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The 5 Most Forgotten Scary Movies

From the 70s-2010s

By Celestia MorellePublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Every kid has that scary movie their parents told them they couldn't watch, but snuck into the room and peaked around the corner only to be scarred for the next twenty years of their life. Those movies stick with you, and later, when you're of age, you track them down just to be reminded of how scary they were. It's hard to forget them, but as I get older, I find that most of my friends are like: "What movie? What are you talking about?"

As a film school graduate, I have come to appreciate the vast number of scary movies and all of their former glory, which brings me to the list of five most forgotten horror films.

1. 'House' (1977)

This Japanese scary movie was a big box office hit in Japan when it was released. However, it received more favorable reviews when it was released in the States. It follows a young girl who visits her aunt's house in the middle of nowhere with six of her good friends. Throughout their stay, the girls begin to experience weird supernatural activity, including flying heads that bite butts, girl-eating light fixtures, and blood spurting paintings. Most directors didn't want to take on the project due to the fear of it ending their careers, but Nobuhiko Obayashi, who wasn't even a staff member of the company, ended up filming the movie and even won an award for Best New Director. Some think of it as more comedic than scary due to its low budget effects and interesting ending, but no one can deny it had some pretty scary scenes.

2. 'The Watcher in the Woods' (1980)

You may be thinking: Wow, sounds familiar. Maybe that's because it's a Disney film. "Scary Disney?!" Yes, scary Disney film. If anyone remembers, this film is about a family looking for a home in England. They look at a home owned by the illusive Mrs. Aylwood, and she decides to let them rent. The daughters can tell that something happened in the woods near their new home and, get this, feel like they are being watched from the woods. The twists and turns in this movie left me on the edge of my seat as a kid and it definitely had the most controversial set of endings (yes, there are three of them) that Disney has ever faced. A must-see if you have never watched it before.

3. 'The Witches' (1990)

If there was ever a Roald Dahl story that struck you as dark, ie: James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, or the Gremlins, none of them are as dark and scary as The Witches. A young boy becomes an orphan and his elderly grandma takes him in. Her health isn't the best, so the doctor advises them to spend the summer by the sea, and they end in a hotel where they meet the Grand High Witch. This boy's journey becomes dangerous and his adventure to save his friends and grandma terrified me growing up. The movie was a big success with the critics, but not so good in the box office. With it being the last film the famous Jim Henson worked on before his death, its puppets and effects are still famously known by those who remember it.

4. 'Brainscan' (1994)

This movie starred the young Edward Furlong, best known as John Connor from the Terminator movies. He is a young guy interested in death and violence, which, of course, leads to him playing a beta version of the CD-ROM computer game—you guessed it, "Brainscan." This game is all about murdering people and trying to get away with it, but things take a turn when the murders start to happen in real life. Even though the film got poor reviews all around, its intriguing characters and its awesome twist ending stuck with me into my adult life. It gives a good look into games from the mid 90s and showcases how things aren't always how they seem.

5. 'Splice' (2009)

This film is a little bit more modern, but the best way to define it is as a science fiction nightmare. Giving off mad Bodysnatchers vibes, this film follows a married couple of scientists who are working on hybrid animals, which later becomes hybrid humans. After a mistake with their work, they continue their experiments in secrecy, only leading to more trouble and complications. The movie was fifty/fifty when it came to reviews, but had an overall positive influence. It is a different kind of horror film that talks about types of science we don't hear about often and the moral choices it creates. It is definitely not for children and should be watched during the day.

Not all of these are necessarily horror, some of them are more suspense than anything, but there's one thing I do know: I wouldn't watch them with the lights off, or alone. At least give them a try and remember...it's okay to hide under the covers.

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About the Creator

Celestia Morelle

When I write, I connect with a part of me that otherwise doesn’t exist. She’s a flame that I spend hundreds of thousands of words trying to grasp. I hope you feel her too when you’re reading. I turn the sirens voice into art, for she is me.

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