Search
+
    The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    Some of the scariest flicks, books & characters of all time

    Synopsis

    Horror movies are nothing without a truly depraved and menacing villain. Here are some of the iconic ones.

    1
    Voted one of the best horror films of all time, the original "possession" horror by William Friedkin is the story of demon-inhabited Regan, her distraught mother, and two priests working their religious practises.
    'A Quiet Place', the horror movie by John Krasinski, follows a family who must live life in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

    It has grossed over $70 million worldwide so far, with critics calling it a "smart, wickedly frightening good time".

    ET Magazine looks at some of the scariest flicks, books and characters of all time:

    'Ju-on: The Grudge', 2002

    Directed by Takashi Shimizu, Ju-On is a Japanese horror franchise consisting of 13 feature films. They revolve around a curse created in a house in Tokyo when Takeo Saeki murders his wife, their son Toshio and their pet cat in a rage. The curse's manifestation is mainly death, where the victims' bodies may or may not disappear.

    Ju-on: The Grudge, 2002


    'Ring', 1998
    Most noted film of the Japanese horror craze of the 2000s was Hideo Nakata's 'Ringu'. This is about a cursed VHS tape that kills anyone who plays it, and while this international horror hit inspired a surprisingly solid American remake, it still stands as one of Japan's most deviously entertaining cinematic exports.

    'The Exorcist', 1973

    THE EXORCIST

    Voted one of the best horror films of all time, the original "possession" horror by William Friedkin is the story of demon-inhabited Regan, her distraught mother, and two priests working their religious practises. The film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, winning Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay, and was the first horror film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

    'The Sixth Sense', 1999

    SIXTH SENSE

    This American supernatural horror film written and directed by M Night Shyamalan, tells the story of a troubled and isolated kid who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him. The line "I see dead people" from the film has become a popular catchphrase.

    'Rosemary's Baby', 1968

    ROSEMARY'S BABY


    This psychological horror film by Roman Polanski is based on the bestselling 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. The scene in which Rosemary is raped by Satan was ranked #23 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

    'The Omen', 1976
    Remember Damien the creepy kid?

    THE OMEN

    Directed by Richard Donner, it concerns a child replaced at birth by a man unbeknownst to his wife, after their own son was murdered at the hospital, enabling the son of Satan to grow up with wealth and power. They are surrounded by mysterious and ominous deaths, unaware that the child, Damien, is the Antichrist.

    'Shutter', 2004

    1


    This Thai horror flick focuses on mysterious images seen in developed pictures. The film was a huge box office success making it one of the best horror movies of Thailand recognised worldwide. An English-language remake under the same title was released in 2008

    Bollywood Horror Fest
    'Raat', 1992

    Raat


    Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, this supernatural thriller's plot is set into motion when a kitten is killed and the leading lady is possessed with its spirit. It remains a cult classic and was a box office success in both Hindi and Telugu versions.

    'Mahal', 1949

    Mahal

    Directed by Kamal Amrohi, this was a groundbreaking supernatural thriller and one of the earliest known films dealing with reincarnation. Mahal became one of the biggest box office hits of 1949 in India and paved the way for Indian gothic fiction.

    'Kohraa', 1964

    Kohraa

    This thriller horror film directed by Biren Nag was adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca, which was previously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock as Oscar-winning Rebecca in 1940.

    'Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche', 1972

    DO GAZ ZAMEEN KE NEECHE


    Directed by the Ramsay brothers, this film proved to be a milestone for the brothers and for Indian horror film industry. All the departments for making the film were managed by the eight Ramsay brothers. The film ran to full houses in the first week after its release.

    Spooky Reads
    Almost everything Edgar Allan Poe wrote

    Edgar Allan Poe wrote

    Dealing with the tales of mystery, the macabre and the visceral dread, Poe was the master of horror writing. The Masque of the Red Death, Rue Morgue, The Spectacles and The Fall of the House of sher are a few examples.

    The Exorcist, 1971

    The Exorcist

    William Peter Blatty's book details the demonic possession of twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. It earned a place on The New York Times Best Seller list.

    Ghost Story, 1979

    Ghost Story


    In Peter Straub's book, the protagonists gather periodically to share ghost stories. As the story unfolds, their past is revealed to hold a murder from their youth, and they begin to fear that the young woman they killed has returned to take revenge.

    Revival, 2014

    Revival


    Written by Stephen King, critics noted the book's nod to classics of the horror genre, such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan. It tells the story of a Christian minister who, after his family dies in an accident, denounces God in front of his congregation.

    Heebie-Jeebie Characters
    Horror movies are nothing without a truly depraved and menacing villain. Here are some of the iconic ones:

    Jack Torrance: The Shining

    Jack Torrance


    Pennywise the Clown: It


    Pennywise the Clown

    Hannibal Lecter: The Silence of the Lambs


    Hannibal Lecter

    Samara Morgan: The Ring


    Samara Morgan

    The Demon Nun: The Conjuring 2

    The Demon Nun




    ( Originally published on Apr 14, 2018 )
    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
    ...more
    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
    ...more
    The Economic Times

    Stories you might be interested in