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Best "Scared" performance

post #1 of 27
9/18/03 at 6:27am
Thread Starter 
I named this best "scared" not best scream, because they aren't neccesarily the same thing. I was thinking of performances that heightened the mood or peril in a movie. Performances where the actor or actress seemed so genuinely scared that it made me scared...or at the very least, put me on edge and made me feel uneasy. We've all seen thousands of people scream in movies, but every once in awhile a performance seems so real and dead on that it strikes a cord. Especially with something as primitive as fear. I've always thought a good way to judge an actor or actress was to see them act scared cause I think it's a very hard thing to fake and get right.

--Heather Donahoe from Blair Witch Project: Her screams and the absolute fear in her voice as she runs up and down the stairs in that house set me on edge and was one of the main reasons why the end of that film creeped me out.
--Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: She's amazing in Fire Walk With Me too, but the scene where Bob kills Maddie in the Palmer living room is scary as hell and Lee's screams are painful to watch they're so real. Such real terror in her eyes.
--Shelly Duvall in The Shining: I know some people think she's awful, but I think she's great in this movie. Especially the scene where she's holed up in the bathroom. Her scream and the look in her eyes as that axe blade breaks thru gets me everytime.
--Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween: Jamie Lee in the closet.
--Marilyn Burns (? I believe..its very late ) in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: She's practically terrorized the whole movie and plays it well.

Who are your favorite screamers or terrorized performances? Ones that really pulled you into the film.
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post #2 of 27
9/18/03 at 6:30am
Ellen Burstyn did her stuff well in The Exorcist.

But I think it has to go to Marilyn Burns in TCM. That whole performance is indeliby scratched into my mind, and every single part of it oozes real fear.
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post #3 of 27
9/18/03 at 7:23am
John Leguizamo in SUMMER OF SAM

Brilliant
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post #4 of 27
9/18/03 at 7:44am
Well... Shelly Duvall has been mentioned...

Oksana Akinshina in <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0300140/" target="_blank">Lilja 4-Ever</a>. While Lilja 4-Ever isn't really a horror movie it´s still one of the most intense scary things I´ve ever seen. And it´s Oksana that carries it... as for scream and terror... well, I can just point to the last 15 minutes or so...

I saw <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0055018/" target="_blank">The Innocents</a> on TV a year back or so... And besides being a stunning film in every other aspect I think I can remember some bloodcurling screams from Deborah Kerr in it.
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post #5 of 27
9/18/03 at 9:57am
Quote:
Fett:


But I think it has to go to Marilyn Burns in TCM. That whole performance is indeliby scratched into my mind, and every single part of it oozes real fear.
Ever hear the commentary? Gunner Hanson talks about how he actually cut her finger open while she was tied down for the dinner table scene. What a sicko. No wonder she looked so genuinely terrified.
I cast a vote for Ripley at the end of "Alien" when she's trying not to wake up her stowaway.
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post #6 of 27
9/18/03 at 10:20am
I "third" the Shelley Duvall nomination. She gets a lot of flack for not being a pretty person, but she was great in her role, and totally believeably scared.

And another vote for Sigourney in Alien--scared, but also tough. A hard line to walk, and she did it.

And, because I have to: the archeologist who goes insane with fear at the beginning of Karloff's The Mummy -- what, guys can't be scared too? His insane laughter always sticks with me a long time after viewing.
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post #7 of 27
9/18/03 at 11:19am
I am going to go with another MALE scared moment with Robert Shaw as Quint in "JAWS".
he is slowly sliding down towards the mouth of one of his greatest fears and is making small whimpering noises as he struggles not to slide into the chomping mouth of the beast.

And ANYONE who has ever had an actual scary moment in their life. Whether is was a close call on the highway, losing your grip while climbing, or even almost falling off of a stool.-You make those uncontrolable noises.

I thought that was a great FEAR performance...Well...till he looked at the camera and spit out the blood.

And also- one of the most viscious show of death and fear was Jack (Griffin Dunne) getting mauled in American Werewolf in London. Totally screaming and yelling in fear and pain for help...

later
Tony D
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post #8 of 27
9/18/03 at 2:07pm
Johnny Depp cowering beneath the sheets when he realizes the Headless Horseman legend is a reality in Sleepy Hollow. Loved that.
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post #9 of 27
9/18/03 at 2:14pm
The look on the guys face in Scarface when he realizes that a chainsaw is about to go through his skull
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post #10 of 27
9/18/03 at 3:30pm
Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....Marilyn Burns.....

Marilyn Burns......
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post #11 of 27
9/18/03 at 3:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Scott Standridge Drinks Only Beer:

And, because I have to: the archeologist who goes insane with fear at the beginning of Karloff's The Mummy -- what, guys can't be scared too? His insane laughter always sticks with me a long time after viewing.
Hey, you're right there. And I'll add Evelyn Ankers when Lon Chaney Jr. attacks her next to that tree. It may have been because they didn't necc get along and man, he really was tossing her about, but she does look terrified of poor old Larry Talbot. One of my favorite Universal screams.
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post #12 of 27
9/18/03 at 5:28pm
"There was a horseman...with no head... it was a headless horseman..."

I love Sleepy Hollow and Depp's performance in particular. In the most recent EW, Depp said he based that performance on Angela Lansbury.
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post #13 of 27
9/18/03 at 5:42pm
Quote:
Dr. Vitus Werdegast:
Quote:
Scott Standridge Drinks Only Beer:

And, because I have to: the archeologist who goes insane with fear at the beginning of Karloff's The Mummy -- what, guys can't be scared too? His insane laughter always sticks with me a long time after viewing.
Hey, you're right there. And I'll add Evelyn Ankers when Lon Chaney Jr. attacks her next to that tree. It may have been because they didn't necc get along and man, he really was tossing her about, but she does look terrified of poor old Larry Talbot. One of my favorite Universal screams.
If you're trying to get in my good graces with a comment like that...it's working.

I love Evelyn...
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post #14 of 27
9/18/03 at 5:46pm
Most of the soldiers in 28 Days Later.
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post #15 of 27
9/18/03 at 10:23pm
I'm gonna open myself up for an attack here, but the performances of the two girls (Amber Tamblyn and Rachael Bella I think) in the opening sequence of The Ring were so good that I was completely sucked in and marked out for the rest of the film.

Shouting out to Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween; Shelly Duval The Shining; and Marilyn Burns The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Wondering how attacked I'll be if I bring up Fritz Weaver's work in "The Crate" from Creepshow.
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post #16 of 27
9/19/03 at 1:43am
Russels cold fear in The Thing when they tried to lock him out and he breaks in and lites the flare and holds it to the TNT

or maybe he was just cold and pissed off

What about the chick that got the hook in TCM

they really did it right with the screamers in that one
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post #17 of 27
9/19/03 at 4:44am
the guy who played Takayama Ryuji in Ring totally sold the TV scene. Frozen in fear, panic breathing, all of that.

Rourke, Angel Heart.

Sutherland, Don't Look Now.

Scott, The Changeling.

Roddy McDowall when he first sees that Chris Sarandon has no reflection.
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post #18 of 27
9/19/03 at 5:31am
Heather Donahoe (Blair Witch Project) and Marilyn Burns (TCM) have already been mentioned. I'd like to add Susanne Lothar from Michael Haneke's Funny Games, Hitomi Kuroki from Hideo Nakata's Dark Water, some of the actors and actresses in the Ju-On films and Ryo Ishibashi in Audition when he gits all those needles stuck into him ... the look in his eyes is pure terror and despair.
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post #19 of 27
9/19/03 at 12:32pm
This one might sound wierd, or a odd bit out of place here, but Joshua Jackson's reactions after the nights events in the Dawson's Creek episode The Scare. Series creator Kevin Williamson wrote it in pardy of Scream. In it the town is talking about a serial killer called the "Lady Killer". To top it off Pasci(Jackson) meets a woman at the local convienience store and they go up tom Dawson's house. During the night when they're talking about the the Lady Killer,people at the house start noticing that someone may be following them, and maybe is stalking around the house. Turns out its actually the girl's jealous girlfriend ,and they leave. However after a night of living horror film highlights, Pasci is nontheless rattled. As he is going to to car that night he quicky sweeps all over his car with a flashlight in order to ,ake sure nothing can sneak up on him. Something I'd do if I went through that experience.
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post #20 of 27
9/19/03 at 12:47pm
I totally second anything from the Ring

As with Jaimi Lee, Sigourney, Rourke.

One which hasn't been mentioned though...

NEve Cambell in Scream. I thought she was pretty convincingly scared...and angry.
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post #21 of 27
9/19/03 at 1:20pm
Steiger in The Amityville Horror.
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post #22 of 27
9/19/03 at 1:29pm
Quote:
BobClark:
Quote:
Fett:


But I think it has to go to Marilyn Burns in TCM. That whole performance is indeliby scratched into my mind, and every single part of it oozes real fear.
Ever hear the commentary? Gunner Hanson talks about how he actually cut her finger open while she was tied down for the dinner table scene. What a sicko. No wonder she looked so genuinely terrified.
Hahaha...she looked so genuinely terrified because they beat the living shit out of that poor girl during filming. You can't help but laugh at some of the things they made that girl do. She gets my vote by the way.

I'll third (?) Johnny Depp for Sleepy Hollow also.
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post #23 of 27
9/19/03 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Gereson's Ghost:


Wondering how attacked I'll be if I bring up Fritz Weaver's work in "The Crate" from Creepshow.
"He wanted to measure the bite marks. I guess he got his Chaaaaance!"
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post #24 of 27
9/19/03 at 2:35pm
Did someone just mention Dawson's Creek in here or am I having "Signs" flashbacks??
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post #25 of 27
9/19/03 at 2:47pm
Dawson's Crack! Now I'm afraid! eek!
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post #26 of 27
9/19/03 at 4:07pm
I really like Edward Woodward's character at the very end of The Wicker Man. The whole atmosphere of inescapable doom on this barren island - plus Howie's terrified shouts; "CHRIST! OH ... JESUS CHRIST!" - more a plea than a curse ... just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
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post #27 of 27
9/19/03 at 5:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Ah, Alucard:
I really like Edward Woodward's character at the very end of The Wicker Man. The whole atmosphere of inescapable doom on this barren island - plus Howie's terrified shouts; "CHRIST! OH ... JESUS CHRIST!" - more a plea than a curse ... just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
I was going to mention that but for some reason...well, guess not that odd, when I started the list I was stuck on the girls
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