I thought this might make for an interesting topic, given the halloween season and all.

I'd like to hear from people about movies that scared them later on. Whether they scared you at the time you saw them doesn't matter. In fact, it's more interesting when it didn't scare you at the time. For instance, say you saw Hostel and it didn't affect you, but then you went backpacking in Europe and you suddenly found yourself getting really nervous when you found yourself in an area that reminded you of the movie. Something like that.

For me, I'd probably say the original Amityville Horror. It didn't bother me when I saw it, even though I was only about 9 years old. But afterward, whenever I saw a house at night with windows like that, I'd stay as far away as I could, sometimes going the long way home.

Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure, years ago. Creepy eyes.

Hmm... if anything, I'm usually startled by things in movies, but I can't think of much that freaked me out afterward. I guess any horror film is a bit scary after you've seen it and you're alone... thoughts drift.... then you start thinking hypothetically... ha.

Saw III had a strong effect. Not so much horror. More... pain.

The 1st Scream, the phone call scene at the beginning of the movie.

Oh, reminds me. Right. The Ring.

i saw a film at the Edinburgh film festival called "shrooms" about a group of young folk that go camping and take magic mushrooms and then they start to get picked off. it was a lot like the ring except more intense, it scared me. It was an industry showing so im not sure it got a distribution deal or not.

Oh, reminds me. Right. The Ring.

Good one! yeah, I was almost too freaked out to watch "the video" on the DVD. I actually did watch it, with my wife in the room, and I stealthily used my cell phone to dial the house number and hit send when the video ended. She flipped out!

The Birds. Didn't really scare me when I watched it, but to this day, when I walk by a bunch of birds strung out on a telephone wire, I get this creepy feeling.

nice! good ol' Hitchcock.
That Scream comment reminded me of when I saw the original When A Stranger Calls. I thought that intro was nice and eerie and tense, but it was later when I was alone in a big quiet unfamiliar house that I started thinking "what if there's someone already in the house". Same thing happened with Cape Fear (the one with DeNiro and Nolte).

Yeah, I remember seeing "when a stranger calls " when I was a kid, and I used to think the same thing when I was home alone...great beginning to a movie...it really drew you in.

Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" (2006) seriously creeped me out for several days after watching it. The elaborate procedures involved with Alfred's successful magic trick are messy, heinous and diabolical. It was enough to give me chills for the rest of the week.

A very influential British film called "Dead of Night" (1945). As a kid I watched it on TV in broad daylight (alone) and it had quite an effect afterwards. It really stayed with you for some reason. I guess it perfectly fits the definition of "eerie". And it did it mostly without dark, moody lighting (as far as I can recall) or any of the more modern devices associated with scary movies.

What about The Wizard of Oz? If we look back to our childhood, I would say that it was by far the movie that scared me the most.

The original Exorcist also gave me the creeps. Especially since I was raised Catholic.

Amitville was pretty good too.