out of us!!!:eek:

Alien: Fell in love and never quit!

Friday the 13th part 4: First one I saw in the Theater and not on cable. (Though my first horror film in theaters was Poltergeist...count that in too as making me :p) I was 14 and had a blast! It was wonderful that no one checked ID back then, that started my horror movie Tuesdays as a teen. It was only a $1 on Tuesdays!:D

The Exorcist: It never scared me...maybe because I'm an atheist....but that film went down in my books as one of the best films ever...period.

and finally...The Shining: That one's here just because. Ya never forget your first time watching that.

Obviously these were in no particular order....just shows how my love started.