Scary movie lines: 'They mostly come at night. Mostly.'
Posted: Monday, October 27, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:
Movies
(Warning: Possible spoilers for a whole raft of movies ahead. You have been warned!)
I love Halloween, and I love scary movies, as you've probably noticed.
We've talked about scary movies that don't rely on gore, and we've also discussed horror movies where the victim films the events as they happen. Now, let's talk about the lines that make those movies so scary.
So much goes into a good fright flick. To me, it's all about the suggestion. Your own mind can always create a scarier monster than anything the special effects department can dream up with latex. Movies that create a sense of true dread, that set up a scenario where you can feel the fear without being overwhelmed by monsters and gore, will win me every time.
I feel that one of the most overlooked elements of a great horror movie is the dialogue. Dramas and comedies are expected to have eloquent or snappy dialogue, but horror-movie lines often get lost in the avalanche of fake blood. Yet a great horror-movie line can chill you to the bone and stay with you for months. It can also break your heart.
20th Century Fox |
"They mostly come at night. Mostly."
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Some of my favorites:
"We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly. "
--from "Aliens," when young Newt gives Ripley and the others the benefit of her hard-earned knowledge
"I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up."
--from "Halloween," when Dr. Loomis explains his work with killer Michael Myers
"With endless love, we left you sleeping. Now we sleep with you."
--from "28 Days Later," the note Jim's parents leave for their comatose son when they kill themselves to escape the incurable Rage virus
"They're coming to get you, Barbara."
--from the original "Night of the Living Dead." Barbara's brother had no idea how right he was.
You know what's next. Submit your favorite scary movie lines in the comments.
A few ground rules:
--Some lines are bound to have swearing (90 percent of "The Exorcist," one of the scariest movies ever), but since we can't print those words, do your best to substitute (the old comic-strip swearing of @$#%! works pretty well). Still, some lines are scary but just too foul to be published in the blog. Strive for lines that I can publish.
--I'm not expecting you to have the line exactly memorized (and, please, don't comment to tell someone else they didn't phrase their quote perfectly), but do your best.
--Let's stay away from entire speeches, though horror movies have some great ones. Aim for one or two lines of dialogue, like the ones I share above. Short and scary.
--Please don't just share the line, give an idea of how it's used in the movie for those who haven't seen every scary film ever made. And if you want, tell us why you think it's so good. What about the line chills you?
As for me, I'm going to need to keep a light burning all night, and possibly all week. They mostly come at night. Mostly.
