Ghosts, demons, curses, even Death himself–these are just some of the supernatural killers that have haunted us at the movies.
They are truly terrifying by the mere fact you can’t ever really destroy them, giving filmmakers the freedom to explore any number of ways to scare the bejeezus out of us. The Fog, a remake of horror master John Carpenter’s 1980 fright fest, is the latest supernatural killer to hit the big screen.
We take a look at some of our super-naturalistic favorites.
The Exorcist (1973)
Who’s haunting whom? Demons, namely Lucifer himself, possess young, impressionable Regan (Linda Blair), thus driving her mom (Ellen Burstyn) crazy with her very bad behavior.
How $uper? $39.7 million (including its 2000 re-release)
How natural? Part of the reason this classic has been one of the most enduring horror films of all time is because its purported to be true. It’s horrifying, not only for the fact that the young Regan spouts obscenities and pools of green spew, but for the fact that it happens to an everyday, unsuspecting child. And by simply opening up your attic, all hell breaks loose.
Sleep loss? Too much to remember. But if you really never want to sleep again, read William Peter Blatty’s even-scarier novel from which he adapted the screenplay. Because “the power of Christ compels you!”
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The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Who’s haunting whom? Supposedly, it’s the local urban legend about a witch named Blair. But when the legend seemingly comes true, three film students–taping their camping exploits in the woods–are in some big trouble.
How $uper? $140.5 million
How natural? Eerily so. With nary a special effect to be seen, the handheld-camera cinematography and the myth that the film was actual footage of a “real” student project, Blair scares many just on suspicion that it is horrifying voyeurism.
Sleep loss? Maybe a few nights here and there. Of course, those in the parks and recreation industry had to start resorting to downers at bedtime when it came out. As well as the fact that for awhile, nobody in their right mind wanted to go camping. But that goes without saying.
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Final Destination (2000)
Who’s haunting whom? The Grim Reaper, that’s who! After a group of friends narrowly miss dying in a fiery plane crash, due to a premonition from one of them, Death isn’t at all happy about being cheated. He intends to fulfill his quota.
How $uper? $53.3 million
How natural? Destination’s style is certainly schmaltzy and over-the-top, but the notion behind it is one to ponder. Can you swindle Death? Not if he has anything to say about it.
Sleep loss? Maybe not any sleep, per se, but perhaps years off our lives. The bigger-picture existentialism behind this otherwise feeble flick is a lot scarier than its actors trotting just slowly enough for Death to catch up. See, our paranoia about death was already pretty strong, thank you very much, before this came along, tugging at our collective id.
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Poltergeist (1982)
Who’s haunting whom? Some pesky poltergeists, lead by the most malevolent of spirits, who terrorize a happy, suburban family and snatch up their cute-as-a-button 5-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O’Rouke). Their only hope of getting her back rests on a diminutive, baby-voiced medium, who has successfully “cleaned” many houses of such evil.
How $uper? $76.6 million
How natural? Carol Anne being sucked into a vortex in her closet right after her brother is attacked by a hungry tree; a ghost chaser picking his face apart in the bathroom, and dozens of rotting corpses popping out of the ground in their coffins as the family tries to escape. It isn’t pretty.
Sleep loss? Back in the day when TV actually went off the air and static would appear, yeah, maybe you’d might have some trouble climbing into bed and sleeping peacefully. But now? Poltergeist is just a creepy distraction before a 3:00 am episode of Antiques Roadshow.
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The Others (2001)
Who’s haunting whom? Hmmm, that’s a very good question. You think at first it’s some good old-fashioned ghosts haunting two youngsters and their mother (Nicole Kidman) in their big, old drafty English manor. But then you begin to wonder who the real ghosts really are.
How $uper? $96.5 million
How natural? Straightforward ghost stories can be iffy–we’re just so jaded these days. But with Kidman’s professionalism and a compelling story, this isn’t Casper the Friendly Ghost’s sort of movie.
Sleep loss? Not so much. The thrills are more fun and entertaining than anything else. Of course, it’s always a tall order for a director to divert one’s attention from a striking leading gal like Kidman long enough to grasp a profound subject, but that’s why it’s only meant to stay with you for its duration. It serves its purpose frighteningly well.
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The Ring (2002)
Who’s haunting whom? A videotape. It kills all who watch it within seven days. But then it really gets going when a journalist (Naomi Watts) dares to investigate its source. Is she crazy?
How $uper? $128.6 million
How natural? The video makes it real. Watching it, then getting the alarming phone calls immediately following the viewing, letting the victim know they have seven days to live. Now, that could happen. But maybe the creepy long-haired girl climbing out of the well, out of the television and into your living room to kill you is overdoing it a little, even as frightening as it is.
Sleep loss? Are you kidding? The fact that you’ve just watch an entire movie about a killer videotape, having actually witnessed the tape itself, you are definitely staying awake, just waiting for that phone to ring. And the “possessed” little girl thing still works, even after we were subdued by the Exorcist sequels. It’s just a good thing videotapes are so passé these days.
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The Amityville Horror (1979, 2005)
Who’s haunting whom? A demonic house that makes its inhabitants commit unspeakable murders. When a young couple, the Lutzs, buy it and move in, somehow the real estate neglects to tell them about its, er, history. Needless to say, things go wrong very quickly.
How $uper? $86 million in 1979; $19 million in 2005.
How natural? As another horror flick based on a true story, it’s the reality of it that gets us every time–even in this year’s Amityville remake. Still, logically, we shouldn’t be that upset. It’s true the real Lutzs ran out of the house in the middle of the night, screaming about flies and demons and whatnot, never to return. But since then, there have been other residents living in the famed house in Amityville, NY–and nothing has happened to them.
Sleep loss? Tough to say. You’re home in your own bed, in your own house, which coincidentally has never told you to chop anyone up with an axe. So you’re pretty safe, I think.
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The Grudge (2004)
Who’s haunting whom? Yet another cursed house, this time in Tokyo. It’s not really demons that are bothersome but rather some mighty peeved ghosts, who pretty much destroy anyone who crosses the house’s threshold. This isn’t good news for Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a American foreign-exchange student, who haplessly wanders in.
How $uper? $110 million
How natural? We’re usually immune to cursed houses, but this one made believers out of us–to a point, of course. Ultimately, it is Gellar’s out-of-place Karen and director Takashi Shimizu who added the horrific flair that catches us off-guard and it’s safe bet we won’t be visiting the set. But not quite the staying power necessary to penetrate our jaded exteriors.
Sleep loss? Bouts of night terror for a while, especially trying to erase the ghost woman contorting her body down the stairs. The Grudge did, however, put a damper on our plans to visit the region of Tokyo that bears a foreboding resemblance to the dank, Gothic mansions of Savannah, Georgia.
Kit Bowen contributed to this story.
