The ten scariest scenes on the silver screen

By Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

"Psycho" — The shower scene with Janet Leigh (and Anthony Perkins) is the scariest movie scene of all time. Universal Pictures via Gannett News Service

Maybe that explains why the third remake of "Massacre," slaughtered the competition at the box office two weekends ago to the tune of $28 million.

Loosely based on the true story of cannibalistic murderer Ed Gein, the movie presaged the modern-day splatter film and introduced the (virtually) unstoppable killing machine: Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding monstrosity who would morph into

Jason in the "Friday the 13th" films and Freddy in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series. The first director of "Texas Chainsaw," Tobe Hooper, would go on to direct other horror classics, including "Poltergeist" (with Steven Spielberg).

With a remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in theaters and Halloween just around the corner, it's time to pick the scariest movie scenes of all time.

1. "Psycho" — The Shower Scene (Janet Leigh, 1960): When this movie opened, it's hard to imagine that many audience members were eager to rush home and take a shower. Oddball motel clerk Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) peeks through a hole in the wall just when comely embezzler Marion Crane (Leigh) is about to step into the shower. Next thing you know, here comes the butcher knife, the noise and the shower curtain rings, popping off one by one. Nobody ever looked at a tub the same way again.

"The Shining" — Shelley Duvall is paid a surprise visit by her husband (Jack Nicholson) in the film directed by Stanley Kubrick. Warner Bros. via Gannett News Service

"The Exorcist" — A priest (Max von Sydow) exorcises the demons that have possessed 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair). Warner Bros. via Gannett News Service

3. "The Exorcist" — The Head Spin (Linda Blair, 1973): Either little Regan (Blair) is one heck of a ventriloquist or she's possessed by demons. Guessing the latter, her mom calls up a local priest, who brings in the title character (Max von Sydow) to do a little housecleaning. We're already pretty raggedy around the edges when she pulls off the always-difficult spinning-head trick. And she nails the landing!

4. "Poltergeist" — Mr. Clown gets Frisky (Oliver Robins, 1982): There are plenty of scary moments in this movie — the evil tree, the face disintegration, the corpse-filled swimming pool — but for our money, you just can't beat a doll that comes to life. During filming, the prop doll malfunctioned and actually nearly strangled Robins (who plays Robbie Freeling). The young actor was rescued by director Spielberg.

5. "The Silence of the Lambs" — Basement Blackout (Jodie Foster, 1991): Man, Agent Clarice Starling (Foster) finally tracks down Buffalo Bill and what does he do? Locks her in the basement and then stalks her with infrared gear. The guy just doesn't play fair. Unfortunately for him, this particular Starling is equipped with ultrasensitive hearing. Oops.

6. "The Sixth Sense" — Late Night Visitor (Haley Joel Osment, 1999): Poor Cole Sear just wants to spend the night making a tent, but he keeps getting interrupted by a ghostly girl, who's just a bit sick to her stomach. Actually, the most frightening part of this sequence is when a ghost passes behind Cole, unseen to him, but visible to the audience. Like, creepy, man.

7. "Alien" — Severe Indigestion (John Hurt, 1979): Upon repeated viewings, this sequence is more gross than scary, but the first time it happens, you really have no idea what's happening to the poor guy. You figure maybe he got hold of some bad huevos rancheros. No such luck. If you're dying to see it again, it's being re-released for Halloween, with additional scenes and the usual digital cleanup.

8. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" — Hello, Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen, 1974): OK, looks just like a regular farmhouse, nice front porch, nobody around — hmm, what's this giant metal door here? Aaaaaieeeeeee! The movie spends the first half building suspense, punctuated by the sudden appearance of Leatherface, who turns a nosy guy into, well, tomorrow's dinner. If you ever visit the family restaurant, one piece of advice — avoid the sausage.

9. "Jaws" — Hello, Mr. Head (Richard Dreyfuss, Craig Kingsbury, 1975): Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss) and Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) are on a late-night fishing expedition and come across the wrecked boat of local fisherman Ben Gardner (Kingsbury). Hooper goes scuba diving to check out the boat's hull, and just when you think he might bump into, say, the shark, Gardner's head pops out of a hole. I jumped a mile.

10. "Freaks" — One of Us (Olga Baclanova, 1932): Working in a traveling circus, Cleopatra (Baclanova) performs on the flying trapeze by night and by day romances the midget Hans, while secretly scheming to marry him (and then kill him) to steal his newly acquired fortune. When her plot is discovered by the other performers (many of whom are actual circus "freaks"), she's dealt some cruel carny justice.