Stephen King talks about what he believes is the scariest horror film ever made. King is the author of some of the most iconic horror stories of all time, including Shine And This. Many of King’s books have been adapted into successful films, with many new King adaptations appearing every year. Max Salem section is the most recent adaptation of King’s work to hit the screen, but there are several more titles on the horizon, including Chuck’s life And Monkey.
In a recent essay for DiversityKing shares his thoughts on the scariest horror movie ever made. Although he does name a few contending films and admits that the age at which one watches a film plays a major role in how scary it is. King shows what he thinks Night of the Living Deaddirected by George A. Romero.the scariest horror movie“of all times. King calls the film “low budget masterpiece“and writes that although his influence has diminished over the years, he still remembers”helpless horror“, he felt when he watched it for the first time. Read the full text of King’s essay below:
I’ve thought deeply about this question, perhaps even more deeply than the topic deserves – my scariest horror movie… but then again, I’ve seen a lot of horror movies, so maybe this is the right question.
My conclusion is that the “worst part” varies depending on the age of the viewer. When I was 16, my scariest movie was The Haunting (directed by Robert Wise). When I was an adult, it was “The Blair Witch Project” with the building sense of doom and those truly terrible last 35 seconds. But overall I would say: “Night of the Living Dead“George A. Romero’s low-budget masterpiece.
I’ll never forget how the smarmy older brother poorly imitated Boris Karlov: “They’ll come for you, Barbara… here’s one now!” He points out an elderly drunk stumbling among the tombstones, but the elderly drunk turns out to be a reanimated corpse, and when Barbara locks herself in her car, she discovers that his smarmy brother, Johnny, has taken the keys. Meanwhile, the old man is trying to get to her, and the viewer understands that he will not stop. It’s a moment of pure atavistic horror. Barbara puts the car into neutral (probably impossible without the key, but that’s the movies for you) and rolls it down the hill, walking away… temporarily.
In the end, no one survives. The film has lost its elemental power over the years—becoming almost a Midnight Madness joke, like Rocky Horror—but I still remember the helpless terror I felt when I first saw it. And now that I think about it, I see real similarities to The Blair Witch Project, both with little or no music, both with unknown actors who seem barely capable of a summer shoot in Paducahville, both with low-tech special effects . They work not despite these things, but because of them.
What does choosing Night of the King of the Living Dead mean for a film?
The king’s opinions carry great weight
As the author of countless horror classics, King’s opinions obviously carry a lot of weight, and his thoughts on new films and television shows, both within and outside the horror genre, continue to be of interest to many. King’s recommendation may actually encourage more people to either revisit Night of the Living Dead or watch it for the first time. However, since it is one of the most iconic and important films ever made, it is probably already familiar to many viewers.
Connected
Night of the Living Dead currently 95% on Rotten Tomatoeswhich told the story of a small group of survivors barricaded inside a farmhouse as zombies try to break in, which fascinated audiences at the time. Although Romero is not the first zombie movie ever made, he remains one of the most important and is largely responsible for popularizing the subgenre, which remains popular today.. Romero would return to being terrified of zombies in subsequent games, including the famous Dawn of the Dead (1978), which Zack Snyder remade in 2004.
Our look at how the king chose Night of the Living Dead
Is Romero’s film still popular today?
King was about 21 years old when Night of the Living Dead came out, so it’s no wonder why Romero’s zombie film made such an impression on him. However, the film probably won’t have the same impact on today’s younger audiences. Although it may have been frightening and shocking at the time, to a young viewer well versed in modern horror films, this will probably seem rather corny..
However, however, Night of the Living Dead Worth watching for the impact it had on the horror genre. Plus, with King himself calling it the scariest film ever made for him, it would be interesting to try to see how this film influenced his own work.
Source: Diversity