Look, if you’re a movie fan, I can pretty much guarantee you’re a Steven Spielberg fan, too. I mean, the legendary filmmaker changed the medium forever with his massive run of masterpieces, from E.T., to Jurassic Park, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark or Schindler’s List. As the director returns to the big screen with this year's anticipated release, his new movie Disclosure Day, I love that Universal Studios Orlando has announced the many ways that energy will be represented in the park.

I Love That Universal Is Celebrating Steven Spielberg's Heavy Hitters In More Ways Than One

Universal Orlando just announced what’s going on over summertime, via a press release, and the plans are stacked with love for Spielberg… as it should be! If you go to Universal Orlando Resort in Florida from May 23 through August 10 you can experience it yourself.

Jaws has long been one of the major properties with a presence at Universal Studios Orlando, and the summer one thing you’ll notice is a number of new Jaws-inspired “interactive experiences”, photo ops, drinks and “bites.” Guests can also look out for parks-exclusive merch around Jaws that will only be available during the season.

Additionally, there’s going to be more from the Universal Mega Movie Parade which will not only celebrate Jaws (in epic fashion), but other Spielberg favorites like E.T. and Jurassic World. The parade has over a dozen floats and almost 100 performers, and will also involve Back To The Future, Ghostbusters, Minions, Sing, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda. On top of that, one of our favorite attractions CineSational is back with “A Symphonic Spectacular” complete with a big nighttime lagoon show to the tune of more Universal favorites.

New Movie Disclosure Day Is Also Getting Its Own Exhibit

Along with reminding parkgoers about the iconic films from Steven Spielberg’s past, Universal Orlando is also getting behind Disclosure Day. It’s Spielberg’s latest alien movie starring the likes of Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Doming and Wyatt Russell. There’s going to be a Disclosure Day exhibit this summer which will have props and behind the scenes stories from the new movie. The exhibit will also include other props from some other Spielberg movies as well.

This is pretty special, isn’t it? Disclosure Day is the filmmakers first movie since The Fabelmans and first genre film made for the summer season in an entire decade when The BFG came out. Universal Orlando is also holding a bunch of deals and specials right now, like one where you can buy a 3-day ticket and get 2 days free, which you can check out on Universal Orlando website. And you can see Disclosure Day when it hits theaters on June 12.

Jaws is often called the “first summer blockbuster.” It’s credited as a movie that changed Hollywood forever. Today, we all know just what a big deal Jaws was. At the time, though, Steven Spielberg certainly had no idea it would be as big as it became, though he does say there was a moment he knew it would be a success.

In an appearance with The Big Picture at SXSW, Steven Spielberg talked about Jaws. The movie had a famously troubled production, including a mechanical shark that didn’t work. Spielberg has admitted to having a panic attack during the shoot. As such, he said he had no clue what he had with Jaws when it was all done. His first clue, at a preview screening, did not start out as a good sign. Spielberg said…

As somebody who actually only saw Jaws for the first time recently, I can completely understand what appeared to be happening here. I was shocked that the movie killed a child, and in such a violent way. I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody was so shaken by the moment that they just couldn’t watch anymore.

Except that’s not exactly what happened. The rest of the story is potentially more shocking than the movie scene, as the moment did have a profound impact on the audience member. But it was what happened after that which, in Spielberg's mind, sealed the film’s success. He continued…

I can’t really argue with the idea that if you can make a movie that makes its audience vomit, but also makes them go back and finish the film, you’re onto something. Most people simply wouldn’t be in shape to keep watching a movie after getting sick, no matter the reason, but this guy was not going to miss the rest of Jaws.

The movie would go on to become a massive blockbuster, which is good, because if it had been anything less, it would have been a failure and likely stalled Steven Spielberg's career. The director credits some happy accidents, like the shark not working, and some luck, like knowing John Williams, who created one of the most iconic themes in movie history, for all playing their part in making Jaws the film it is. Speilberg said…

Steven Spielberg has admitted to hiding out in the Jaws section of the Universal Studios Tour for years as he mentally recovered from the grueling experience that was filming the movie. Luckily, all the various pieces came together in exactly the way they needed to, and Jaws became a massive hit, even if it may have made a few people sick along the way.

When Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Picture at the Academy Awards for One Battle After Another, he made an interesting comparison to the year 1975. Essentially, he said that even though his movie won, there was no “best” among the nominees, since every nominee for 2025 was excellent, similar to 1975.

However, when he name-dropped all five movies that were up for best picture from ‘75–those being, Nashville, Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest–I thought, wait a minute. ALL five of those movies were up for Best Picture? In the same year?!

Because, oh my God, that might be the best line-up of Best Picture movies ever (with 1994 being a close second). So, why was 1975 so good? Well, you’re about to find out.

Like PTA Said, Any One Of Those Nominees Could Have Won, But Three In Particular Are Perhaps The Gold Standard

Do you know what might just be the best movie of the ‘70s? Dog Day Afternoon. Actually, let me take that back, because what could be more iconic than Jaws? I even watched it again recently on the big screen, and it STILL holds up. But, okay, I’m sorry, can I start all over? Could either of those two films really be considered better than One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

I mean, Nest is actually one of only three movies in history to ever sweep all five major categories, those being Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (Adapted). However, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, and Cuckoo's Nest could all be considered peak ‘70s cinema.

Because it’s one thing to be beloved for THE time, and another thing to be beloved for ALL time. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of those aforementioned movies on somebody’s top ten list. However, let’s not sleep on the other two nominees…

Nashville And Barry Lyndon Shouldn't Be Overlooked Just Because The Other Three Nominees Were So Strong!

Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director, and one thing that irks me is that he never won Best Picture or even Best Director. Four out of his 13 movies were nominated for Best Picture–those being Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon–and if it were up to me, all four of them would have won Best Picture.

However, of those four, I think most would agree that Barry Lyndon is the weakest link, but I couldn’t disagree more. Barry Lyndon is a masterpiece, and I am always recommending it to film fans.

Now, Nashville is an interesting one. Directed by Robert Altman, it has a massive cast of 24 main characters and several musical numbers. It’s a musical comedy drama with several storylines that’s bombastic and satirical, and it truly feels like a product of its time. So, as PTA said, there was no real “best” in 1975. They were ALL the best. That said…

If It Were Up To Me, I Would Have Given It To Jaws

PTA was being nice when he said that there was no “best” movie, but I disagree…I think Sinners was the best movie of last year. Still, I get his point. I loved One Battle After Another. And Train Dreams. And Bugonia. So, I get it. All of the nominees for 2025 were excellent.

Still, similar to how I’d pick Sinners over everything when it comes to 2025, I’d pick Jaws for 1975. It just has it all. Yes, Nashville is more impressive for its sprawling narrative, and yes, Barry Lyndon is a visual work of art. Yes, Dog Day Afternoon is taut and gripping, and yeah, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is dark and narratively rich.

But Jaws is freaking Jaws, man, and I feel like people will still love it even 100 years from now.

That said, in a year like 1975 - as well as 2025 - we all win.

Although Jaws’ 50th anniversary was a few months ago, a movie like this (especially one celebrating its golden jubilee) needs to be celebrated all year. With new insightful documentaries, a return to the big screen, and so much more, there’s no shortage of ways to honor one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies. I think I’ve found quite possibly the best way to celebrate the iconic creature feature: a massive Jaws LEGO set.

As someone who grew up obsessed with Jaws and LEGO, as well as the father of kids who are into both just as much, if not more, this is a set I don’t think I can pass up any longer.

With 1,500 Pieces And Multiple Minifigs, You Can Recreate So Many Classic Moments With This Jaws LEGO Set

In honor of Jaws’ most famous line, you’re gonna need a bigger boat for this massive LEGO set. Coming in at a little over 1,500 pieces, including three minifigs (Martin Brody, Quint, and Matt Hooper), and everything you need to build the fearsome shark nicknamed Bruce on set, this build has it all.

Upon first glance, this monstrous set depicts the scene where the film’s three heroes aboard the Orca take on the massive shark in the waters offshore from Amity Island, but that’s just the beginning of the fun here. Sure, you can recreate that classic battle, but you can also recreate the “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” scene, as well as Quint’s harrowing USS Indianapolis monologue, one of Steven Spielberg’s best scenes. With the shark being made up of numerous LEGO bricks, you can even reimagine the epic and explosive finale.

The Attention To Detail On Display Is Straight-Up Wild

Admittedly, the Jaws LEGO set is on the pricey side ($149.99 + shipping and handling), but the attention to detail here is straight-up wild. This isn’t some thoughtless recreation of the Orca and its crew (or the shark they set out to destroy). Instead, it’s a faithful and well-thought-out model where no expense was spared.

Though built with LEGO bricks, this version of the iconic ship looks just like it did in the movie, and I’m talking exteriors and interiors. Pull up the bridge, and you see the cabin where Hooper and Quint bonded over war wounds and told unnerving stories. Look on the back of the boat, and you see the yellow barrels used to track and exhaust the shark. It just keeps getting better the more you look at it.

Honestly, I Can't Think Of A Better Way To Celebrate Jaws' 50th Anniversary

By all accounts, the making of Jaws was a nightmare for Steven Spielberg and company, but the movie has since gone on to become one of the most iconic films of all time. While there are so many ways to honor the 50th anniversary of the blockbuster’s release this year, I honestly can’t think of a better way to celebrate the occasion than this LEGO set. Hear me out…

While the screenings are cool and the documentaries are insightful, those will be off the big screen (and various streaming services on and off) in the coming weeks and months. However, this monstrous set will be around for a long time on your shelf, mantle, or wherever else you display your builds.

As always, I just need to convince my wife to buy this set for me or come up with a strong argument as to why my kids need this in their bedrooms.

Jaws has been called the first summer blockbuster. It’s a movie that arguably changed cinema forever. It’s the movie that made Steven Spielberg’s career, but it’s also the movie that could have just as easily destroyed it. The difficulties in making Jaws happen have been discussed before, but the director recently spoke about the movie again, making it clear just how terrible the experience was.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures recently opened Jaws: The Exhibition in commemoration of Jaws' 50th anniversary, and during a special preview last week, Steven Spielberg spoke (via People) about his experience making Jaws. He admitted that his inexperience at the time resulted in him not fully understanding what he was getting himself into. Spielberg said…

The difficulties in making Jaws have been discussed at length. The mechanical shark frequently didn’t work, and filming out on open water meant that weather routinely caused problems that made filming difficult. A fact which would cause Spielberg to urge Kevin Costner not to shoot on water for Waterworld decades later. Jaws ended up going massively over budget due to the problems.

Jaws was only Spielberg’s third feature film, and the fact that the movie was taking so much longer, and costing so much more, was the sort of thing that Spielberg knew could damage his career. In fact, he said people told him Jaws would destroy it. In the end, Jaws would become a massive hit, which was good, because anything less might have truly ended the director’s young career. He continued…

It wasn’t just the difficulty with filming caused by the weather that wreaked havoc with the budget and the schedule. Spielberg indicates that a large portion of the cast and crew got sick throughout the shoot, with the director himself being one of the few that was spared that fate. He said…

In the end, it all worked out, but Spielberg has said he had a panic attack on set and nightmares and for years after as a result of the traumatic experience. He apparently used to climb into the boat on the Universal Studios Tour and cry as a way of dealing with the experience.

While one would have to say now that making Jaws was worth it, considering what the movie means to fans, the industry, and Spielberg himself, the movie certainly made everybody earn its success.

Typically, I go to the theater to see the latest releases on the 2025 movie schedule. However, when Jaws returned to the theater for its 50th anniversary, I decided to step back in time on my latest trip to the cinema so I could see one of the best movies of the ‘70s for the first time ever.

I have to say it was an incredible experience too, because I got to see Jaws for the first time ever in theaters while knowing pretty much nothing about the plot. And it made me feel like I was back in 1975.

Not Knowing What Was Coming Made It Actually Super Scary

Early this year, my colleague, Dirk Libbey, watched Jaws for the first time and knew exactly what he was getting into. I, on the other hand, quite literally, only knew they were gonna need a bigger boat. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say I went into this great shark movie blind.

Let me tell you that made it really scary. I had no clue when anyone was going to die, so that first kill at the start made me jump. It also meant that during the beach scene, I didn’t know which of the swimmers would be taken out, and I was aghast when it was that little kid and that poor dog.

I also had no clue, like absolutely no clue, how Brody, Quint and Hooper were going to get off a boat that was sinking and being attacked by a shark. So, I’m sure you can imagine how stressed I was trying to figure out how these guys would survive. And if you saw the movie when it came out in the ‘70s, I’m sure you experienced a similar kind of stress that was fueled by cluelessness.

Seeing It On A Big Screen Highlighted Just How Magnificent The Practical Effects Are

I’m not kidding, the second they got on that boat, I couldn’t stop thinking about how impressive this film is from a practical standpoint.

The shark, obviously, was so cool to see as it came up to attack, and the whole entire final climactic moment of the boat sinking absolutely blew my mind. Watching that boat actually go down while Brody tried to kill the shark had me on the edge of my seat, and I felt like I was in that boat with him. I can’t say that about a lot of movies these days.

Also, as it’s explained in the Jaws 50th anniversary documentary – which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription – the production was a major challenge for a lot of reasons, and being out at sea as well as that fake shark played into it. The amount of work that went into pulling this film off is staggering; however, the payoff is absolutely miraculous.

Think about it, this movie that’s 50 years old holds up to this day and still is terrifying because of how incredible these practical effects are.

Being Able To Watch The Movie With A Reactive Crowd Enhanced The Experience So Much

Technically, both revelations above could have been had by watching this movie from my couch. However, watching Jaws in an IMAX theater with a full audience added an energy to the experience that can’t be had at home.

I was seated with a giant crowd of fans and first-time watchers, and we all were reacting in big ways to the big moments that were happening on a very big screen. Hearing everyone laugh at Brody making faces with his kid and saying that iconic boat line was so fun. Then, being scared with everyone when John Williams’ score kicked in and the shark came, and feeling the tension in the room truly left me with an adrenaline rush.

Watching Jaws for the first time ever in theaters really was a remarkable experience, and I have to say, I get it. I get why this film blew everyone away 50 years ago, and why it’s still rightfully considered one of the best horror movies and blockbusters to this day.

Jaws is incredible, it’s scary, and it’s meant to be seen on a big screen!

Is there any better movie than Jaws? Sure, you could name The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption, or any other movie for that matter, but for my money, if Jaws is on TV, then I’ll watch it every single time.

Well, given that the movie is celebrating its 50th anniversary, I actually got to see Jaws on the big screen for the first time, and let me tell you, it was something else. Because even though I’ve seen the movie on countless occasions (I’ve even watched the middling sequels), there’s just something about seeing what’s often called “the first blockbuster” on the big screen that makes it even more special.

But why is it more special watching it on a big screen? Well, you’re about to find out.

First Off, I'm Used To Jaws Being A Small Film Since I've Only Watched It On A Television

You know what’s crazy? I’m used to Jaws being a small movie. What I mean is, I’ve never seen it on a big screen. And, when I say a “big screen,” I don’t mean at the movies. I mean, I’ve never seen it on a “big screen” TV. I’ve only seen it on relatively small screens. For instance, the last time I watched it was on my flight to Japan, to which I viewed it on the back of somebody else’s headrest.

And let me tell you. Given the tiny earplugs they give you, I couldn’t even hear the movie. Thankfully, I’m so familiar with the film that I didn’t need to hear it to know what was going on. But it’s criminal not to be able to experience that great scene with Robert Shaw talking about his character being stalked by sharks. I mean, when I watched it on the plane, it didn’t even have any subtitle option!

But seeing it on the big screen changed all of that. For one thing, I went to a closed caption screening (since I’m one of those people who always uses subtitles), so I even got to read Quint’s haunting USS Indianapolis story. It's also just so much more potent on a big screen.

In fact, the story itself felt larger, too. Like I said earlier, the Jaws movies kind of always felt small to me, but, like Star Wars, Jaws can work on a small screen, sure, but it’s SO MUCH BETTER on a big screen, because it makes this story feel huge. It’s now going to be hard for me to go back to watching Jaws on a tiny screen again, but I guess I’ll manage.

The Sea Is So Much Larger (And Scarier!) On The Big Screen

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I can’t swim. So, if you can imagine that a pool is scary to me, just think about how I feel around the ocean. I feel powerless! Utterly and completely powerless. And that’s just standing in it. I haven’t even mentioned my thalassophobia, which is the fear of deep bodies of water. I’m afraid of what’s in the ocean, as anything could be down there (so don’t even bother asking me to play Subtautica. That game will literally give me nightmares).

Which is another thing! I’ve watched Jaws so many times, but I never found it scary. I know it’s one of the few horror movies to be nominated for Best Picture, but I was never actually bothered by it…until, that is, I saw it on the big screen. And now I understand!

It’s because the ocean feels so vast - so unconquerable! - on the big screen. I’ve been on boats before, and I’m usually not too unnerved by them, but Jaws’s expansive ocean on the big screen unnerves the hell out of me because I KNOW there’s a killer shark living beneath its surface. This directly taps into my thalassophobia, as seeing it on the big screen really gives me the impression of just how immense (and scary!) the ocean is.

Which is something you just don’t feel on a small screen. So, seeing it in the movie theater actually made a movie that I’ve seen several times scary for me. Imagine that!

Plus, The Characters Are Larger Than Life Now

Very few movies have characters as good as Jaws does. Yes, there really aren’t that many of them, but Matt Hooper, Chief Brody, Quint, and even the Mayor who refuses to close the beach are all phenomenal characters. I’ve always thought so. They just seem so real to me, even though they all feel a little outlandish. My son even calls Richard Dreyfuss’s character, “the silly man,” for all of his rash decisions.

I never really envisioned them as being larger than life, however. Seeing them on my television has always made them feel like they were stuck in these tiny spaces. For example, whenever they’re on The Orca, they seem so cramped and confined. But, on the big screen, they seem like giants. Especially Quint. As soon as you see him eating chips in the corner of the room, he seems to take up the entire space.

Even all of the kids and people who are lying on the beach, afraid to go into the water, seem much larger and real to me. And, do you want a real example of how the characters feel much larger on the big screen for me? Well, you know that famous jumpscare? I’ve seen it several times, and it doesn’t scare me anymore. However, it scared me this time! It's mostly because of Hooper’s reaction on that massive screen.

All of it. All of it just works so much better at the theater, and the characters are much better on this screen than my smaller one at home. The characters aren’t the only ones who are bigger.

Bruce Is Bigger, Too!

If you know anything about Jaws, you likely know that the mechanical shark that was used in the movie is nicknamed Bruce. Apparently, it was named after Spielberg’s lawyer, and the name just stuck.

Well, like everything else I’ve mentioned so far, I never really found Bruce scary. I will say that the best moments of the film were always the ones where you didn’t see him, as just imagining him was scary enough. When he did eventually emerge from the ocean, he certainly made his presence felt.

That said, Bruce was always the weakest aspect of the film whenever I watched Jaws on TV. That scene toward the end, where Bruce is literally on top of The Orca, and everybody is sliding toward his mouth, was always just ridiculous to me. That moment (Despite the tragic death of Quint) is still the weakest moment of the film for me, big screen notwithstanding.

However, all the other moments that I never really loved with Bruce I liked a lot more when seeing it in the theater. Like when Hooper is in the shark cage, and Bruce is coming right for him. That scene is horrifying on the big screen! Or when they’re trying to attach the barrels to Bruce, and his enormous fin is dragging them along. All of these moments are more terrifying on the big screen.

In fact, the best thing about the movie might have just been seeing it with a crowd of people, as I’ve never done that before. It really was something else. So, here’s to another 50 years!

July is only half over, but if there’s anything hotter than the weather outside, it’s the list of new content coming to your favorite streaming platform. From blockbuster movies to new and returning series, and even a bit of Disneyland fun to throw into the mix. Here’s a look at what’s not to miss on streaming this week.

Jaws Movie Collection July 15 (Netflix)

For the first time in 50 years, it’s the summer of Jaws. The movie that is often called the first summer blockbuster celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and while there is a great new documentary about the film you can also find streaming on Hulu, if you just want to watch the original, it’s available with a Netflix subscription this week. The sequels will also be available, if you feel like you really need to watch them.

The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3 - July 16 (Prime Video)

The Summer I Turned Pretty has been a winning coming-of-age drama and one of the most popular series for those with a Prime Video subscription. The good news for fans is that Season 3 begins this week. The bad news is Season 3 will also be the final season, so you won’t want to miss any of it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 3 - July 17 (Paramount+)

Of all the new Star Trek content that we’ve received since the launch of paramount+, i don’t think it’s too controversial to say that Strange New Worlds is the best of it. The pre-Kirk Enterprise, led by Ansel Mount as captain Christopher Pike, has been equal parts throwback and reinvention of the franchise and so I’ll be using my Paramount+ subscription to watch Season 3 as soon as it arrives this week.

Disneyland Resort POV Walkthroughs - July 17 (Disney+)

July 17 marks the 70th anniversary of the opening day of Disneyland. Most of us won’t be able to be there in person to celebrate, but if you have a Disney+ subscription, the streaming service has the next best thing. A whole host of POV walkthrough videos will arrive on the service, allowing you to virtually feel like you’re doing everything from riding Pirates of the Caribbean to watching fireworks. The full list of videos is:

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Incredicoaster
• Haunted Mansion
• Tiana's Bayou Adventure
• Cars Land
• Pixar Pal-A-Round
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Soarin' Around the World
• Avengers Campus
• Hollywood Land
• Main Street, U.S.A.
• Mickey's ToonTown
• 70th Celebration Nighttime Spectaculars

Untamed - July 17 (Netflix)

At this point, it seems like there’s a new mystery drama available streaming every week, and while many of them may have big stars, few if any are set in such beautiful places. Untamed stars Eric Bana as a man investigating a death in Yosemite National Park. Sam Neill and Rosemary DeWitt fill out the cast.

The end of July is going to be big with movies like The Fantastic Four: First Steps hitting theaters, but streaming won’t be taking things lying down. It will have its own big releases, including the long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 from Adam Sandler.

The Fourth of July weekend is in the rear view mirror, and depending on just how much fun you had, the idea of crashing in front of the television and not doing much of anything for a few days may sound like an exceedingly good idea.

Luckily, there’s plenty to keep you entertained if that’s your plan, from new Netflix releases like the incredibly popular Trainwreck documentary series to the newest season of Apple TV+'s Foundation series. Michael C. Hall’s Dexter makes his return to television, and Disney+ brings its latest entry in its insanely popular Zombies musical franchise. So let's take a closer look at all the awesomeness on the way.

Trainwreck: The Real Project X July 8 Netflix

The Trainwreck series of documentaries have focused on some of the most infamous events in recent history, from the disgusting “poop cruise” to the ridiculous storming of Area 51. The newest entry of the best current reason to have a Netflix subscription takes a look at a teen party gone terribly wrong with The Real Project X, referencing the 2012 found-footage movie that was reportedly inspired by actual events.

Foundation, Season 3 - July 11 (Apple TV+)

Apple TV+ is home to some fantastic sci-fi television, but at the top of the pile, at least when it comes to production value, is Foundation, the adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s groundbreaking novels. Season 3 debuts this week.

Dexter: Resurrection - July 11 (Paramount+)

Dexter was an incredibly popular series, but one that fans thought had run its course with the death of the title character. A prequel series, Dexter: Original Sin, was then given the green light, which gave fans a little of what they’d been missing, only to drop a hammer by revealing Dexter lives. Dexter: Resurrection picks things up from there.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story - July 11 (Disney+, Hulu)

Jaws is often called the first summer blockbuster. It’s a movie that changed everything, and 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of this iconic piece of cinema. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story takes a fresh look at the movie’s troubled production, including both archival and new interviews with director Steven Spielberg and others involved in this iconic film.

Better Man - July 11 (Prime Video)

Based on box office response, you probably didn’t see Better Man, the movie about the life of pop star Robbie Williams, and iif you’re American, you might not even be that familiar with him, but this bizarre biopic, that reimagines its subject as an anthropomorphic CGI chimp, is exceptionally creative and worth checking out.

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires - July 11 (Disney+)

Ok, maybe the newest entry in Disney’s Zombies musical franchise isn’t for you, but considering just how wildly popular these movies are, it’s a safe bet you know somebody with a Disney+ subscription who will be excited that Zombies 4 is here. Plus, this one adds vampires, so now you're definitely hooked.

July isn’t half over, and the best may still be yet to come. Disney+ is dropping a bunch of cool theme park content to celebrate Disneyland’s 70th anniversary and a new season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is on the way.

Even though being a professional film critic is part of my job, it’s impossible to see every movie. Not only have I not seen every movie for the decade I’ve been doing this job, but there are numerous “classics” that, for one reason or another, I have simply never gotten around to seeing. One of those films is Steven Spielberg’s iconic Jaws.

I know, I know, I’m not entirely sure why I never saw it either, but even though Jaws is 50 years old, and I’m almost 50 years old, the two of us had never crossed paths before. With the Fourth of July weekend here, and the golden anniversary for Steven Spielberg’s iconic film, it seemed like the right time to deal with this cinematic oversight. So I fired up my Peacock subscription and finally watched Jaws, and honestly, I’m glad I waited so long.

I Never Watched Jaws Because I Felt Like I Already Had

I could certainly guess that one of the reasons I didn’t see Jaws when I was young was that, while it may not always be considered such, Jaws is basically a horror movie. The massive shark is essentially playing the role Jason does in the Friday the 13th movies. I haven’t seen many of those films either because they just don’t interest me.

But as I grew older, I think one of the reasons I never bothered to watch Jaws is that I felt like I already had. The movie has become such a ubiquitous part of pop culture that anybody who hasn’t seen it today still could probably describe all the key moments of the plot and even drop some choice Jaws quotes.

If Jaws had come up in a conversation last week, I have zero doubt I could have pretended like I had seen it and totally fooled anybody into believing I had. Now that I have seen it, I realize just how much of the movie I already knew by heart.

Jaws Plays Out (Almost) Exactly As I Thought

I made a few quick notes before I sat down to watch Jaws. I jotted down a brief plot description as I believed it to be, and also put together an outline of all the story’s major beats with all the details I understood to be included, in the order in which I believed they took place. In nearly every detail, I got it right.

The only thing I didn’t know was where the shark cage sequence took place in the narrative. I would have guessed it happened earlier in the film rather than being part of the film’s finale, but other than that, I got every moment in the correct order. What do I win?

I had it all locked down so well that I honestly began to wonder if maybe I had seen Jaws before and had simply forgotten. However, there was enough of the film that I was sure I hadn’t seen before, the smaller character moments. For example, whe Roy Scheider’s character and his son are playing at the dinner table. These are the moments that don’t get endlessly replayed, confirming this was a new movie to me.

Considering how important some people think spoilers are to seeing movies, one might have assumed I didn’t actually enjoy watching Jaws for the first time. If I knew everything that was going to happen, how was the experience any fun? But honestly, knowing all the plot beats was great because it caused me to approach Jaws in a very different way.

Because I Knew The Story, I Focused On Other Things

I realize that saying “Steven Spielberg is an incredible director” isn’t exactly a revolutionary statement, but watching Jaws, I think I came to understand that truth in a way that I never really had before. While I haven’t seen every Steven Spielberg movie, I have seen most of them. I know just how incredible a director he is, but I really saw it while watching Jaws.

I was probably less engaged by the plot of Jaws than I would have been if I had watched it 40 years ago, specifically because I knew what was going to happen at basically every turn. As such, I found myself really watching the camera, following the way it told the story. I paid attention to the way the story was put together in the edit because while I knew what would happen, that didn’t mean I knew everything about how that story would be shown to the audience.

Normally if I find myself thinking about the edit of a film on my first watch, it’s because something is horribly wrong with it and it’s become distracting from the story. I want to be engaged by a narrative just like everybody else, and while I’ll often pick up on little filmmaking details on a first watch, it’s often more subconscious.

Here, I was able to really see why Jaws won the Oscar for Film Editing, a prize that is clearly deserved for the way the edit builds the tension around a killer shark that famously didn’t work most of the time, and thus is rarely seen. I enjoyed John Williams' score, which is so much more than the Jaws theme we all know and love.

Jaws Has Reinforced My View On Spoilers

I also really enjoyed Jaws as a story. While I knew the plot and had seen a large portion of the movie in various scenes over almost 50 years, there was plenty more that was new to me. Some of the scenes that don’t get endlessly replayed were among my favorites in the film, and they all come together to tell a compelling story that is truly excellent, as its reputation indicates.

In my job, getting spoiled on movies is par for the course. I rarely walk into a blockbuster film without some sort of an idea of what’s about to happen on screen. Yet despite knowing almost everything that was about to happen in Jaws, it didn’t make the movie any less enjoyable.

Not knowing what’s going to happen next in a movie is great. A little surprise certainly doesn’t hurt. But even if you know what’s about to happen, if the filmmakers have done their job right, it won’t matter. It’s not about what happens so much as how well it’s done. Everything in Jaws is well done, even five decades later.

Few films have made as big a splash in cinema history as Jaws, aka one of the best horror movies of all time. The 1975 thriller didn’t just terrify a generation, it changed Hollywood forever, creating the summer blockbuster as we know it. People lined up for hours to see the smash hit on the big screen in the '70s and audiences returned over and over until they got sick of watching the spectacle. It was a phenomenon, and launched young director Steven Spielberg to A-list creative status. This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the film’s release, and people are still in love with Jaws. Even Spielberg himself took a moment to reflect on the movie that catapulted his legendary career.

In a recent interview with Deadline, the filmmaker spoke to the publication about experiencing the movie once again 50 years after his cinematic shark terrorized audiences across the country. He explained that this was a unique feat for him, as he was able to see the film as an audience member, not as a critical director analyzing his own work. As for Spielberg’s review of Jaws? He had a simple response:

It speaks to his prowess as a director that he could look back at one of his earliest works and still have an appreciation for the work, and actually enjoy his own creations. The director’s filmography is vast, but Jaws remains an incredibly bright spot. The fear created without the shark being at the forefront of the screen is impressive, and makes the movie still terrifying even on the rewatch when you know what’s coming. Some filmmakers look back at their initial works and cringe, but Spielberg is able to celebrate his first achievements, and even enjoy them as a member or their own audience.

Spielberg also explained that watching Jaws back was a big hurdle for him to overcome, as he was watching it because he wanted to see if he could get through it without the bad memories of making the movie flooding back. Spielberg had a famously difficult time making Jaws. The director insisted on filming in the ocean, which led to the mechanical shark breaking, the rough seas ruining shots, and the erosion of equipment. They also were continuously writing new script pages while filming, and went very much over budget. Luckily, they made their money back and a profit for the studio, but Spielberg has been open about the PTSD Jaws caused him for years following production.

It’s hard to believe that it's been over 50 years since Spielberg set sail to make his cinematic classic, and changed how we watch movies. It’s blockbuster season, and this year’s big screen spectacles like Superman, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and of course, Jurassic World: Rebirth owe everything to the legendary director, and the shark epic that terrified viewers in the summer of 1975. Even after such a wayward production, it’s amazing that Spielberg can still look back at Jaws with fondness, and love it as much as we still do.

You can revisit Jaws for yourself by streaming the film now with a Peacock subscription. For more information about summer blockbusters heading to the big screen this year, make sure to consult our 2025 movie release schedule.

As a groundbreaking critical and commercial success that has now been around for five decades as of this year, I did not think there was anything else to learn about Jaws that I did not know already. Well, as it turns out, I’m gonna need a bigger brain to hold all the fascinating trivia I recently discovered from a new documentary about the greatest shark movie ever made.

Included on the film’s recently released 50th anniversary Blu-ray set is Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, a deep dive into the making of and enduring legacy of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster, which is set to air on National Geographic on July 10th and will be available to stream with a Hulu subscription the next day. There are plenty of awesome facts you can bite into then, but for now, here’s a sneak peek at the revelations from the doc that had my jaw on the floor.

How Jaws' Terrifying Opening Scene Was Achieved

The secret to Jaws’ heart-racing, suspenseful tone – other than John Williams’ Oscar-winning score, which Steven Spielberg almost rejected – is that the shark remains unseen for almost the first two-thirds. However, that was an impromptu decision enforced by the mechanical Great White’s constant technical difficulties, as the creature was originally meant to appear much earlier. In fact, it was supposed to appear in the opening scene.

Instead of actually seeing the shark attack poor Chrissie Watkins (Susan Blacklinie, who just passed in 2024, according to THR), the film’s terrifying opening scene shows the young woman being violently thrashed about by something under the surface, which turned out to be a pretty simple effect. Blacklinie was put into a harness and then pulled from side to side by submerged crew members.

Average Martha's Vineyard Residents Were Cast As Amity Island Locals

It is not quite acknowledged enough just how important Amity Island itself is as a character in Jaws. The community is such a fully realized place, and its local residents seem so authentic. That is probably because they were authentic local residents.

In Jaws @ 50, Steven Spielberg recalls how successfully casting director Shari Rhodes cast average citizens in his second feature, The Sugarland Express, and asked her to do the same for the creature feature. In fact, outside of the main players, including Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, most of the actors you see in Jaws are average townspeople who were essentially pulled from the streets of Martha’s Vineyard, which doubled as Amity Island.

Fidel Castro Was A Fan Of The Novel

Jaws is a movie based on a popular novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Carl Gottlieb. The author also appears in Jaws @ 50 through archival footage, in which he describes his favorite “review” of the book, which may be my favorite bit of Jaws trivia I have learned so far. I’ll let Benchley describe it for you in the following quote:

Leave it to a controversial political figure like the then-president of Cuba to pick up on one of the most essential lessons of Jaws (which was published as Tiburon in Spanish-speaking countries). Of course, its underlying economic commentary has become more widely recognized today as more people have realized the story’s true villain is Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who greedily downplays the severity of Amity’s shark problem. Benchley also mentions that he tried to get an ad printed with Castro’s quote, but his publisher would not allow it.

Steven Spielberg Suffered A "Full-Blown Panic Attack" After Wrapping Jaws

It is no secret that Jaws was plagued by a famously problematic Hollywood production that would make for one fascinating biopic, from the shark’s aforementioned technical problems to Dreyfuss and Shaw’s feud. Even after the film became a record-breaking phenomenon, the incessant issues the cast and crew experienced on set had no greater effect on anyone than Steven Spielberg, who described the process of making the film as a life-changing experience, in good ways and in bad.

In Jaws @ 50, the legendary, Academy Award-winning filmmaker reveals that, after spending so much time trying not to break under pressure from the problems he and the crew faced, the stress he kept bottled up finally imploded once the cameras stopped rolling and the job was finally done, and he underwent what he descibes as a "full-blown panic attack." He goes on to say that, for years, he would sneak onto the Universal Studios tour’s display of the Orca just to be alone and cry, which served as his own method of recovering from the taxing shoot.

Jaws Inspired A Spike In Shark Hunting

Despite its astonishing box office numbers and near-universal acclaim as one of the best horror movies of all time, Jaws does not necessarily have a squeaky clean reputation, and I am not referring to its widely reviled sequels. I am referring to the number of innocent shark lives that the success of the film indirectly cost.

Jaws @ 50 touches on the fact that, after the film came out, the rate of shark hunting shot up exponentially, with many people seeking to kill the marine creatures purely for sport. Jaws is often remembered as a film that made people afraid to enter the water, yet it looks like that was not entirely the case, but in a largely negative way.

I hate to end this retrospective of one of the finest films of all time on a somber note, so let’s end it on a celebratory note. Hollywood’s first blockbuster is 50 years old, and that is enough of a reason to smile, you son of a…

Every year, millions of people around the country get together on the Fourth of July to celebrate America’s independence by grilling tons of meat, shooting off even more fireworks, and watching great movies like Jaws. Though you’ll soon be able to watch Steven Spielberg’s game-changing movie with a Netflix subscription, you’ll have to wait until after the holidays to hear that famous movie line on the popular platform.

Worry not, for Jaws, in addition to all its sequels, is already available on one of the best streaming services around, ready to be watched in all its gory glory. So, before you start making your plans for July 4th and try to figure out if you really want to sit through that marathon you’ve been putting off all those years, come along as we break down all the ways to watch one of the best summer movies of all time.

When Jaws And Its Sequels Will Be On Netflix

Though you won’t be able to watch Jaws (or Jaws 2, Jaws 3, or Jaws: The Revenge) on Netflix on or before Independence Day rolls around, all four movies will be available less than two weeks after the final firework explodes in the sky. Starting Tuesday, July 15, you’ll be able to watch the entire franchise, meaning you can start with one of the best opening scenes in cinematic history and wrap up with a sequel we wish was never made.

No telling if it’s some licensing agreement that prevents Jaws from showing up on the platform before halfway through the month, but it seems like a big miss for Netflix to miss out on all those holiday streaming numbers for this classic (and its not-so-great siblings). But that’s not until a couple of weeks away? Where can we watch Jaws right now?

Where Is Jaws Streaming Right Now

Want to watch Jaws right now? Well, there’s some good news as the classic shark movie is currently streaming for anyone with a Peacock subscription. All four movies in the franchise are streaming on the platform, and have been for quite some time (as are so many other great Universal Pictures films). That means the good, the bad, and the Martin Brody can be watched all in one place right now.

Stream the Jaws Collection on Peacock.

How To Watch Jaws On VOD And Physical Media

There are some people out there who simply prefer to own their movies, either as part of their digital library or on physical media. While neither Netflix nor Peacock gives you the option of owning Jaws outright, you can pick it up in a variety of ways from Amazon.

The digital version, which can be rented or purchased, is a great option, but the new 50th anniversary edition, just released in June 2025, is going to be a must for movie buffs. Loaded with tons of special features, a 4K restoration of the classic film, and access to the Jaws @ 50 retrospective documentary, there are hours upon hours of behind-the-scenes stories, great explorations of the film’s legacy, and quite possibly the best-looking version we’ve ever seen.

Rent/Buy Jaws on Prime Video.
Buy Jaws 50th Anniversary Edition on 4K on Amazon.

No need to close any beaches or get the vacationers all in a tizzy, because now you know all the various ways to watch Jaws this Fourth of July holiday.

When a movie becomes a massive box office blockbuster, it’s usually only a matter of time before it ends up in a theme park. This was just as true in the early days as it is now, as Jaws, a movie seen by many as the first summer blockbuster, has had a home at Universal Studios Hollywood for decades as part of the iconic Backlot Tour.

When the small version of Amity Island was built for the tour, it originally included the actual boat, the Orca, that was used in the famously troubled production. In the new documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (available next month with a Hulu or Disney+ subscription) Steven Spielberg revealed that he used to enter the boat just to sit and remember the difficult production, and sometimes he would cry. Spielberg said…

The story of the filming of Jaws is one of the most famous in Hollywood history. The production on Martha’s Vineyard took a great deal longer and cost a great deal more than was ever intended. Spielberg revealed elsewhere in the documentary that he had a panic attack during production and had nightmares for years afterward as a result.

The accomplished director says he “had nothing to cry about.” The movie was the biggest hit in the history of film, clearly all the hard work was worth it. Still, the experience clearly took a toll on him. He simply wasn’t able to move on from it. It seems that spending time back on board the Orca helped a great deal. Speilberg continued…

It’s unclear just how long Steven Spielberg visited the Orca. I now have to wonder if he might have been sitting on the ship the first time I ever rode the Studio Tour. It’s heartbreaking to think that he might have been there, struggling with the emotional weight of the film that would ultimately start him on the path as one of the most successful directors of all time.

Eventually, the Orca on the Studio Tour deteriorated to the point that it needed to be removed. A replica now sits in its place. On my next trip through the Studio tour i'll be looking at that replica and thinking about the original boat. It turns out it held even more history than we knew.

The stories about the making of Jaws are arguably almost as iconic as the movie itself. The production of the movie that is called the “first summer blockbuster” was an absolute nightmare to film by all accounts. However, it seems that director Steven Spielberg actually had literal nightmares after making the film due to what was, for him, a truly traumatic experience.

In the new NatGeo documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, available July 10 with a Hulu or Disney+ subscription, Steven Spielberg talks about the experience of directing the eponymous flick, a movie that went significantly over budget and over schedule. The director had an incredibly difficult time getting everything to work during the shoot at Martha’s Vineyard, but it was only after filming wrapped that Spielberg really began to have a hard time. He said…

By all accounts, while Spielberg may have been internally panicking during the entire location shoot, he was able to keep himself together. He did a remarkable job in figuring out how to contend with various issues. That includes everything that went wrong with the frequently broken mechanical shark. As crazy as production was, it's wild to think that it wasn't until after the shoot that he apparently really had difficulties.

It sounds like he simply let himself go, given that he was at a point where he could lose it a bit without causing problems for the rest of the crew. The Oscar winner says he felt responsible for the shoot being so much longer than it was supposed to be, keeping the crew on location so long. Spielberg continued…

Following Steven Spielberg’s minor breakdown, production on Jaws actually lasted another couple of months after the crew left Martha’s Vineyard. Work was done in a water tank at MGM, and various other pickup shots being done anywhere they could do it, including in the swimming pool of the film’s editor.

The 1975 movie would go on to become the highest-grossing movie ever made at that point, and a massive cultural moment. However, it seems that the film’s success did not entirely vindicate Steven Spielberg in his own mind. He says he would continue to have actual nightmares for years afterward, as if he were still directing the movie. He said…

Of course, Steven Spielberg's filmography speaks for itself, and he would go on to direct some of the most popular and most successful movies ever made. Jaws truly launched his career, but he certainly worked hard, and suffered significantly to get there. I'm not sure if Spielberg is among te the 50th anniversary of the release of his shark-centric thriller film. However, as a fan, I truly believe Spielberg should be proud of what he and his cohorts accomplished all those years ago.

Fans can check out Jaws for themselves by streaming it with a Peacock subscription.

One of the most famous lines (and one that is often misquoted) in Jaws, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” actually came from an inside joke on the set of the legendary movie, which turns 50 this summer. The line was improvised on film by actor Roy Scheider, and has since become the stuff of legends. It’s hard to imagine one of the best monster movies of all time without it.

The Production Of Jaws Has Become Legendary

The production of Jaws is one of the most oft-told stories in Hollywood history, but somehow, this tidbit escaped me all these years. I’m a huge fan of the movie, and I do consider it not only one of the best horror movies of all time, but one of the best movies of all time. I love that, for example, audiences don’t see the shark for most of the movie, making it as ominous as a movie monster gets. That was, in large part, because the mechanical shark didn’t work very well, forcing director Steven Spielberg to work around the problematic prop.

I love the scene co-written by John Milius, Robert Shaw, and Carl Gottlieb, where Quint (Shaw) tells the story of the USS Indianapolis. Co-star Richard Dreyfuss has acknowledged that the movie’s production started without a full script, hence Milius being brought in to help on that famous monologue. Between the lack of a working shark and the script issues, the crew behind the scenes had an inside joke, calling the movie “Flaws” during production.

Another Inside Joke Made It Into The Movie And Became Iconic

One of the many problems during the shooting was the size of one of the support boats. The small boat was used to help supply the larger barge that held much of the production equipment during the scenes shot out on the ocean. According to Carl Gottlieb, who is the credited screenwriter, the crew thought the producers were “stingy” and told The Hollywood Reporter,

Adding that the phrase became a regular saying around the set whenever anything went wrong,

According to Gottlieb, Roy Scheider, who played Brody, worked the line into several scenes as a joke, but when he delivered it in the scene when he first lays eyes on the shark, it became one of the most famous quotes in Hollywood history; it was pure serendipity. The look on his face and Quint's reaction are priceless, and moments like that in Jaws are what elevate the film to something so much more than a simple monster movie.

With the Fourth of July around the corner, now is a great time to relive one of the best summer horror movies ever, and the great line that accidentally became one of the best ever.

Look, it’s summer, and that means one of two things if you're a TV and movie fan. You can either go out and enjoy the warm weather, or you can turn up the A/C and hide from the heat by sitting on the couch and watching whatever you can find on your favorite streaming service. Honestly, I suggest the latter option.

From Jaws, the original summer blockbuster, to a preview of the next big summer movie release, How to Train Your Dragon, to the Disney live-action remake you probably didn’t see in theaters, there is plenty of good stuff streaming this week. Here are a few of the highlights.

How To Train Your Dragon Sneak Peek - June 9 (Peacock)

Disney may be the studio known for the concept of remaking popular animated hits in live-action, but any idea that shows success in Hollywood is going to be copied, and here we are. This week will see the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon hit theaters. However, if you have a Peacock subscription, you can get an early look at the film with a special Sneak Peek.

Snow White - June 11 (Disney+)

I can guess what you’ve heard about Disney’s live-action Snow White and, while I personally thought Snow White was good, I know I’m in the minority on that. What I do know is that based on the Disney film's box office struggles, you probably haven’t seen it. So, if you have a Disney+ subscription, use it to check the movie out this week and come to your own conclusions.

FUBAR, Season 2 - June 12 (Netflix)

I’m not sure anybody was asking for a second season of FUBAR starring Arnold Schwarzenegger but, if you were one of the people who were holding on to your Netflix subscription waiting for it to arrive, good news. And, honestly, who doesn’t love Arnie enough to enjoy seeing the aging action hero have some fun as an aging CIA agent?

Deep Cover - June 12 (Prime Video)

Lighthearted comedies are exactly the sorts of movies we don’t see much of in theaters anymore, but they’ve found a home on streaming services. Deep Cover stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Blood, and Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammod as improv actors who are enlisted to go undercover and get in over their heads. It’s just the sort of silly premise you’ll only see at the movies, but there’s great comedy potential and, if nothing else, it’s great to see Orlando Bloom again.

Echo Valley - June 13 (Apple TV+)

Sydney Sweeney is one of the world’s hottest young stars, so it’s a safe bet that a lot of people will be using their Apple TV+ subscription to check out Echo Valley. The new thriller stars Sweeney as a young woman who enlists her mother’s (Julianne Moore) help to cover up the death of her boyfriend.

Jaws Franchise - June 15 (Peacock)

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the original Jaws. The movie is viewed by many as the original summer blockbuster so, if you’ve somehow never seen it or haven’t seen it in a long time, you’ll be able to do so again when the movie arrives on Peacock this week. Alongside it will come its three less-than-stellar sequels, in case you just have to watch them all.

There’s plenty more great streaming content in the coming weeks, from a new Marvel Cinematic Universe series to Broadway performances of your favorite Disney movies. Keep checking in with CinemaBlend so you don’t miss the next big thing.

Jaws is often credited as being the first summer blockbuster movie. It’s the film that, for better or worse, started us on the path of major tentpole releases, endless franchises, and billion-dollar box office returns. Of course, what a blockbuster looks like today is a lot different than what Jaws did 50 years ago. But as the movie is celebrating its anniversary, it’s getting the modern movie treatment, and that means one thing above all else: popcorn buckets.

A movie just isn’t a movie in 2025 if there isn’t a popcorn bucket involved, but since Jaws is seeing a 50th anniversary rerelease, the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain is bringing out all the merch. The Jaws popcorn bucket is everything we could have possibly hoped. What else would it be other than the gaping maw of a great white shark?

I can’t even imagine what else a Jaws popcorn bucket would look like. It would have to be the shark itself, and considering that eating things is sort of what Jaws does in the movie, it makes all the sense in the world to just fill those, well, jaws, with popcorn for fans wanting the classic movie theater snack while rewatching the movie.

It feels fitting for the first summer blockbuster to get the popcorn bucket treatment. Popcorn buckets, special drink cups, and even, in the case of Moana 2, the nacho boat, have become something that major movie releases simply don’t go without anymore. That includes older movies getting significant re-releases. The recent rerelease of Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith also got the novelty sipper and popcorn bucket, and based on the box office success of the re-release, probably sold more than a few.

It makes one wonder what the popcorn buckets for other big movies might have looked like if they had been a thing back when previous blockbusters were released. Every animated Disney movie would have certainly had a popcorn bucket. I’m imagining a Raiders of the Lost Ark popcorn bucket that looks like the idol from the beginning of the film, but with a hole at the top.

At this point, it's likely a given that, unless something changes drastically in the next few years and popcorn buckets stop selling, all sorts of classics will get their own as rereleases take place.

Jaws is being screened at the Alamo Drafthouse in May, but the film is getting a wider re-release in August as part of the film’s 50th anniversary. Considering the recent success of Revenge of the Sith, interest in the Jaws re-release could be quite high, and the odds of a popcorn bucket like this own being made more widely available are quite high.

Movies have been prominently featuring video games going all the way back to the dawn of the gaming industry in the 1970s. Movies like Tron and The Last Starfighter made them central to the plot, while others like Swingers and The Avengers found ways to create some great moments around. Our list of movies with great video game moments has both.

Tron

Tron has become one of the most enduring franchises of the last half century, despite only having limited released. It was one of the first movies to truly incorporate video games and gaming directing into the plot. Not only does the protagonist (Jeff Bridges) own an arcade and play games himself, his avatar plays inside the Master Control

The Princess Bride

You might not think of this fairy tale as a video game movie, but you have to remember that first scene. As the grandson, played by Fred Savage, recovers in bed, home sick from school, he's playing a baseball video. At least until his grandfather shows up with a magical book called The Princess Bride. .

John Wick

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) isn't the kind of guy who would spend a lot of time playing video games, but those rich idiots who he is after are certainly the types that would pay more attention to a first-person shooter game than the shooter who is out to get them and get them Wick does.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Everything cool in Fast Times At Ridgemont High happens at the mall, including the arcade. There isn't a movie that is more quintessential to the '80s high school life than the Amy Heckerling-directed classic. That includes a few scenes in the mall's arcade, including the last shot in the movie declaring the end of the movie.

The Last Starfighter

For a lot of kids in the 1980s, The Last Starfighter represented a dream that maybe there is more to being great at video games than just getting to put your initials on the home screen. Maybe, just maybe, you might get chosen to be an intergalactic pilot. It's why the movie is so fondly remembered by any kid who grew up playing Galaga.

Boyz N The Hood

Even movies about the untold violence on the streets in South Central LA have found a way to work video games in, as they are truly ubiquitous. Take, for example, the more ominous tone of kids playing Duck Hunt on Nintendo with a very real-looking video game gun. It's hard to watch after knowing how things end and viewers are hyper-aware of that gun, toy or not.

Ready Player One

There is no doubt that Ready Player One has to be on this list. Of course, the whole world it creates is basically a giant game. Plus, games from the past, from the early days of home consoles and arcades play a big part in the quest everyone on earth is undertaking in the movie and serve to drive the plot at numerous times.

WarGames

Global Thermal Nuclear War is, in theory, a game in WarGames. Not only does the game serve as a central plot point, but the world is saved by playing any other video game based on tic-tac-toe. Oh, and there is a scene early in the movie where David (Matthew Broderick) is playing Space Invaders and it doesn't get more classic than that.

The Avengers

"That man is playing Galaga," has to be one of Tony Stark's best lines in the entire MCU. It comes in The Avengers as the team is assembling and getting ready to save the world, yet some people on the crew of the invisible flying base clearly have enough time on their hands for a quick game of a classic game.

Swingers

For anyone who played endless amounts of NHL hockey on Sega in the '90s, there is no more realistic or funnier scene than the one in Swingers when Sue (Patrick Van Horn) and Trent (Vince Vaughn) come to blows over a game before they go out for the night. It's pretty much exactly how that game was played for years.

The Karate Kid

Video games don't play a huge role in The Karate Kid, but they are important. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Ali (Elizabeth Shue) really start flirting and she blows him while playing one in an arcade when their relationship starts to blossom.

Back to the Future Part II

One of the most memorable scenes in Back to the Future Part II comes when Marty (Micheal J. Fox) looks behind him while in the future to see an arcade game called Wild Gunman. When he tries to impress a couple of kids by being a "crack shot," the kids basically laugh the game off as a game for babies, because you have to use your hands. Honestly, it's not that far off from how things would turn out.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

it's funny, even in the early '90s, arcades, which were already almost obsoete, were still used to represent what "bad kids" did, like a teenage John Connor (Edward Furlough) in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. John and his buddy are hanging out at the arcade, getting into trouble, when the Terminator locates them for the first time.

Maximum Overdrive

You can't make a movie about the machine's coming "alive" without having a harrowing scene involving some arcade games. As bad as Maximum Overdrive is, it is filled with memorable scenes like the one when the games attack a character played by a young Giancarlo Esposito.

Jaws

Video games have been popping up in movies since way back in 1976 when kids are seen playing a game called "Killer Shark" at beach arcade on Amity Island.

Mallrats

Another classic home console moment from a '90s movie comes in the Kevin Smith-directed Mallrats. Brody is a shiftless layabout and his girlfriend, played by the late Shannen Doherty, is sick of it. Her feelings are completely justified when the first thing he does is pick up with his paused game from the night before. Granted, he was excited about his big lead in the hockey game, which many will understand.

Dawn Of The Dead

In the early days of arcades, pinball was a big part of the appeal. It's a pinball machine in an arcade that makes the biggest impression in one of the best horror movies of all time, Dawn Of The Dead from 1978.

Superbad

Video game scenes in movies often reflect a pretty accurate moments in real life. Like the scene in Superbad when Seth (Jonah Hill) is stressing about a party and Evan (Michael Sera) couldn't care less as he is distracted by his game. That sums up a lot of people's nights (and friendships) in high school.

Airplane!

No movie packs in more jokes per minute than Airplane! One of those jokes, includes two air traffic controllers playing a basketball video game when they should be landing planes. It's a funny joke, but a terrifying thought, right?

The Wrestler

The Wrestler is an amazing movie about a washed up pro wrestler (Mickey Rourke) who finds some version of a family, at least briefly and bonds with Pam (Marisa Tomei) and her son. In a heartwarming moment, he plays a wrestling video game against Pam's son.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

To be fair, the video game moment in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is fleeting but memorable. Principle Rooney (Jeffery Jones), on his quest to find Ferris (Matthew Broderick) encounters a person who he thinks is Ferris playing an arcade game. Of course, it's not Ferris, and in return for his mistake, Rooney gets a straw full of soda to the face.

Shaun Of The Dead

There is nothing quite like roommates playing video games together to make someone nostalgic for...well... having a roommate. For millions of people, it's a rite of passage to blow off work or school and spend the day going toe-to-toe in a video game battle.

Scott Pilgrim V. The World

Games like Dance Dance Revolution were all the rage in 2010, when Scott Pilgrim V. The World was released worldwide. Of course, a game like Dance Dance Revolution would be included in the movie, in one of the scenes before everything goes sideways for the protagonist. It's a sweet scene that really endears the audience to Scott (Michael Cera).

Zombieland

It turns out that Michael Cera plays a lot of characters who love video games. They aren't the main focus of any of his movies, but still, in movies like Zombieland, he's often seen playing them. In Zombieland, it's World of Warcraft.

Grosse Pointe Blank

"First-person shooter" takes on a new meaning in Grosse Pointe Blank when the clerk at the convenience store that was once Martin Blank's house is oblivious to the actual shooting going on behind him as he listens to metal and shoots enemies in the game. Finally, he has to be pulled from the store by Martin (John Cusack) moments before it explodes. Anyone who has played games knows how they can be that engrossing.

The Wizard

The Wizard, starring Fred Savage is... not a great movie, and it reeks of corporatism (it was basically a big commercial for Nintendo), but we couldn't make this list without it. It was a time when Nintendo had completely redefined the video game market with their hit console, the NES. It makes total sense that the hype would lead to a movie and completely predictable that it would be a bad movie.

Lost In Translation

Japanese arcades are completely awesome. It's a culture that did last in America but has been going strong in Japan since the beginning. As such, it's a wonder addition to Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation as part of what makes the cultures so different and fascinating to Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson).

Never Say Never Again

It's true, even James Bond was part of the 1980s video game fad. Well, sort of. Bond (Sean Connery) plays a wild video game with real-life consequences in Never Say Never Again, which is why we say "sort of," because the movie, though not the worst Bond movie, is definitely not Bond canon and not one of the best Connery-Era Bond films.

Superman III

When ranking the Superman movies, Superman III is usually at or near the bottom of the list. It's a bad movie, but it does have a hilarious Superman video game that we all wished we could play when we were kids. It's really the only good part of a movie that even Richard Pryor couldn't make funny or fun.

The Thing

Some of Kurt Russell's best lines in his movies come from The Thing, and he also has a moment or two as he tries to save himself from destructive boredom by playing an early version of computer chess. Chess has long been a staple game going back to the dawn of the first home computers, so it worked well in the time period.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Like some other scenes on this list, the scene between Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd playing Mortal Kombat Deception is pretty much exactly how video game arguments went at the time, completely with the slurs we would never use today (and shouldn't have been using back in the day, but were).

Joysticks

We're really only including this silly, raunchy B-movie because it was kind of the first movie to truly be about the first video game fad of the late 1970s, though it came out just as the fad was imploding with the Video Game Crash of 1983. Even the movie's timing was bad, but still, it's all about games, so it has to be here on this list.

Life is full of choices, and there’s always pressure to choose the right option - no matter how small the matter. In the examples we're about to discuss, it only took one bad call to lead to unnecessary drama, and in some cases, death. While not all of them are tragic, beware of some old wounds that may be opened up in the process.

Mayor Larry Vaughn Keeps Amity’s Beaches Open - Jaws

Ok, let’s just get this out of the way: Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) should have never won re-election. Amity Beach’s big wheel politician should have been legislative dust after keeping the beaches open in Jaws. Yes, beach towns depend on revenues from summer tourists - but if there’s no surviving tourists that want to shop, is it really a win?

Dr. Mann’s Hasty Docking With The Endurance - Interstellar

Scientific minds are supposed to be among the smartest and most rational in the world, especially if you’ve been chosen to colonize a potential new home for Humanity. That fact just makes the manner of death that befalls Interstellar’s Dr. Mann (Matt Damon) all the more fitting. Perhaps one should check that the airlock seals are properly aligned before launching into a speech about “all mankind.”

Rose Leaves Jack To Freeze - Titanic

Ok, so Kate Winslet’s 2024 Titanic revelation that it wasn’t a door Rose DeWitt Bukater was clinging to for life kind of changes the equation of whether or not she could have saved Jack Dawson. That being said, it still doesn’t change the fact that people are going to argue there was still room on “the door” for old Jack.

Peter Quill Socks Thanos On The Brink Of Victory - Avengers: Infinity War

Every time someone watches the Marvel movies in order, this moment, in particular, is the definition of an "own goal." As Avengers: Infinity War almost saw the reason for a second half nullified by taking the Infinity Gauntlet away from Thanos, a moment of emotion from the ever-impulsive Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) allowed the Mad Titan to keep his magic glove, and get away.

Marty McFly Buys Gray’s Sports Almanac - Back To The Future: Part II

Oh Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Even when you’re greedy, you’re just trying to protect the future. While our lessons in how Back to the Future’s time travel works have taught us time and again that fooling with the past is dangerous, Marty’s decision to buy Gray’s Sports Almanac was one of the greatest mistakes in pop culture history. Who really wants to live in Biff Tannen’s alternate 1985?

Someone Read The Latin - The Evil Dead Movies

This is the movie most people think of when you hear the phrase, “Don’t read the Latin.” The Evil Dead series has seen Ash (Bruce Campbell) and many others learn that lesson the hard way, as a Deadite plague tends to result after this grievous error. What did they think was going to happen when reading from a book bound by human flesh?

Iosef Tarasov’s Gang Kill John Wick’s Dog - John Wick

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) made two huge mistakes in the John Wick movies. The first was thinking that he could convince retired hitman John Wick to sell his 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. The second, and more costly mistake, was to kill John’s dog, Daisy. The criminal underworld still hasn’t recovered from the actions of that night, so yeah: we’re thinking that’s a bad decision.

Walter Donovan Chooses Poorly - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Who did you honestly put your money on when it came to winning Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’s game for the Holy Grail? A professor of archeology who has a similarly learned father, or an industrialist aiding the Nazis? If you bet on Walter Donavan (Julian Glover) winning the day, I think you know how the Grail Knight would comment on this particular choice.

Howard Ratner Can't Stop Winning - Uncut Gems

One has to wonder if A24 set up microphones during preview screenings of Uncut Gems if only to measure the decibel level of audience yelling. The moment when Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes what would be his final bet had to have been one where people shouted at the screen in terror - which would have only been outdone by shock at the picture’s fatalistic ending.

General Ripper Starts A Nuclear War - Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

If any of us normal people think something’s wrong with our bodies, we usually consult a specialist. But Dr. Strangelove’s General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) isn’t quite normal, as he decided to initiate “nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Russkies,” using only a paranoid hunch as his basis. If only the internet had been invented, so WebMD could have debunked his theories.

Icarus II Goes To Visit Icarus 1 - Sunshine

You can almost always count on a bad day in space if you’re the second expedition to venture out on a mission, and you suddenly discover the wreckage of the first. Sunshine’s Icarus II crew is put through the wringer after making the decision to visit the Icarus I. On the literal bright side, at least Capa (Cillian Murphy) saved the day, despite being the deciding vote that caused a chain reaction of deadly events.

Vincent Kapoor Tells Mark Watney His Messages Are On Live TV - The Martian

Never tell a rabble-rouser they’re on live TV, they’re just going to use the moment to misbehave. The Martian’s Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) did just that as NASA’s Director of Mars Missions, and it led to astronaut Mark Watney being so creative with his swearing his colleagues had to look it up. Which led to a double whammy of regret, as learning what those phrases meant was quite a shock.

Don Kisses His Wife - 28 Weeks Later

Ok 28 Weeks Later fans, which is the bigger mistake made by our good friend Don (Robert Carlyle): abandoning his wife Alice in the wake of an Infected attack, or kissing her without reservation as she’s in medical quarantine? That second choice seems to be the greater error, as while their reunion did patch up their marriage, the act of kissing and making up turned Don into a very special victim of the Rage Virus.

Dr. Alice Krippin Cures Cancer With Measles - I Am Legend

To be clear: curing cancer is not the poor decision that kicked off I Am Legend’s horrific apocalypse. Not to mention, the idea of Dr. Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson) to use genetically modified measles was a pretty clever twist to this medical marvel. But something suggests that there were not nearly enough human trials, as it only took three years to decimate humanity with the Krippin Virus.

Preston Reveals His Wife’s Secret - Tales From The Darkside: The Movie

Here’s a loophole you could argue until the gargoyles come home: if you confess to your wife a near-lethal encounter with such a creature of stone, but she turns out to be the cryptid in question, is it really breaking your vow not to tell the world? It sadly doesn’t matter as the Tales from the Darkside: The Movie segment “Lover’s Vow” sees James Remar’s struggling artist losing his life - as in this case, it technically counts.

Evelyn Reads From The Book Of The Dead - The Mummy (1999)

“No harm ever came from reading a book.” One of The Mummy’s funniest lines is also a statement that Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) should have known not to make. Then again, could it really be that bad of a decision if it led to a rollicking adventure that ended up with her falling for the dreamy Rick O’Connell? Oh, let us think…YES!

Dr. King Schultz Won’t Shake Hands - Django Unchained

Yes, Calvin Candie is a despicable slave owner, and one could hope he’s burning in Hell. But at the same time, Django Unchained’s big bad was in a position where a simple handshake would have allowed Django (Jamie Foxx) and his rediscovered wife to escape happily. Unfortunately, mentor/moral compass Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) couldn’t bring himself to do so…at least, not without taking his foe out with a hidden pistol.

Tony Stark Creates Ultron - Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Could we please put some more safeguards on genius billionaire philanthropist playboys using artificial intelligence to save the world? Avengers: Age of Ultron almost ushered in the promise of that dangerous title, as vindictive creation Ultron (James Spader) snipped his strings and almost destroyed humanity. Worse: his antics indirectly led to the Sokovia Accords, a set of laws so restrictive, yet so useless that all they could really do was set up a couple of Marvel sequels.

Batman Severely Underestimates Bane - The Dark Knight Rises

Bane (Tom Hardy) is a physically imposing villain so buff, that your dimension’s version of Superman might think twice before beefing with him. Perhaps the Batman of The Dark Knight Rises should have called the Kryptonian boy scout before tangling with the man in the mask, as he could have saved himself a lot of trouble, and all of the medical expenses incurred from a broken back.

Logan Nelson Misreads John Kramer’s X-Rays - Jigsaw

Do you want Jigsaw? Because this is how you get Jigsaw! Careless medical examiner Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore) turned out to be the person who wronged John Kramer in the Saw franchise, which led to his place as one of the first victims turned apprentice to the criminal mastermind. As soon as Mr. Nelson made that mistake, one of the many movie retcon that confused us was born.

Daniel Hillard Creates Mrs. Doubtfire - Mrs. Doubtfire

Some people will create Scottish alter egos to avoid therapy. While Mrs. Doubtfire is still a bittersweet bundle of laughs, and though Robin Williams’ Daniel Hillard did create a fantastic children’s show host, Euphegenia’s creation should have never come from the need to see his kids. It’s kind of a case of the best intentions leading straight into legal hell, isn’t it?

Peter Parker Tries To Erase His Friend’s Memories - Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you’re a genius like Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Peter Parker (Tom Holland), you should probably know better than to bork up your request to a Sorcerer Supreme to erase that knowledge from everyone’s minds. This kid really is Tony Stark’s protege, isn’t he?

David Drayton Gets Impatient In The Apocalypse - The Mist

If David Drayton (Thomas Jane) had waited just five more minutes in The Mist, we may have seen a wildly different ending where everyone lives and learns a powerful lesson about the dangers of mob mentality. Alas, Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novella did teach us that lesson, but with much deadlier consequences.

Kay Takes Compound Z - Alien: Romulus

We’re not a bunch of medical experts here at CinemaBlend, and we’ll readily admit that. But 9 out of 10 writers would agree that if we were given the choice to take the sketchy and untested Compound Z, we’d pass it up. That didn’t stop Kay (Isabella Merced) in Alien: Romulus, and the results were as messy as you'd think.

Madeline Ashton Forgets To Ask About Potential Side Effects - Death Becomes Her

The first thing that Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) could think to ask after being propositioned with eternal youth is “How much is it?” But what she should have asked is “What are the side effects,” as Death Becomes Her sees the “fading actress” panicking after she drinks the mysterious glowing pink liquid that makes it possible. Oops.

Fuller And Lewis Get Flirty With Rusty Nail - Joy Ride

You never know who’s on the other end of a CB radio. While it’s an antiquated form of communication, it didn’t stop brothers Fuller (Steve Zahn) and Lewis (Paul Walker) from having some fun with a random trucker with the handle of “Rusty Nail” in Joy Ride. What began as a flirty prank turned into a game of death…so don’t forget to screen your calls, and watch who you lead on.

The Daltons Turn Back For Hoppy - Speak No Evil

Kids. At some point, they have to grow up, and we’d like to think that the events of the horror remake Speak No Evil helped young Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler) get wise pretty quickly. Her family was free and clear from the murderers trying to adopt her for their own, but since she convinced them to turn back for her stuffed rabbit Hoppy, salvation was delayed throughout a long, awkward night.

Paul Hackett Goes On A Date - After Hours

Who says Martin Scorsese doesn’t have a sense of humor? 1985’s After Hours saw the legendary director land one of the best dark comedies of history, thanks to the film putting poor office worker Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) through the night from hell. And it’s all thanks to a blind date, which leads to a tragic death, which only spirals further into a nightmarish farce across New York City.

Harry And Lloyd Get Involved In A Kidnapping - Dumb And Dumber

No one would mistake Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) for being the most brilliant minds of any time. However, Lloyd’s love-sick quest to chase the woman he loves leads Dumb and Dumber’s dynamic duo into a dance with death. Stumbling into the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman, it never becomes a concern until Lloyd realizes the girl of his dreams happens to be that man’s wife.

Marty Bryce Goes Out For Pizza - Sneakers

Chance led to young Marty Bishop (Gary Hershberger) going out to pick up pizza for himself and his dear friend Cosmo (Jo Marr). If only Cos didn’t use his magic trick to force his friend to leave for dinner, he might have had a chance to save his friend from prison, and an eventual grudge.

General Brewster Activates Skynet - Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

Artificial intelligence is dangerous, kids. But you have to give Skynet credit, as it used a computer virus to trick Lieutenant General Robert Brewster (David Andrews) into giving it full control of the United States’ weapons apparatus. And that is why Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ends with the most shocking ending of the series, as Judgement Day is allowed to happen because the U.S. government wouldn’t spring for a Norton subscription.

Eli Sunday Begs For Help From Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood

Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) and Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) are a pair of foes for the ages. So when There Will Be Blood sees the young preacher begging his oil tycoon rival for financial help, the result is a monologue we could still quote by heart - and a fatal encounter with a bowling pin.

One of the coolest Easter Eggs you can find in a movie based on a book is a cameo by the person who wrote the source material. However, sometimes it is even more fun when a renowned author makes an appearance in a movie that they had no creative involvement with. Take a look at our favorite examples of both kinds.

S.E. Hinton (The Outsiders)

S.E. Hinton (born Susan Eloise) made a striking debut as a writer in 1967, and at only 18 years old, with her groundbreaking coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders. She went on to appear in the 1987 adaptation (one of the best Francis Ford Coppola movies) as a nurse.

Cheryl Strayed (Wild)

Podcaster Cheryl Strayed chronicled her life-changing woodland hike in 1995 in her 2012 memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, which was adapted into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon two years later. Not only does the author appear at the beginning of the film as wa oman who drops the onscreen Strayed off at a motel but her real-life daughter, Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom, also plays her younger self.

Lee Child (Jack Reacher)

In the first screen adaptation of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels from 2012, the author plays a cop who gives the titular heroic drifter (played by Tom Cruise) a skeptical look. The English writer would later appear in 2016's Jack Reacher: Never Look Back as a TSA agent and was seen in Amazon Prime's Reacher Season 1 finale walking past Alan Ritchson as he walks into a diner.

Hunter S. Thompson (Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas)

Johnny Depp starred in two adaptations of Hunter S. Thompson's memoirs: 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary from 2011. While his death in 2005 prevented him from appearing in the latter, the influential gonzo journalist does have a brief cameo in the former as an expressionless patron at a rowdy party.

Kathryn Stockett (The Help)

Kathryn Stockett's 2009 debut novel The Help is a bestseller that was made into an Academy Award-winning film told from the perspective of Black maids working for middle-class white families in 1960s Mississippi. In addition to cast members Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone, the author herself would make a brief appearance as a housewife attending a meeting.

Ken Kesey (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues)

Tom Robbins had a pivotal role in Gus Van Sant's Uma Thurman-led adaptation of his novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, as its narrator. The most surprising appearance by a writer in the 1993 road dramedy was countercultural novelist and essayist Ken Kesey as the central character's father.

Greg Behrendt (He’s Just Not That Into You)

Comedian Greg Behrendt was working as a script doctor for HBO's Sex and the City when he came up with the idea for He's Just Not That Into You, which he co-authored with Liz Tuccillo. The bestselling self-help book was adapted into a dramatized ensemble rom-com in which Behrendt appears as the minister at a wedding.

Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club)

Amy Tan's influential 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, consists of various vignettes each from the perspective of a different woman in a Chinese family. The author can be spotted during the party scene at the beginning of the 1993 adaptation, which is also one of Ming-Na Wen's best movies.

Mar­shall McLuhan (Annie Hall)

In one memorable scene from Best Picture Oscar winner Annie Hall, Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) has an argument with a movie theater patron about his expertise in the work of media theorist Marshall McLuhan. To get him to pipe down, Alvy asks the real McLuhan to step in and bring the stranger down a size, at which point Alvy address the camera and says, "Boy, if life were only like this."

John Le Carre (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Some of the best spy movies (and TV shows) in recent memory have been inspired by the work of John Le Carre, such as his 1974 novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The suspense master makes a brief appearance in the 2011 film adaptation as a party guest.

Stephen King (Pet Semetary)

There have been numerous memorable Stephen King appearances in movies and TV shows based on his storied bibliography. One of the most famous comes from the 1989 adaptation of Pet Sematary, in which he goes pretty far against type to play a priest presiding over the funeral for Missy Dandridge (Susan Blommaert).

Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting)

In one of the best movies of the 1990s, director Danny Boyle's 1996 dramedy Trainspotting, Renton (Ewan McGregor) seeks "one more hit" before going clean from a dealer named Mikey Forrester, who has nothing to offer him but a couple of suppositories. The grinning Forrester is actually played by Irvine Welsh, the Scottish author who wrote the original novel.

Sapphire (Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire)

To avoid confusion with another 2009 movie called Push, the adaptation of Sapphire's 1996 novel Push was named after its central character but also acknowledges the source material with the full title, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. The author (née Ramona Lofton) can also be spotted in the heavy, Academy Award-winning drama about an abused teen (played by Gabourey Sidibe) playing a daycare center employee near the end of the film.

Kurt Vonnegut (Back To School)

Some of Rodney Dangerfield's best one-liners can be found in his 1986 comedy Back to School, which is also known for its brief but hilarious cameo by Kurt Vonnegut. The satirical novelist shows up to see the wealthy Thornton Melon (Dangerfield) right after his son, Jason (Keith Gordon), confronts him about how he is going to write a midterm paper about the author, which Melon still ends up failing.

Gore Vidal (Gattaca)

In addition to his influential and thought-provoking exploits as a writer, Gore Vidal also worked as an actor from time to time. One of his most memorable roles comes from one of the best '90s sci-fi movies, 1997's Gattaca, in which he plays Director Josef.

Stephenie Meyer (Twilight)

It could be safe to assume that Stephanie Meyer is portraying herself in the 2008 premiere installment of the Twilight movies, in which she can be seen briefly as a writer sitting at the bar in the Carver Cafe typing away at her laptop. The author would also appear in the vampire movies' penultimate entry, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 as a guest at the wedding of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson).

Salman Rushdie (Bridget Jones’s Diary)

In the classic rom-com, 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary, the title character (Renée Zellweger) is at a book launch party where she spots novelist Salman Rushdie speaking with a group of other authors. She tries to subtly implement herself into the conversation when the writer courteously asks for her opinion, to which she awkwardly asks where the restroom is.

Charles Bukowski (Barfly)

Director Barbet Schroeder's 1987 dramedy Barfly follows the L.A. exploits of a heavy drinker named Henry Chinaski, played by Mickey Rourke. The screenplay was written by Charles Bukowski, who based the story on his own life experiences and the author also makes an appearance in the film as, indeed, a barfly.

Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us)

One of the most talked about 2024 movies adapted from a novel was the romantic drama It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively. The source material comes from author Colleen Hoover who revealed in an interview with E! that she makes a brief cameo in the film as a party guest but was sure to add that she found the 12-hour shoot to be quite taxing.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Highly influential, beloved comic book writer Stan Lee was, just about, the king of cameos, having appeared in countless Marvel movies until his passing in 2018. However, before starring in brief roles in films based on his work, he appeared as himself in a movie that celebrates superhero culture through satirical conversation, Kevin Smith's 1995 comedy Mallrats, in which he offers Brodie (Jason Lee) some much-needed romantic advice.

Maya Angelou (Poetic Justice)

How fitting that a movie called Poetic Justice features a cameo appearance by one of the most influential poets of the 20th Century. Maya Angelou – known for writing "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," among many other famous works – plays Aunt June in director John Singleton's 1993 romantic drama starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story)

One of the all-time greatest Christmas movies, 1983's A Christmas Story, was inspired by Jean Shepherd's semi-autobiographical novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Not only did the humorist and radio personality also narrate director Bob Clark's timeless comedy but he even makes a brief cameo during the scene at the mall as a man waiting in line with his child to see Santa Claus.

John Irving (The World According To Garp)

Starring Robin Williams, 1982's The World According to Garp is a dramedy about a writer grappling with his wife's infidelity and the fame of his feminist activist mother. The Academy Award-nominated film is based on the novel by John Irving, who also makes a cameo in the film as a referee for a scene taking place at a wrestling match.

Peter Benchley (Jaws)

One can only imagine what it must have felt like to be the author of the book that inspired the highest-grossing movie in history (at the time), which was also later deemed the first Hollywood blockbuster. Of course, not only did Peter Benchley write the source material for director Steven Spielberg's 1975 horror movie classic, Jaws, but he is also in it, appearing as a TV field reporter visiting the Amity Island beach early on.

Veronica Roth (Divergent)

Veronica Roth, author of the coming-of-age dystopian young adult novel series that inspired the Divergent movies, makes an appearance in the first installment from 2014 that is a bit cooler than most movie cameos that authors can claim. She can be spotted during the zipline scene as an unnamed member of the Dauntless faction.

Michael Crichton (The Andromeda Strain)

The first adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel would also mark the first and last time he appeared in an onscreen acting role. The Jurassic Park author and ER creator has an uncredited cameo in 1971's sci-fi pandemic drama The Andromeda Strain as "Bearded Surgeon."

Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed)

The 2011 rom-com Something Borrowed is inspired by the 2004 novel of the same name by Emily Giffin, who appears as a woman eavesdropping on a conversation between Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Marcus (Steve Howey) on park benches. In a TikTok video, the author revealed that the book her character is reading is the 2005 sequel to Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and that her cameo had to be shortened in a post because she addressed the camera in every take.

James Dickey (Deliverance)

The best-known work of author James Dickey is Deliverance, which was adapted into an acclaimed film two years later. The author would appear at the end of the harrowing thriller about four men terrorized by savage locals on a canoe trip as Sherriff Bullard, who warns Jon Voight's character to leave and never come back.

Fannie Flagg (Fried Green Tomatoes)

Fannie Flagg received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay for the 1991 adaptation of her 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was shortened to just Fried Green Tomatoes. The author, comedian, and frequent Match Game panelist also appears in the acclaimed dramedy as a self-help guru helping women "get that spark back" into their marriages.

William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist)

One of the most iconic examples of a horror movie based on a true story is 1973's The Exorcist, which used William Peter Blatty's novel inspired by an alleged possession as its basis. The author (who later directed 1990's underrated sequel, The Exorcist III) also briefly appears in the classic thriller as a man speaking Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran) on the set of Chris MacNeil's (Ellen Burstyn) movie.

Truman Capote (Murder By Death)

The 1976 comedic whodunnit Murder By Death boasts one of the best ensemble casts in a movie, which even includes Truman Capote. The author of such iconic works as In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's plays eccentric aristocrat Lionel Twain, who gathers a group of detectives and their guests for a party at his luxurious estate, which goes terribly.

Graham Greene (Day For Night)

In the 1973 French romantic dramedy Day for Night, writer Graham Greene makes a brief appearance as an insurance agent. According to a DVD special feature, director and star, François Truffaut was not told until after the fact that the role was played by the author, which disappointed him because he was a great admirer of his work.

Some call it the "Mandela Effect," but really, movies have been getting misquoted since the dawn of Hollywood. Usually, the quotes are close to correct, but there is still something clearly off about them. It can even lead to huge arguments when the more famous version of a quote is wrong (We're looking at you Darth Vader). Here is our list of movie quotes that people always get wrong.

"Luke, I am your father." - The Empire Strikes Back

It may be the most famous misquote of all time. At the end of Empire Strikes Back, after Luke and Darth Vader have battled to the edge, and with Luke hanging on for dear life, Darth takes a moment to tell him who his father is. "Luke, I am your father," is not what Vader says, however. Luke tells Vader that Obi-Wan told Luke that Vader had killed his father, and Vader says, "No, I am your father!"

"Play it again, Sam." - Casablanca

Yes, Sam is the piano player. And yes "As Time Goes By" is Rick and Ilsa's song in Casablanca, but at no point in the movie does anyone say "Play it again, Sam." Instead, what most people are misremembering is Ilsa requesting the song when she first walks into Rick's Cafe. What she actually says is "Play it once, Sam"

“Beam me up, Scotty." - Star Trek

"Beam me up, Scotty" has become one of the most iconic quotes from the entire Star Trek franchise. The only problem is that no one, not Captain Kirk, not Spock, not Bones... no one, ever actually used that line in the whole history of the TV or in any of the movies that followed. It is, more or less, completely made up. Kirk does say "Scotty, beam us up," in one episode, but that's as close as anyone gets.

“We’re going to need a bigger boat.” - Jaws

This one is close. Very close. The line Brody actually says in Jaws is "You're gonna need a bigger boat." The confusion may come from Clerks, where Randal misquotes it as "We're."

"Hello, Clarice" - The Silence Of The Lambs

This one is hard for people to believe, but Hannibal Lector doesn't say "Hello, Clarice" when the two characters meet in Silence Of The Lambs. It wouldn't even make sense, as they have yet to formally meet, so he would never be so informal. Instead, he simply greets her with "Good morning."

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” - Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

This one is a little tricky. In Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, the witch is often quoted as saying "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" That is, in fact how it is written in the original story that the movie is based on, including in the original German. BUT, in the movie, the quote is actually "Magic, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

“Do ya feel lucky, punk?” - Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) doesn't actually say the exact line "Do ya feel lucky, punk?” in Dirty Harry. It's close, but what the hard-boiled detective says is "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky? ' Well, do ya punk?”

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" - The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre is a legendary movie starring Humphrey Bogart, but the most famous line from the movie actually comes from the leader of a Mexican gang they come across as they search for the treasure. The line "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" has been misquoted many, many times over the years in many movies and in pop culture. The original line in the movie is, "Badges? We don't have no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"

“If you build it, they will come.” - Field Of Dreams

This is another one that people always just miss by a nose. When you hear the famous quote that the voice from beyond in Field Of Dreams says, usually it's "If you build it, they will come." It probably is due to the long line of cars at the end of the movie that coming to watch the baseball and save the farm. Instead, what the mysterious voice actually says is "If you build it, he will come," meaning Kevin Costner's character's father.

“I’m king of the world!” - Titanic

This one is really getting pedantic, but while we're here, let's get it right. When quoting Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Titanic, most people say, "I'm king of the world!" What the character actually says on the prow of the ill-fated ship is "I'm the king of the world!" Yeah, pedantic, we know.

“Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?” - The Graduate

The Graduate is a stone-cold classic about a college guy having an affair with the older friend of his parents. There is no question what is going on in the scene where this famous line comes from, but doesn't actually go down like this. Instead of asking, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" what Ben (Dustin Hoffman) actually declares is, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!"

“Mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’” - Forrest Gump

This is one that we're really splitting hairs with, but while we're doing this list, we might as well get them all out of the way. In Forrest Gump, Gump actually says "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." It's usually misquoted as "life is like a box of chocolates."

"Cowabunga, dude." - The Simpsons

This is a pretty odd one. It's pretty clearly a mashup of two different IPs that both came to prominence around the same time. Bart Simpson has never said "Cowabunga, dude" in the whole history of The Simpsons. "Cowabunga, dude" comes from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While Bart does say "Aye Carumba," he doesn't ever quote the Turtles.

"Houston we have a problem" - Apollo 13

This one goes back way further than 1995's Apollo 13. This line, or the real line, was first uttered by Jack Swigert during the actual Apollo 13 mission in 1970. What Swigert actually said was, "Houston, we've had a problem here." Captain Jim Lovell repeated it in real life. In the movie, all you hear is Hanks say "Houston we have a problem." So the movie is actually doing what everyone else had been doing, misquoting the now famous line.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore" - The Wizard Of Oz

“I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" has become one of the most famous misquotes in Hollywood history. It's been said in movies and TV shows for decades. Of course, it's not what Dorothy actually said in The Wizard of Oz. The exact quote is actually, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”

"Greed is good." - Wall Street

In Wall Street, Michael Douglas plays one of the best villains of the 1980s, and his character, Gordon Gekko, definitely believes that greed is good. That's not exactly how it expresses the sentiment. In the famous speech, Gekko says, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." We've all shortened to what many believe is now the actual quote.

"A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do" - Hondo

“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do," has become more than just a famous line by the legendary John Wayne. It's become a modern mantra. Unfortunately, like the other famous lines on this list, it's quoted incorrectly The real line said by The Duke is "A man oughta do what he thinks is best." Quite different, don't you think?

"What if I told you..." - The Matrix

One of the most famous misquotes ever, and it's all due to modern memes is Morpheus saying "What if I told you..." in The Matrix. Though the meme's photo does come from the scene where Morpheus is telling Neo about the matrix, he never actually says those words at any point.

“I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” - Sunset Boulevard

The ending of Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic scenes of all time. As Gloria Swanson, as NormaDesmond, makes her way down the stairs, she turns to the camera and says “I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” Except, that's not exactly what she says, we get it backwards. What she actually says is, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Same effect, but slightly different wording, just like most of the quotes on this list.

There is little doubt that Steven Spielberg is one of the - if not the - best directors of the last 50 years. He has produced hit after hit and almost all of his movies have proved that they have real staying power and even years later we still love them and love to discuss them. Spielberg is a master at pacing his movies and including some of the coolest and most talked-about scenes ever, just like the scenes on this list.

The Rolling Boulder - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

There are opening scenes, and then there is the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only does the opening sequence, with Indy (Harrison Ford) and his partner played by Alfred Molina perfectly define the character that we would come to adore over the decades, but it includes one of the best action sequences ever. The final booby trap Indy must escape is, of course, the giant rolling boulder and it still leaves us all breathless.

Quint's Speech - Jaws

Spielberg's Jaws is often considered the first true "summer blockbuster," despite the director's initial reluctance to make it. That mostly has to do, of course, with the shark. If you dig a little deeper though, it's the human characters that really make the movie so enduring. Quint, played by Robert Shaw, tells one of the most iconic stories in film history when he recounts his experience on the ill-fated USS Indianapolis during World War II.

The Red Dress - Schindler's List

One of the best tricks that Spielberg pulls in his Best Picture-winning film Schindler's List is humanizing an event - The Holocaust - that was so vast and the numbers so overwhelming that it's hard to really understand. One thing he does so effectively to do this is showing the lone girl in a red dress, the only color in the movie until the very end. The red dress is seen later in a pile of clothing of victims of the atrocity, bringing a really emotional gut punch to the whole movie, which is already one of the hardest to ever rewatch.

Biking Past The Moon - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

Until Titanic, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was the highest-grossing movie of all time and it's easy to understand why even decades later. The movie is remarkably well-made and beautifully shot. The most enduring shot has to be the sight of Elliott and ET flying past the moon on the bicycle.

The Opening Scene - Saving Private Ryan

The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan completely changed how war films are made, especially movies about World War II. The brutal action sequence of the army rangers hitting the beaches of Normandy on D-Day produces a visceral reaction from all who see it and has been praised for accurately depicting what it was like on that fateful day in June 1944. It's the biggest reason the movie is one of the best war movies ever made.

Playing The Music For The First Time - Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind isn't as talked about as many of Steven Spielberg's movies, but one scene that no one forgets is when the humans and the aliens trade music notes in an attempt to learn to communicate. The melody is unforgettable and you're problem humming it right now.

The First Time Everyone Sees The Dinos - Jurassic Park

It's hard to explain what a cultural bombshell Jurassic Park was when it landed in theaters in the summer of 1993 to anyone who wasn't alive at the time. It was huge and the special effects, the dinosaurs, were a huge reason why. The moment that the characters first set eyes on previously extinct animals is simply magical.

Saluting The Kamikazes - Empire Of The Sun

Empire of the Sun is the most underrated movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Even at the time it flew under the radar. Throughout the movie, Christian Bale's character endures a lot and the moment he watches the Japanese kamikaze pilots take off as the war is ending is deeply emotional for him and the audience.

Arguing In The Fire - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is the most fun of the three original Indiana Jones movies. The chemistry between Indy and his father, played by Sean Connery is what makes the movie so charming. Nowhere is this better seen than when the two of them are tied up together by their captors and manage to light the room on fire and save themselves by moving into a fireplace that is more than it seems.

The Stairwell Argument - Munich

When Ali (Omar Metwally), a PLO member, and Avner (Eric Bana), a Mossad agent in Munich find themselves in the same safe house, they have a serious and intense discussion about the future of Palestine and Israel and who will control it in the near and far futures. It's elegantly shot with smoke from the two men's cigarettes lingering in the air, just as the question of the fate of the Palestinians and Israelis is.

Defiance - The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey's performance in The Color Purple is heartbreak, powerful, and emotional. The scene in which she defies the white men she encounters on the street tells you everything you need to know about her character and the message of the movie.

Lincoln's Discussion With Grant - Lincoln

Whenever Daniel Day-Lewis takes on a role, you know you're going to be in for a treat. Of all his many award-winning roles, none are quite as amazing as his performance of President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. His conversation with General U.S. Grant (Jared Harris) after the Siege of Petersburg is a quiet part of the movie that says so much about both men.

The Car Race - Ready Player One

One of the biggest changes between the book Ready Player One and the movie is the addition of a car chase for the first key. It's a smart decision as it plays perfectly in the movie and the action sequence is the kind of chase you can watch over and over, and it's chock full of easter eggs, just like the rest of the movie.

The Subway Ride - Bridge Of Spies

For anyone who grew up in the '60s, '70s, or '80s, the Cold War occupies a significant amount of memories, especially of The Berlin Wall, In Bridge Of Spies, the scene when Tom Hanks' character travels from West Berlin to East on the subway, crossing where the wall would be built is an amazing sequence that puts an exclamation point on the job he is doing.

Short Round's Getaway - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

While Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom might not be as beloved as the other two in the original trilogy, it still has that signature Steven Spielberg charm. The scene when Short Round, played by a young Ke Huy Quan races in to rescue Indy and speed away in a car he's not even big enough to reach the pedals on, is everything you could want from a scene like it.

Frank Getting Away From The Hotel - Catch Me If You Can

There are a ton of fun, memorable scenes in Catch Me If You Can but the best is the moment Tom Hanks' character and Leonardo DiCaprio's meet in person for the first time. It's a chaotic scene as Frank Abagnale (DiCaprio) confuses Hanratty (Hanks) and escapes by the skin of his teeth.

The T-Rex Skips Customs - The Lost World: Jurassic Park

There's no question that The Lost World: Jurassic Park doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but there is still one great scene when the T-Rex escapes the boat at the port in San Diego and goes on a Godzilla-like rampage. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but that's okay, it's still super fun.

The Burning Train - War Of The Worlds

The burning train in 2005's War of the Worlds is one of the spookiest scenes ever seen in a Steven Spielberg movie. As the ghost train flies by with flames coming out of every door and window, the assembled crowd can only look on in silent shock, just like the audience.

John Adams Speech - Amistad

Sir Anthony Hopkins' performance of John Adams in Amistad is one of the best portrayals of a U.S. President in film history. His speech at the end of the trial is as emotional as it is inspiring and simply the best part of a very hard movie to watch, but an easy one to love.

The 2025 movie schedule is chock full of massive films, including the much anticipated Jurassic World Rebirth. What we know about the newest entry in the dino-centric franchise so far is enough to get one excited. In terms of what's ahead, the movie’s director, Gareth Edwards, recently weighed in on the future of the franchise. However, what really has me pumped is the fact that Edwards name-dropped an essential blockbuster while describing his upcoming film.

At this point, there's already been considerable hype surrounding Rebirth, and a trailer hasn't even dropped yet. Gareth Edwards dropped everything to helm the flick, which has been compared to Steven Spielberg's OG film. Interestingly, though, while speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Edwards named another Spielberg classic when hyping up his legacy sequel and weighing in on whether it'll launch a new trilogy:

If this 2025 blockbuster pays homage to some of the best Spielberg movies, including Jaws, then this could indeed be something special. The E.T. director has a specific approach to moviemaking that's hard to replicate. However, Gareth Edwards -- who's known for Godzilla, Rogue One and more -- has a keen eye as well. So, hopefully, Rebirth honors what's come before while adding some fresh elements of its own.

It’s also really incredible to hear that fans could be looking at the start of a brand-new Jurassic film trilogy. The 2015-2022 leg of the franchise isn’t bad, but it left a lot on the table for me (and I could never get past the whole high heel controversy). The leaked Rebirth photos of Scarlett Johansson have already revealed my favorite pre-premiere content. When it comes to the new film, it'll see members of a scientific expedition and a family vying for survival on a dinosaur-inhabited island. Joining Johansson in the movie are Jonathan Bennett, Rupert Friend and Mahershala Ali.

The hype of the director and his collaborators is going to have to keep me going until the latest Jurassic World movie arrives next year. Expectations are certainly high in some circles, and the Jaws comparison might amp those up a bit. Nevertheless, I remain confident that we're in for a truly thrilling sequel

Jurassic World Rebirth opens in theaters on July 2, 2025. If you’d like to watch the original Jurassic Park trilogy, you can stream it with a Max subscription.

This list is all about the most spectacular ways that some of favorite characters - the ones we love and the ones we love to hate - have been killed off on screen. Movies and TV have both produced some pretty incredible moments like this. So whether it's the hero or the villain, here are some of the most insane deaths ever seen in movies and on TV.

Marion Crane - Psycho

Almost more than any director in film history, Alfred Hitchcock wrote his own rules. One of the most interesting things he ever did was to kill off who was seemingly the main character in Psycho, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) in the first act of the movie. Of course, her murder in the shower has become one of the most iconic scenes in film history.

Radio Raheem - Do The Right Thing

The tension in Do The Right Thing slowly simmers just under the surface until it boils over when Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) burst into Sal's Pizzeria and demand changes. After Sal smashes Raheem's boombox, the cops arrive and in the struggle, Raheem is choked out by the police, leading to the destruction of Sal's. It's amazing that the movie is more than 35 years old and we're still talking about the same issues.

Robb Stark - Game Of Thrones

Is there any death on this list more dramatic and shocking than Robb Stark's on Game of Thrones? The Red Wedding is a legendary TV moment, among the best ever broadcasted. It shocked anyone who had not read the books and remains one of the most spectacular deaths, along with his wife, his unborn baby, and his mother, ever filmed.

John Coffey - The Green Mile

It's one of the most heartbreaking moments in film history when John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) meets his inevitable end in The Green Mile. Still, he goes out spectacularly with sparks flying and tears flowing.

Charlie Pace - Lost

ABC's Lost had some pretty memorable deaths, but none more so than Charlie Pace's last moments as he warned about the incoming boat and sacrificed himself in one of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history.

Hans Gruber - Die Hard

It's hard to believe that Hans Gruber in Die Hard was Alan Rickman's first movie role. His death, as he falls from Nakatomi Tower, looking up at the camera as he goes, is iconic. It's become one of the most meme'd scenes in movie history and is easily one of the most spectacular deaths in film history.

Gus Fring - Breaking Bad

For years, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was one of the most despised characters on TV. His death was worthy of such an amazing villain as he is not only blown up but survives long enough to walk out of the room where it happened and button his jacket before collapsing to the floor.

Thelma And Louise - Thelma And Louise

When Thelma And Louise was first released, the ending completely shocked people. No one expected the movie's heroes to go out like they did, by driving their car off the cliff. Still, it was on their own terms and they did it together, making it all that much more spectacular.

Adriana La Cerva - The Sopranos

There were quite a few deaths over the seasons in The Sopranos, but the episode when Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) is rubbed out is maybe the most incredible. The tension in the episode is impressive even by The Sopranos standards as no one wanted to see Adriana go, even though everyone knew why it was happening.

The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard Of Oz

"I'm melting" is one of the most iconic lines in Hollywood history as the Wicked Witch of the West is dying in The Wizard of Oz. There really isn't much more that needs to be said about this spectacular death.

Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator

For years, Maximus (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator obsessed over avenging his family's death and taking down Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Despite Commodus playing dirty in their final showdown, Maximus finally prevails, killing Commodus before he collapses and dies.

Tony Stark - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd movie in MCU history and so it was only appropriate that Tony Stark - the character that started it all - would be the one to finally take Thanos out by snapping his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet on. It led to his spectacular death, of course, but it was worth it.

Col. Kurtz - Apocalypse Now

After building for two hours, the climactic death of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) at the end of Apocalypse Now is one of the most dramatic and violent moments in film history. The scene, juxtaposed with the sacrifice of a cow, is terrifying and amazing.

Glenn - The Walking Dead

The death of Glenn (and Abraham) was one of the most controversial moments of The Walking Dead. That was partly due to the extreme violence that turned a lot of people off, but it was mostly because Glenn was such a beloved character. Still, it was a death that was totally unforgettable.

Kong - Dr. Strangelove

Peter Sellers may be the most celebrated member of the Dr. Strangelove cast (and for good reason), but Kong, played by Slim Pickens steals the show at the end with his death by riding a nuke down as it drops towards it's target.

Kenny McCormick - South Park

We couldn't make this list without including poor Kenny McCormick, the hapless member of the South Park crew. Kenny has been killed over 100 times over the show's incredible run and in some of the most ridiculous and fantastic ways, like getting crushed by a tree, getting hit by a volcanic boulder, and dozens of other ways.

Rosalind Shays - LA Law

Rosiland Shays' death by falling down an elevator on LA Law was one of the most shocking moments in television history. It came completely out of nowhere in a time in television when a death like that wasn't common at all. It actually changed TV storytelling.

Mark Greene - ER

Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) was one of the most beloved characters on ER and his death, while a different kind of spectacular than most of the others on this list. It wasn't a shocking moment, as it was a tragic slow death by cancer. It was still among the most heartbreaking moments ever.

Zoe Barnes - House Of Cards

For the first season of House Of Cards, Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) was one of the most important characters. The journalist was both investigating and getting a little too involved with Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Her surprising death shocked audiences as Frank threw her in front of a subway train. It came completely out of nowhere, and yet made total sense in the context of the show.

Roy Batty - Blade Runner

The death of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) at the end of Blade Runner has become one of the most legendary deaths of all time. It is not at all what anyone in the audience expected when the main villain of the movie turns into a hero at the very end, saving Deckard (Harrison Ford) before smiling as he dies. Time to die.

Alec Trevelyan - GoldenEye

You knew there was no way this list was going to be complete without including at least one death by a Sean Bean character, right? There have been so many spectacular deaths over the actor's incredible career, but for our money, you can't beat the death of his character Alec Trevelyan in the James Bond movie GoldenEye when Bond drops him to his death and he is crushed to make sure it's final.

Lane Pryce - Mad Men

Mad Men was unlike any other show on TV at the time and Lane Pryce's death by suicide is the perfect example of why. The character, played by Jared Harris was a fan favorite and while story-wise his death made perfect sense, it was still shocking.

William Wallace - Braveheart

Braveheart might be one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made, but William Wallace's death at the end is still pretty spectacular ( and not all that different from what really happened to the Scottish hero). We can't go into all the violent details here, but if you know, you know.

Nick Chevotarevich - The Deer Hunter

One of the most tragic characters in '70s cinema has to be Nick Chevotarevich, played by Christopher Walken. Even after the Vietnam War draws to a close and his best friend makes it back home after escaping a POW camp, Nick gets stuck in Saigon, playing dangerous games of Russian Roulette for months. When Mike (Robert De Niro) finds him, Nick is completely checked out, and that makes his horrible death all the more sad.

Quint - Jaws

Quint (Robert Shaw) is the grizzled fisherman who promises to catch "the fish" in Jaws, but in the end, it's the fish that catches him. As has often been pointed out, one of the most effective things about the classic movie is that the shark is rarely seen, so when Quint is eaten it's one of the scariest and most exciting moments of the movie.

Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom - Con Air

Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) in Con Air is one of the most over-the-top movie villains of the '90s, so of course he had to get killed in an over-the-top spectacular way. First, he is knocked out and handcuffed to a firetruck that crashes into a bridge, tossing Cyrus into some powerlines, and electrocuting him, but that's not all. He then falls into the path of a pile driver doing road work, which comes down on his head.

Private Pyle - Full Metal Jacket

Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) is, at the beginning of Full Metal Jacket a hopeless Marine recruit who can't do anything right. As the first act of the movie plays out, he gets more competent but also starts to lose his marbles. It all culminates in an incredibly tense scene when he shoots and kills his drill sergeant before turning the gun on himself.

Marissa Cooper - The O.C.

Say what you want about about The O.C., but the creative decision to kill off one of the main characters and star of the show, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) in Season 3 was a bold one. The way she died, in the arms of Ryan (Ben McKenzie) after a car wreck is just as dramatic as the decision to have the character die.

Jack Torrance - The Shining

That final image of a frozen Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining is one of the most enduring snapshots of a movie filled with incredible visual moments. A spectacular villain like Jack deserves a death as memorable as it is.

Sgt. Elias - Platoon

Platoon, as is said in the movie, is a battle for the soul of Chris (Charlie Sheen) between Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Barnes (Tom Berenger). Barnes wins the battle between himself and Elias when he shoots Elias towards the end, but Elias wins Chris' soul with his spectacular death as the helicopters lift away and Elias is left with arms outstretched as the Vietnamese soldiers gun him down for good.

Gennaro - Jurassic Park

We just had to include this one. Donald Gennaro isn't the main character of Jurassic Park, in fact, he's not even one of the main supporting characters. But him getting eaten by the T-Rex while hiding on the toilet is one of the silliest, and most insane deaths, of any movie, ever.

John Doe - Se7en

The ending of Se7en is one of the most talked about and debated, moments in film history. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) completely manipulates David Mills (Brad Pitt) into doing exactly what wants, completely the complete over-the-top murder spree ever seen on the big screen.

Sometimes movies take some time to ease viewers into the show, while others set the tone immediately. The movies on this list are the latter. Whether it's a comedy like Dazed and Confused or an action movies like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, these movies don't waste any time at the beginning.

Dazed And Confused

From the opening notes of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" to the '70s muscle car cruising the parking lot, you know exactly when Dazed And Confused is set. There is no mistaking the era even before you see the characters and their costumes. While it was made in the 90s, the movie is pure 1970s.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most important movies ever made and by opening what everyone expected to be a sci-fi movie with a bunch of monkeys learning how to use tools (and more), it sets a very different kind of tone than any other sci-fi movie before it. It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before it. Of course, it also has one of the wildest endings of all time, too.

The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movie villains of all time and while audiences don't immediately know (or maybe they do) that the opening scene is Clown Prince of Crime from the back, by the end of the opening scene, we know exactly what we are getting into. One of the best comic book movies of all time opens with one of the best scenes of all time for a villain who completely steals the show.

Star Wars

From the opening blast of the classic John Williams score to the now-iconic scroll, and finally, the two massive spaceships firing lasers at each other, Star Wars easily has one of the most memorable opening scenes of any movie, ever. Audiences in 1977 were simply blown away from the moment the movie started and it immediately became the classic it is and how it has endured for decades.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction, was one of the most anticipated movies of 1994 and the director immediately let audiences know he was on point with the opening scene between Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer in the diner. It's classic Tarantino with great dialog and finally, a burst of near-violence that sucks moviegoers in at once.

Jaws

Jaws is thought of these days as one of the best movies Hollywood has ever produced. Director Steven Spielberg did an absolutely masterful job of scaring the audience by not showing the shark very much and that starts with the creepy, foreboding scene when a lone swimmer becomes the shark's first victim.

Citizen Kane

"Rosebud" is one of the most mysterious opening lines to any movie, ever. The snow globe falling out of a dying man's hand and breaking on the floor only adds to the mystery. That's how Citizen Kane opens and audiences then and now are captivated from that moment until the end, when they learn what "Rosebud" means in the movie's final scene.

Apocalypse Now

Some movies just need to have some incredible music and one iconic shot to lock you in. Apocalypse Now is one of those movies. From the foreboding sounds of The Doors' song "The End" to the fireball or napalm that rushes across the jungle in the opening scene, director Francis Ford Coppola immediately let everyone know this was going to be a different kind of war movie.

Purple Rain

If you're one of the most iconic musicians of your day and you decide to make a movie about a fictionalized version of yourself, you'd better open the show with a banger. That's exactly what Prince did when he opened Purple Rain with "Let's Go Crazy." It's simply a performance (and guitar solo) for the ages and sets the tone for the movie perfectly.

The Godfather

While it may not start with a bang like some of the other movies on this list, the opening scene of The Godfather sets the tone for the movie in a way nothing else could. Within minutes audiences knew exactly what kind of man Vito Corleone was and what was important to him.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best adventure films of all time and as such, it opens with one of the most exciting sequences in Hollywood history as our hero Indiana Jones dodges traps and a giant boulder to escape with his treasure. Though he loses it right away, of course. It's a very worthy opening to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Boogie Nights

Director Paul Thomas Anderson knocks it out of the park with the first scene in Boogie Nights that lets you know exactly where and when the movie is happening. The long tracking shot introduced almost every character movie right away and audiences are already getting to know them by the time the shot changes. It's brilliant.

Saving Private Ryan

In many ways, Saving Private Ryan changed how war movies are made and what audiences expect from them. The opening scene, when Tom Hanks and his platoon hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day is one of, if not the, most intense action scenes ever put on film. It's praised for its depiction of the battle and the visceral feel of it all is simply incredible.

Spectre

The James Bond franchise is famous for its opening, pre-credits scenes, so we had to include one on this list. There are any number of great ones you could go with, but for our money, the opening to Spectre with the tracking shot all across Mexico City and into a hotel, and out to the ledge, is pure magic. And pure Bond.

Scream

In an homage to the great Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho, the opening scene of Scream features one of the biggest stars in the movie, Drew Barrymore, getting killed just minutes into the story. For audiences at the time, it was a completely brilliant and shocking moment as Barrymore had been marketed heavily so no one expected her to meet her demise so soon. It was something Barrymore insisted on.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

When it comes to the Mission: Impossible franchise, fans can always count on an amazing opening sequence. On the one hand, it's hard to pick one as the best, but on the other hand, c'mon, it's the one where Tom Cruise hangs from a freaking plane! That opening to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is one of the most incredible stunts Cruise has done on a long, long list of stunts he's done for those movies.

Trainspotting

Danny Boyle's Trainspotting walks a tightrope between really cool and fun, and desperately tragic. This is all summed up in the first few seconds of the movie when audiences see a very rough-looking Renton (Ewan McGregor) running from the police and almost getting hit by a car as Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" accompanies the scene. It's not only the perfect opening scene for the movie, it's a brilliant musical moment as well.

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood is one of the examples on this list of movies that set a tone immediately, but do so not with action and pizazz but with a gentle slow build. There is virtually no dialog other than some grunts from the protagonist (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles to get his oil well going. Like the rest of the movie, it's intense, but quietly so. It's really perfect.

The Matrix

While we don't meet Neo right away in The Matrix, we do get a great example of how the world in the movie is going to work as we watch Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) barely escape a group of Agents in the Matrix.

Inglourious Basterds

If you want some quiet intensity, there may be no better opening scene than Inglourious Basterds. Christoph Waltz's character sitting and drinking milk while hunting for hidden Jews is seriously intense without anything more than some brilliant dialog by Quentin Tarantino and a glass of milk. It's the least over-the-top moment in te movie, and yet sets the tone perfectly.

Top Gun

The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is an exciting and dangerous place to be. For Top Gun, director Tony Scott didn't need to use any of the stars of the movie, or even any actors at all. Instead, he used actual Navy members doing their actual jobs as jet fighters took off and landed all to the soaring notes of Harold Faltermeyer's guitar-based soundtrack. Talk about pulling you right into a movie!

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1

Director James Gunn has become famous for his brilliant use of music in the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies. Star-Lord's mixtape quickly became one of the main characters of the movies, almost. That started at the very beginning of the first movie when we all first meet Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) as he dances his way through the opening scene to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone.

Full Metal Jacket

The very beginning of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket features young men getting their heads shaved as they join the Marines. The next few minutes are just R. Lee Emery yelling at the new inductees. It's one of the most iconic opening scenes of any movie, much less any war movie and it's a big part of what makes it among the best war movies ever made.

Deadpool

By now we all know just what kind of "superhero" Deadpool is. In fact, even if you weren't familiar with the anti-hero from the comic books, it only takes about the first ten minutes of the first Deadpool movie to know exactly who he is. There really is no better introduction to a superhero movie, and that's really saying something.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

The two main characters in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels are, in some ways, very competent criminals. In other ways, they are complete disasters. The opening moments show both sides of them perfectly as they pull off their scam selling stolen jewelry for a time before they lose all their merchandise getting chased by the cops.

Jurassic Park

There was no bigger movie in the early '90s than Jurassic Park and there was no bigger opening moment than when audiences were thrown right into the action as the game wardens and staff tried to wrangle a velociraptor into its cage. It did more than just help the movie become iconic for millions of people.

No Country For Old Men

The opening scene to No Country For Old Men immediately draws the audience into the movie and its dark, foreboding nature. After a voiceover by Tommy Lee Jones, we see an unknown character getting arrested for an unknown reason. We soon learn that the character is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and just how ruthless he is.

Gladiator

Ridley Scott may not care much for historical accuracy, but that doesn't matter when you recreate an ancient battle as he does at the opening of Gladiator. It's an amazing scene reminiscent of the great battle scenes in movies before CGI when it was all about practical effects and a huge number of extras.

Once Upon a Time In The West

To make a great western, you have to set a mood. Once Upon a Time In The West does this as well or better than any other Western. Viewers can feel the heat of the day and the crackling tension well before any action happens. You know it's coming, you just don't how or when.

Baby Driver

Take a great soundtrack, a cool moment of people wearing matching suits and sunglasses, throw in a fantastic car chase and you're guaranteed to suck audiences in immediately. Just like they do in Baby Driver. The movie takes off at full speed right from the jump.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino told the whole world just who he was in the first few minutes of his first movie, Reservoir Dogs. The intense, fast-paced dialog he's known for is present right at the very beginning as his character Mr. Orange explains the real meaning behind his favorite Madonna song. And it's not what you think.

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange's opening scene definitely has audiences asking more questions than it's ever answering, but that's exactly what draws you in so quickly. You have to know what these guys in the funny outfits are up to and why in the world they are seemingly drinking milk in a weird bar. Later, you might regret getting those answers...

You've heard the saying, "The book's always better than the movie." Well, it turns out that's not always true. Sometimes films are able to streamline through a novel's tedious exposition or confusing jargon. Other times they're able to bring fantastical worlds to life in a more spectacular way than you might have imagined. Either way, here are some book-to-screen adaptations that are at least as good as — and sometimes better than — their source material.

Jaws

Never bet against Steven Spielberg, especially with John Williams providing what turned out to be an Oscar-winning score! The 1975 thriller Jaws is widely considered to be one movie that's at least as good as its source material. Spielberg cut out a lot of side plots from Peter Benchley's 1974 novel, and the actors really elevated the book's largely unlikeable characters, particularly Robert Shaw as Quint, turning the film into a classic you can watch over and over.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

There are some pretty big differences between Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder (not to mention the 2005 remake and 2023 prequel). That means it's probably a matter of personal preference regarding which is "better," but it's hard to argue with Mel Stuart's musical fantasy.

The Thing

While John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella Who Goes There? is considered a classic for its deeply developed characters and an alien that's smarter — and therefore possibly scarier — than its movie's equivalent, John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982 is considered one of the best horror movies of all time. Its truly repulsive monster and effective special effects hold up even decades later.

Stand By Me

Lots of Stephen King novels have been adapted for the screen, and not all of those projects have been great. Stand By Me, however, which was adapted from "The Body," from the Different Seasons collection, is considered one of the best movies from the '80s. Some people prefer the movie, if only for the nostalgia kick provided by its phenomenal casting of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.

The Ring

Both the Americanized 2002 horror The Ring and Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel are highly acclaimed, but the book simply can't match the movie in terms of the creepy imagery from the cursed video.

Fight Club

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are simply incomparable as a dynamic duo in 1999's Fight Club. Not only is the movie considered one of the best of the '90s, and Chuck Palahniuk — author of the 1996 book of the same name — has spoken positively about David Ficher's film.

The Lord Of The Rings

I don't think anyone's arguing the talents of J. R. R. Tolkien here, and indeed many do prefer the world-building and lore of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings saga. However, other fans argue that the films are more inviting, bringing emotion to the characters and cutting through all of the author's descriptive text.

The Hunger Games

There's no question that Suzanne Collins' The Hunter Games books could stand on their own, but it was thrilling to see those terrifying games portrayed on the big screen. From the worlds built for the youngsters' trials to The Hunger Games' ridiculous outfits, it's no wonder many hold Jennifer Lawrence's movie trilogy in such high regard. To me, it was worth it all to see Katniss' red carpet-worthy "Girl on Fire" dress.

The Shining

The Shining is one of Stephen King's best books, and — thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson's unforgettable turn as Jack Torrance — the horror movie of the same name also remains a time-honored classic. Both will scare the daylights out of you, and there are enough differences between Stanley Kubrick's film and the book that The Shining is totally still worth reading after you've seen the movie.

Requiem For A Dream

Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978 novel Requiem for a Dream is a good read, but you just can't beat the performances turned in by the cast of Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film. Whether it's the heartbreaking tailspin of Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans' characters into addiction, Ellen Burstyn's obsession with being on television or Christopher McDonald's haunting Tappy Tibbons leading a chant about JUICE, this movie elevates the already-harrowing text into something that you won't be able to shake.

Room

Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel Room is told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, which gives a different POV to the story of a mother and her son escaping after years of captivity than the 2015 film adaptation. The book is undoubtedly gripping, but the movie holds its own, earning four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Brie Larson for Best Actress.

The Silence Of The Lambs

It doesn't matter how good Thomas Harris' 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs was — and it was definitely good — the 1991 film adaptation won the Academy Awards' "Big Five," which includes the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Talley). Since its release there have been three more movies and two TV series based on these characters, so I'd say that paints both the film and the novel in a phenomenally successful light.

Mean Girls

It's not really fair to compare 2004's Mean Girls to the source material that inspired it. That's because Tina Fey adapted one of the best high school movies of all time from Rosalind Wiseman's self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which is a guide for parents to help their teenage daughters survive in a world of cliques, gossip and boyfriends. While moms of teens (myself included) could probably use all the help we can get, there's no way Queen Bees and Wannabees could stand up to Mean Girls' most quotable lines and pop culture references.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird has been a staple in schools since it came out in 1960 for its exploration of themes like race and stereotypes. It wouldn't be fair or correct to say that the 1962 film was better, but Gregory Peck and Mary Badham gave performances that earned them Oscar nominations as Atticus and Scout Finch, respectively. Overall the movie won three of the eight awards it was up for (including Best Actor for Peck), which should make it worthy of being considered as good as Lee's novel.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

While many still prefer Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the 1975 movie made Randle Patrick McMurphy's crimes more palatable for the moviegoing audience and ultimately won five of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Actor for Jack Nicholson and Best Actress for Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched).

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, but the movie proved why Hitchcock was the master of suspense, with that infamous shower scene likely inspiring audience members to start double-checking the locks on their bathroom doors. While the 1960 film may be as good (or better than) the book, the same can't be said for 1998's Psycho, which is considered one of the worst remakes in Hollywood history.

The Shawshank Redemption

Adapted from Stephen King's novella from Different Seasons, The Shawshank Redemption was turned into a classic movie that many think surpasses its source material. Frank Darabont's 1994 film adds a lot to the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) and their decades together in prison. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations but did not win any.

Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton set the stage with his 1990 novel Jurassic Park for how dinosaurs could come to exist in the modern era and Steven Spielberg got hold of the idea and ran with it, creating a world for the big screen that we'd only ever dreamed about. As good as the book is, there was just something about seeing the prehistoric beasts walking amongst the humans with our own eyes, and that idea has since inspired two trilogies and several TV series.

Forrest Gump

A lot was changed in the story of Forrest Gump between the 1986 novel by Winston Groom and the 1994 Robert Zemeckis film, but for many, it was Tom Hanks' heartbreaking portrayal that got us, along with plenty of quotes still being repeated today. The six Academy Awards from 13 nominations also speak to it being a pretty good movie adaptation.

The Hunt For Red October

The 1990 spy thriller The Hunt for Red October cut out quite a few subplots and a lot of technical language from Tom Clancy's best-selling debut novel, making it more approachable for a wider audience. Without the popularity of this movie, would we still live in a world with three dozen Jack Ryan novels, a handful of films and a TV series? Thankfully we don't have to consider the alternative.

The Notebook

Nobody tells an epically sad love story quite like Nicholas Sparks, and that includes his 1996 novel The Notebook. However, seeing Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' chemistry as they brought Noah and Allie's story to life in the 2004 drama was what really stuck with fans over the years.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of the funniest and most quotable movies of the 1980s, and it's considered just as good as its source material, though the two are very different. William Goldman's 1973 novel is highly praised amongst those who have read it, with many fans suggesting that people who have only seen the movie would still enjoy the book.

A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick's 1971 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is a fairly loyal interpretation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel, save for a few changes to make Malcolm McDowell's Alex more palatable. Many prefer the film's darker ending, as well, to the more optimistic conclusion Burgess wrote.

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has been adapted twice in recent decades — the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder as Jo March and Greta Gerwig's 2019 film. Because each iteration alters the March sisters' stories to better reflect the societal roles and priorities of a woman in that day, it only makes sense that audiences connect more with the updated material.

The Wizard Of Oz

No matter how classic L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is — and there are plenty who are staunch defenders of the book — there's nothing quite like seeing Dorothy step from her sepia-toned Kansas farmhouse into the fantastic Technicolor world of Oz in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. The film adaptation remains a beloved children's movie all these decades later.

Shutter Island

Both the 2003 psychological thriller by Dennis Lehane and Martin Scorsese's 2010 adaptation of Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio are highly regarded by fans, with many choosing to experience both, despite knowing how it ends. The movie stays loyal to the novel and can be considered at least as good, if not better.

The Devil Wears Prada

In Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada, her fictionalized account of working for Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is undoubtedly fascinating, but Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly on top of the performances of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and the rest of the cast elevate the story.

The Godfather

Mario Puzo's 1969 bestseller The Godfather was arguably made even better by Francis Ford Coppola by focusing his film on Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone and his relationship with son Michael (Al Pacino), thereby streamlining the novel's grand story.

A Simple Favor

In the movie adaptation of A Simple Favor, many find Anna Kendrick's Stephanie more likable than the blogger in Darcey Bell's 2017 novel of the same name. To that point, Blake Lively makes her own character Emily feel even more dangerous.

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time and many think it's even better than its literary counterpart, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? From Harrison Ford's portrayal of android hunter Rick to the book's bleaker ending, this is the rare film that surpasses its source material in many fans' eyes.

City Of God

Fernando Meirelles' celebrated 2002 crime drama City of God expands on the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins in its performances and how it illustrates gang life in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Respect and homage are paid to the people of the region, and the cinematography shows the beauty that exists amidst the tragedy.

Drive

Many fans seem to prefer Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 movie Drive to the 2005 book by James Sallis, crediting the director and Ryan Gosling with further developing the Driver and other themes in Sallis' work.

Is there any more perfect movie than the original Jaws? 

Whether it’s the many behind-the-scenes stories about the film, or the fact that you could probably watch it over and over again until the end of time and not get tired of it, Jaws slipped into legendary territory pretty much the day it was released back in 1975.

And then, you have its sequels. Yes, if you’re of a certain age, you might not even be aware that Jaws has three sequels, those being 1978’s Jaws 2, 1983’s Jaws III (often referred to as Jaws 3-D), and 1987’s Jaws: The Revenge. None of them are as good as the original, but there are some good things (and bad things) about all three of them. Let’s discuss.  

Jaws 2 

Best Thing About It: Some Of The Characters From The First Movie Return

There are many great things about the original Jaws, but probably the best thing about it is the characters, as Police Chief Brody (Roy Schieder), Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw) are all super memorable. Hell, even the secondary characters, like Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary), and Deputy Lenny Hendricks (Jeffrey Kramer) elevate the movie.

So, it’s a relief to find that some of the cast from the original flick return in Jaws 2, as Schieder, Gary, Kramer, and Hamilton all have significant roles in this sequel. 

It features a plot pretty similar to the original (which I’m going to harp about in a moment), and so the returning characters have to deal with yet another shark attack at the beach. 

With Scheider returning, it brings a sort of comforting closure to the story, as he once again gets to kill another shark, but this time, the story centers around the Brody children, as well as some other young people. 

Honestly, even with the returning characters, Dreyfuss and Shaw’s absences are deeply felt, and it’s little wonder that Jaws 2 wasn’t up for Best Picture like its predecessor, as it’s missing a lot of the heart and soul that was in the original. 

Worst Thing About It: It's Pretty Much The First Movie, But Not As Good

Tell me if this sounds familiar: Mayor Larry Vaughn tries to downplay the severity of shark attacks at Amity Island, and Police Chief Brody has to go to war with one. That sounds like the plot of the first movie, right? Well, it is, but it’s also the plot of Jaws 2. 

However, this time, we don’t have Hooper or Quint along for the ride. Instead, Chief Brody is pretty much on his own, and he’s more paranoid than ever (as he should be) about sharks. In one scene, he even starts shooting at the ocean on a crowded beach due to what he thinks is a shark. 

That said, Vaughn seems completely brain dead to discount Brody’s fears after what happened in the first movie, so it’s kind of ridiculous seeing him push back yet again against the police chief’s concerns.

In the end, this feels very been-there-seen-that, and not in a good way. 

Jaws 3-D 

Best Thing About It: The Plot Is Really Interesting This Time Around

3D movies are very much still around. In fact, we run a whole series titled To 3D Or Not To 3D, in which we let you know whether you should spend a few extra bucks to watch a movie in 3D…or not.

However, while 3D is still around (and mostly brought back due to the massive success of James Cameron’s Avatar’s 1 and 2), it was immensely popular decades ago, and especially popular with horror movies, such as Parasite, Amityville 3-D, Friday the 13th Part III, and yes, even Jaws 3-D. 

All of this is to say that 3D was a huge gimmick back in the day, rather than it having anything to do with the plots of these films, and such is also the case here. 

Even so, the plot is actually pretty good. This time around, the Brody children are all grown up, and played by Dennis Quaid and John Putch. Bess Armstrong and Lea Thompson play their respective girlfriends in the film. 

The story revolves around a great white shark (actually two of them) infiltrating a SeaWorld amusement park, and one of the Brody children and his girlfriend trying to stop it before it kills some of the park’s guests. 

I like this plot since it’s greatly different from that of the first two, and I consider it a strong suit of the film. 

Worst Thing About It: It Takes Way Too Long For Things To Get Moving 

Yes, the plot is pretty good, but it takes too long just to get to any of the good stuff. We’re introduced to the Brody children and their girlfriends, and get a lot of lead up to the events, but the actual fun stuff doesn’t happen for almost an entire hour into the movie. 

Instead, we get several shots of people riding on the water, and discussing sea life, but very little in the actual realm of shark attacks. I actually watched this film with my son, as he’s a huge fan of the first two movies, and he told me that the film was putting him to sleep. Hey, if you can’t keep your target audience awake, you’ve failed somewhere along the way.  

Jaws: The Revenge

Best Thing About It: The Story Is Utterly Bonkers...In A Fun Way

I love so-bad-they’re-good movies like Batman & Robin, so please forgive me for saying that I think Jaws: The Revenge is the best of these sequels.

It's just utterly bonkers, and the plot is right there in the title. The shark has followed the Brody family to the Bahamas and is exacting revenge on them. 

Why exactly is it exacting revenge? Well, it’s never truly explained (besides the mention of possible voodoo), nor should it be, since it is all the more hilarious without clarification. The whole movie is just one bizarre event after the other. Michael Caine makes an appearance as a pilot, and the shark actually attacks the plane and submerges in it the ocean. 

The ending makes absolutely no sense, and the shark even roars like a dinosaur at one point. It is an absolute train wreck of a film, and I kind of love it to pieces, just like I love Mortal Kombat Annihilation, which I know is bad, but I enjoy it anyway. 

Worst Thing About It: It Was So Hated, It Effectively Ended The Franchise 

Let’s be real. Jaws probably would have been better off if there weren’t any sequels. But, since there are, I applaud The Revenge for being as far from the seriousness of the original as possible. 

Unfortunately, audiences didn’t feel the same way, as this sequel is often cited as being not only the very worst movie in the franchise, but also one of the worst movies of all time. It was a laughing stock, and rightfully so. 

Michael Caine famously told Australian reporter Andrew Denton: 

So, yeah, even though I love Jaws: The Revenge, most people think it’s hot garbage, and it effectively sunk the franchise forever. It’s a shame, too, since I would have loved to have seen Jaws floating around in space sometime, biting astronauts in half.

Have you seen all of the Jaws sequels? If so, which one is your favorite?  

When you look back on the best movies of the 1970s, what kinds of characters come to mind first? We are willing to bet it is not the good guys, but the bad buys you remember the most fondly. Let's take a menacing walk down memory lane with some of the most iconic '70s movie villains.

Michael Myers (Halloween)

The masked killer from John Carpenter's horror movie classic, Halloween, is, arguably,  the scariest slasher of all time, and not just because he is one of the first of his kind. In the 1978 original, Michael Myers has no apparent motive to stalk Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and other Haddonfield babysitters, save an unsatiable, natural-born bloodlust that makes him the embodiment of evil.

Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Smokey And The Bandit)

The only thing in the way of The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) getting his black T-top Trans Am — one of the coolest cars in cinematic history — across state lines is Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Comedy legend Jackie Gleason steals the show in 1977's Smokey and the Bandit as the relentless lawman who becomes The Bandit's pursuer after Carrie (Sally Field) leaves his son at the altar.

Xenomorph (Alien)

Has there ever been a scarier cinematic creature than H.R. Giger's design of the Xenomorph in Alien? The bloodthirsty extraterrestrial proves to be a little more than a thorn in the side of the crew of the Nostromo in the masterfully suspenseful, 1979 sci-fi movie classic from director Ridley Scott.

Lex Luthor (Superman: The Movie)

The Man of Steel has the ability to do things no human being can, and yet his archenemy is a mere mortal of immense power and intelligence named Lex Luthor. Academy Award winner Gene Hackman's performance in one of the best superhero movies, 1978's Superman: The Movie (also starring Christopher Reeve in the title role), has since become the definitive live-action portrayal of the DC villain.

Dr. Christian Szell (Marathon Man)

If going to the dentist was not already nerve-racking enough for some people, director John Schlesinger's 1976 thriller Marathon Man made the idea seem anything but safe. Sir Laurence Olivier gives a brilliant, chilling, Oscar-nominated performance as Dr. Christian Szell — a Nazi war criminal and diamond smuggler who tortures his victims with painful oral surgeries.

Nurse Mildred Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

While One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is praised as one of the most honest movies about mental illness, one thing about the 1975 classic that we would hope is exaggerated is how Mildred Ratched treats patients. Louise Fletcher earned a well-deserved Oscar for portraying the abusive, self-righteous mental nurse with a severe lack of humanity. 

Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

Regan MacNeill (legendary horror movie Scream Queen Linda Blair) often shows up on many all-time best horror movie villain lists, but she is the victim here. The true antagonist of 1973's The Exorcist is the demonic force possessing the 12-year-old girl known as Pazuzu.

Scorpio (Dirty Harry)

Only a cop as tough and rebellious as Det. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) could take down a psychopathic murderer as cunning and unpredictable as the mysterious "Scorpio." Andrew Robinson is unplugged as the out-of-control antagonist of 1971's Dirty Harry, whose penchant for toying with the authorities through ransom notes was loosely inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer.

Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)

Sometimes the protagonist of a story counts as its villain and such is certainly the case for Stanley Kubrick's classic film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. Malcolm McDowell stars in the controversial 1971 thriller as sadistic criminal Alex DeLarge, who undergoes an experimental program that intends to correct violent people.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Easily the most recognizable character from the entire Star Wars franchise is Darth Vader and it is easy to see why. Voiced by James Earl Jones and originally portrayed in person by David Prowse in the 1977 original, the Sith Lord's ominous baritone, striking helmet design, and ruthless devotion to the Dark Side make him an intimidating force in any galaxy.

Col. Walter E. Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)

Capt. Benjamin L. Willard certainly experiences great "horror" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war movie masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, at the hands of Col. Walter E. Kurtz. Inspired by a 19th-century ivory trader from Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, Oscar-winning Marlon Brando's role is an unhinged sadist who will go to unimaginable lengths to win the Vietnam War his own way, no matter who has to kill or torture.

Margaret White (Carrie)

Her telepathic powers may have sealed the doom of many people, but the titular teen from Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (played by Sissy Spacek) is anything but an antagonist. She is a victim of intense emotional and physical abuse by her own religious fanatic mother (and one of the all-time best female horror movie villains) Margaret White (Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie).

Alain Charnier (The French Connection)

Gene Hackman leads William Friedkin's 1971 Best Picture Oscar winner The French Connection as Popeye Doyle, who is the unique kind of cop who knows how to think like a criminal. However, even he struggles to stay one step ahead of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), who is the elusive, Marsaille-based leader of a crime operation in New York.

Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

There really is no slasher in horror movie history quite like the flagship antagonist of Tobe Hooper's relentless nightmare transferred to celluloid, 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Being a cannibal who wears his victim's faces as a mask makes Leatherface (Gunner Hansen) bad enough but chasing people around with a bladed power tool is pure insanity.

Apollo Creed (Rocky)

In the original sports movie classic, 1976's Rocky, all we want is to see Sylvester Stallone's titular rookie take down the arrogant boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), which he finally manages to do in the 1979 sequel. Of course, all of that would change in 1982's Rocky III when the rivals formed a friendship that ended with Apollo's tragic death in the ring in the fourth film.

Kurt Barlow (Salem’s Lot)

One of the most terrifying vampires to ever grace the small screen was Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder). Director Tobe Hooper's two-part, made-for-TV 1979 adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot offers a wildly different interpretation from the novel's bloodsucking nobleman, his more creature-esque appearance, arguably, made for a more memorably creepy portrayal.

Dean Vernon Wormer (National Lampoon's Animal House)

If there is anything more important to the college experience than education, it must be a student's success in maintaining a social life, sometimes if that means indulging in debaucherous acts with fellow Greek life members. However, John Vernon's Dean Womer from the 1978 comedy classic National Lampoon's Animal House does not share this philosophy and, as a result, wishes to extract the rowdy Delta Tau Chi from Faber College.

Evelyn Draper (Play Misty for Me)

Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut with the 1971 thriller Play Misty for Me, in which he also stars as a radio DJ who crosses paths with Evelyn (Jessica Walter), a frequent caller who particularly favors an Erroll Garner classic. What starts off as a casual romantic encounter proves to have deadly consequences for Eastwood's Dave Garver as Evelyn forcibly inserts herself into his life.

Grand Moff Tarkin (Star Wars)

Of course, the most memorable villain from the original Star Wars is Darth Vader, but many fans might claim that the film's more formidable threat is the Sith Lord's right-hand man. Horror legend Peter Cushing stars as Tarkin, whose devotion to the Empire leads him to commit horrific acts, such as destroying Princess Leia's home planet, Alderaan.

Emilio Barzini (The Godfather)

There are not many "good guys" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, but one of the absolute worst is Emilio Barzini. Richard Conte's crime boss proves to be the greatest foil to the Corleone Family.

Kananga/Mr. Big (Live And Let Die)

Yaphet Kotto gives a wonderfully charming, but also menacing, performance as one of the best James Bond villains of the 1970s, Dr. Kananga, in Live and Let Die. The most fascinating aspect of the politician, whom Roger Moore's 007 takes on, is his double life as a peddler called Mr. Big.

Han (Enter the Dragon)

Even a martial arts master like Bruce Lee had his fair share of challenging onscreen foes, especially in the 1973 kung fu movie masterpiece, Enter the Dragon. Lee (also the actor's character) is enlisted to investigate Han (Kien Shih), who is a shady former monk with a bladed left hand that makes him a horrifying opponent in combat.

Luther (The Warriors)

Actor David Patrick Kelly performs one of the most iconic improvised movie moments in Walter Hill's 1979 thriller, The Warriors, as Luther. The menacing gang leader tries to entice his titular rivals by clinking three glass bottles together and serenading them to "come out to play."

Mayor Larry Vaughn (Jaws)

We would call the shark from Jaws a type of horror movie villain with understandable motivations (considering the animal has no real violent ambitions and just wants to eat), but we believe does not really deserve that label. As far as we are concerned, the true antagonist of director Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster is Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who greedily ignores any warnings of the aquatic apex predator and decides to keep Amity Island's beach open, leading to more bloodshed.

Toecutter (Mad Max)

Years before George Miller brought him back to play Immortan Joe in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, the Australian actor starred in the 1979 original Mad Max movie as its main antagonist, Toecutter. The sadistic criminal is not only a pivotal force in the fall of society, but you could also say he is the creator of the Wasteland's savior as it is his gang that killed Max Rockantansky's (Mel Gibson) wife and child, transforming the once devoted cop into a hardened road warrior.

Damien Thorn (The Omen)

What better representative of villainy could there be than the literal embodiment of evil? Harvey Stephens gives a chilling performance in 1976's The Omen as young Damien Thorn, whose parents Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick), make the terrifying discovery that he is the Antichrist.

The Tall Man (Phantasm)

Jebediah Morningside (better known as The Tall Man) is the best-known role of actor Angus Schrimm, who was hired for the part in Phantasm based on his naturally unsettling appearance. Don Coscarelli's cult favorite 1979 supernatural thriller follows two young brothers who suspect the strange man is robbing from graves and sets out to figure out the shocking truth behind it.

Billy (Black Christmas)

There is very little known about the killer from one of the greatest holiday horror movies, Black Christmas, such as his true name, his actual appearance, and his reason for stalking and killing members of Pi Kappa Sigma. That is precisely what makes the villain of director Bob Clark's influential slasher such a hauntingly unsettling presence.

The Mutants (The Hills Have Eyes)

One of the earliest Wes Craven movies sees a vacationing family fall prey to another family of vicious, savage mutants when an accident leaves them stranded in a deserted area where nuclear testing once took place. The most iconic villainous cavedweller from the 1977 original The Hills Have Eyes is, easily, Michael Berryman as Pluto.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man)

The character that made Christopher Lee a horror movie icon would have to be Hammer's iteration of Dracula, but the British actor brought an even more unique level of deceptive charm to his performance in 1973's The Wicker Man. He plays Lord Summerisle, who is the leader of an island community whose customs clash wildly so with Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) as he searches the land for a missing little girl.

General Woundwort (Watership Down)

In the 1978 adaptation of Richard Adams's novel, Watership Down — an animated film primarily for adults — the rabbits' main obstacle is human land developers destroying their home. However, they also come at odds with one of their own kind named Gen. Woundwort (Harry Andrews), who became a violent and erratic creature due to a brutal upbringing.

Dr. Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)

One of the most underrated roles on Vincent Price's prolific resume is the widowed Anton Phibes. The 1971 release of The Abominable Dr. Phibes sees him seeking to punish the physicians who were accidentally responsible for his wife's tragic death.

Some movies you can just watch over and over, like the ones on this list. There are a lot of great movies out there, some films you can only watch once, like Schindler's List, but others, like the ones on this list, never get old. Here's our list of the most rewatchable movies we know. 

The Big Lebowski

One of the things that makes the Coen Brothers' masterpiece The Big Lebowski is how The Dude and other characters learn things along the way and use those new facts and lines later in the movie. It's something you might never notice if you didn't watch the movie over and over and that kind of thing will not stand. Not to mention it has some really classic lines that are endlessly quotable. 

Clueless

As if we'd ever get bored of watching Clueless. There are so many great characters, from Cher (Alicia Silverstone) to Tai (Brittany Murphy) to Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn), that we could watch over and over just to watch one character each time. 

The Dark Knight

Of all the comic movies that have been released in the 21st Century, there is one performance that will always stand above all the others. Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight ranks among the best roles ever seen on film, superhero movies or otherwise. It's so good that it literally never gets old or stale. There is something to behold every time you watch the movie. 

Die Hard

Watching Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman face off in Die Hard is the main reason the movie will always be rewatchable. Both put in some of the best performances of their careers and even though there have been many Die Hard sequels, none of them quite have the charm and magic that the original has. 

Dirty Dancing

For decades now people have been having the time of their lives watching Dirty Dance on repeat. The music, the dancing, the love story... it brings audiences along for a realistic, yet fantastical story all in one. It's been beloved for years for a reason. 

Dazed And Confused

Dazed And Confused is among the best movies about high school ever made. It's also one of the best movies of the 1990s, though it's set in the '70s. Those aren't the qualities that make it so rewatchable. It's simply the amazing cast and the endless amounts of quotable lines those actors deliver. It's always pleasurable to watch actors like Paker Posey, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Matthew McConaughey so early in their careers. 

Back To The Future

There is a level of rewatchability to all three Back To The Future movies, but the first still stands way above the sequels. It's a movie so fun and so well-paced that you never get bored, even if it's the 150th time you've watched it. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once has a lot going on. It's a movie worth watching again and again if for no other reason than it's easy to miss stuff the first, or even fifth time you watch it. The concept is so cool and so well executed, and the acting performances are so good, that it's impossible to get bored with the film. 

The Godfather

Though the entry just says The Godfather, this could really count for either Part I or Part II, as both are among the most rewatchable movies ever. There is a reason they both consistently rank among the best movies ever made. The acting performances are amazing, the dialog is incredible, and Francis Ford Coppola's directing is as good as it gets on film. 

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1

Let's be honest, there are quite a few movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that you can watch over and over. There is one that stands above the rest though. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1 has great music and great quotes, which are two things that really make movies forever rewatchable. It's just a really fun movie with some of the most fun characters in the whole universe. 

Legally Blonde

If you want to know how valuable Elle Woods can be, just try to stop watching Legally Blonde when you randomly come across it. It can't be done. It's filled with quotable lines and one of the most charming performances of Reese Witherspoon's stellar career. 

The Princess Bride

From Gen Xers to Zoomers, The Princess Bride has become part of millions of people's childhood. It's a movie that kids and adults can watch over and over, finding different wonderful things about it, depending on your maturity level. No matter how many times you watch, you can always find something new to observe and love about The Princess Bride. 

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Who doesn't love Indiana Jones? The character, played of course by the great Harrison Ford, has become one of the most enduring movie heroes of all time. Well into the 21st Century, Hollywood is coming up with new adventures for the old archeologist. In the end, it all goes back to the beginning though, with the O.G. movie, Raider of the Lost Ark. 

Clue

If you were to ask around the staff of Cinemablend what off-beat comedy is their favorite, there is a decent chance Clue would be the answer you get. If for no other reason, the movie can be - and should be - watched over and over just for Tim Curry's amazing, manic, hilarious performance as The Butler...who butles and creates absolute mayhem. 

The Shawshank Redemption

It's hard for people to believe that The Shawshank Redemption wasn't a big hit in theaters. For whatever reason, it failed to find an audience. That all changed when the movie hit cable TV and became one of the most-watched movies in movie history. It was on TV all the time because people watched it all the time, over and over. 

Jurassic Park

The moment in Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Sattler (Laura Dern) see the dinosaurs for the first time, with John Williams' amazing score swelling in the background is such a great movie moment, that you can watch it over and over and a tear will still come to your eye. Now throw in all the other great parts and you have a seriously rewatchable movie. 

The Lion King

Disney sure knows how to make movies that kids and adults alike can watch over and over. We could really pick almost any of their classic cartoons here, but The Lion King is so good it's been remade into a live-action hit and one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time. All three are eminently rewatchable. 

Mean Girls

You know if a movie gets a remake less than 20 years after it was originally made, especially when that remake is based on a Broadway musical adaptation, it must be a movie you can watch over and over. Fans of Means Girls just can't get enough of the comedy, both on stage and screen. 

The Wolf Of Wall Street

If you're a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, or bad language, The Wolf Of Wall Street is likely a movie you've watched numerous times, right? And why wouldn't you? It's an almost perfect movie. Much of the story is tragic, but the ride to get there is wild. 

9 To 5

Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda are three national treasures. Put them in a movie where they torture their horrible boss played by the late great Dabney Coleman and you've got the recipe for a movie that people will never get bored of, just like 9 to 5.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars fans can watch any of the many movies over and over. All movie fans can watch Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back over and over, however. You don't have to be obsessed with every bit of Star Wars lore to absolutely love Empire. It's the best of the movies and one of the best movies ever made. It's got some of the craziest action scenes, the coolest characters, and the best plot twist of all time, at least according to many. It's simply the best. 

10 Things I Hate About You

When a movie is a hit with teenagers, especially one as popular as 10 Things I Hate About You, you can bet it'll be a rewatchable movie. Throw in some breakout performances by Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Julia Stiles, a plot based on a Shakespeare play, and you've got all the ingredients you need for a massive hit that people will watch again and again. 

Fight Club

The first rule of Fight Club might be don't talk about Fight Club, but no one really follows that rule, and the second rule might as well be, "watch Fight Club over and over and quote it endlessly" because that's what Fight Club really is. Like many of director David Fincher's movies, Fight Club is so well done that you see something new in it every time you watch, just like many of the great movies on this list. 

Titanic

To paraphrase the late, great Jerry Garcia, Titanic is like black licorice. Not everyone likes it, but the people that do like it, really like it. The James Cameron mega-hit isn't for everyone, in fact, it might have as many haters as it does lovers, but those who do love it never get bored with watching the wonderful sets and spectacular effects that the movie is best known for. 

The Matrix

While it's true that the Matrix trilogy had diminishing returns, there is no denying how amazing and groundbreaking the first one was. It still has a hold on popular culture, decades after its initial release. While some fans may not go back to the three sequels, the original is still a favorite for everyone that was red-pilled from the beginning. 

Pretty Woman

As rom-coms go, you can't get more perfect than Pretty Woman. Sure, the plot is a little dated and in some ways problematic, but the performances from the leads, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and the side characters, like Jason Alexander and Hector Elizondo are so good, it allows us to overlook the aging flaws of the movie and watch it again and again with nothing but joy. 

Gladiator

It really doesn't matter how many times you seen Gladiator, you are still going to jump up out of your seat when Maximus (Russell Crowe) reveals himself to Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). it's a moment in cinema history that will stand the test of time and still be a classic centuries from now. 

Jaws

It's no accident that Jaws is on this list. It's considered the first "summer blockbuster" but it's so much more. The characters are so well-developed that you can't help but root for all of them, except the mayor, of course. Sure the shark looks a little dated, but director Steven Spielberg did such an amazing job building the suspense by not seeing the shark, that it's easy to look past the 1970s movie magic.

The Great Escape

On Christmas in the United States, we watch things like A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life every year. In the UK, they watch The Great Escape. We'll admit, that's a pretty amazing tradition because despite its nearly three-hour runtime, there is never a dull moment and it proves that longer is often better. The all-star cast and sharp direction keep the movie humming along from the time they are all locked up until they all get locked up again after the escape. 

The Incredibles

The Incredibles was an incredible hit for Pixar in 2004. Just like many Pixar and Disney movies before and after it, it became an indelible part of millions of kids' childhoods and even as they've aged, they still love the Parr family. While it took 16 years, when a sequel was finally made in 2018, it took in a cool $1.2 billion, attesting to just how loved (and watched) the original was and is. 

A League of Their Own

We all know that there is no crying in baseball because we've all seen Tom Hanks say it a million times as we've watched A League of Their Own over and over. All the characters are so unique and memorable that it's like watching an old friend every time it's on. 

Caddyshack

Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Ted Knight are four of the most quotable actors of all time. When you put them all in the same movie, and give them some of the best lines ever written, it's no surprise that Caddyshack is the kind of movie that people watch so often they end up memorizing it. Dangerfield, a king of the one-liner, is especially great in this one. 

If you were a kid growing up in the '90s—especially in the Midwest like I was—thunderstorms were more than just a reason to seek cover. They were the cue to scramble to the tornado shelter, fearing you'd end up dodging a flying cow or bouncing tire. This particular dread owes much to the 1996 classic Twister. Now, as the movie's sequel, Twisters, (one of the biggest 2024 new movie releases) lights up the big screen, there's been a cool development. Some original footage resurfaced, and it features the late Bill Paxton on the set of this iconic ‘90s film. In it, Paxton charmingly predicts, “This movie’s gonna do for tornadoes what Jaws did for sharks.” And wasn't he spot on?

Entertainment Tonight recently shared the behind-the-scenes video capturing Bill Paxton in action on the Twister set. The clip is a nostalgic throwback to 1990s Hollywood filmmaking, featuring realistic wreckage and damaged stairs for Paxton to navigate. As he maneuvers through the intentionally unstable set, he nearly stumbles several times but recovers each time with the grace of a seasoned actor. The video highlights Paxton’s charismatic and playful nature, showcasing what made him such a beloved figure. But what’s particularly interesting is that, in the video posted to Instagram the Titanic actor makes that very president prediction. See it for yourself:

The Aliens actor's assertion about the impact of his and Helen Hunt's movie rings true nearly three decades later. Just as Jaws made beachgoers wary of the water, the 1996 tornado epic forever changed how we view tornadoes. It turned a natural disaster into a thrilling cinematic experience that captivated audiences worldwide. The film's innovative use of special effects brought the terrifying power of tornadoes to life, setting a new standard for disaster movies.

It's intriguing to note that while Jaws, as the Smithsonian Magazine reports, led to an increase in shark deaths, according to an article from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Twister had a different impact. Despite the film's scientific inaccuracies and dramatic tornado effects, it inspired many individuals to pursue real-life careers in severe storm research.

The first Twister film followed in Jaws' footsteps, becoming a massive hit at the summer box office. Now, with the release of Twisters, the sequel is also making a significant impact at the box office. A heartwarming aspect of the sequel's release was the tribute paid to the late Bill Paxton by the film's co-lead Glenn Powell. On the day of the movie's release, Powell shared a photo of himself and Paxton wearing cowboy hats and a touching message honoring the late actor. Paxton passed away at the age of 61 in 2017 due to a damaged aortic heart valve. Still, he left behind a lasting legacy through his iconic film roles, including his memorable performance in Jan de Bont's beloved disaster movie, which Paxton clearly believed in based on this resurfaced footage.

You can enjoy Bill Paxton’s performance in Twister, as it's now available for streaming with a Max subscription. And don't miss the newest tornado adventure film, Twisters, which is in theaters now.

Ever since the excitement for the 2024 blockbuster film, Twisters, people around the world have been revisiting the 1996 film, Twister, which the new movie is based on. The film is a favorite for many, as there's a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt storm chasing and being thrown around using old school practical effects. A new behind the scenes video from the '90s classic also went viral, showing Paxton running around the Twister set. He also compared the movie to Jaws, and a lot of fans are agreeing with his assessment. 

The Crazy Twister Set Tour Led By Bill Paxton

The resurfaced behind-the-scenes video posted by Entertainment Tonight shows Paxton chaotically climbing on the Twister set. The Hollywood production is perfectly 90s, with actual twisted and destroyed stairs for the actor to climb on, as well as other faux debris on the ground. He almost falls a handful of times on the purposely unstable set piece, but like a true movie star, recovers gracefully. His charisma and silly charm is on full display, reminding audiences what made him so special. You can see the TikTok below: 

It’s so fun to watch Paxton excitedly goof around the set all those years ago. The Titanic star sadly passed away in 2017 after a stroke, but his legacy as one of Hollywood’s premiere leading men lives on, and his son makes an appearance in this year’s Twisters. His energy and enthusiasm is reminiscent of his on-screen spiritual successor, Glen Powell, who is playing the Bill Paxton-esque role in the new movie. They clearly cast the right man for the job, and I can’t wait to see how Powell channels his predecessor in the summer disaster flick. 

Bill Paxton’s Twister/Jaws Comparison

One of the most notable aspects of this behind-the-scenes peek at the making of Twister, is how Paxton foresaw the success of Twister. The movie was in production when Paxton recorded his silly tour for the news outlet, but he was already pretty certain of the film’s success and cultural impact. He compared the terror towards tornadoes after the movie’s release to be akin to Jaws, saying:

For context, after Jaws was released in the summer of 1975, the fear of the ocean and sharks in Americans increased tremendously. Sharks became a common fear for many after watching Steven Spielberg’s mechanical one ravage the fictional Amity Island. Paxton’s suspicions were correct and the fear of tornadoes also became more prevalent after Twister was released. Commenters on TikTok also noted his accurate theory, and you can read some of their comments below: 

• Newman Music Academy: He was right about that thing he said about Jaws
• kitastrophy_: ok but for me, this movie did do for tornadoes what Jaws did for sharks! I've been obsessed with both since childhood
• supershanes90: The jaws reference was on point
• levitucker735: Twister, Jurassic Park and Jaws. three movies I grew up watching too many times

One fan even pointed out just how accurate his prediction was, pointing out that filmmakers combined these fears into the Sharknado franchise. They said:

Paxton’s instincts were clearly on point, and the strong legacy of Twister has lived on, even igniting interest in a stand alone blockbuster sequel starring Hollywood’s buzziest young stars. This quote also shows why the Aliens actor was so great at selecting his projects, and why Paxton was the star of some of the best and most beloved films of all time. 

You can revisit Bill Paxton’s performance in Twister, which is streaming now for Max subscribers. Also make sure to check out the latest tornado adventure film, Twisters, which is set to hit theaters on July 19th. For more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas and streaming this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule. 

Universal Orlando has become a force to be reckoned with in the theme park game. Epic Universe's opening date is still a year away, but new additions to the existing parks recently have been incredible. While it may still be smaller than Walt Disney World, what Universal Orlando lacks in size it has been making up for with high-quality attractions over the last several years. There's a lot Universal Orlando does better than Disney World, and this summer that list has only gotten longer with a fun Jaws-related addition.

Universal Orlando already has many of the best Universal theme park rides but in the last month alone UOR has debuted one of the best nighttime shows I’ve ever seen in CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular and opened the new DreamWorks Land. Now, it has debuted an incredible parade with not only eye-catching floats but amazing characters.

The Universal Orlando Mega Movie Parade debuted yesterday at Universal Studios Florida. It pays tribute to some iconic Universal movies, including E.T. and Back to the Future, but the highlight may be the Jaws section. Not only does it have an impressive float, but it also has a pair of character performers playing the combative Mayor and Sheriff of Amity Island, and they are stealing the show, as one viral TikTok shows off:

In the video, the Mayor is asked if the rumors of a “shark problem” are true. He then replied by saying there were absolutely no sharks, but then the Sheriff followed closely behind insisting that there absolutely were sharks. It’s a fantastic interaction. Other guests attending the first parade had similar experiences.

The fact that the first parade happened the day before the Fourth of July was perhaps quite fitting as it gave people the chance to ask the Mayor if the beaches would be open the next day.

This is some great stuff. Universal doesn’t have the massive number of costumed characters that you’ll find in a Disney Park, but the ones they do have are incredible. You can interact with Doc Brown at Universal Studios Florida and have a full conversation with the man in character. While the Jaws characters can only have brief interactions with different guests, they add something special you don’t often see in other theme park parades.

The more traditional parade elements are no less impressive based on images from Brooke McDonald. The floats dedicated to the different Universal movie franchises are massive and full of intricate details, so even if you don’t get a chance to talk to the characters walking around, the parade is still worth seeing.

The most impressive float, however, has to be the Jurassic Park one, which includes a massive T-Rex that, despite its impressive size and motion, apparently isn’t an animated figure, but according to Universal Creative’s Michael Aiello, is actually a puppet.

The Mega Movie Parade is another home run for Universal. And the best is still yet to come. Universal Orlando’s third gate, Epic Universe, is looking incredible ahead of its opening next year. Universal is becoming a true destination vacation with some of the best entertainment I’ve seen in a long time.

A lot can happen to a movie between the time a script is written and a premiere is held, and in some cases, a whole lot of bad can happen. Over the years, Best Picture winners, some of the greatest horror movies of all time, and cult classics have experienced nightmarish productions, with some being far worse than anyone could have ever imagined.

Come with us as we go through the history of Hollywood and break down 32 movies with disastrous productions that have since become the stuff of legend. And while we will be avoiding spoilers, some details are not for the faint of heart.

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982)

Arguably the most infamous disastrous production, Twilight Zone: The Movie is mostly remembered for the on-set deaths of Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were all killed in a freak accident involving a helicopter. Slate would later write extensively about the accident, what led to it, and how the segment’s director, John Landis, dealt with the ramifications.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Though known as one of the best war movies ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic is more times than not remembered for being one of the most intense, grueling, and disastrous productions. An overweight and ill-prepared Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen’s heart attack, and several other issues have since been well-documented in documentaries like Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of those movies that so many people wanted to work on, but it just wasn’t in the cards. The early dismissal of original director Richard Stanley (he was replaced by John Frankenheimer less than a week into shooting), Marlon Brando’s odd behavior, and Val Kilmer stepping in when Bruce Willis left shortly before production began all contributed to the madness on set.

Rust (Unreleased)

Who knows if the world will ever get to see Rust, as Joel Souza’s Western film has been wrapped up in all kinds of investigations, criminal trials, and litigation ever since a freak accident on set claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. According to the Los Angeles Times, star Alec Baldwin was practicing a shooting scene when his gun fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Production has been suspended ever since.

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Werner Herzog’s 1982 epic Fitzcarraldo tells the story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) as he attempts to transport a steamship through rivers and over a steep hill to find his fame and fortune. Herzog, not one to take the easy way out, decided that he and his crew would drag an actual 320-ton ship up a hill, as seen in the must-watch Les Blank documentary, Burden of Dreams. 

The Shining (1980)

In addition to having some great improvised movie moments, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining also has a reputation for being a movie where the tyrannical director pushed and pushed and pushed his cast to their breaking point. Kubrick’s primary target, Shelley Duvall, had an especially hard time on set, according to The Mirror, and was left in poor health because of the intense and chaotic shoot.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, had everything you’d want in a big movie: legendary acting performances, an all-time great John Williams score, and one of the scariest monsters captured on screen. As the director remembered in Spielberg: The First Ten Years (via Vanity Fair), a boat began to sink with the actors (and sound equipment) aboard, the shark didn’t work half the time, and the whole project went over budget. Still, it’s one of the greatest of all time.

Back To The Future (1984)

Back to the Future is remembered today as one of the best ‘80s movies and an iconic sci-fi flick that helped turn Michael J. Fox into the biggest actor on the planet. But before the Family Ties star came into the picture and brought Marty McFly to life, Eric Stoltz was famously cast and then fired weeks into the production. Though all of the McFly scenes were reshot, there’s still a single shot of Stoltz in the final cut. 

The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant, which earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar, experienced one of the most grueling and difficult productions in recent memory. Director Alejandro G. Inarritu insisted on shooting the film in order, which caused a myriad of issues along the way, including going over budget by the tune of $7 million, subjecting the cast and crew to extreme weather conditions, and having to move everything to a different continent to find cold enough weather.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The Wizard of Oz is a movie that should get its own biographical drama series because so much drama happened on the set of the landmark 1939 film. From the production using asbestos to make fake snow to the alleged abuse and harassment on set to recastings and new directors, a lot went wrong in the process of making one of the most influential films of all time.

Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars (later retitled Episode IV – A New Hope) launched one of the biggest franchises of all time back in May 1977, but it wasn’t all peas and carrots on the set of the game-changing sci-fi epic. George Lucas and company battled all kinds of issues during the disastrous production including shooting in the deserts of Tunisia and Death Valley, budget problems, and droids that just wouldn’t work led to a series of headaches for all involved parties.

Cleopatra (1963)

Described by the A.V. Club as both an unmitigated disaster and runaway smash hit, Cleopatra is one of the most well-known movies of all time. Production of the epic starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was stalled by unexploded World War II landmines, medical emergencies, and a ballooning budget.

Waterworld (1995)

A bad movie with a great plot, Kevin Costner’s Waterworld has a reputation for being one of the worst and most expensive box office failures of the ‘90s. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Costner’s choice to ignore Steven Spielberg’s advice about shooting on open water was largely to blame for the movie’s massive budget and a plethora of issues experienced by the cast and crew on the set.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

On top of being a wildly inaccurate biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody is also a film that was marred by on-set issues. A lot of the issues were connected to original director Bryan Singer, who was fired partway through production after numerous run-ins with the cast and outbursts on set. But the problems didn’t stop there, as the screenwriter later sued the film’s producers.

Titanic (1997)

James Cameron’s Titanic is one of the biggest movies of all time, as well as one that experienced one of the strangest incidents during production. As later covered by outlets like Variety, someone spiked the cast and crew’s clam chowder with PCP, which resulted in dozens of people flooding a local hospital suffering from all kinds of psychedelic and physical effects.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is a top-tier sci-fi classic, but the director’s techno-noir film wasn’t without its fair share of incidents. From rewrites to missing deadlines to an insistence on adding narration by Harrison Ford, there was a lot that went wrong before the movie hit the big screen.

Heaven's Gate (1980)

Heaven’s Gate, the 1980 Michael Cimino movie and not the cult from the ‘90s, is often regarded as one of the worst and most disastrous movies of all time. Released a few years after Cimino’s iconic The Deer Hunter, the Western epic ended up coming in $30+ million over budget, many days late, and according to IndieWire, was so bad United Artists decided to shelve the film not long into its run.

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

The Bridge on the River Kwai, Davide Lean’s 1957 war epic is often regarded as one of the best World War II films, but it too, had its share of production issues. Among them were problems director David Lean had with the British actors and the botched filming of the iconic bridge explosion caused by a cameraman not getting out of the way in time.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Regarded as one of the best action movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road took the genre to new heights with its story about Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). However, as reported by Vanity Fair, the two stars hated one another, which made things difficult on set.

Tombstone (1993)

One of the best Westerns ever made, Tombstone is one of those movies you just have to watch whenever it's on TV. But we’re lucky the movie was even made, as its production was the stuff of nightmares (at least for Hollywood). Kevin Jarre, the screenwriter and original director, was fired early in production and there have long been rumors that star Kurt Russell was his replacement, not George P. Cosmatos, who’s credited as the director.

The Crow (1994)

The Crow, which would go on to become one of the biggest cult classics of the ‘90s, will forever be known as the movie in which star Brandon Lee was tragically shot and killed during production. 

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was long believed to be a movie that would never see the light of day. Over the course of nearly 30 years, multiple attempts, and countless casting replacements, Gilliam finally released the movie in 2018

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

One of the most shocking movies of all time, Cannibal Holocaust has become a rite of passage in some circles due to its gratuitous violence and pure depravity. The found footage horror film, which features the decapitations of animals among other things, ended up getting its director, Ruggero Deodato, sent to court after people thought it was a real documentary.

Sorcerer (1977)

Riding high on the success of The French Connection and The Exorcist, William Friedkin took on one of his most ambitious projects: Sorcerer. The box office dud is mostly remembered all these years later for being the movie that sent at least 50 crew members to the hospital with ailments like gangrene and malaria, per Collider.

The Abyss (1989)

Though not the best James Cameron movie, The Abyss is still a great addition to the sci-fi genre and a wonderful alien movie. But know what wasn’t great? The film’s production. Cameron pushed things way too far for the cast, crew, and himself to the dangerous limits throughout the shoot, and, according to SyFy, he almost died on set.

Deliverance (1972)

Few movies capture a sense of dread and danger better than Deliverance, and it sounds like what happened behind the scenes was just as terrifying as anything featured in the 1972 thriller. Between Jon Voight almost dying performing a stunt, fistfights on set, and run-ins with the locals, a lot went wrong.

Alien 3 (1992)

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood, but the man behind Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network had a bad start in the business thanks to the disastrous Alien 3. Fincher has been vocal about the production woes in the past, which could be attributed to a revolving door of creatives and a studio not knowing what it wanted.

World War Z (2013)

Have you ever watched World War Z and wondered why the final act of the 2013 Brad Pitt zombie movie feels like it has nothing in common with everything that led to that point? Well, that’s because the final third of the movie was completely rewritten and reshot.

Roar (1981)

Watch the Roar trailer and it shouldn’t take long to figure out why this 1981 cult classic is on the list. During the production of this wild creature feature, 70 crew members were injured by real-life lions, with some getting gangrene and puncture wounds.

American History X (1998)

It wasn’t so much the production of American History X that was the disaster as it was the post-production work. According to The Independent, director Tony Kaye, who was upset with New Line Cinema for making him recut and lengthen the film, ended up punching a wall and breaking his hand during the editing before going on a crusade to bad-mouth his film and having his name removed from the credits.

Tootsie (1982)

Going off an excerpt from David McGiffert’s The Best Seat in the House (via The Wrap), it sounds like Dustin Hoffman was just as difficult to work with as his character in Tootsie. In his book, the assistant director goes into great detail about the confrontations between Hoffman and director Sydney Pollack, which really adds to their characters’ scenes together.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Before all the Justice League brouhaha in the years that followed, the DCEU gave the world Suicide Squad, a movie pieced together by so many different parties it’s unnecessarily complex and hard to follow. Years later, director David Ayer still gets crap for the movie.

Some of these movies are cinematic masterpieces, while others have been largely forgotten to the sands of time. However, they all have something in common: they all had disastrous productions.

Alright, let’s have a chat. Say that you’re on a date, hanging out with friends, or maybe you’re just on your own, and the desire to watch a horror movie arises. You’re scared at first because you’ve never watched a horror movie; you don’t know how you’ll react to them. Are they all as terrifying as Midsommar and Hereditary seem to be?

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting. 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films. 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old (2021)

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

All of us have those influential movie theater experiences that define who we are going forward, but I have to say, Christian Slater has a particularly good story on the subject. The actor, who has famously played some of the most Gen X movie characters over the years, told CinemaBlend that he actually witnessed Jaws on the big screen at the age of five. That’s right… five!

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is well-noted for being thought of as one of the best of the best in filmmaking, with Quentin Tarantino once dubbing it the “greatest movie ever made” to our own podcast, ReelBlend. Here’s Christian Slater’s experience with the iconic shark flick:

As Slater shared, he doesn’t think his mother really had any idea what they were about to witness with Jaws when she took her young son to the movie theater at the time. The actor spoke about the memory while we chatted with the actor about influential movies to him over the years. Here’s what else he said:

Like so many kids who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s like Christian Slater, he got to witness a golden age of Steven Spielberg films! The actor spoke on the subject while promoting his latest role in The Spiderwick Chronicles, which is now streaming for free on The Roku Channel. The fantasy series geared toward kids is based on the book series of the same name and has Slater playing the villainous ogre Mulgarath.

The Spiderwick Chronicles series was originally produced by Disney+ before the streaming service decided not to move forward with it (after it had been filmed), and Roku ended up saving it for their platform. The series follows a trio of siblings who move into their ancestral home, only to find an invisible world of magical creatures inside and surrounding it. One has to wonder if one of Slater’s own roles will and has been one child’s early experience with storytelling as Jaws was his with the moviegoing experience!

Along with Slater’s leading role in The Spiderwick Chronicles, the actor is also part of Netflix’s Unfrosted, which is the story of how Pop-Tarts toaster pastries were invented. He stars in the movie alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, James Marsden, Max Greenfield, Dan Levy, Hugh Grant and more. The movie will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription on May 3.

Theme Parks are magic because of the way they can bring characters and worlds from our favorite movies to life, but no place is that connection to the movie world as real as it is at Universal Studios Hollywood. With the theme park attached to Universal Pictures, the iconic Studio Tour has been taking guests into the backlot and allowing them to see how movies and TV are truly made for 60 years. Today USH announced several new additions and returning classic elements to celebrate the Studio Tour anniversary, including the return of an iconic shark.

Beginning April 26, Universal Studios Hollywood will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Studio Tour with new Glamour Trams, decorated in the classic red and white stripes of decades past. Those Glamour Trams will then visit newly renovated areas, like the classic “Earthquake” section, which has been running as part of the Studio Tour since 1989, but has been recently updated with modern technology and brand-new aesthetics. I’ll admit, if it no longer looks almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a San Francisco BART Station, I’ll be disappointed. 

The Back to the Future DeLorean, alongside a Dr. Emmett Brown character, will be part of the Courthouse Square set on the backlot area, similar to the way that Norman Bates often stalks visitors near the Psycho set. Guests will also be treated to a classic Studio Tour effect, the Runaway Train sequence, where a locomotive barrels toward the tram. This hasn’t been seen since sometime in the mid-1980s. 

But my favorite new addition of something old has to be the return of Bruce. Back in 1975 a massive Jaws shark, hanging from its tail, was put on display for visitors to Universal Studios to take a picture with. The original shark was replaced in 1990, but the replacement itself disappeared a few years ago. As part of the 60th anniversary, Universal says the “original hanging Jaws shark” will be back as part of the tour, and guests will have the opportunity to step off the tram and see it.

Guests will also be able to step off the tram to see an original 1964 Glamour Tram and a new King Kong backdrop. There will also be a scaled replica of the classic Hollywood sign, which has been created in partnership with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Sign Trust. The Hollywood sign is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year as well. Maybe they can get Taylor Swift to perform at this one.

While the Universal Studio Tour is taking a step into the past this year, it was been progressing toward the future in other important ways. The fleet of trams is currently in the middle of a conversion to electric vehicles which improves the Studio Tour significantly. I’m excited to check out.

There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Universal Studios Hollywood. A new Fast and Furious roller coaster is currently under construction. Rumors persist that the first USH hotel may be on its way.

We know that it is customary to root for the more resourceful and heroic horror movie characters, but there have been a number of times when we could not help but feel sympathy for the maniacs and monsters they came at odds with. You could even argue that what makes some of the best horror movies so great is when they involve an antagonist whom you can actually identify with, or at least have some understanding of why they became the way they are. 

Now, to be clear, we are in no way justifying the heinous and horrifying actions of any of these iconic horror movie villains, but by taking a deeper look at their back stories, you may never be able to see them in quite the same light (or, more accurately, darkness) again.

Carrie White (Carrie)

In Brian DePalma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, Sissy Spacek's title character uses her telepathic powers to cause an explosive massacre on prom night. However, after facing unwarranted torment from her merciless classmates, constant judgment from her fanatical mother, and getting pig blood poured on her on stage, it is easy to interpret her as the hero of the story.

John “Jigsaw” Kramer (Saw)

Despite the deadly nature of his homemade traps, it is not really John Kramer's (Tobin Bell) intention to actually kill anyone in the Saw movies. The terminally ill criminal — otherwise known as Jigsaw — wants to give his "subjects" a new appreciation for life by bringing them dangerously close to death.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday The 13th)

Jason Voorhees drowned to death in Crystal Lake because his camp counselors were too busy indulging in debauchery. Therefore, while there are better answers than violence, you cannot blame his mother, Pamela (Betsy Palmer), for attempting to put an end to such behaviors in the original Friday the 13th.

Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13th Movies)

As we discover in Friday the 13th Part 2, Jason Voorhees never actually died (Or was resurrected as immortal, maybe?), but is still mad about his counselors' neglect. Throw in the fact that his mother is dead — at the hands of another teen — and he has more than enough reason to be Camp Crystal Lake's worst nightmare.

Sam (Trick 'R Treat)

Not enough people see Halloween as the sacred time of year it deserves to be treated as — a mistake that Sam (Quinn Lord) intends to correct in the 2007 cult favorite anthology, Trick 'r Treat. The mischievous trick-r-treater may go a little too far in his attempts to teach people a lesson in honoring All Hallow's Eve traditions, but his passion for the holiday is unmatched and, for that, we believe he should be recognized as its official mascot.

Pale Man (Pan's Labyrinth)

Who likes to share food anyway? Doug Jones' grotesque ghoul from Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth certainly does not, as seen from when he catches Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) stealing some of his grapes.

The Mother (Barbarian)

In Zach Cregger's 2022 horror favorite, Barbarian, Georgina Campbell's Tess discovers her accidentally double-booked Airbnb is also hiding a revolting mutant woman (Matthew Patrick Davis) who takes her prisoner. When you think about it, though, she was born into a world of isolation and abuse and grew up to be the kind of person who just wants someone to care for (hence the credited name of "The Mother"), which is an undeniably admirable quality to have.

The Facility (The Cabin In The Woods)

Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins' characters in the clever horror-comedy movie classic, The Cabin in the Woods, work for an organization tasked with preventing the apocalypse. It is not their fault that the only solution is letting deadly creatures loose on a group of five young, archetypical vacationers to appease the gods.

The Thing (The Thing)

In director John Carpenter’s 1982 paranoia-driven alien invasion movie classic, The Thing, a group of researchers are forced to question which one of them is still human when a shape-shifting alien infiltrates their base in the arctic. While the creature’s imitation of multiple characters does suggest that its ultimate goal very likely could could have been a global takeover, at the end of the day, it seems that it just wanted to survive. Quite often, the most effective method is blending in.

Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street)

Anyone who has seen director Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (or the Broadway musical it is based on) knows that Johnny Depp's titular hairdresser is not just some natural born killer. He was falsely convicted of a terrible crime by a judge (Alan Rickman) who wanted to steal his wife, leading him down a vengeful path.

The Shark (Jaws)

Like any animal, a shark has to eat and, sometimes, humans just happen to be around when the aquatic apex predator from Jaws is hungry. In fact, as many fans of Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster agree, the story's true villain is the greedy Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who keeps Amity Island's beach open despite the warning signs.

Queen Xenomorph (Aliens)

Out of all the different Xenomorph variations seen in the Alien movies, few would disagree that the Queen is the most terrifying by her appearance alone. Yet, how truly threatening is she when unprovoked? In 1986’s Aliens, she is merely minding her own business laying some eggs until Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), after rescuing Newt (Carrie Henn), takes a flamethrower to her children. Would that not get you pretty riled up?

Daniel Robitaille (Candyman)

Tony Todd's titular urban legend from Candyman was savagely murdered over his romance with a white woman, igniting a vengeful fury that allowed him to live beyond death. The Clive Barker-inspired 1992 thriller's themes of racial discrimination were expanded upon in the 2021 requel, which suggests that people who die unjustly are resurrected as part of the "hive."

Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction)

They say that love makes people do crazy things, even boiling the pet rabbit belonging to the family of the man you had a one-time fling with. Of course, you could argue that Manhattan editor Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) was already mentally unstable before crossing paths with Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) in 1987's Fatal Attraction, but the married lawyer should have known better than to toy with a woman’s feelings in the first place.

The Tethered (Us)

Jordan Peele’s 2019 thriller, Us, comments on classism, as represented by The Tethered — a group of people who really want nothing more than to live a life of their own beyond their underground home, like they surface-dwellers they resemble and have been forced to mimic. Not to mention, the central antagonist, Red (Lupita Nyong'o), absolutely deserves her revenge, given what we discover about her true identity at the end.

Kevin Wendell Crumb (Split)

In M. Night Shyamalan’s 2016 hit, Split, James McAvoy gives a transcendent performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb, who takes three teenage girls captive in his home. However, the real Kevin — a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder — actually had nothing to do with the kidnapping, which was really orchestrated by the more villainous personalities living inside him that manifested out of him being subjected to years of abuse.

Stitches (Stitches)

It is very rare to find a creepy clown movie with a sympathetic antagonist, but the horrifying harlequin from the Irish slasher, Stitches, comes closest. It stars comedian Ross Noble in the title role — a birthday clown who falls prey to a fatal joke and, years later, returns to exact revenge on the pranksters who caused his death.

Belial Bradley (Basket Case)

The grossly deformed Belial was separated from his twin brother, Duane (Kevin VanHentenryck), against his will, forcing him to be kept hidden in a basket — hence the title of Frank Henenlotter’s 1982 cult classic, Basket Case. If the doctors who performed the procedure had respected the siblings' wishes to remain conjoined, they would still be alive.

Winslow Leach (Phantom Of The Paradise)

In Brian DePalma's 1974 musical horror comedy movie, Phantom of the Paradise, Winslow Leach (William Finley) is a talented musician whose compositions are stolen by record producer Swan (Paul Williams). After an attempt to stop the situation leaves his face disfigured, he is forced to haunt Swan's concert hall, the Paradise, where he seeks vengeance against him.

Alex Hammond (Prom Night)

One of the few teen slashers with a somewhat sympathetic villain is Prom Night, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis and follows a group of teens targeted by a masked killer during the big school dance. Their assailant is actually Alex Hammond (Michael Tough), who wishes to punish the teens in question for causing the death of his sister years earlier.

Clover (Cloverfield)

Imagine being a lonely, helpless, confused child prematurely woken up from a nap. It seems that a temper tantrum would be the natural response, right? Well, according the creators of 2008's found footage horror favorite, Cloverfield, that is the reason why New York falls prey to a strange monster, and not for any malicious intent.

Herbert West (Re-Animator)

While we do not particularly agree with the idea of cheating death, the idea of giving people a second chance at life or the chance of a longer life is an admirable goal. Thus, we cannot deny that Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) created his resurrection serum with good intentions in Re-Animator.

Eva Galli (Ghost Story)

In 1979's Ghost Story, four elderly men are reminded of a terrible mistake from decades earlier when they become a acquainted with a woman named Alma Mobley (Alice Krige). However, they come to realize that Alma is really the spirit of Eva Galli — a woman from their past who has returned to avenge her death.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man)

At the infamous, shocking conclusion of 1973's The Wicker Man, we discover that Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) was duped into coming to Summerisle as a sacrifice for the island’s crops. While the idea of murder magically benefitting agriculture is obviously ridiculous, we can at least admire the community's leader, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) for going to far lengths for the sake of his people, even if his methods are horribly misguided.

Laura Barns (Unfriended)

In the surprisingly scary "video call horror" favorite Unfriended, a group of teens hanging out over Skype are taunted and killed one by one by an unwanted visitor.  It turns out to be the vengeful spirit of Laura Barns — a student who took her life after they embarrassed her with a viral video a year earlier.

Anton Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)

One of the most overlooked characters played by horror icon Vincent Price is the tile role of The Abominable Dr. Phibes, who seeks revenge on the doctors responsible for his wife's untimely death. To punish them, he takes inspiration from the Bible, setting rats, locusts, and other unusual curses on them.

Angela Baker (Sleepaway Camp)

After losing his father and sister in a skiing accident, Peter Baker was sent to live with his aunt, who forcibly raised him as her daughter under the name of his dead sibling, Angela. When "Angela" (Felissa Rose) was sent to the eponymous Sleepaway Camp, her fellow campers' merciless torment and inappropriate advances by some adult employees was the final straw, driving her to murder.

Victor Crowley (Hatchet)

While we are certainly not justifying the sadistic, indiscriminate murder streak of Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), we cannot help but feel a bit bad for the antagonist of 2006’s Hatchet and its sequels. Because of his grotesque facial deformity, he was hidden from the public against his will until the day he died and was resurrected as an undead vessel of vengeance.

Rusty Nail (Joy Ride)

In 2001’s Joy Ride, Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski’s characters are stalked by a mysterious trucker referred to as Rusty Nail after pranking him over a CB radio. In Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, another group of travelers feel his wrath after stealing a car from his house. In Joy Ride 3: Roadkill, he is lured by a young couple intending to rob him. In conclusion, this killer trucker only messes with people who mess with him first.

Willard (Willard)

Bruce Davison plays the title character of 1971’s Willard — a lonely, poorly treated young man who finds unexpected kinship in a litter of rats. When his cruel boss (Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine) ends up killing one of his new friends, named Socrates, he and an army of furry vermin retaliate.

Mama (Mama)

The eponymous, mysterious entity from 2013's Mama becomes the guardian to two young girls she saved from their own father, until they are discovered in the woods and taken in by their aunt and uncle five years later. So, it makes perfect sense that "Mama" would feel her adoptive children were stolen from her and want them back.

May Dove Canady (May)

Due to her awkward personality and lazy eye, the titular character from May, played by Angela Bettis, had no friends but a twisted doll named Suzie, until she becomes broken. We cannot blame her for wanting to find a replacement for Suzie, even though her solution is creating a new friend out of an assembly of human body parts.

Next time you watch a horror movie, instead of immediately writing off the villain as irredeemable, try to see things from their perspective. However, we also recommend trying to deal with your own problems in a calmer and more mature manner, as well.

Instead of the alternating three-note theme song, would Steven Spielberg’s Jaws have been such a great horror film with a short-but-eerie show tune, or just some over-the-top creepy effects thrown together instead? I don’t even want to begin imagining it. The theme song worked so well to create fear around the monster shark, and for almost half a century, it has become synonymous with suspense. What’s even scarier is the fact the iconic theme almost wasn’t used by Spielberg. Thankfully, John Williams, who has composed other scores in various Spielberg flicks along with the Jaws motif, was able to save the day.

Williams recently described the initial conversation he had with Spielberg when he revealed the theme, and there was one thing about it that turned the director off: it’s simplicity. Practically all of Spielberg’s best movies are larger than life, and if they’re not overwhelming visually, they have emotion-driven storylines that can leave viewers teary eyed. So, it’s easy to see why he thought the minimalistic theme couldn’t keep pace with the epic-ness and danger of Jaws. 

According to Variety, Williams made Spielberg have a change of heart by bringing the three notes to life through an orchestra, showing how terrifying simplicity can truly be. Here’s what the famed composer had to say:

Spielberg has previously confirmed the Jaws theme story, saying he had expected to hear something "almost like outer space under the water." Instead, he got three notes. 

Williams went on to talk about the cultural significance of the boom boom boom, mentioning that if he plays it, audiences laugh, and that “it’s become camp.” Of course, he means this in the best way. It’s something that so many people have grown up with that it’s become ingrained in generations. In fact, it’s probably safe to assume babies are born knowing the Jaws theme before anything else!

Besides Jaws, Williams has not and will not stop making amazing scores for movies. His most recent creation is the score for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which Indy fans got to preview early. He’s also been in charge of the scores for nine of the Star Wars movies, which have ranked as some of the best of the franchise. As long as he continues creating and conducting, we’re guaranteed to have scores with the magic only he’s been able to create.

There are some horror movie characters — including some of the scariest villains or even the resourceful heroes they chase after — who are so well defined by the performances that brought them to life, that you cannot imagine any other actor in the role. However, history shows that things could have gone differently had other actors previously considered landed the part instead. Take a look at just how different some of the all-time best horror movies could have been by sifting through some of the fascinating and surprising examples of actors who came close to becoming horror movie icons — including some who did earn that title in other ways.

Kane Hodder (Freddy Krueger In A Nightmare On Elm Street)

As Kane Hodder revealed during ShudderFest’s Horror Royalty panel in 2020 (via Yahoo), before he played Jason Voorhees, Wes Craven considered him to play Freddy Krueger before Robert Englund joined the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast. However, at the end of the ninth Friday the 13th movie, that's actually Hodder's arm wearing Krueger’s claw pulling Jason's mask underground, meaning the actor got to play both roles after all.

Drew Barrymore (Sydney Prescott In Scream)

Seeing an A-lister like Drew Barrymore die in the opening scene of Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher revival was one of horror cinema’s greatest surprises since Janet Leigh’s death in Psycho, just as the actor predicted. Barrymore revealed on Hot Ones that she was offered Sydney Prescott, the lead role of the original Scream cast, but requested to play Casey Becker instead, knowing it would shock the audience.

Christopher Lee (Dr. Loomis In Halloween)

An undisputed Scream King for playing Dracula and starring in other classics like The Wicker Man, Christopher Lee's influence could have cast a wider net with a role in Halloween. According to The Digital Fix, he later said he regretted the chance to star in John Carpenter's seminal 1978 slasher as Dr. Sam Loomis, which was ultimately given to Donald Pleasence.

Bela Lugosi (The Creature In Frankenstein)

Following his success in the title role of 1931’s Dracula, Bela Lugosi was given the chance to play another legendary Universal Monster in that year’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. According to The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi by Arthur Lennig (via SlashFilm), the actor believed such a grotesque, inarticulate creature was “beneath him,” giving Boris Karloff the chance to embody Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s creation.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Patrick Bateman In American Psycho)

Christian Bale once told GQ that every role he has played was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio and one accurate example is Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, as Vice’s oral history recalls. Legend has it Gloria Steinem (Bale’s stepmother, coincidentally) convinced DiCaprio that playing the sadistic investment banker would hurt his post-Titanic reputation, but he later told The Morning Call that he passed because felt the script “didn’t mean anything in the end.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Predator In Predator)

The late, 7’2” Kevin Peter Hall played the titular extra-terrestrial hunter in 1987’s Predator and its first sequel, but the original actor chosen for the role was actually the 5’6” Jean-Claude Van Damme. As detailed in oral history by THR, the future Belgian action movie star quit because he did not want to be hidden in the costume, which resembled a large insect at the time.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Regan MacNeil In The Exorcist)

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween made Jamie Lee Curtis one of the first and all-time greatest Scream Queens, but her years as horror royalty apparently could have started earlier. The Oscar winner told EW that a producer for The Exorcist asked her mother, Psycho’s Janet Leigh if the then-13-year-old could audition to play the possessed Regan MacNeil. Leigh refused on her daughter’s behalf and the role ultimately went to Linda Blair.

Will Poulter (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Bill Skarsgård made one of modern cinema’s scariest horror villains out of his portrayal of Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It. However, as director Andy Muschietti told Deadline that year, he had, at one point, spoken to Will Poulter about the possibility of succeeding Tim Curry as the clownish, shape-shifting entity until the future Midsommar star became “slowly disengaged” from the dark role.  

Jack Nicholson (Father Damien Karras In The Exorcist)

Before playing Jack Torrance in The Shining made him horror royalty, Jack Nicholson read for the role of Father Damien Karras in 1973’s The Exorcist before it went to Jason Miller. At the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival, director William Friedkin said the Oscar winner came up to him and Ellen Burstyn at a restaurant asking to be considered, to which the filmmaker responded, “Jack, if I show you in a priest collar, the whole audience is gonna go up.”

Bette Midler (Annie Wilkes In Misery)

Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning performance as Annie Wilkes is a key reason why Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery is such a classic. However, the role of the nurse with a morbid obsession over her captive guest, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan), was previously offered to Bette Midler, who told Variety that the character’s violent, unfunny, and irredeemable qualities turned her away from it.

Jeff Bridges (Matt Hooper In Jaws)

When speaking to Vanity Fair about the making of Jaws, Steven Spielberg shared that Richard Dreyfuss was not his first choice to play shark expert Matt Hooper. One of his initial candidates was Jeff Bridges, whose closest contributions to the horror genre have included 1976’s King Kong, Terry Gilliam’s Tideland, and R.I.P.D.

Emma Stone (Margot In The Menu) 

In director Mark Mylod’s 2022 horror-comedy, The Menu, Anya Taylor-Joy plays Margot, one of several guests at an exclusive dinner run by an unhinged chef played by Ralph Fiennes. According to The Film Stage, Taylor-Joy actually stepped in as a replacement for Oscar winner Emma Stone, who was cast in the role was Alexander Payne was attached to direct.

Slim Pickens (Dick Hallorann In The Shining) 

You could argue that the heart and soul (and a few endearing qualities) of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining is Scatman Crothers’ performance as Dick Hallorann. According to Screen Rant, the musician was not actually the first choice to play the Overlook Hotel’s head chef, which was offered to Slim Pickens, who previously worked with Kubrick on Dr. Strangelove and said he would only take the role if his scenes could be done in fewer than 100 takes.

Alice Cooper (Pennywise in Stephen King's It) 

Before Bill Skarsgård, the definitive image of Pennywise was that of Tim Curry, who was actually just one of several actors considered to play the embodiment of fear in the miniseries adaptation of It from 1990. Perhaps the most fascinating name tossed around, according to THR, was rock star Alice Cooper, who has dabbled in horror on the big screen (such as when he played Freddy Krueger’s father in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) and in his music.

Haley Lu Richardson (Dani Ardor In Midsommar)

After appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, Haley Lu Richardson passed on the opportunity to lead another disturbing movie called Midsommar, which turned out to be one of the best A24 horror movies in the eyes of many. She told Backstage in 2023 that she did not have to courage to watch it yet, but has nothing but praise for Florence Pugh, who ultimately did play Dani Ador in Ari Aster’s sinister sophomore effort from 2019.

Al Pacino (Hannibal Lecter In The Silence Of The Lambs)

While Brian Cox first played Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, Anthony Hopkins’ became the most recognizable iteration with his Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs. However, Jodie Foster revealed to Deadline that there were a few American actors considered to play the cannibalistic criminal psychologist in the Best Picture Oscar winner, including Al Pacino.

Michael Cera (Cole Sear In The Sixth Sense)

When talking to Esquire, Michael Cera recalled auditioning to play Cole Sear in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense without realizing the character was a medium. Upon seeing the thriller, when watching the scene he read for, he noticed how Haley Joel Osment played it very sorrowfully instead of the upbeat and optimistic vibe the future Arrested Development star was going for.

Tilda Swinton (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Her chameleonic talents — best seen in her unrecognizable turn in 2018’s Suspiria remake — have us convinced that Tilda Swinton could have played Pennywise. Indeed, the Academy Award winner’s name was brought up as a possible choice for the fear-devouring clown in 2017’s It, as Andy Muschietti confirmed to Vanity Fair after a journalist jokingly mentioned her.

Sharon Tate (Rosemary Woodhouse In Rosemary's Baby) 

The title role of 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby — a woman who grows suspicious of her new neighbors after becoming pregnant — skyrocketed Mia Farrow into movie stardom. Before Farrow was cast, according to Vanity Fair, writer and director Roman Polanski’s own wife, Sharon Tate, fought hard to play the role herself.

Helen Mirren (Ellen Ripley In Alien)

In an interview with Vulture, Helen Mirren recalls reading the script for Alien and not being able to tell if Ripley, or any of the characters, were male or female. The future Academy Award winner would audition for Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic, but the role of Ripley ended up going to Sigourney Weaver.

Chris Evans (Dan Torrance In Doctor Sleep)

Despite making a cameo in Doctor Sleep, The Shining’s original Danny Torrance, Danny Lloyd, is a former child star who no longer acts, which is why Ewan McGregor assumed the role for Mike Flanagan’s 2019 sequel. The filmmaker confirmed on his personal Tumblr account that, before the Emmy-winner was cast, one of the actors he met with was the MCU’s Steve Rogers, Chris Evans.

Shelley Winters (Pamela Voorhees In Friday The 13th)

While the Friday the 13th movies’ centerpiece slasher is Jason Voorhees, the main antagonist of the 1980 original was his vengeful mother, Pamela, played by Betsy Palmer. David Grove, author of On Location in Blairstown: The Making of Friday the 13th, told EW that one of the actors previously discussed to play the iconic female horror movie villain was Shelley Winters, best known for her Oscar-winning performances in The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue, and her nominated role in disaster epic, The Poseidon Adventure.

Tobey Maguire (Alex Browning In Final Destination)

On director Jeffrey Reddick’s wish list for the Final Destination cast, he wanted the lead to be Tobey Maguire, who was cast in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man just two years later. However, as the filmmaker shared with Den of Geek, New Line Cinema was not convinced by the choice, which led Devon Sawa to ultimately take the part of Alex Browning.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Clarice Starling In The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Oscar for playing intrepid FBI trainee Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, but the part was previously offered to Michell Pfeiffer. The actor told The New Yorker that the “evil” in the film made her nervous, but she does regret turning down the opportunity to reunite with her Married to the Mob director, Jonathan Demme.

Freddie Prinze Jr. (Billy Loomis In Scream)

In an interview with Dread Central, Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed that he and Skeet Ulrich were the final two candidates to play Billy Loomis in 1996’s Scream before the vengeful murderer role ultimately went to the latter. At least Prinze Jr. got to work with writer Kevin Williamson on another teen slasher favorite, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the following year.

John Lithgow (Seth Brundle In The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum gave one of his best performances as half-man, half-insect Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg’s 1988 remake of The Fly. Before he was cast, however, the role was offered to Goldblum’s The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension co-star John Lithgow who told In Magazine (via IndieWire) that he “didn’t want to play something so grotesque.”

Johnny Depp (The Invisible Man In The Invisible Man) 

In 2016, The Wrap reported that Johnny Depp was up to star in the title role of a modern reimagining of The Invisible Man. That was until the immediate failure of the Dark Universe convinced Universal to go in a different direction with its monstrous properties, allowing Leigh Whannell to introduce his own modern interpretation of H.G. Wells’ classic thriller.

Drew Barrymore (Carol Anne Freeling In Poltergeist) 

Drew Barrymore broke through at age 7 with her role in E.T. the Extra-terrestrial, but she actually met Steven Spielberg when auditioning for another film. She recalled to Ellen Degeneres how she was considered for, but ultimately not given the role of Carol Anne (which did go to Heather O’Rourke) in 1982’s haunted house classic, Poltergeist.

Lee Marvin (Quint In Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play Quint in Jaws was actually Lee Marvin, but the Oscar winner (for 1965’s Cat Ballou) was not interested, as the filmmaker recalled to Vanity Fair. Thus, the role of the intrepid shark hunter was given to Oscar nominee Robert Shaw.

Anne Lockhart (Laurie Strode In Halloween)

It is impossible to imagine other than Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode — the one Haddonfield babysitter who survives Michael Myers’ killing streak in the original Halloween. However, according to Biography, one of co-writer and director John Carpenter’s first choices was Anne Lockhart of Battlestar Galactica fame before she passed on the role.

Jodie Foster (Margaret White In 2013's Carrie)

As Vulture reported in 2012, Jodie Foster was approached to star alongside Chloe Grace Moretz in a remake of Carrie as the titular telekinetic’s overbearing mother, Margaret White. The part ultimately went to Julianne Moore, who, coincidentally, was Foster's replacement to play Clarice Starling in 2000's Hannibal.

Kirsten Dunst (Clear Rivers In Final Destination)

As Final Destination director Jeffrey Reddick shared with Den of Geek, he had a wish list for the unique 2000 horror flick’s cast that included Kirsten Dunst as Clear Rivers. Instead, that role would end up going to Ali Larter, who came back for Final Destination 2.

We would honestly love to peek into an alternate universe in which one of these actors got the iconic horror movie role they were up for, just to see how creepy it might have turned out.

There was a time when seeing iconic horror movie villains such as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees slashing up young, defenseless civilians was the genre’s main draw. However, these days, audiences have come to better appreciate the Scream Queens and Scream Kings who know how to hold their own against the likes of masked killers, vicious extraterrestrials, mischievous demons, and more. With that in mind, let’s take a minute to shine the spotlight on the clever and courageous heroes from the best horror movies of all time and point out what makes them worth rooting for.

Ash Williams (The Evil Dead Movies) 

The Ash we meet in 1981's The Evil Dead is completely in over his head, struggling desperately to defend himself against his possessed friends in whatever way he can find. However, by the end of 1987's Evil Dead II, when he replaces his severed hand with a working chainsaw, Bruce Campbell's most iconic role becomes one of the horror genre's grooviest heroes… even if he is prone to a few flubs and mishaps here and there.

Laurie Strode (Halloween) 

Out of all of the babysitters working in Haddonfield on All Hallow’s Eve, Laurie Strode is the only one who manages to survive the escaped Michael Myers' killing streak in 1978's Halloween. The young woman’s courage and avoidance of distracting vices in John Carpenter's quintessential slasher made the character the ultimate “final girl” and Jamie Lee Curtis the quintessential Scream Queen.

Ben (Night Of The Living Dead) 

Duane Jones made history as the first Black actor to play the lead hero in a horror movie with his role in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Ben is the one character in George A. Romero's groundbreaking thriller who manages to keep a level head when struggling to survive against hungry reanimated corpses.

Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street) 

Played by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy Thompson certainly takes a little while to figure out how to defeat the subconscious-haunting Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund) in writer and director Wes Craven’s supernatural slasher classic. Near the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street, when she realizes that bringing him into reality is the key, she turns the tables on him with a series of elaborate traps that predate Home Alone.

Ellen Ripley (Alien) 

Sigourney Weaver’s career-defining role of Ellen Ripley became the sole survivor of  1979’s Alien and, as a result, one of the most inspirational female heroes in horror movie history. Her previous experience contending with the Xenomorph provided her with the resilience and wherewithal to ensure there would be more survivors in 1986’s Aliens, making her one of the greatest female action heroes of all time.

Sidney Prescott (Scream) 

When you have been targeted by masked killers as many times as Sidney Prescott, you tend to pick up on a few helpful tips and tricks for survival. Even before the original Ghostface first struck in 1996's Scream, the tragic murder of her mother a year prior prompted Neve Campbell's character to be prepared for such things.

R.J. MacReady (The Thing) 

Easily one of Kurt Russell's best roles is R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing. The pilot brings a well-conceived, no-nonsense approach to weeding out who among his fellow researchers is a shape-shifting alien in disguise while stranded at their outpost in the Arctic.

Elise Rainier (Insidious)

When your house (or, maybe, your child) is haunted, the first person you should call is someone with a direct line to the afterlife, such as Lin Shaye's Elise Rainier from the Insidious movies. The medium comes to the Lambert Family's aid after young, unwitting astral traveler Dalton (Ty Simpkins) flies too far into "The Further" — a spiritual realm she named herself.

Chris Washington (Get Out)

Jordan Peele made a point to have a protagonist capable of making intelligent decisions for his Oscar-winning directorial debut, Get Out. He achieved that goal beautifully with Daniel Kaluuya's Chris Washington, with his adept suspicions of unusual circumstances and ingenious plan to escape the Armitage Family’s clutches.

Grace (Ready Or Not) 

Samara Weaving's newlywed in Radio Silence's breakthrough hit, Ready or Not, proves to be an ideal Hide-and-Seek player when her in-laws forced her to play it to the death as part of a matrimonial ritual. While she does get spotted a few times, it is in those moments when Grace also proves to be quite the fighter.

Dutch (Predator) 

Even the biggest fans of the Predator movies seem to forget that, when it comes to defeating the cunning, titular extraterrestrial, being the toughest, strongest, and best marksman is nowhere near as important as being the smartest. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the 1987 original) realizes this after becoming the last of his crew and taking him on with old-school hunting tactics.

Sienna Shaw (Terrifier 2) 

Played by Lauren LaVera, the hero of Damien Leone's sequel to his shockingly brutal, old-school slasher throwback, Terrifier, is not just a final girl by circumstance. As foretold in artwork crafted by her late father, it is Sienna Shaw's destiny to cross paths with and defeat the sadistic Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).

Clarice Starling (The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Academy Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Her role as Clarice Starling — an FBI trainee seeking help from a manipulative, cannibalistic psychiatrist (played by Anthony Hopkins) — is one of the most intelligent and inspirational heroes in cinematic history, regardless of whether or not you want to call the Best Picture Oscar winner "horror."

Casey Cooke (Split, Glass) 

In M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, it eventually becomes known that Casey Cooke's calm demeanor and resourcefulness when she and her friends are kidnapped by a DID patient (James McAvoy) are the result of years of abuse from her uncle. Her trauma also allows Anya Taylor-Joy's character to have a unique connection with her captors' core identity, Kevin Wendell Crumb, that helps bring him back to earth in the 2019 sequel, Glass.

Randy Meeks (Scream)

The only original Scream cast member as resourceful as Sidney (if not more) is Randy Meeks, whose obsession with horror movie tropes allows him to, successfully, figure out at least one of Ghostface's true identities. Even though Jamie Kennedy's movie buff does not survive 1997’s Scream 2, his prime suspect in that sequel also turns out to be halfway correct.

Chief Martin Brody (Jaws)

Roy Scheider's Brody is the one member of Jaws' heroic trio with the least amount of experience with sharks. Yet, he makes up for it with the courage and skill needed to rid the waters of that man-eating beast.

Erin Harson (You're Next) 

When masked assassins turn an already bitter family reunion into a bloody nightmare in You're Next, the first one to take charge (and take out these adversaries) is Sharni Vinson's Erin, who is dating one of the family members. It is later revealed that she was trained for situations like this when she was a child, having grown up on her father's survivalist compound.

Peter Washington (Dawn of the Dead)

In the midst of the apocalypse, there is no one better to have in your crew than a member of SWAT, like Peter Washington. Ken Foree's role in George A. Romero’s 1978 zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead, is not only a master at slaying zombies, but a devoted survivalist and clever strategist.

Mindy Meeks-Martin (Scream, Scream VI) 

Like uncle, like niece. You would not be able to tell that Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) never got to meet the slain Randy based on how remarkably similar she is to him, particularly in her wide range of horror movie knowledge that proves to be very beneficial for the Scream franchise's new generation of targets.

Dr. Sam Loomis (Halloween) 

In Halloween, Laurie Strode manages to defend herself against Michael Myers, but is unable to expect when, where, and how he might strike — unlike the killer's psychiatrist. Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis is not necessarily one step ahead of his former patient, but is not too many steps behind him either, and there might have been fewer casualties in Haddonfield if more people actually accepted his advisement.

Marty (The Cabin In The Woods) 

Fran Kranz's character in the 2012 horror-comedy movie favorite The Cabin in the Woods, Marty, is chosen to represent the "Fool" archetype by The Organization, but they largely misjudged him. He is the first among his vacationing friends to pick up on the strange circumstances surrounding them and call them out on poor decisions often made in less self-aware horror movies.

Maddie Young (Hush) 

In Mike Flanagan's Hush, when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) discovers his target, Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), is deaf, he takes advantage of that fact to intimidate, manipulate, and trap her in her secluded home. What he does not expect is that, as an author, she possesses a sharp analytical mind that keeps her one step ahead of her adversary.

Naru (Prey) 

In Dan Trachtenberg's 2022 Predator prequel, Prey, Amber Midthunder's aspiring Comanche warrior, Naru, proves her worth as a hunter by besting the greatest hunter in the universe. Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch from the original classic, she manages to take out the hulking extra-terrestrial with her wits.

The Janitor (Willy's Wonderland) 

Similarities between 2020's Willy’s Wonderland and the popular Five Nights at Freddy’s series are allegedly coincidental, but there are some audiences who believe that said recent underrated horror movie is a better cinematic counterpart than Blumhouse’s official feature adaptation. The reason is that Nicolas Cage's silent, unnamed drifter manages to absolutely lay waste to a rundown family entertainment center's evil-possessed animatronics with his bare hands, all while cleaning the place up to an immaculate degree and scoring big in pinball.

Tess Marshall (Barbarian) 

In 2022’s Barbarian, Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) wastes no time scoping out the strange man she finds staying in her vacation rental home (played by Bill Skarsgård) — asking for his ID, avoiding a drink he prepares for her, etc. — which is only the first sign of her wisdom. The most definitive sign is when she finds a creepy hidden room in the basement and, instead of taking a look inside, her first instinct is one big, "Nope."

Scarlett Marlowe (As Above, So Below) 

Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) proves her worth as a Final Girl hall-of-famer in one pivotal scene from the 2014 found footage favorite, As Above, So Below. She single-handedly runs all the way back through the, literally, devilish caverns she and her comrades have traveled through to find a mystical artifact that will save a man's life.

The Abbott Family (A Quiet Place) 

A post-apocalyptic world overrun with aliens that hunt by sound is the ingenious concept behind 2018’s A Quiet Place from director John Krasinski, who also stars alongside his real-life wife, Emily Blunt, as a family struggling to stay undetected. For the most, the Abbotts manage this pretty well with tricks like creating paths of sand for quieter walks, building a soundproof bunker for their newborn, and speaking exclusively in American Sign Language.

Lionel Cosgrove (Dead Alive) 

While initially known for his clumsiness, Lionel (Timothy Balme) proves to be a real hero in Peter Jackson's comedic classic, Dead Alive, by making mincemeat about out of a zombie horde with a makeshift lawnmower. What an ingenious idea!

Sang-hwa (Train To Busan)

It is no wonder Don Lee went on to star in Marvel's Eternals cast after playing Sang-hwa in Train to Busan. Fewer characters might have survived the onboard outbreak in the South Korean zombie movie favorite if not for his remarkable skills as a strategist and a bare-knuckle brawler.

Cecelia Kass (The Invisible Man) 

Writer and director Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man is an ingenious modernization of H.G. Wells’ novel for multiple reasons — including its narrative from the perspective of the victim, and a very bright and cautious one at that. Elisabeth Moss' Cecelia Kass is one of the few horror movie characters who leaves absolutely no stone unturned in a fierce battle of wits against her adversary — in this case, her manipulative former husband, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), whom she suspects has figured out a way to stalk her without being seen.

Blade (Blade) 

What makes Blade — originally played by Wesley Snipes in his own trilogy — the ultimate vampire hunter? He technically is one himself. The Marvel Comics hero is known as a Daywalker, having been born with vampire blood and similar abilities that allow him to think just like his prey.

Tommy Jarvis (Friday The 13th Movies) 

Few of Jason Voorhees' targets have been about to successfully outsmart the hockey-masked killer like Tommy Jarvis. In his debut appearance in 1984's Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, the young man (played then by Corey Feldman) shaves his head to appear like a young Jason, disorienting the killer and giving him a clear shot to defeat him.

Tired of watching horror movies and getting frustrated over the characters’ ill-advised decisions? You shouldn’t have that problem with these characters.

How many times have you watched an incredible acting performance and looked up to see how many awards it won only to find out that the Oscar went to someone else that year? It’s shocking how many times this has happened over the years for some of the greatest actors and actresses of all time. Here are 32 times an incredible performance didn’t win an Academy Award for one reason or another.

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Though he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s name wasn’t called at the 67th Academy Awards. This is nothing against Martin Landau’s performance from Ed Wood, but Jackson’s foul-mouthed and righteous hitman is an all-time great character that should have been recognized.

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver)

Robert De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his career-defining portrayal of Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1977 psychological thriller, Taxi Driver, but the unhinged and memorable performance wasn’t enough to win Best Actor. It’s hard to be mad, as Peter Finch’s Academy Award-winning turn in Network is the stuff of legend.

Harrison Ford (Witness)

One of the best actors without an Oscar, Harrison Ford has only one Academy Award nomination to his name, the 1985 crime thriller, Witness. Though not Ford’s most iconic character, his take on Philadelphia detective John Book as he goes to great lengths to protect a young boy is nothing short of amazing.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

Morgan Freeman gave the performance of a lifetime as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption. If the movie would have come out any other time besides 1994, a year dominated by Forrest Gump, there’s a good chance the aging prisoner and accomplished smuggler would have earned Freeman an Oscar.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Bill Murray’s portrayal of cynical, washed-up actor Bob Harris in Lost in Translation will forever be one of the comedian’s most beloved roles. While Sean Penn’s performance in Mystic River is more than deserving of an Oscar, it’s a shame the iconic comedian didn’t get properly recognized for a once-in-a-decade showing.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Whoopi Goldberg showed off a more dramatic side with her lauded portrayal of Celie Harris-Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple. It’s absurd that the emotional, dynamic, and powerful performance didn’t win Goldberg a much-deserved Oscar, which went to Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful, instead.

Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List)

Schindler’s List features one of the best Ralph Fiennes performances with his portrayal of Nazi work camp commandant Amon Goeth in Steven Spielberg’s 1993-defining film. And while the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Fiennes’ unforgettable turn was not among them. Instead, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

If you’re looking for one of the best New York City movies, Tootsie has you covered. If you’re looking for a movie featuring an acting performance that should have won an Oscar but didn’t, Sydney Pollack’s 1982 comedy has you covered there as well. Seriously, how Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Michael Dorsey wasn't awarded is something we just don’t get.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington eventually won a Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable turn in Training Day, but the actor was robbed nearly a decade earlier after not winning the big prize for his take on the titular Civil Rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Florence Pugh was already a rising star at the time of Little Women’s release, but her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age drama took her to new heights. Though she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, Pugh lost out to Laura Dern from Marriage Story.

Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)

Here’s something wild to think about – Jamie Foxx not only didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Django Unchained, he wasn’t even nominated for Best Actor. Admittedly, it was a stacked list of actors – Daniel Day-Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington – but not even being named is just something.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

The Wrestler felt like Mickey Rourke’s big redemption arc, more so than the character he portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s great wrestling movie. Despite pushing himself to the breaking point from both a physical and emotional standpoint, Rourke lost out to Sean Penn’s take on Harvey Milk in Milk.

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Michael Keaton gave the performance of a lifetime in the 2014 mind-bending drama film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one that seemed to channel the actor’s past in such a way it felt like an autobiography. However, stealing the show as Riggan Thomson, a.k.a., Birdman, wasn’t enough, as the prize went to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne instead.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar on four separate occasions, but not a single win, which is something. One of the performances that deserved an Academy Award the most was that of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The portrayal of a confused high school senior on the verge of entering the next stage in her life lost out to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Tim Curry (Clue)

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Wadsworth in Clue, a butler or undercover FBI agent depending on which ending you watch, is a role that is beloved by fans of the classic murder mystery comedy. However, it wasn’t recognized at the Academy Awards or other ceremonies, which is the real crime.

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Rosamund Pike’s take on Amy Elliott-Dunne earned the sole Academy Award nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl, a nod that was more than deserved. However, the incredibly nuanced and dynamic performance failed to win the Best Actress Oscar, which went to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore instead.

Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window)

Jimmy Stewart is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors of all time and his portrayal of L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the his top-tier performances. However, his take on an injured photographer who uncovers a murder mystery didn’t even get a nod at the Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Kate Winslet gave one of her most powerful and unique performances in the 2004 sci-fi dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her take on Clementine Kruczynski, a woman who had all memories of her ex-boyfriend wiped from her brain, was rich, beautiful, and iconic, but just wasn’t enough to win Best Actress.

Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Al Pacino put himself on the map with his portrayal of reluctant crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The gradual evolution of the character over the course of the film’s three-hour runtime should have been enough for an Oscar, but like co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, who were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he didn’t get the win.

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Gloria Swanson’s "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." line from Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic quotes in all of Hollywood and part of an Oscar-worthy performance. While Swanson was nominated for her take on aging film star Norma Desmond, she didn’t take home the top prize.

Jack Nicholson (The Shining)

Though considered one of Jack Nicholson’s best roles, his portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining didn’t result in an Oscar win. In fact, Nicholson wasn’t even nominated for the unforgettable performance. 

John Cazale (The Godfather Part II)

John Cazale’s Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II is one of cinema’s great tragic figures as well as one of the late actor’s best characters. What’s even more of a travesty is the fact that the late actor didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tragically, Cazale would never receive an Academy Award nomination prior to his shocking death in 1978.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)

Angela Bassett received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Go to Do with It?, but the miraculous turn as one of American music’s most famous and influential figures didn’t earn her a Best Actress win. 

Edward Norton (American History X)

Reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard is one of Edward Norton’s most controversial and complex characters of his career, and the American History X performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the 71st Academy Awards. However, Roberto Benigni from Life Is Beautiful ran away with the top acting prize.

Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)

Somehow, Ingrid Bergman, who was astonishing as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, not only didn’t win Best Actress at the 16th Academy Awards, she wasn’t even nominated for her iconic portrayal of a woman caught between two men and two different lives in the 1943 black-and-white classic.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways)

In a perfect world, Paul Giamatti would have won the Oscar for Best Actor in Alexander Payne’s Sideways, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live. Miles Raymond is one of Giamiatti’s best characters and carried the movie about two friends on a wine trip they’ll never forget.

Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men)

An amazing courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men is still arguably one of the best movies of all time. While its star, Henry Fonda, received a Best Picture nomination as a producer, his dynamic and rich portrayal of a juror who insisted on getting things right didn’t earn him an acting nod, which is a real miscarriage of justice.

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)

You can add John Goodman to the list of great actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, which just doesn’t make sense. It’s especially maddening when you consider his legendary portrayal of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, a character loosely based on John Milius, per Far Out Magazine.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix has since won an Oscar, but his portrayal of Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biographical drama, Walk the Line, was more than deserving of the top acting prize at the Academy Awards. What’s interesting is the fact that Phoenix was beat by his future The Master co-star, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won for his take on Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s Capote.

Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)

A little more 25 years after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ellen Burstyn had another shot at capturing an Oscar with her turn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. Her take on a woman battling unchecked depression, anxiety, and a diet of weight loss pills gave audiences one of the most incredible and sympathetic characters of the early 21st century. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the same year Erin Brockovich was released. 

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)

There Will Be Blood is remembered more than a half-decade after its release because of the Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but one of the three-time Oscar winner’s castmates was also deserving of recognition. Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday (he also played the smaller part of Eli’s twin brother, Paul) is one of the more fascinating characters of modern cinema, and he should have received an Oscar for his troubles. Dynamic is an understatement for this overzealous, petty, and temperamental preacher.

Robert Shaw (Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, won three Academy Awards – Best Filming Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound – but Robert Shaw, who acted his tail off as the boat captain, Quint, wasn’t recognized. This shameful act by the Academy, especially after watching the USS Indianapolis monologue, still stings nearly 50 years after the fact. That scene alone deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.

Many of these actors won an Academy Award either before or after these movies and performances we just covered, but it’s just wild to think about how some of these roles didn’t take home the big prize at the Oscars.

What do all-time great sci-fi movies like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, the Harry Potter film franchise, and quite a few Best Picture winners have in common? If you guessed they are all considered some of the best films of all time, you’d technically be correct, but that’s not the answer we’re looking for. If you guessed they all feature tremendous scores composed by John Williams, you’re in for a real treat. Below is a list of 32 great movies featuring the work of the Academy Award-winning composer, including several of his collaborations with Steven Spielberg.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

It is hard to imagine a world in which anyone but John Williams composed the Star Wars score, and luckily, we don’t have to experience that dark reality. His score, which won him an Oscar, brings so much pomp and circumstance to George Lucas’ epic space opera, and it all starts with the brilliant and iconic “Main Title” sequence. But the real crown jewel is the “Binary Sunset” moment as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) ponders his future.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is still considered one of the best movies of all time nearly 50 years after its release, and the legendary blockbuster is made even better thanks to John Williams’ score, which earned the composer an Oscar. The simple yet effective opening theme, with its pounding piano and orchestration, sets the stage for what’s to come spectacularly in addition to providing one of cinema’s scariest moments.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

In addition to kicking off the Indiana Jones franchise, Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark also features one of John Williams’ most well-known tracks: the “Raiders March.” It’s hard not to see Harrison Ford’s beloved character swinging, swashbuckling, and fighting Nazis whenever this composition comes on.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Though composers like Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat would go on to provide the music for later films in the franchise,  John Williams kicked things off with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Several of the songs featured in Chris Columbus’ 2001 fantasy film have gone on to become some of Williams’ most popular tracks, including “Hedwig’s Theme.”

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Jurassic Park score, which features some of John Williams' best work, is a tour de force that captures a range of feelings, much like the 1993 dinosaur movie it accompanies. Essentially every track is noteworthy, especially the triumphant main theme and the more subdued “Welcome to Jurassic Park,” which plays during the movie’s more emotional moments.

Schindler's List (1993)

Just like director Steven Spielberg, John Williams pulled double-duty in 1993 with the releases of the huge movies Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, which would go on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The violin in the score’s main theme adds a great deal of weight and emotion to this brilliant yet harrowing Holocaust drama.

Home Alone (1990)

In 1990, John Williams got the opportunity to write a score for one of the best Christmas movies of all time, Home Alone, which allowed him to create some of the best tracks of his career. From the outstanding title sequence to the poignant “Somewhere in My Memory,” the compositions hit you right in the heart. Oh, and let’s not forget the epic “Setting the Traps” sequence.

Superman (1978)

The main title march in Richard Donner’s Superman is not only one of John Williams’ best creations, but it’s also in the running for one of the best superhero movie songs ever. It’s so triumphant, pure, and magical. Not even kryptonite could slow this track down. 

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace may not be high up in our Star Wars rankings, but George Lucas’ 1999 prequel did give us the epic “Duel of the Fates” track that plays during the film’s final lightsaber fight. The instrumentals are one thing, but the resounding performance from the London Voices is so good you have to let the Sequel Trilogy’s transgressions go.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A movie that should have won Best Picture, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan featured another superb collaboration between the director and John Williams. The beloved composer starts with the wonderfully constructed “Hymn to the Fallen,” which carries weight and sounds similar to Aaron Copland’s iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man.”

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Few movies capture the awe and innocence of childhood better than Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and a lot of that has to do with John Williams’ lights-out score. Like, can you imagine the bicycle escape sequence without his composition blaring in the background as Elliott (Henry Thomas) and E.T. fly past the moon?

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

In addition to being considered the best sequel of all time, The Empire Strikes Back also gave the universe one of the franchise’s most recognizable and menacing tracks, “The Imperial March.” In the 40-plus years since the film’s release, John Williams’ additions to the Star Wars score, including “Yoda’s Theme,” have become major parts of the beloved series.

Born Of The Fourth Of July (1989)

Oliver Stone’s heartbreaking chronicling of the life of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) in Born on the Fourth of July is made all the more impactful by John Williams’ masterful score. At times beautiful and others gutting, the compositions, like the movie they accompany, perfectly capture the emotions of an idealistic man reborn after being discarded by his country.

Lincoln (2012)

The subtle, somber, and sentimental tones of John Williams’ Lincoln score helped make the 2012 drama about the passage of the 13th Amendment all the more impactful. There are some loud moments, but the soundtrack is carried by those slower and quiet segments, which make the film one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies.

JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s 1991 conspiracy/legal drama, JFK, gave us one of John Williams’ best scores up to that point in his career, which is saying a lot considering everything he had done up to that point. There’s a combination of genres featured throughout the soundtrack that add weight and prestige to this twist-filled thriller.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

John Williams’ score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a movie that came six months after Star Wars changed the industry, features a lot of the composer’s touchstones, including increasingly intricate anticipatory tracks that build to loud and triumphant orchestrations that hit with so much weight. And then there’s the “Wild Signals” moment when humans and aliens interact.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

One of the best 2000s movies, Catch Me If You Can also features some of John Williams’ finest work of the 21st century. This is especially true when it comes to the enchanting title sequence with its mid-century animations and an almost jazz-infused orchestration. The rest of the movie about con artist Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) is great, but this opening number is the stuff of art.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

In the early 1970s, John William provided the score for The Poseidon Adventure, an incredible disaster film about a capsized ship and a group of passengers as they attempt to reach safety. Just like Gene Hackman’s performance, Williams’ compositions are outstanding throughout the movie.

War Of The Worlds (2005)

When it came time for Steven Spielberg to adapt War of the Worlds into a terrifying big-budget sci-fi thriller, it had to be John Williams sitting in the composer’s chair. The film’s terrifying moments, as well as its more emotional sequences, are made all the better thanks to Williams’ touch.

The Fabelmans (2022)

One of the best movies of 2022, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, was an outstanding addition to the filmmaker’s rich filmography, and his most personal film in years. And who accompanied Spielberg on this journey through his formative years? Well, none other than John Williams.

Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005)

Rob Marshall’s 2005 period drama, Memoirs of a Geisha, may not be the first movie to come to mind when discussing John Williams scores, but this Academy Award winner does feature some great compositions from the legendary composer. The opening track, “Sayuri’s Theme,” named after Zhang Ziyi’s character, combines the East and West to create a unique and sonically pleasing experience.

Fiddler On The Roof (1972)

Considered one of the best movie musicals, Fiddler on the Roof is an epic everyone should enjoy at least once in their life. The story, performances, and production design are all incredible, as is John Williams’ adaptation of the Broadway hit’s wonderful score.

Munich (2005)

Steven Spielberg’s 2005 historical drama, Munich, which dramatized the Mossad assassinations in the fallout of the 1972 Munich Massacre, was another one of the filmmaker’s movies to feature the work of John Williams. The orchestrations, combined with the use of the “wailing woman” singing technique added a heightened sense of drama and urgency to the film’s more intense moments.

Amistad (1997)

John Williams’ work on Steven Spielberg’s 1997 drama, Amistad, a movie that centered on a legal battle after a group of slaves take control of a ship before being recaptured, was enough to earn him another Oscar nomination. However, he would lose out to the powerhouse that was Titanic.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Herbert Ross’ 1969 musical starring Peter O’Toole and Petula Clark, is one of John Williams’ earlier films, as well as one that would serve as a taste of what was to come for the composer in the decades that followed.

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

In 2011, Steven Spielberg gave the world The Adventures of Tintin, an animated adventure film based on the long-running comic series of the same name. There to help add to the sense of wonder and action found throughout this gem of a movie was John Williams, whose score elevates the story to the next level.

War Horse (2011)

Just like they did in 1993, Steven Spielberg and John Williams teamed up twice in 2011, a collaboration that included War Horse. This remarkable World War I movie has a little bit of everything, including moving instrumentals from the famed composer.

Far And Away (1992)

Ron Howard’s epic drama, Far and Away, follows a couple (played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) as they leave their native Ireland behind for a chance at a better life in America. The journey is made all the more emotional and adventurous thanks to John Williams and his unforgettable score, one filled with all types of music and movements. 

Empire Of The Sun (1987)

An ‘80s movie that doesn’t get enough love, Empire of the Sun has everything that makes a Steven Spielberg movie great: a wonderful cast led by a young Christian Bale, epic action, emotional drama, and a phenomenal John Williams score. It’s really worth seeking out.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

In 1973, John Williams worked with Robert Altman on the satirical neo-noir crime film, The Long Goodbye, a movie starring Elliott Gould as a private detective who gets wrapped up in the murder of a friend’s wife. Adding intrigue and mystery to this film is Williams’ impressive score.

The Sugarland Express (1974)

The Sugarland Express features a great dramatic turn from Goldie Hawn as a woman who convinces her husband to break out of prison so they can find and retrieve their young son before he can be placed in foster care. The movie was Steven Spielberg’s feature film directorial debut, as well as his first time working with John Williams.

Minority Report (2002)

In 2002, John Williams worked with both Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise on the sci-fi thriller, Minority Report. This dark yet fun score features some great work by the Oscar-winning composer, including the optimistic closing number, “A New Beginning.”

Though we don’t know if we’ll ever hear another new John Williams soundtrack after the composer hinted that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may be his final film score, at least we have decades and dozens of movies to revisit for years to come.

Across 100+ years, horror audiences have witnessed some of the most terrifying and disturbing acts committed to film, but it’s not just what the characters are doing that makes for memorable moments. What they’re saying can have just as much of an impact, and the best horror movies of all time are filled with some of cinema history’s most memorable quotes. 

To be sure, the following list of memorable horror movie quotes isn’t solely a round-up of the genre’s most famous or overused utterances and declarations. Rather, it’s a more general assortment of wicked, off-kilter, and/or darkly amusing pieces of dialogue that I (and presumably others) have been repeating in the many years since the respective films were released. So some of them will be quite popular, such as the following promise from the Hell Priest himself.

We have such sights to show you. (Hellraiser)

Doug Bradley’s iconic horror antagonist Pinhead remains a disturbing force in horror cinema, with sadism as his guiding force. Thus, he has the power to make those seven words as disturbing a promise as there could ever be. As far as everyday usage goes, it’s best to bring it into completely ironic situations, such as looking for dinner options inside a mostly empty refrigerator. Or, you know, welcoming someone into your own pocket of hell. 

Gimme back my hand. Gimme back my hand! (Evil Dead II)

Essentially everything Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams says in both the Evil Dead film franchise and TV series can be considered Best Quote material, but I’m particularly taken with this moment in which Ash makes this desperate plea to the evil possessing the extremity he’s begging for. It’s both sad and delightfully absurd all at once, which is apropos for Sam Raimi’s cabin-set sequel.

You open the beaches on the 4th of July, it's like ringing the dinner bell for Christ's sakes. (Jaws)

Roy Scheider’s Chief Brody will always be best remembered for wanting a bigger boat — thanks in no minor part to an old Taco Bell campaign — but his ominous warning to Mayor Vaughn is one of my favorite lines in Jaws. Is it partly because I like thinking about the film’s killer threat hearing a dinner bell in its head upon seeing families splashing around, possibly while licking its lips? Probably.

The third Elm Street film introduced Freddy Krueger’s penchant for calling his victims “bitch,” and he arguably never topped this kill-scene punchline that preceded the electrocution death of the self-harming Jennifer. It definitely helps that Freddy’s head was sticking out of the top of a TV at the time, with the antenna sticking up from his scalp. 

To a new world of gods and monsters. (Bride of Frankenstein)

Possibly Bride of Frankenstein’s most influential line of dialogue (at least in terms of setting up the DCU’s first chapter), the line above doesn’t come from anyone in the Frankenstein family, nor the monsters, nor the real-world poets. Rather, it’s Ernest Thesiger’s Dr. Pretorius who delivers the damningly apropos toast to Colin Clive’s doctor. It’s never a bad idea for a wedding toast. 

God's not supposed to be a hack horror writer. (In the Mouth of Madness)

John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness is a mind-twister in lots of ways, and this line delivered by Sam Neill’s John Trent informs the cyclical storytelling in a self-deprecating way. But even beyond the meta-textual appeal, it’s also just a good line in and of itself. I don’t think there are any religions where God is described as a hack horror writer.

Don't kill me, Mike. I'm basically a good kid, so just don’t kill me. (The Lost Boys)

Sometimes I wish all teens in all movies were as charismatic and fun to watch as Corey Haim’s Sam in The Lost Boys. He’s such a great surrogate for the audience, especially when being lovingly paranoid about being targeted by his newly vampiric brother Michael. No use trying to bullshit his brother by saying he’s a great kid.

I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps. (The Exorcist)

Linda Blair’s demonically charged Regan delivers a slew of A+ lines throughout The Exorcist, and I’ve always loved the matter-of-fact way she asks to be free. It’s the same tone in which I hear, “I’m Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?” Just slightly more ornery.

I never wanted to be your mother. (Hereditary)

Toni Collette’s Annie no doubt delivers her biggest gut-punch lines during Hereditary’s harrowing dinner scene, but all of her rage in that moment is largely gone during her later far-too-frank conversation with son Peter, during which she drops the worst line any parent can ever tell their kid. And the only way to take the power out of that line is to repeat it in ways that have no contextual similarities. 

Are you out of your fucking mind? (The Shining)

The Shining has been quoted endlessly since its 1980 release, for good reason. But one of the lines that still hits the hardest with each rewatch is Jack Torrence’s reaction when Wendy runs into the bar and attempts to warn him about the “crazy woman” who attacked Danny. The dude was still in the midst of drinking phantom booze while chatting with a ghost, and still had the gall to act that self-righteous. It may be my favorite line reading of Jack Nicholson’s from any film.

He got hungry. (Halloween)

As awful as Michael Myers is as a character in general, what with all the murdering, one of the most disturbing details about the mentally disturbed killer is that whole dog-eating thing. And Loomis’ three words indicating as much will always get a laugh out of me while watching John Carpenter’s O.G. Halloween. 

Where we're going, we don't need eyes to see. (Event Horizon)

While not perfect, Event Horizon remains one of the snazziest space horror movies out there, and few genre antagonists can get under my skin as easily as Sam Neill’s Dr. Billy Weir in the third act. Obviously because he’d gouged out his own eyes, and was able to form coherent sentences instead of merely screaming in place due to all the missing eyeballs pain.

I never drink…wine. (Dracula)

No matter how many years it’s been since Tod Browning’s Dracula first brought Bram Stoker’s vampire count to life (so to speak), this semi-vaudevillian line never gets old. “Take my wife…’s blood. Please.” 

Don't you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples? (The Wicker Man)

The fact that this appeal to logic amidst mob mentality is laid out so sincerely is a big part of why it still disturbs me to this day. Edward Woodward’s Sgt. Neil Howie shouldn’t really have to try all that hard to convince Summerisle’s residents that human sacrifices as a botany tactic are malarkey. But some people just never learn. 

I can see your dirty pillows. Everyone will. (Carrie)

Piper Laurie will forever remain one of horror cinema’s most problematic mother figures thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance as Carrie’s puritanical matriarch Margaret White. The fact that she calls her daughter’s breasts “dirty pillows” bothered me in unexplainable ways as a kid. Now, I admittedly kind of adore that gross-ass phrasing. 

They're gazebos! They're bullshit! (IT)

For a movie so steeped in childhood trauma and the nightmares a dancing clown can provide, the first part of Andy Muschietti’s IT features quite a few big laughs, sometimes mixed with unsettling freakiness. Such was the case when Jack Dylan Graazer’s Eddie Kaspbrak took a stand against his mother regarding his asthma medicine, but didn’t quite nail the pronunciation of “placebo.” 

You've gotta be fucking kidding. (The Thing)

So often in horror movies, characters don’t make the kinds of rational decisions that people would make in everyday life. But The Thing features more than a few moments where its survivors are completely relatable in their dumbfounded reactions to the madness happening around them, exemplified best by David Clennon’s Palmer dryly expressing disbelief over the ever-evolving and always goopy alien threat.

A man doesn't always know why he does things, Louis. (Pet Sematary)

Fred Gwynne’s Pet Sematary character Jud Crandall is perhaps most synonymous with the line “Sometimes, dead is better,” which is a nice and practical viewpoint within that film’s dour universe. But I’ve always leaned more into Jud’s oversimplified anti-excuse above, which speaks directly to the parental urges that lead Louis to bring his son Gage back from the dead, without really speaking to them at all. “Sometimes people do dumb shit, Louis” was probably the first-draft version.

That's my mother you're pissing on. (Dead Alive)

Peter Jackson’s batshit 1993 splatterfest Dead Alive is filled with depraved and darkly hilarious scenes, characters, and dialogue that are wholly unique to the New Zealand filmmaker’s talents. And of all the singular lines strewn throughout the film, I particularly love Timothy Balme’s Lionel Cosgrove remarking in slight disgust that his mum is being tinkled on. Nothing in Citizen Kane about moms being peed on, just saying.

My family's always been in meat. (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

It can be easy to forget just how much of director Tobe Hooper’s sense of humor shines through in each of his classic films, and even though the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre isn’t anywhere near as bonkers as its 1986 sequel, there are still some big laughs to gnaw on while watching Sally survive Leatherface and the Sawyer family. None perhaps are as on the (half-eaten) nose as The Hitchhiker’s foreshadowing admission noted above, which at first seems like just an innocent reference to slaughterhouse duties, but soon takes on entirely different meanings. 

This is only a small assortment of the vast array of memorable and quotable lines from scary cinema. While thinking about your own favorites, be sure to check out all the upcoming horror movies that will hopefully provide some amazing lines that we haven’t heard yet.

Iconic actor Richard Dreyfuss is arguably best known by many for his role as marine biologist Matt Hooper in one of the best horror movies ever. The Jaws actor recently let loose about his less-than-favorable feelings toward the Broadway play The Shark is Broken, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes dynamics between the stars of Jaws - Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and himself. The Valley of the Dolls vet didn't hold back when sharing his thoughts on why he didn't enjoy the play, even calling the experience watching it "pretty awful."

Quentin Tarantino, a staunch advocate for the terrifying summer horror movie, not only considers it one of the finest films of the 1970s but deems it one of the greatest movies ever made. Nonetheless, the journey of bringing the iconic blockbuster to the screen was anything but smooth sailing. The Shark is Broken -- co-authored by Ian Shaw, the son of Richard Dreyfuss' co-star, Robert Shaw -- drew inspiration from Robert's diary during the development. After attending a performance, the What About Bob? actor joined the cast for photos. But, the smile on his face did not accurately reflect his genuine sentiments about the play, it seems Dreyfuss was unreserved in describing his experience when recounting the performance to Vanity Fair:

The play centers around a fictional feud between Robert Shaw, a renowned English stage actor and seasoned drinker, and Richard Dreyfuss, portrayed as a neurotic, fame-obsessed, and humorously insecure actor just starting his career. The Close Encounters of the Third Kind actor, however, maintains that he and the late Shaw never had an actual conflict. He remembered their working relationship as an “incredible” and honorable one. While acknowledging playful teasing on set, the Two for the Money star maintains it was all in good fun. 

Allegedly, the only notable incident involved The Goodbye Girl actor throwing a glass of Robert Shaw’s bourbon overboard. In retaliation, Shaw purportedly soaked him with a hose, nearly dunking him underwater. Despite these incidents, the Madoff alum was adamant that it wasn’t indicative of an ongoing feud, and there were never any lasting hard feelings between them.

Richard Dreyfuss says he didn’t take issue with the play’s depiction of his late co-star's alcoholism, which was indeed a characteristic of his. But he vehemently disagreed with his own character’s portrayal: 

The persistent rumors of an on-set feud between the two Jaws heavyweights have been a source of annoyance for the veteran Stand By Me actor, and he traces the origin of these stories back to Steven Spielberg and Jaws co-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Although he considers Spielberg and Gottlieb friends, he expressed disappointment in their role in perpetuating the feud narrative, believing they should have known better.

The New York City-born A-lister says he understands that the experience of making one of the greatest shark movies was unique and even admits some moments in The Shark Is Broken were drawn from actual events. Still, he firmly believes the play presents a "false picture."

Despite Richard Dreyfuss' concerns, the stage play The Shark is Broken has received critical acclaim and runs as a limited engagement until November 19th. And to watch Jaws, all you need is a Netflix subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article discusses important moments from many different movies (including the endings to a few), so proceed with caution as you read on.

The fear of the unknown is a very powerful tool in the business of fright, as many classic horror movies have proven. In fact, sometimes a movie’s scariest moment relies on sound to fill in the blanks or is cut out entirely, leaving it up to the audience to taunt themselves with images of what could have taken place. This also applies to many great sci-fi films, crime thrillers, and even a beloved animated Disney movie, as you can see from our collection of cinema’s scariest unseen moments below.  

Arnold's Death (Jurassic Park)

In Steven Spielberg’s 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, chief engineer John Raymond “Ray” Arnold (Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson) heads to the maintenance shed alone to bring the place back to its proper order. When Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) goes to check on him, she is relieved when Arnold’s hand touches her shoulder, until she finds only his arm remains attached and the rest was likely devoured by the velociraptor that started chasing her a moment earlier.

The Children Attack Kreeg (Trick 'R Treat)

The best of the many twists and turns throughout Trick ‘r Treat, might be that Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) was the bus driver who sent a group of developmentally challenged children to a watery grave. At the very end of writer and director Michael Dougherty’s 2007 love letter to Halloween, those same undead children appear at the curmudgeon’s doorstep to exact their revenge, which we only see play out in quick flashes of comic book-style animation.

The Creature Kidnaps Tricia (Absentia)

One of the most underrated and terrifying Mike Flanagan movies is his low-budget, 2011 dark fairy tale, Absentia. Its own most horrifying moment is when the story’s villain reveals itself to Tricia (Courtney Bell) in a blink-and-you-miss-it jump scare. This is the last we see of her, without ever knowing what this strange creature did to her or seeing the otherworldly place it may be keeping her, like it did with her long-missing husband.

Daniel Kills Eli (There Will Be Blood)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood — one of the best movies of the 2000s — concludes with a payoff to its title’s promise when now-wealthy oil baron Daniel Plainview (Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis) is paid a visit by his former enemy, fanatical preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). We see the bloody aftermath of Daniel striking Eli in the head with a bowling pin, but the moment itself can only be heard, which is unsettling enough.

The Empire Tortures Han (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)

One of the most disturbing moments in all of the Star Wars movies occurs in The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is rigged to a device that does not appear to be very comfortable — its malfunctioning parts emitting sparks notwithstanding. We cut to a close up of the man who sold out his friend to the Empire, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), forced to hear the consequences of his actions via Han’s bloodcurdling scream of pain.

The Entity Kills Annie (It Follows) 

In one of the most striking horror movie openings in recent memory, young Annie (Bailey Spry) frantically tries to outrun an unseen enemy that forces her to drive to a beach where she awaits her impending demise. It then cuts to a shot of her lifeless body that very clearly implies the unspeakable brutality of her death, firmly establishing what makes the shapeshifting demon from this 2014’s It Follows one of the scariest modern horror movie villains.

The Entity Repeatedly Kills Kevin (Skinamarink)

Keeping certain elements literally in the dark is already what makes 2022’s Skinamarink a game-changer for indie horror. However, we are especially thankful the camera was not fixated on the moment the omnipotent being uses its time-warping ability to subject four-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul) to multiple horrifying deaths. The looping footage of blood staining the carpet and a caption of the boy saying, “Mommy” — suggesting this otherworldly invader assumed his mother’s appearance — is heart-wrenching enough.

Fay And Everett Get Abducted (The Vast Of Night)

It is not until the very end of The Vast of Night when our protagonists, Fay (Sierra McCormick) and Everett (Jake Horowitz), receive the irrefutable evidence of extra-terrestrial visitors they had been searching for when a flying saucer appears overhead. Cutting from footage of townsfolk exiting the high school to a shot of Everett’s tape recorder sitting where the 1950s teens were standing is far creepier than showing them beaming up would have been and further solidifies co-writer and director Andrew Patterson’s 2020 alien invasion movie as one of the most unique of its kind.

Heather's Fate (The Blair Witch Project)

The shocking final shot of one of the most definitive found footage thrillers is filmed from Heather Donahue’s point of view, leaving the cause of her death a mystery. The many theories regarding what actually takes place during the ending of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project continue to keep fans guessing and keeps the film at a high stature of horror iconography.

The Hyenas Kill Scar (The Lion King)

Because 1994’s The Lion King is an animated Disney movie, it would be unwise to actually show its villain, Scar (Jeremy Irons), suffering an, otherwise, deservedly brutal demise. However, we do get a brief glimpse of it when the surrounding flames cast shadows of the hyenas’ attack on their former boss onto a wall of rock behind him.

Into The Mist (The Mist)

The 2007 adaptation of The Mist is chock full of visually devastating moments, but Frank Darabont very effectively uses the unknown to his advantage in a scene when some of Food House’s customers try to see how far they can make it out while one is tethered by rope. For a moment, the rope starts to lose slack fast and David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and others struggle to pull their volunteer back in, only to find his lower half still attached. We can only imagine what the creatures did to the rest of the group.

Lecter Defaces Sgt. Pembry (The Silence Of The Lambs)

It is scenes like Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s (Anthony Hopkins) ingenious prison escape that make it clear why the Academy made a Best Picture Oscar winner out of this 1991 horror movie. We later discover that the cannibalistic psychopath managed to walk out unseen by wearing Sgt. Pembry’s face — a procedure that director Jonathan Demme chooses to keep offscreen.

Liz's Fate (Wolf Creek)

Even a merciless slasher like 2005’s Wolf Creek occasionally manages to be tasteful in what it chooses to show you, such as what torturous circumstances Mick Taylor (John Jarrett) most likely subjects Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) to. In her final scene from the Australian modern classic, the sadistic Outback hunter of humans renders Liz to a “head on a stick” by severing her spinal cord, and that’s the last we see of her.

The Lust Death (Seven)

In David Fincher’s highly influential 1995 detective drama, Seven (or Se7en), we never see John Doe in the act of committing his biblically-inspired murders and never need to, since the crime scenes are disturbing enough. We do, however, hear the first-hand testimony of a traumatized man (Leland Orser) used as a pawn in a murder inspired by lust, which is already a tough listen. Thus, placing Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) in front of the victim instead of showing her was probably the right call.

The Motel Shootout (No Country For Old Men)

Because this 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, No Country for Old Men, already indulged itself in one intense shootout, there was no reason for another. So, instead, we discover Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) was killed by unknown assailants when Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) finds him at a motel after the fact in a devastating reveal from one of the Coen Brothers’ best movies.

Mr. Blonde Slices Off Marvin's Ear (Reservoir Dogs)

Quentin Tarantino movies are often criticized their extreme violence, despite the filmmaker actually being quite tasteful about what he chooses to show you. For example, during the infamous torture scene from 1992’s Reservoir Dogs — which even Wes Craven was too squeamish for — he deliberately shifts the camera away before Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts Officer Marvin Nash’s (Kirk Waltz) ear off.

Nauls' Fate (The Thing)

Mystery is what makes 1982’s The Thing — John Carpenter’s faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella, “Who Goes There?” — a masterclass in paranoid storytelling. Yet, there are some things we would have liked to have seen, such as what happened to Nauls (T.K. Carter) near the end — a moment that was actually scripted and storyboarded, according to the Outpost 31 blog, but never shot.

Ottway Fights The Alpha Wolf (The Grey)

Most people who saw The Grey in 2011 probably went in expecting some “Liam Neeson vs. the Wolves” action, which does happen… but not until after it cuts to black, followed by a post-credits glimpse at the aftermath. According to The Moveable Fest, director Joe Carnahan did shoot the “man vs. creature” fight in question, but decided to leave it out, feeling it would undermine the Alaskan survival thriller’s themes of fate and acceptance.

Paul Becomes Possessed (Hell House LLC)

What makes 2015’s overlooked found footage thriller Hell House LLC a stirring take on haunted house movies is writer and director Stephen Cognetti’s smooth balance of dread-inducing pacing and an unnerving aura of mystery. A scene that brilliantly utilizes both is when Paul (Gore Adams) awakes to find a ghostly woman in his bedroom, who pounces on him immediately before the scene cuts. From then on, the formerly droll character is never the same again, suggesting his uninvited guest could be living inside him.

Sam Turns Emma Into A Halloween Decoration (Trick 'R Treat)

The opening segment of Trick ‘r Treat actually takes place at the chronological end of the cult favorite anthology horror movie, in which we get a taste of how seriously Sam (Quinn Lord) takes the rules of Halloween. When Emma (Leslie Bibb) begins to take down her decorations too early, the mischievous trick-or-treater decides to do some redecorating of his own. His work is revealed when Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) walks out and pulls a sheet off a ghostly display to discover his wife’s head on the stalk with a lollipop contorting her mouth into a disturbed grin.

The Shark's Attack On Chrissie Watkins (Jaws)

Jaws remains the crown jewel of shark movies because the fearsome aquatic predator is kept hidden for most of the film, which was actually due to frequent flaws with the mechanical beast. However, had things gone exactly as Steven Spielberg originally intended, the opening scene — in which Chrissie Watkins (Susan Blacklinie) is pulled to a watery grave by the unseen man-eater — might not have been so unforgettably horrifying.

Tooth Fairy Bites Lounds' Lips Off (Manhunter)

Brian Cox gave a fantastic, pre-Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann’s Manhunter, but he may not be as scary in this 1986 adaptation of Red Dragon as Tom Noonan’s serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy.” He demonstrates to tabloid journalist Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang) how he got his name by putting a dirty pair of dentures in his mouth, leaning in for a kiss, and — after the camera cuts away — gnawing his lips off.

Werdegast Skins Poelzig Alive (The Black Cat)

Legendary horror movie icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi share the screen in 1934’s The Black Cat — not as Frankenstein’s Monster and Dracula, but as rivals in a deadly game of wits. The conflict comes to a head that is sickening by even today’s standards when Lugosi’s Dr. Vitus Werdegast slices the face off of Karloff’s Hjalmar Poelzig, but at least it’s only implied in the shadows.

"What Have You Done To His Eyes?" (Rosemary's Baby)

A whole genre of horror movies about motherhood exist now, but 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby remains the most renowned of the bunch, particularly for its subtlety. For instance, we never actually see the devil-spawn Mia Farrow’s title character gives birth to, but we know from her vocal concerns over his eyes that he does not appear to be human.

"What's In The Box?!" (Seven)

The ending of Seven boasts one of the most iconically shocking finales of all time with the reveal that a box John Doe (Kevin Spacey) has delivered to a remote desert location contains the head of Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) — the wife of Mills (Brad Pitt). Yet, contrary to popular belief — as a Yahoo! retrospective recalls — the inside of the box is never shown, but the implication is so devastating and so strong, it’s a hard image to shake, even if it only exists in the viewer’s mind.

The Westchester Incident (Logan)

One of the best X-Men movies takes place in a future in which the X-Men no longer exist, as the result of a mentally fragile Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) losing control of his telekinetic abilities. According to ComingSoon.net, director James Mangold had planned to open 2017's Logan with a depiction of what is dubbed the "Westchester Incident" before opting to keep things focused on Hugh Jackman’s title role. This is, arguably, what keeps the tragic event a legendary topic of the superhero movie genre.

The Xenormorph Kills Lambert (Alien)

The Alien movies are known for their viscerally brutal deaths, but the death of Joan Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is not one of them, taking place mostly offscreen. However, according to Strange Shapes, multiple ideas for how the Nostromo navigator could meet her end were thrown around — including becoming a cocoon for another Xenomorph or accidentally getting in the way of Parker’s (Yaphet Kotto) flamethrower — ultimately meaning that whatever you want to come up with could be the truth.

The Engineer Base Massacre (Prometheus)

We still have many unanswered questions about Prometheus such as exactly how the Engineers became nearly extinct. There is evidence of what occurred on on LV-223 — such as their fossilized remains spread across their base and a recording of them being pursued by an unknown enemy — but it does not add to a clear description of events, leaving this mystery regarding Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel up in the air. 

O'Neill Assaults Whitehead In The Tent (A Field In England)

Director Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England from 2013 is a wonder to behold for its surreal visual set against a 17th Century backdrop, but perhaps its most unsettling scene is shielded from us by the flaps of a tent. Whitehead’s (Reece Shearsmith) agonizing screams provide the only clue of what sadistic alchemist, O’Neill (Michael Smiley), is doing to his prisoner from inside, but it becomes even more hauntingly mysterious when Whitehead emerges from the tent flashing a bright grin.

The S.S. Venture Massacre (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)

Even director Steven Spielberg is not a big fan of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but the 1997 sequel to his beloved blockbuster does have a few chilling moments. For instance, when a ship carrying the abandoned park’s T-Rex and its child crashes into a San Diego harbor with no human survivors on board, it puts some pretty gnarly pictures in your head.

"This Was No Boat Accident" (Jaws)

Some of the best examples of how Jaws maintains a brilliant aura of mystery do not even have a shark present, such as when Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) examines the remains of what is assumed to be a boating accident. We never see what is in the pan when he removes the sheet, but his shaken demeanor is all we need to know that it’s not pretty.

"What Is That?!!" (The Blair Witch Project)

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most essential examples of “the less you know, the better horror” and there are key reasons why throughout. One such iconic scene sees Heather (Heather Donahue) and Mike (Michael C. Williams) frantically fleeing their camp from an unseen attacker — a moment the actors were not prepared for — during which Heather repeatedly yelps about something she spots in the distance. Whatever she saw is left for us to imagine.

The fact that we have so many offscreen moments to reference here should be enough proof that we are most afraid of what we can’t see.

Did you know that some of the best horror movies of all time were rated PG? What about those early Indiana Jones movies? Yep, those, along with some of the most iconic films from the ‘70s and ‘80s, which many of us grew up watching religiously, were technically PG movies. 

In fact, there were a great number of comedies, dramas, and fantasy films that were initially released with a PG rating that would be either PG-13 (a rating not introduced until the mid ‘80s) or R by today’s standards. But as folks like to say, things were different back then. 

Here are 30+ classic PG movies that would never be PG today…

Jaws (1975)

It may seem hard to believe, but Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster about a vicious shark preying on beachgoers in a New England seaside town was released with a PG rating. Between the violent attacks sequences, that terrifying and grotesque visual of Ben Gardner’s corpse (missing eye and all), and some truly frightening moments, this would surely be a PG-13 movie by today’s standards.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Child slavery, hearts being ripped out of chests, and chilled monkey brains are just some of the grotesque and unsavory moments from Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Released in 1984 with a PG rating, this Indiana Jones sequel would lead to a major change in the rating system moving forward.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters is a movie that surely would have had a PG-13 rating if released in 2023, but 1984 was a different place and didn’t have anything between PG and R. That being said, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and the rest of the cast use some adult language that would never make it today. The same goes for the ghostly seduction scene involving Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz and and unseen spirit.

Poltergeist (1982)

One of the best haunted house movies, Tobe Hooper’s supernatural horror movie, Poltergeist, was, surprisingly enough, released with a PG rating, but only because it wasn’t quite extreme enough for the R designation. But still, there’s no way a movie that used real skeletons, featured some of the most terrifying scenes in movie history, and showed characters rolling and smoking a joint would be considered “PG” in 2023.

Gremlins (1984)

Joe Dante’s Christmastime horror comedy, Gremlins is a bundle of seasonal joy (just as long as you don’t feed it after midnight) with its demented and mutated mogwai bringing death and destruction to a once quiet town. This could very well be the most extreme PG movie thanks to its visceral stabbing scenes, decapitations, explosions, and profanity. It’s wild, it’s festive, and it’s violent.

Spaceballs (1987)

Believe it or not, the 1987 Star Wars parody, Spaceballs, was given a PG rating upon its release, at which time PG-13 was already around. There’s not a lot of violence in Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and Barf’s (John Candy) quest to save Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga), but there’s plenty of profanity, which is to be expected with a Mel Brooks movie.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Shooting people point blank, Nazis having their faces melted off, a man backing into a propeller, and some choice language make Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark one of the more intense PG-rated movies released over the years. 

Sixteen Candles (1984)

One of the best examples of an ‘80s movie that didn’t age well, John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles pushes the envelope when it comes to sex, language, and substance abuse in a PG-rated movie. There isn’t any violence to speak of, but those slurs and actions by several characters, mostly Anthony Michael Hall’s Ted Farmer, have not aged well one bit.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy, Beetlejuice, isn’t all that terrifying, but the movie about a recently deceased couple who call on the services of a raucous spirit to scare away the new owners of their home does feature some language that would never fly in a PG movie today.

The Goonies (1985)

Released with a PG rating in 1985, Richard Donner’s The Goonies isn’t as extreme as some of its contemporaries, but it certainly pushes the rating to the max, especially when it comes to the language used by the young cast. Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and company aren’t throwing out F-bombs like Tony Montana, but there are some choice four-letter words throughout the gang’s quest to find One-Eyed Willy’s treasure.

Big (1988)

There’s a lot going on in Penny Marshall’s Big that would totally prevent the movie from having a PG rating 35 years later. The profanity (a certain four-letter word starting with “F” would never fly today), the whole subplot of Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) sleeping with Josh (Tom Hanks), a 12-year-old in an adult’s body, and other sexual references would put this in prime PG-13 territory.

Airplane! (1980)

It seems like 1980s movies got away with a lot compared to more modern releases, and that can be said about the 1980 parody film, Airplane!, which was full of one offensive or unsavory joke after another. Drug use, cussing, all sorts of sexual references, and more made this an unforgettable hit but also would hurt the film’s chances of getting a lighter rating by today’s standards.

Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun should have mostly likely been a PG-13 movie instead of being released with a PG rating, because Tony Scott’s 1986 high-stakes action flick is wild. Broken necks, shirtless volleyball, multiple bar scenes, a romantic sex scene, and so much profanity make this one of Tom Cruise’s best movies but also one with a questionable rating.

Annie Hall (1977)

How Woody Allen’s Oscar-winning Annie Hall was released with a PG rating instead of being rated-R in 1977 is one of cinema’s great mysteries. Sure, there’s no nudity and the only on-screen violence involves lobsters and spiders, but there’s so many sexual situations and references, drug use, and other scenes that haven’t aged well. Plus, you don’t kids watching this because they just might turn into cinefiles who write about movies for a living.

Clue (1985)

Clue, a classic whodunit based on an iconic board game, is another movie that pushes the PG rating to the extreme with its violence, language, and not-so-subtle sexual references. It’s not as wild as movies like Knives Out that would follow decades later, but this should have totally being a PG-13 movie looking back.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

You can’t have a teenage coming-of-age story without including some scenes that push the envelope, and Dead Poets Society has that in spades. Nude women in magazines, a great deal of profanity, and the whole part where a student commits suicide (off-screen) make this Robin Williams classic a movie that would never get a PG rating today.

The Witches (1990)

Who would have thought a movie about witches abducting and trapping children or turning them in rodents would be so terrifying, but Nicolas Roeg’s The Witches is just that. This Roald Dahl adaptation isn’t gory, filled with extreme language, or overly sexualized, but that iconic transformation scene is enough to put this in the running for a PG-13 rating, for sure.

Goldfinger (1964)

This could be applied to many of the older James Bond movies, but 1964’s Goldfinger, a film that includes scenes like a woman being turned into gold, lasers pointed at crotches, and multiple shootouts and heavily-implied sex scenes, was rated PG upon release. 

The Graduate (1967)

Mike Nichols’ 1967 Oscar winner, The Graduate, is a movie that would have surely been released with a PG-13 rating if it would have come out 20 years later. There’s no way the seduction by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and her affair with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) would go over well with the MPAA and its PG rating nowadays.

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

A cross-country journey to illegally deliver a truckload of Coors beer across the Mississippi River that is full of profanity and sexual innuendoes would never get a PG rating in 2023, but that was the case for Smokey and the Bandit upon its release in 1977. This Burt Reynolds classic is a relic of a bygone era.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Released in 1959, Some Like It Hot is one of those movies that would definitely be released with a PG-13 rating, but it was considered PG at the time of its debut. Yeah, it’s nothing extreme, but the sexual innuendoes, drinking, and crass dialogue wouldn’t be as well-received by parents in 2023.

The Right Stuff (1983)

Philip Kaufman’s 1983 historical epic, The Right Stuff, follows some of NASA’s earliest and most iconic astronauts as they put their lives on the line in the name of science and national pride. Clocking in at over three hours in length, this movie is also filled with quite a few cuss words and fatal crashes. You could argue this one being a PG-13, or even R, movie by today’s standards.

The King of Comedy (1982)

Though not as extreme as other Martin Scorsese movies, the filmmaker’s 1982 crime drama, The King of Comedy, would definitely not have a PG rating 40+ years later. Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) loses his mind and kidnaps late-night TV host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) to get a spot on his successful show. Oh, and it inspired Todd Phillips’ Joker. 

Uncle Buck (1989)

John Hughes’ late ‘80s classic, Uncle Buck is a movie that would never be PG today due to all the profanity and alcohol use. In fact, the 2016 CBS sitcom inspired by the John Candy movie had a TV-14 rating, the small-screen equivalent of PG-13.

Splash (1984)

Splash, the fantasy romantic comedy starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks is a film that was released not long before the inception of the PG-13 rating designation, and one that would have probably not been a PG movie if it would have come out any later. Some of the nudity was edited out for the Disney+ streaming debut.

Barry Lyndon (1975)

There were quite a few PG Stanley Kubrick movies back in the day, including his 1975 historical epic, Barry Lyndon, which featured topless women, several instances of violence, and some drinking in its story about the titular social climber played by Ryan O’Neal.

The Outsiders (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders helped launch the careers of stars like Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, and Tom Cruise, but this 1983 PG-rated movie also got away with a lot. There’s a great deal of violence, a decent amount of cussing, and so many underage kids drinking and smoking.

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

The original Planet of the Apes was released with a PG rating, but that probably wouldn’t be the case today. There’s some violence, slight profanity (thought nothing extreme), and uncomfortable sexual tension between man and ape, but the icing on the cake is the naked swimming scene early on. Just a bunch of butts, but too much for a PG rating.

The Bad News Bears (1976)

A kids movie is almost always going to be PG, even if said flick has all kinds of cuss words, children smoking cigarettes, and alcoholic coaches. Still, The Bad News Bears is a great baseball movie, as well as a time-capsule to the wild times of the ‘70s.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Kramer vs. Kramer, Robert Benton’s legal drama about a couple (Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman) getting divorced and making sense of their new world, won five Oscars and told a brilliant story. However, there’s no way a movie with this much nudity and profanity would be PG today. Marriage Story, which is very similar in tone, had an R-rating upon its release in 2019.

Grease (1978)

The 1978 musical comedy, Grease, was released with a PG rating, something that’d never happen today. There’s those lyrics in “Summer Nights” that make you go “Yikes,” the mooning scene, and other parts that would probably be better suited for a PG-13 audience. 

Grease 2 (1982)

Grease 2, took the formula from its predecessor and added more singing and more double-entrendres. It’s hard to see this one getting anywhere close to a PG rating today, but that was the case back in 1982.

All of these movies were once considered okay for the PG rating, though none of them would fall into that category in 2023. If anything, it’s amazing to see how much someone could get away with 30, 40, or 50 years ago.

Among the long list of great performances from the Barbie cast is Michael Cera’s Allan, who steals the show a few times throughout Greta Gerwig’s movie as the unique doll living amongst Barbies and Kens. However, it was recently revealed the character was almost the center of an incredibly clever callback to Jaws that somehow didn’t make the movie. Excuse me, but how? 

Barbie’s cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto revealed the deleted scene after sharing how there were “so many moments'' that were shot for the biggest film on the 2023 movie schedule that had to be removed, likely to slim it down to its under two-hour runtime (which ended up at one hour, 54 minutes). Check out what Prieto told Variety about one cut Allan scene that sounded amazing: 

As is, Barbie already has tons of great references to classic movies. From the opening scene that emulates Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, to nods to movies like Singin’ in the Rain and Grease in the very memorable “I’m Just Ken” sequence, Greta Gerwig clearly loved a reference in Barbie. Along with all these references, Prieto shared that they also did their own take on the famed beach sequence from Steven Speilberg’s 1975 classic. Check out the scene Barbie would have cited: 

The effect with Rob Schneider is called the dolly zoom or “vertigo effect.” It’s a very famous moment in cinematic history that is often referenced by filmmakers and very much referenced and pointed to at film schools. In the instance of Barbie, it sounds like toward the beginning of the movie when all the Barbies and Kens are at the beach when Ken gets injured, the effect was going to happen against Allan’s concerned reaction, which would obviously have been hilarious. 

Prieto shared that the Barbie director “could not stop laughing when we shot it,” and she would even ask the video assistant to “replay it for her just to laugh.” While Greta Gerwig was clearly happy with how the scene looked when the vertigo effect was achieved on the Barbie set, for some reason it was removed from the movie and never made it to the final cut. Hey, not every scene can make the final cut of a movie, but I can’t help but feel like we were robbed of a glorious Allan moment and sublime Jaws reference. 

Barbie is currently available to rent and buy on digital, and it is back in theaters in IMAX for the first time, this week only. 

I have to hand it to Warner Bros. for their genius idea to open Meg 2: The Trench — director Ben Wheatley’s follow-up to the 2018 creature feature, The Meg — on the 2023 movie release schedule so soon after Shark Week. It surely got audiences pumped to see Jason Statham take on more prehistorically large, sharp-toothed sea-dwellers, even though they probably did not need any further incentive.

Considering how common galeophobia (fear of sharks) is, it is no question why shark movies already make up a pretty good chunk of the best horror movies of all time — with some being favored as earnest and truly frightening thrillers, while others are beloved for being entertainingly cheesy. We cover everything under the sun (or under the water, we should say) in our following showcase of picks for the best shark movies streaming online right now — starting with the predecessor to the genre’s latest outing.

The Meg (2018)

A disgraced U.S. Marine (Jason Statham) and others try to hunt down and kill a Megalodon — a 75-foot, aquatic predator assumed to be extinct, that was released from a deeper section of the Mariana Trench.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: It may not be the best shark movie of its (or any) time, but the titular monster from The Meg — director Jon Turtletaub’s entertaining adaptation of Steve Alten’s novel — is bigger than any of the sharks from the movies on this list and that alone makes it worth watching, even if we never get to see the R-rated cut it deserved.

Stream The Meg on Max.
Rent or buy The Meg on Amazon.

Jaws (1975)

A police chief (Roy Scheider) teams up with a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled, veteran sailor (Robert Shaw) in the hope of putting a stop to the 25-foot Great White terrorizing his quaint beach community.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: Not only was the terrifying summer horror movie classic, Jaws — one of the best movies of the 1970s — the first thriller to make audiences fear sharks, but it was also the first movie by Steven Spielberg to become a hit and gave birth to the modern blockbuster as we know it.

Rent or buy Jaws on Amazon.

Open Water (2003)

After their scuba diving tour boat accidentally leaves without them, a couple vacationing in the Caribbean (Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis) find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean, helpless against the hungry threats that surround them.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: Out of the many shark movies released in the years since Jaws, perhaps the scariest would have to be writer and director Chris Kentis’ intense, intimate, and uniquely shot drama, Open Water, especially because it is inspired by a shocking true story.

Stream Open Water on Freevee through Amazon.

The Reef (2010)

After an accident causes a sailboat holding five people to capsize over the Great Barrier Reef, four of them swim out into the ocean looking for safety, only to come face-to-face with a Great White.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: One could refer to The Reef as the “Australian Open Water,” since it is also inspired by a true story of people stranded in shark-infested waters, but that does not make the sophomore effort of writer and director Andrew Traucki — whose career is full of fact-based creature features — any less of an effectively horrifying drama.

Stream The Reef on Amazon Prime.
Stream The Reef on Tubi.

The Shallows (2016)

After she is attacked by a Great White Shark, a lone surfer (Blake Lively) struggles to make it back to shore as her attacker circles the shallow area she has taken refuge in.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: While not based on a true story, director Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Shallows is similar to Open Water and The Reef in how it succeeds as an intimate and absorbing story of survival against the ocean’s greatest predator from a singular perspective.

Stream The Shallows on Tubi.
Rent or buy The Shallows on Amazon.

47 Meters Down (2017)

After a malfunction during a cage diving trip in Mexico, a woman (Claire Holt) and her sister (This Is Us cast member Mandy Moore) find themselves stuck at the bottom of the ocean with their air supply running low and sharks surrounding the one thing keeping them both safe and confined — their cage.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: While not based on any specific real-life incidents, the plausibility of co-writer and director Jonhannes Roberts’ 47 Meters Down is what makes it such a terrifying monster movie that would quickly spawn a sequel. 

Stream 47 Meters Down on Starz.
Rent or buy 47 Meters Down on Amazon.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)

While exploring an underwater city, four teenage scuba divers discover that the submerged village is not completely empty and struggle to find a way to the surface without becoming their stalkers’ next meal.

Why it is one of the best shark movies: As the title of the follow-up to his shark movie hit suggests, returning co-writer and director Roberts’s 47 Meters Down: Uncaged does away with the cage and brings in a new, younger cast, but still keeps things claustrophobic in a unique way — amounting to another fun, visually pleasing, and spine-chilling chapter of the franchise.