We’re now on Day 19 of the 30-Day Horror Challenge. Day 19’s topic is “The horror film that frightened you the most.”
Not much frightens me in horror movies these days. I’ve just completely desensitized myself for the most part, even though I still really enjoy them. They’re fun, and they still find a way to make my heart beat just a little bit faster.
Historically, though, I’d say “Poltergeist” is the one that frightened me the most. Specifically, the scene in the bathroom with the pulled-apart face.
Poltergeist aired a number of times on HBO in the early 80’s. I think my dad even videotaped it – we were the first house in our neighborhood to get HBO and the first to get a Betamax (precursor to VHS). It was a great house for watching TV, on that big piece of wooden furniture that cabinet TVs were back in the day! My sister and I watched it a lot.
Still, there was one scene that I always hid from. The paranormal researcher goes into the bathroom, washes his face, and then suddenly the overhead light starts to hum and turns red. He looks up to the mirror, picks at something on his face, picks at something else, then starts pulling his face apart, throwing one piece of bloody viscera after another into the sink. I would start watching the scene with the intention of “Maybe this is the time I sit and watch the whole thing!” The scene would progress a few seconds, then that overhead would turn red and I’m all “Okay Kev it’s go time!” and the challenge is on! A little bit of pulling, some blood, then he pulls the skin out and his face starts to stretch and it’s “Okay I’m outta here!” and I wait until the music stops and I know it’s safe to go back.
I did this a lot as a kid, daring myself to watch something borderline too scary for me. It was almost an obsession, once I learned that something like Halloween or Amityville Horror were currently playing on TV. The entire time I’m aware that it’s playing, I would click to the channel it’s on (HBO, of course. It was the only place on our TV that showed anything remotely challenging to my sensibilities), wait just as long as I could before clicking it back before something I can never unsee happens. Over and over again over the course of the next 90 minutes, that’s what I would do.
I genuinely miss the days that horror movies could make me feel that way. I’m sure a lot of you can relate!