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9 of the Best Damn Classic Jump Scares Ever

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Want to set off a whole room of “horror fans” without a lot of effort? I’ve got two words for you: jump scares.

For some reason, people act like jump scares are a brand new thing that just happened in the last ten years which is puzzling as they’ve been a part of the genre from almost the beginning.

Now admittedly, there are films that take it way too far and the jumps are all they have going for them. It’s unfortunate, but an abundance of jump scares does not make a film terrible. It simply makes it ineffective for some audience members.

As a side note, I think most of us could benefit from repeating the mantra: Just because I don’t like it, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad.

Regardless, some jump scares have become legendary due to near perfect placement in a film, and it’s time we dug into this much maligned trope for some of the best examples in horror history.

#9 Jaws–“You’re going to need a bigger boat…”

Though relatively tame by today’s standards, I was all of 8 or 9 years old when I first saw Jaws, and this scene had me messed up for weeks. I’m not sure what Brody was expecting sitting on the side of the boat when he knew damn well there was a ravenous shark on the loose, but it definitely wasn’t what he saw. He was shook, and so was I!

#8 It Follows–The Tall Man Emerges

I’ll admit I wasn’t completely blown away by everything about It Follows. Still it had a really cool premise, and it was unlike anything we’d seen in a long time. For that alone, I give this film its props.

I’ll also admit that the scene where the “tall man” emerges from the darkened doorway into the bedroom made me feel like my stomach evacuated my body and took my soul with it.

#7 Final Destination –Terry Chaney and the Bus

Final Destination was a franchise filled with perfectly placed jump scares. Jeffrey Reddick and the subsequent writers perfected teasing an audience to repeatedly make them uneasy only to sideswipe them with an amazing kill out of nowhere, but few of them will every outdo Terry Chaney’s death by bus in the first installment.

#6 Paranormal Activity–Micah’s Death

This whole franchise got a bad rep after a couple of mishandled sequels, but I still love it, and I will NEVER forget seeing it in theaters the first time. I went with a friend of mine who is much more reserved than I am generally. As the tension built to those final moments of deafening quiet, we were both on the edge of our seats.

When Micah’s body flew out of the dark hallway after those pounding footsteps, my friend yelled ‘SON OF A BITCH!!” and I just screamed. It was an awesome bonding experience, and it’s also perfect for this list.

#5 Sinister–Lawn Work

Why does this scene make my heart nearly explode every time I watch it?! I think it has something to do with the darkness that surrounds the spotlight on the lawnmower and the sudden appearance of a body ready to be turned to mulch…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FNR63xfTNg

#4 Carrie–Hand from the grave 

I had no idea what was about to happen the first time I saw Carrie, but let’s face it, in the pit of my stomach I knew something wasn’t right. There was Sue (Amy Irving) looking like an angel in white with a soft glowing aura around her. There was that beautiful, haunting melody playing over the scene.

There’s a bloody hand and arm coming up out of the ground and grabbing Sue in a perfect echo of the film’s opening scene!  Carrie proved, in that moment, that some of the best scares happen in brought daylight.

#3 Alien–Xenomorph surprises Dallas

Has anyone else ever wondered how something as large as a Xenomorph can be so damned quiet?! They are like 7 1/2 feet tall and armor-like exoskeletons! There should be come kind of warning that the thing is approaching.

Alas, as poor Dallas found out, that just isn’t the case, and it’s solidly #3 on this list!

#2 Psycho–Mummified Mrs. Bates

Some will probably argue that this is not a jump scare, but for my money that reveal was terrifying and completely unexpected the first time I saw this perfectly executed scene.

Poor Mrs. Bates…exhumed, taxidermied, and made out to be a murderous villain by her son. She wouldn’t even hurt a fly!

#1 Exorcist III–The beheading…

A lot of people hated on this movie in its initial release, but as with so many things, it’s cultivated quite the cult following and this scene has a lot to do with that fact.

The utter quiet and the completely unexpected appearance of the specter-like killer in white coupled with the sudden burst of sound and transition to a headless statue is just amazing!

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

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Horror Movies

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. 

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story. 

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did. 

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD. 

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind. 

The Crow
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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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