HORROR MOVIES 101

What was the FIRST film that scared you?

As a companion to the "What was the LAST film that scared you" thread, do you remember the very first film that scared the living daylights out of you? 

For me, it was Darby O'Gill and the Little People -- a Disney movie!  (Oh, the shame!)  But I was just a little kid at the time, and when I saw those Banshees, I was afraid to go to sleep for days afterwards, thinking they would come and carry me away!

Oh, and ladies, I was too young to appreciate it at the time, but this is a notable film for another reason...it was the movie debut of 20-year-old Sean Connery!  

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

God, I know what you mean about Frankenstein.  I cannot watch that movie again because I feel so sorry for him.  It's just too painful to watch for me...Okay, I know I'm a freak, but it is really sad.  I was watching a documentary about Frankenstein and in the first draft of the movie,  the doctor dies, but then they changed it because they thought audiences would be pissed if there wasn't a happy ending.   I also heard that all the equipment they made for the movie still works and is still rented for other movies like Van Helsing and The Illusionist (I think that was the movie).  Anyway, it's pretty interesting.

Man, I just can't remember the first film that truly scared me.  I actually think it was that made for TV movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark that I had mentioned in another post OR I think it was When a Stranger Calls, I just don't remember, I have been watching scary movies since I was 7 or 8 years old.  It all started with Scooby Doo and just kept escalating...hee hee.

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

divinemsjunebug:

God, I know what you mean about Frankenstein.  (snip)  I also heard that all the equipment they made for the movie still works and is still rented for other movies like Van Helsing and The Illusionist (I think that was the movie). 

I know for a fact that they used the original equipment for Young Frankenstein, one of my all-time favorite films!  (The shepherd to the monster, after setting his thumb on fire trying to light his cigar, "Come back! I was going to make espresso!")

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

SushiZombie:

The exercist scared the crap out of me when i was little, my mom had me watch it at like age 7 or 8. i couldn't sleep alone for weeks after watching that movie. till this day i cant sleep in the dark after watching that movie!

It scared the crap out of me, too, and I was 23 at the time!  LOL!  I saw it with a friend from work, then went back to my apartment alone, and I was terrified to walk into my bedroom.  I just knew that little girl was going to be there, floating above my bed!

Re: What was the FIRST film that scared you?

mydyingeyes:

A nightmare on elm street. I don't remember how old I was, but remember not wanting to go to sleep for a long time afterwards.

I think it's interesting how many of us associate that first big scare with being unable to sleep afterwards.  I would wonder if that is a root cause of insomnia...except for the fact that I now fall asleep when my head hits the pillow and can sleep through anything!