Well, Alien (1979) if you like things that jump out of the dark at you.
But one of my favourite films of all time is John Carpenter's the Thing (1982)
The film is loosely based on the older 'The Thing from Another World' (1951), itself based on the classic James Campbell novella 'Who Goes There?'
The film has a wonderful atmosphere, crafted from camera, lighting and sound track. Absolutely great special effects, mainly because it was one of the last huge horror films to use actual life sized models rather than digital effects.
Why does it scare me?
Remember all those times you sat watching some film, and you saw someone flick a light switch, find the lights don't work, and said " Don't go IN there, you idiot!'!
And sure as shit, bozo walks into the dark, and straight into the monster.
Or you watched someone walking * backwards * down the hall, when they * know * there is a crazed maniac with a chainsaw loose in there someplace?
Or they are being chased by a hoard of blood sucking zombies, yet they run past a * shot gun * and instead pick up a golf club?
Ok, a bunch of American scientists in Antartica are kind of attacked by a couple of crazed Norwegians from the only nearby base. Wondering why, they go there, only to find everyone slaughtered, a huge wreck of a space craft uncovered in the ice, an empty coffin sized block of ice - and some very, very bizarre remains. Of * course * they have to haul that back to home base.
Later that night, frantic howling comes from the dog pens.
MacReady (played by Kurt Russell), on hearing the ruckus, hits the fire alarm, and his first command on the way over to the area is 'Get the flame thrower!'
What the Frack??
Who hears a bunch of dogs barking and sends for a flamethrower?
Did the character read the script before hand?
Would that be * your * first impulse?
(If so, you may be one of my close friends, but go with me here, ok?)
Now here's the part that scares me...
It doesn't do them all any damn good.
They all die anyway, mostly horribly.
Other than MacReady and one other, who might actually be alien shape changers themselves at that point anyway (and the end of the film certainly suggests this).
And the kids are scared of Frackin' ZOMBIES ...
I guess it beats worrying about glowing in the dark during a Nuclear Winter?
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