the wake of our ongoing ‘Essential’ list, we’re going to also rerun the
popular and lost to the annals of the web CHUD’s 100 BEST KILLS list,
half of which originally aired in the sadly defunct MOVIE INSIDER
magazine with the rest appearing on this here site. As the site
prepares for a ground-up redesign/reimagining/revamp/retard, here’s
your kills as requested. Five at a time every few days until the whole
100 have been revisited. Enjoy. In no particular order…
Disclaimer:
Some of these may not actually be KILLS, either due to the uncertain
fate of the victim or a lapse in movie logic. Too bad. They SHOULD be
kills.
The Blob: How would you like it if your midnight date with Shawnee Smith was interrupted by the tortured screams of a Blob-attacked kitchen worker? Well, that’s the dilemma Kevin Dillon has to confront in this underrated gore-fest. Upon entering the kitchen, Kevin and Shawnee are able to see the dish victim sucked down into the sink drain by the cosmic Blob, complete with bone snapping, blood spurting effects. SHOCKING!
The Fly II: When a guy becomes a 6-foot tall insect , most normal rules are forfeit. Well, unless he becomes a moth. Then all you need to do is watch him slam his face into the nearest lamp for a few hours. Here, Eric Stoltz takes out his anger for being removed from Back to the Future by knocking a person with his fly-hand into an elevator shaft where his head is treated unfairly by the lift’s crushing force. Should have just used the stairs. SHOCKING!
Deliverance: It’s a crying shame that a film this great is known more for the "Squeal like a pig" scene and "Dueling Banjos", than for its tense story of a group of City dwellers out on a weekend camping trip. Instead, the most freakish thing about Deliverance is the scene in which the surviving campers come across the body of their missing friend. The defeated friend is played by Hollywood legend Ronny Cox, who we find grotesquely wrapped around some wood in the middle of the river. His arm bent entirely around his head like some demonic contortionist, it is a sight that is sure to make even the toughest dude recoil in disgust. DISTURBING!
Jaws: The late-great Robert Shaw has been killed by some famous people during his career, from Sean Connery to hundreds of American Indians on the warpath in Custer of the West. That said, it is his death at the hands (fins?) of Bruce the Shark that really makes the grade. Shaw is Quint, the great sea dog and master shark hunter who has agreed to take Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss out on the ocean with him as they hunt down the murderous Bruce. Well, not only do they discover that they could’ve used a bigger boat, they also find out that ol’ Bruce has a penchant for snacking on WWII veterans. As their boat is sinking, Quint becomes trapped between the teeth of the shark, screaming and reaching for Scheider. However, Quint can’t quite reach the outstreched hand, and after a few chews he is pulled under by the famished Bruce. The scene is made all the more powerful by the lack of music, which amplifies the screams and the shouting of the men as they race to save their dying friend. From the film that made people afraid to go into the water, this is still a great and powerful scene. SHOCKING!
The Exorcist, Part III: In the world of underrated films, this one has to be near the top. Based on William Peter Blatty’s great book, Legion, this was the first film in the series to not feature Linda Blair, and it’s a good one, mainly because of the late great George C. Scott. This scene is so effective, even when you know its coming it doesn’t take the sting out of it. It’s late at night and the nurse on duty thinks she hears something in one of the nearby rooms, so she goes to check it out. Looking in all seems well, so she leaves the room and locks the door behind her. Then, as she walks away from the locked door, a tall figure covered in white garments quickly walks through the closed door and behind the nurse, large garden shears raised at head level. It’s an unsettling scene, made all the more powerful by the lack of sound and music until the attack. Definitely a film worth checking out. DISTURBING!