No, The Exorcist is not my scariest film, although it was pretty darn scary. But I'm thinking of the films that scared me when I was little. These wouldn't be considered traditional horror films. The three that frightened me the most were:
#1
Bambi
I think I was 4 or 5 when I saw it. I couldn't take it. Bambi's father getting in the big horrific fight, his death, the forest fire. Oh. Upsetting. Then Bambi and his mom were left all alone to brave the elements. Now that would scare any little kid. Disney always ended his films on a happy note and includes endearing creatures like Thumper and Flower so you're not completely in a state of funk. There was at least a little comic relief and a happy ending.
#2
Joan of Arc
The Ingrid Bergman version
This film scared me so much my mother had to remove me from the theater because I was crying so hard. The battle scenes and the trial were bad enough, but when she was burned at the stake - yikes. I just couldn't take it. I had nightmares for days.
#3
The Bad Seed
You thought Linda Blair was scary in The Exocist - try Patty McCormick in The Bad Seed. Her head didn't swivel around and she didn't throw up. But she terrified me. What a wicked little kid she was. And the little tune that she plays on the piano over and over! This film is from 1956 so I wasn't too young - about 14. I should have been old enough to handle this one. But I wasn't. And I've seen it recently on television and it still scares me to death.
There's no blood and guts in any of these movies, but the one thing they all have in common - fire. From the forest fire in Bambi, the burning at the stake in Joan of Arc and you'll just have to see The Bad Seed (if you haven't already) to see how fire plays a part.
There's my 3 scary picks. What films scared you as a child?
By the way, have a happy Halloween.
