Cursed, mysterious, forbidden, or haunted items have been a horror mainstay since before the invention of film, making them one of the easiest plot devices to spur a terrifying tale into action. If there's a rule about them to be disobeyed, foolish mortals will do something to invoke the horrific power there is behind them.
From enchanted boxes that shouldn't be opened and sealed doors that should remain unlocked, to magic words that should never be said and mysterious board games that should always be finished, there certainly are more than a few ways to get the horror happening.
10 Mr. Babadook’s Book (The Babadook)
Ever wonder what would happen if Dr. Seuss wrote a horror story? It would probably be Mr. Babadook. Don't let the iambic pentameter mislead, this is one book that should be left on the shelf for all eternity. Reading it summons the evil Babadook, a malevolent entity that stalks a family in the throes of grief before possessing the emotionally exhausted matriarch. Better stick with The Cat in the Hat.
9 Sarah Bellows’s Book (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark)
A single demonic force released from a storybook is one thing, but what about multiple monsters from the same text? Enter the ghost of Sarah Bellows and her book of scary stories to tell in the dark.
Inspired by the book series of the same name, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark features a menagerie of monsters set free when one curious girl reads from a haunted manuscript. While they might not be as bloodthirsty as some other creatures on this list, they do leave a body count in their wake before the book is closed.
8 Christine (Christine)
She's sleek, she's smooth, she's a cherry red dream with all the right curves, but she's also Hell on wheels who will wreck anyone who messes with her man. She's none other than the legendary Christine. This drivable demon is the star of Stephen King's novel and later the John Carpenter film adaptation is she's as beautiful as she is deadly. Not only can she take a beating but she can also deal one out as well, giving her victims a new meaning of Plymouth Fury.
7 Billy (Dead Silence)
Puppets, dummies, and dolls are almost always going to be creepy in any horror medium, and though he shares a name and similar suit to his Saw counterpart, the poster boy from Dead Silence comes with more than a deadly game.
Billy the dummy acts as a vessel for the ghost of Mary Shaw, a vengeful spirit who rips out the tongues of her screaming victims. Though he does little more than act as a mouthpiece, he's still one of the creepiest elements in this film.
6 Annabelle (The Conjuring Series)
Of course, one can't leave the subject of possessed dolls without talking about the infamous Annabelle. What separates Annabelle from some of her peers like the previously-mentioned Billy is that she's a possessed object with some seriously demonic capabilities. Not to mention, instead of playing host to a vengeful spirit like most of her kind, her demonic form is a literal demon with horns and all. No wonder she's kept so many viewers up at night.
5 Necronomicon (Evil Dead Series)
Back on the subject of evil books, let's not forget the most terrifying tome of all, the Necronomicon. Not only does reading from this book invoke an ancient evil, but also summons legions of Deadites, demons, and zombies from its pages.
With three films, a remake, and a spinoff series, there are plenty of evil entities to make for a gory and groovy time. Better get that boomstick loaded.
4 The Dybbuk Box (The Possession)
The Possession is a fascinating supernatural horror film that dives into Jewish mysticism for its demonic star. Based on an urban legend concerning a mystical box found on eBay, the Dybbuk Box is a prison for a child-eating demon set free once the seal is broken and the enchantment dissolved. What proceeds is a skin-crawling experience in horror as the film's family tries to save their daughter from the fiend's clutches.
3 The Overlook Hotel (The Shining)
There are dozens and dozens of haunted house films, but few have achieved such a cult status as Stephen King's Overlook Hotel. Penned by the master of horror but brought to life by Stanley Kubrick, the haunted hotel is the epicenter of some seriously scary supernatural activity that spells out death and destruction for the Torrance family in this horror classic.
Whether it's the creepy Grady twins or whatever that thing was in the dog suit, nobody in their right mind should spend their holidays here.
2 The Lament Configuration (Hellraiser Series)
Not just a box but the box, the box spawned from the demented mind of Clive Barker, the box that contains not just the stars of his Hellraiser franchise, but their insidious sadomasochistic dimension as well. Known as the Lament Configuration, this golden puzzle box holds the doorway to another dimension inhabited by Pinhead and his Cenobite friends. And they're more than itching to get out and wreak some seriously painful havoc.
1 The Contents of the Basement (Cabin in the Woods)
To top the list, one could basically call out every single prop and set piece in the basement of the titular Cabin in the Woods. Every horror movie monster, entity, slasher, and terrifying thing is attached to something in this basement. From the classic vampires and werewolves to the more contemporary clowns, masked maniacs, and zombie-redneck-torture-families can all be summoned with one of the antiques in the old house. Ever heard the phrase "look but don't touch?"
https://ift.tt/3h2FHib
November 01, 2020 at 05:30AM
