Nevermore: Richard Stanley's 'Island of Dr. Moreau'

Welcome back to Nevermore, where I look at some of the most interesting films that were never made. This week I turn your attention to what is one of the most bizarre production stories of all time, the story of Richard Stanley's adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau. Now this film technically was eventually made in 1996, only not by Stanley and very different to his original vision, as we shall soon see. Richard Stanley may not be a familiar name with most people, but in the early 90's the South-African born filmmaker was making quite a name for himself with Indie hits such as Hardware and Dust Devil. However, things took a sour turn for Stanley's career when he began production on his passion project, the Moreau adaptation, leading to one of the strangest stories ever told...

Background

Moreau had been Stanley's dream project ever since reading Wells' novel as a child. He spent roughly four years developing the film before his script was greenlit by New Line cinema, but they had some of their own ideas for Stanley's film. First of all they wanted Marlon Brando in the titular role, a far cry from Jurgen Prochnow who Stanley originally envisioned as the doctor. This would be a challenge for Stanley as Brando was infamously difficult to work with, but through a bit of luck (and supposedly help from a warlock named Skip) the two instantly hit it off. Brando took a shine to Stanley due to the directors ancestral connection to famed explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, who was in fact part of the inspiration behind the character of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness. Brando of course, portrayed a version of that character in Apocalypse Now. 

With a good relationship established between Brando and Stanley it seemed like the hard part was over, until of course Val Kilmer came along. Kilmer was originally brought in to replace Bruce Willis in the lead role of Douglas, but ultimately ended up being cast as the doctors assistant Montgomery instead due to his refusal to spend too much time on set. This would mark the beginning of a tumultuous onset relationship between Kilmer and, well, everyone. 

Kilmer and Brando would be joined by Rob Morrow as Douglas, as well as The Craft star Fairuza Balk, while Stanley was joined by acclaimed SFX maestro Stan Winston to work on the creature effects. A location was chosen in Cairns, Australia, and it looked as if everything was ready to go, but things would get much worse from there..

Plot Details

H.G. Wells' original novel follows the narrator, Edward Prendick, who washes up on a mysterious island owned by the titular Dr. Moreau. The island is inhabited by strange beast-folk, human-animal hybrid beings created by Moreau through vivisection. Stanley's version would have taken this basic premise and updated it to a modern setting, with Prendick being renamed Douglas as well as being a UN negotiator. Moreau himself would have been something of a 'new-ager' as described by Stanley himself, and you can catch a glimpse at Stanley's vision for the character in the concept art below.

Furthermore Stanley would have focused a lot more on the beast people, giving them more depth and development than prior adaptations and essentially making them the star of the show. It would have been quite a raunchy film too, with a love scene involving the panther woman as well as, what he described as 'sexually-charged dolphin people', brilliant. Overall it seems as though Stanley's version would have been a modern and more liberal take on the source material, with a greater emphasis on the beast folk instead of the humans.

So What Happened?

First of all, a family tragedy meant that Brando was unavailable on set for a while, a major blow for Stanley as Brando was one of his main supporters on the picture. With Brando gone, Stanley was under a lot of pressure from the studio executives with whom he didn't quite got on with. They believed him to be incapable due to the fact that he would often fail to attend studio meetings and his rather quirky personality. On top of all that, Kilmers ego was dominating the production, from typical diva antics to out straight bullying his fellow cast and crew members. Tensions were high on the set, but that was just the beginning.

Kilmer became extremely critical of Stanley and would even go as far as to go off script when delivering his dialogue. This, combined with bad weather conditions meant that after three days of filming most of the footage was unusable. To make matters worse, leading man Rob Morrow was already cracking under the on set tensions and hostile atmosphere, and after a brief phone call with the chairman of New Line, he left the project altogether. All of this happened over the course of three days, and with little footage shot and the studio growing increasingly fed up with Stanley's direction, he was fired from Moreau altogether.

Believe it or not, Stanley's departure from the project was just the beginning. The studio replaced him with old-school filmmaker John Frankenheimer, who made drastic changes to Stanley's script and had tense relations with his crew members. Over the course of the production, there were a number of bizarre events that have made it something of an oddity. First of all Brando had some strange character choices for Moreau, from wearing white face paint, to an ice-bucket on his head, to insisting that he be accompanied by supporting actor Nelson de la Rose in each scene. De la Rosa was of course one of the worlds smallest men at the time, and for some reason Brando took a shine to him onset and kept him in every scene as Moreau's 'mini-me'. 

On top of that, the crew members and beast-folk extras frequently had drug-fuelled gatherings and casual sex with each other, while Stanley himself was smuggled back onto the set in disguise as one of the beast-folk! It turns out that after he was sacked from the project, he spent weeks alone in the jungle before coming into contact with some of the crew members again. It's a long and strange story that is actually outlined in a documentary entitled Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, so if you want to know more of the bizarre details, I suggest you watch that. 

Chances of it Ever Happening:

Well the film technically was completed by Frankenheimer, but was a far-cry from Stanley's original vision. Critical reception was negative and the film even received six razzie nominations. To this day, leading man David Thewlis refuses to discuss the film or his experience making it. 

It's because of this that Stanley's original vision would never come to fruition, or so we thought...

After the success of Lost Soul, there has seemingly been a renewed sense of interest in Stanley's project. During an interview in the latter part of last year, Stanley confirmed that he is currently in the pre-production stages of a new version of Dr. Moreau! While he could not say too much at the time, he did mention that it will be an all new script and would have all new creature designs, for copyright reasons obviously. As well as that, he also mentioned that he would be aiming for a television series this time in order to get his full vision across. While it's obviously early days I'm glad to hear Stanley could be getting another crack at Dr. Moreau, we may actually get to see those sexually-charged dolphin folk just yet..

'Ghost Stories' and 'A Quiet Place' Reviews

(Jim Halpert and and Tim Canterbury argue over which version of The Office is better)


It's been a while since I've done reviews on here so I thought I'd start giving them a go again, and luckily enough there are two brilliant horror films in cinemas right now that I would highly recommend. These are A Quiet Place and Ghost Stories, two very different but very refreshing horror films that I think are both definitely worth seeing. Of course, Truth or Dare is also out but I haven't gotten around to seeing that one yet (and I don't think I ever will by the looks of it). So here we go then, my reviews of A Quiet Place and Ghost Stories.

Ghost Stories- (Andy Nyman & Jeremy Dyson, 2018)

Co-written and co-directed by Andy Nyman (Dead Set) and Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen), Ghost Stories is based off their stage play of the same name. Structured as an anthology-style film reminiscent of the portmanteau's of the 60's and 70's, Ghost Stories follows the skeptical Professor Philip Goodman (Nyman), a man whose livelihood involves disproving incidents of the superstitious and paranormal. However, Goodman soon finds his rational mindset challenged when he is faced with three supernatural cases with seemingly no rational explanation, leading him down a twisted road that plays with his sanity itself.

The first case involves a cranky night watchman (Paul Whitehouse) and his encounter with spirits while doing his rounds one night. The second sees timid teen Simon (Alex Lawther) stranded in the woods following a car accident, where dark forces await him. The third case follows cocky businessman Mike (Martin Freeman) whose home fell victim to a poltergeist on the day his wife went into labour. The segments are tied together by an overarching plot involving Goodman's attempts to solve each case as he gradually begins to lose his grip on reality. The film boasts excellent performances all round, although Lawther deserves a special recognition for his portrayal as the always on-edge Simon. Nyman meanwhile, manages to inject a certain degree of pathos into his cynical professor Goodman, allowing us to become more invested in his journey when things progress.

Ghost Stories plays out like a carnival ghost train in the sense that it's full of scares that will initially make you jump before you laugh about them straight after, it's a fun ride all round. Yes, I'll admit that some of the scares are a bit derivative, but they're often preceded by some well-built senses of tension. Where the shocks sometimes fall a bit flat however, they are compensated by the excellent writing of Nyman and Dyson. 'The mind sees what it wants to see' repeats Professor Goodman throughout, and that's also relevant in a meta-sort-of-way to the film itself. Just when you think you've copped what exactly is happening, Nyman and Dyson pull the rug out from beneath your feet and catch you off-guard. If you're not frightened by Ghost Stories, then you'll at least be able to appreciate it's sharp script and clever plot.

Ghost Stories is an old school British horror film in essence, and pays tribute to the good ol' days of Amicus and Hammer horror. While it doesn't always succeed in its scares, it certainly makes up for such instances with Nyman and Dyson's incredibly sharp script and the great performances from its four leading men. Creepy, clever, and darkly-comical, Ghost Stories is a refreshing entry into the modern horror landscape and is sure to gain a cult following in the years to come.

A Quiet Place- (John Krasinski, 2018)

John Krasinski is the triple threat of this post apocalyptic horror-thriller, acting as co-writer, director, and leading man Lee. The film follows Lee and his family as they attempt to survive in a world dominated by predatory creatures with hypersensitive hearing. In order to stay safe from the creatures, the Abbott family communicate through sign language and avoid making any sort of noise so that the creatures won't be alerted.

Krasinski is joined by Golden Globe winner, and real life wife Emily Blunt, who portrays his onscreen wife Evelyn here. Noah Jupe (Wonder) plays their son Marcus, while their deaf daughter Regan is portrayed by Millicent Simmons. The family dynamic is felt strongly in A Quiet Place, right from the beginning. It lays the foundations for the films emotional heart and allows us to easily empathise with each individual character, as well as their connection as a family. It's very much an emotional experience as it is a thrilling one. All of the actors do a wonderful job considering their minimal dialogue as well, with each of them displaying incredible physical acting throughout. No one outshines the other, which further strengthens that family theme that's present throughout. 

Of course as director, Krasinski deserves special recognition as it was undoubtedly challenging for him to convey everything from the script with such little dialogue. He and his D.O.P. Charlotte Bruus Christensen wonderfully manage to bring the world of A Quiet Place to life, capturing even the smallest details and interactions to add another layer of realism to the film. Even though most of the action takes place in or around the one location, there is so much detail poured into the lives of this one family and how they survive the world around them. An example is during the scene where Regan and Marcus play monopoly using soft objects instead of the usual metal figures, obviously to avoid making any noise. 

Above all however, A Quiet Place is an excruciatingly tense film, accentuated by the way in which silence and noise are used. Much like Don't Breathe, silence is preferable in the world of this film and any sort of noise acts as a threat to our protagonist. The consistent silence is usually accompanied by this underlying sense of suspense, that gradually builds whenever sound comes into play. There's one particular sequence where Blunt's character attempts to hide from one of the creatures, and the way in which silence and noise come into play here is incredibly smart. Not only does it effect how the audience feels, but it also works within a narrative context and raises the stakes for our characters. While some of the CGI might seem a bit average at times, it never underplays the films nailbiting suspense.

A Quiet Place is an incredible exercise in tension that is anchored by a strong sense of emotional resonance due to its central theme of family. Krasinski does a wonderful job from both an acting and directing standpoint, while Blunt, Simmons, and Jupe all give equally strong performances as well. A Quiet Place marks a promising directorial debut from John Krasinski and marks one of this years strongest horror efforts so far. 

Nevermore: The Other 'Scream 3'

Welcome back to Nevermore, where I look at some of the most interesting films that were never made. In previous weeks I've looked at films that never quite made it past the page, getting shut down before production could even begin, but this week it's a little different. As you know, Scream 3 did actually get made, it came out in 2000 and almost put an end to the franchise once and for all. Yes Scream 3 is often regarded as the weakest entry to the franchise, and rightly so, but originally things were going to be very different..

Background:

The Scream franchise had been conceived as a trilogy ever since the success of the first film, with screenwriter Kevin Williamson drafting up his plans for the next two films and the late great Wes Craven also contracted to return as director. By the time it came around to making Scream 3 however, Williamson was considerably busy after the success of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and found himself too heavily committed to other projects to write a full screenplay. Nevertheless, Williamson decided to pen a rough 30-ish page draft that would act as a sort of skeleton for the rest of the film. Even though he couldn't be as involved as he was with the previous two films, Williamson ensured that he would have some input and his rough draft was taken aboard.

Plot Details:

Williamson's idea for a third installment would have involved Ghostface returning to Woodsboro once again. In this film, the killers would have been a group of youngsters who were inspired by the Stab films to carry out their own murders and leave their own legacy. The Stab films are of course the fictional films-within-films based off the events of the Scream franchise. As well as that, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) from the first film was also set to return, orchestrating each murder from within his prison cell. I for one love Matthew Lillard and would have loved to see him come back as Stu.

Here's where it gets interesting though, Williamson has stated that in his version, after Ghostface had killed everyone, it would be revealed that none of them were actually dead! Yep, Sidney (Neve Campbell) would walk into the murder house to find the 'victims' rising up and alive. Sounds a lot like April Fool's Day in some ways. According to Williamson it would have been all part of an attempt by these new Woodsboro kids to leave their own legacy on the town and achieve their own claim to fame, bit dramatic but sure each to their own. With a plot twist like that and Matthew Lillard possibly set to return, the original draft for Scream 3 sounded like it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it never came to be..

So What Happened?

In 1999, the Columbine tragedy took place, and we all know how that awful event effected the wider media. The school shooting was predominantly blamed on violence in media and in its aftermath, violent forms of media such as films were heavily criticised. In order to avoid being scrutinised, Miramax hired Ehren Kruger to re-write the script as Williamson was too busy with other projects. First of all the location was changed from Woodsboro to Hollywood, as the studio believed smalltown violence would have resonated too much with the Columbine tragedy. At one stage the studio wanted no violence whatsoever and for the film to be more focused on the satirical elements of the franchise, however Craven was opposed to this idea. Kruger completed his script with help from Craven, thus resulting in the Scream 3 that we have now. 

Scream 3 is not the worst horror film out there, but it's by far the worst in the franchise and for a while, we were stuck with it as the lackluster concluding chapter. Thankfully however, Craven and Williamson returned with Scream 4 in 2011, a much better film that took certain elements from Craven's original Scream 3 script. Then of course, we got the Scream TV series and things all went to shit again.

Chances of it Ever Getting Made:

Well as we know Scream 3 did get made, albeit a very different version to Williamson's original vision. However, his ideas for the third installment didn't quite die altogether. As mentioned, the idea of a new generation of Woodsboro kids enacting their own murders was later used in Scream 4, but certain other aspects of the script also made it into Williamson's TV show, The Following. The idea of a former killer orchestrating murders from prison with the help of cult-like followers is essentially the premise for The Following. This clearly takes inspiration from Williamson's idea of Stu orchestrating the murders, something that I really would have loved to have seen. Maybe I should just go and watch the following. So in a way Williamson's ideas didn't really die altogether, they were just re-purposed for different projects and used in vastly different ways.

It's interesting to see how much scripts can change in the pre-production stage, and Scream 3 is a prime example. Next time however, I'll be looking at an even more bizarre account of a film that was also eventually made, but a very different version to the original concept. 

100 Scariest Horror Movie Moments: Top 25

The time has finally come folks, we've reached the top 25 of my scariest horror movie moments. I'll put links at the end to the previous 3 posts on the subject but until then, sit back, relax, and prepare to be spooked..

25. Tele addict- Ringu (1998)

With the curse of the video tape finally broken, Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada) feels like he can put himself at ease. However, when his television soon appears to have a mind of his own it soon becomes apparent that the curse may not be broken after all.

24. Clowning around- Poltergeist (1982)

With their daughter Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) rescued and their house declared 'clean', the Freeling family can finally put their traumatic experience behind them.. or so they think, as their son Robbie (Oliver Robins) soon finds out the hard way.

23. Silver shamrock- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

The Silver Shamrock jingle is enough to drive anyone mad, but as little Buddy jr. (Brad Schacter) soon discovers, it's even more sinister than it appears..

22. Kiri kiri- Audition (1999)

On the surface, Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) is an ordinary young woman. However, her would-be-husband soon discovers that she has something of a dark side about her, with a fondness for needles and piano wire.

21. A waste of good suffering- Hellraiser (1987)

As if discovering that her dead uncle is having an affair with her new stepmother, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) faces an even greater horror when she summons the grotesque cenobites.

20. Time to keep your appointment- The Wicker Man (1973)

After rescuing young Rowan Morrison (Geraldine Cowper) from being used as a human sacrifice, Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) discovers that he was the intended sacrifice all along, as he soon meets the dreaded wicker man. Uhh so this clip actually isn't on YouTube surprisingly, but you can watch it here.

19. Behind the dumpster at Winkie's- Mulholland Drive (2001)

Following an unsettling dream involving a figure behind the dumpster at Winkie's Diner, Dan (Patrick Fischler) decides to investigate the place himself, only to make a shocking discovery.

18. Itsy bitsy- The Beyond (1981)

While searching the local library for the blueprints of the Seven Doors Hotel, Martin (Michele Mirabella) is flung from a ladder by a mysterious force before being devoured by hungry tarantulas. What a way to go.

17. Going up- Dressed to Kill (1980)

While hastily returning to her one-night-stand's apartment, Kate (Angie Dickinson) decides to take the elevator. She soon learns however, that she just got off at the wrong floor..

16. Splish splash- Shivers (1975)

Betts (Barbara Steele) finds her bath time interrupted by one of the grizzly parasites that has infested her apartment building. Cronenberg really knows how to make your skin crawl doesn't he.

15. O come all ye faithful- Black Christmas (1974)

While Jess (Olivia Hussey) stands at the door of her sorority listening to carol singers, she is unaware that her friend Barb (Margot Kidder) is being violently murdered upstairs with a glass unicorn. Merry Christmas.

14. Under the hood- Don' Look Now (1973)

John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) pursues a mysterious, red-coated figure across the Venetian canals, believing that it is his recently deceased daughter. Upon catching up with the figure however, John soon makes a grim discovery.

13. Grave encounters- Carrie (1976)

While visiting the grave of her recently deceased classmate, Sue Snell (Amy Irving) gets the fright of her life when she grabbed by a figure from beyond the grave.

12. Revenge of the freaks- Freaks (1932)

After learning that trapeze artist Cleopatra (Leila Hyams) was the one poisoning little person Hans (Harry Earles), his sideshow-performing buddies decide to take revenge on her once and for all.

11. Blood test- The Thing (1982)

In order to determine who has been assimilated by the eponymous Thing, MacReady (Kurt Russell) and co. decide to carry out a blood test by exposing each of their blood samples to fire. Needless to say things go from 0 to 100 very quickly.

10. Hammer horror- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

While investigating the mysterious farmhouse nearby, Kirk (William Vail) comes face to face with the unhinged Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who oddly enough does not massacre him with a chainsaw.

9. Karen, sweet Karen- Night of the Living Dead (1968)

After escaping from the bloodthirsty zombies, Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman) retreats to the basement where she discovers that her daughter Karen (Kyra Schon) has become one of them. Out of the frying pan, into the fire is right.

8. A little off the top- The Exorcist III (1990)

While doing her rounds in the psychiatric ward where she works, a young nurse soon becomes the next victim of the Gemini killer, who has supposedly returned from beyond the grave.

7. He's behind you- Halloween (1978)

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has had a long night, and after seemingly defeating Michael Myers (Nick Castle) once and for all she takes a well deserved breather. But evil never sleeps, as Laurie soon learns.

6. Room 237- The Shining (1980)

After his son is supposedly attacked by a mysterious woman in Room 237, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) goes to investigate, only to make a horrific discovery..

5. Spider walk- The Exorcist (1973)

I'd like to point out that this scene was cut from the original film, which is criminal if you ask me as it's by far the films scariest moment. Here, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) is scared stiff when her possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair) comes down the stairs bent backwards.

4. Killer opening- Suspiria (1977)

Pat (Eva Axen) believes that she is safe after fleeing from the Tanz Academy to her friends downtown apartment. However as she soon learns, evil is lurking right outside her window, and it's got a violent disposition.

3. Skinny dipping- Jaws (1975)

While going for a midnight swim just off Amity Island, Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backlinie) is soon attacked by a certain aquatic beast and his iconic theme song.

2. Crawlspace- Alien (1979)

While searching the Nostromo for the bloodthirsty Xenomorph, Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) finds himself in the ducts, hoping to send the creature out of the air lock. However, what he doesn't realise is that the Xenomorph is one step ahead of him..

1. Anybody home?- Psycho (1960)

Private Investigator Arbogast (Martin Balsam) enters the brooding Bates house in order to learn more about the disappearance of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Of course, we already know what happened to Marion, but what we don't see coming is what awaits Arbogast at the top of the stairs..

Well that's all for now folks, hope you enjoyed this list and I'll be back again next week with more content. If you're looking for the earlier entries, have a little look below:

100-76.
75-51.
50-26.

100 Scariest Horror Movie Moments: 50-26

Welcome back once again, to my 100 scariest horror movie moments of all time. Last time we reached the halfway point in the list so now, we come even closer to the top spots as I count down number 50 to 26. Let's get cracking so..

50. Head- Re-Animator (1985)

The re-animated head of Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale) gives a new meaning to the term 'giving head' when he, ahem, attempts to show his affection to poor Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton).

49. Bad dreams- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

While sleeping in her friend Nancy's house, Tina (Amanda Wyss) falls victim to the maniacal dream master Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), leaving some gruesome real-world consequences.

48. A visit from Mr. Babadook- The Babadook (2014)

Essie (Amelia Vanek) receives an unwanted nighttime visitor, in the form of the creepy story-book character Mr. Babadook..

47. Row, row, row your boat- The Burning (1981)

While searching for a couple of missing canoes on a makeshift raft, a group of campers are ambushed by the vicious ex-caretaker Cropsy (Lou David).

46. Larva birth- The Fly (1986)

Upon learning that she is pregnant with the child of the mutating Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), Veronica (Geena Davis) suffers a bizarre nightmare in which she gives birth to, well, just watch the clip..

45. Eye for an eye- The Birds (1963)

When Lydia (Jessica Tandy) pays a visit to her neighbor to discuss the strange happenings at Bodega Bay, she soon makes a grizzly discovery when she enters his bedroom.

44. Zelda dearest- Pet Sematary (1989)

Amidst all the supernatural goings-on following the resurrection of her son, Rachel (Denise Crosby) is lured into her neighbors home where she witnesses eerie visions of her deceased sister Zelda (Andrew Hubastek).

43. Next stop, Daejeon- Train to Busan (2016)

The passengers on the zombie-infested KTX believe that they have entered the safe zone upon arriving at Daejeon train station. However, the passengers soon realise that Daejeon may not be as safe as they believed it to be.

42. Within the woods- The Evil Dead (1981)

While investigating the strange sounds from outside, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) is attacked and subsequently assaulted by the demonically possessed trees.

41. Splinter- Zombi 2 (1979)

While being attacked by one of the flesh-eating zombies, Paola (Olga Karlatos) is dragged towards a splintering wooden door. Let's just say her vision may have been a bit impaired after this.

40. My precious- Black Sabbath (1963)

After stealing a ring from a recently deceased medium, Nurse Helen Chester (Jacqueline Pierreux) returns home to her secluded apartment. However, she soon discovers that the dead don't take kindly to theft..

39. Bedfellows- When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Seven years after a traumatic encounter with deranged killer Curt Duncan (Tony Beckley), Jill Johnson (Carol Kane) has managed to put her past behind her and is now happily married. However, after receiving an eerie phone call and rushing home to check on her children, Jill soon learns that the real horror is only truly beginning..

38. The top floor- REC (2007)

While hiding in the attic of a zombie-infested apartment block, reporter Ángela (Manuela Velasco) comes face to face with patient zero herself.

37. The count approaches- Nosferatu (1922)

Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) has a horrific encounter with his host, Count Orlok (Max Schreck) while spending a night at his isolated castle.

36. Petals- Frankenstein (1931)

After escaping into the nearby town, Frankenstein's creature (Boris Karloff) meets little Maria (Marilyn Harris) and the two play a game in which they toss flower petals into the lake. Thinking that Maria will also float as the petals did, the creature then tosses her in the lake, unaware of the damage he has done.

35. Girls on film- Peeping Tom (1960)

Stand-in Vivian (Moira Shearer) arrives on an empty film set at the request of cameraman Mark (Carl Boehm), under the pretense that they would be shooting a film together. However, it soon becomes clear that Mark's intentions are much more sinister.

34. Sleep tight- A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

After returning to her family's secluded estate, Su-mi (Im Soo-jung) suffers a horrific vision of her recently deceased mother that night. I don't think anybody would be able to sleep tight after something like that..

33. All eyes on me- Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

The second of her three tasks sends young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) into the lair of the monstrous Pale Man (Doug Jones). After completing her task, but disobeying orders, Ofelia is pursued by the grotesque beast.

32. Face-off- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

After being viciously attacked by Hannibal 'the cannibal' Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a horribly disfigured guard is rushed to hospital. It soon becomes clear however, that Hannibal is hiding in plain sight.

31. Fire walk with ME- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

While visiting her reclusive friend Harold Smith (Lenny Von Dohlen), troubled teen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is overcome by something horrific while reciting a strange poem..

30. Newborn- Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) soon discovers that her entire pregnancy was orchestrated by a satanic cult, who await her with her newborn baby. The child's most striking feature by far however, is his fathers eyes..

29. Stuck in the lift- Dawn of the Dead (1978)

During a skirmish with some rowdy bikers, Stephen (David Emge) attempts to escape through an elevator shaft. He soon realises that the bikers are the least of his worries, I mean this is a zombie apocalypse after all.

28. Blue moon- An American Werewolf in London (1981)

While waiting around Nurse Alex's (Jenny Agutter) apartment, David (David Naughton) succumbs to the werewolf curse and undergoes a painful transformation beneath the full moon. 

27. A-head of the curb- The Omen (1976)

While seeking answers over in Israel, Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) learns that in order to stop the coming of the antichrist, he must murder his own son. Appalled, he throws away the holy daggers, leaving journalist Keith (David Warner) to retrieve them. Unfortunately, Keith is about to lose his head.

26. Broken ankle- Misery (1990)

In order to prevent him from ever leaving, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) decides to teach author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) a lesson. She is his biggest fan after all..

That's it for now I'm afraid, but don't fret because next time I'll be counting down the final 25 scariest horror movie moments so stay tuned.