Friday, October 31, 2008

Nightmare survey conducted by Dallas-based Blockbuster ranks The Exorcist #1

By John P. Meyer

According to the results of a survey done by Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc., more respondents chose The Exorcist as the movie most likely to give them nightmares than any other.

Here's the full list, in descending order of perceived nightmare-inducing quality:

1. The Exorcist

2. Halloween

3. The Ring

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

6. The Grudge

7. The Shining

8. Saw

9. The Blair Witch Project

10. Pet Semetary

These figures derive from about 6,000 responses to the question received via Blockbuster.com - but consider that this population has some overlap with the crew that think Barack Obama is a Muslim, and you'll see why I was hoping to hear from you, our above-average-intelligence Pegnews readers, with your more insightful selections.

** Dig deep, if you dare, into your filmgoing past and add a comment below giving us your ONE most nightmare-inducing film of all time.

To start the ball rolling, here are the picks of those Pegnews staffers who are currently online and/or in the office, and NOTE that they have not been made aware of the results of the Blockbuster survey (well, except for Teresa, who sent me the link to the story):

Laura S.: The Ring

Laura E.: Bug

David: Ringu

Jeremy: 1408

Chris: no answer (Chris says he doesn't do the scary movie thing, or perhaps he had a bad scary movie experience as a child. Just theorizing here...)

Mike B.: Jaws (citing an ongoing fear of going into the water)

Teresa: 2001 A Space Odyssey - "not because it's traditionally scary but because of its concept of being completely alone in outer space until you die."

Mike O.: Poltergeist

Gwen: Psycho; Wait Until Dark (She gets two because they're both really good ones.)

Shannon: The Ring

Tasha: The Exorcist

Todd: The Ring (formerly The Wiz)

Susan Kandell (movie review contributor): Texas Chainsaw Massacre

For me, it's got to be The Haunting ('63), which found Julie Harris and Claire Bloom locked in an embrace of fear as disembodied booming noises slowly approached their bedroom from down the darkened hallway of Hill House.

You?

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• Arts > Movies / Film
• Holidays > Halloween

Comments

John Meyer Staff

Ha ha ha! Erin foolishly thought her late response would exempt her bizarre scary movie choice from public view. She was wrong, because I'm posting it here as written:

"This still comes to “Critters.” Those human-eating furrballs scare the crap out of me, and it’s not helped by the fact that my own cat Moses bears a striking resemblance and occasionally likes to gnaw on human flesh. This is probably too late..."

8 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Erin Rice Staff

<------ Exhibit A (Moses, a.k.a. the critter)

8 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )