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Legends of Horror
The terrifying characters that have scarred our dreams

Sure, Pazuzu's a bit scary. Certainly, Damien in The Omen gives us the creeps. But when it comes to haunting your nightmares, crawling out of your TV or eating your liver for dinner, you need a different level of horror icon, the sort of instantly recognisable character that's known, usually, by a single catchy name or simply the sound of a blood-curdling scream. Here are the horror legends so scary that you might want your blankie at hand before you even start reading this...

WORDS HELEN O'HARA AND CHRIS HEWITT

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Ghostface

FILMS: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3

AKA: The Woodsboro Killer

REAL IDENTITY: Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Mrs Loomis (Laurie Metcalfe), Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant), Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), Roger L. Jackson (voice)

Even though he/it has been played by five different characters, Scream's "Ghostface" killer is singular enough to be an icon. In all its incarnations, there's a sinuous grace to its movements, a snake's ability to move like lightning but look good doing it. With no more than a cock of the head or a twitch of the knife Ghostface can convey emotion and even comedy like a mime, but usually it's appearing out of nowhere to get with the stabbing or floating eerily just out of reach. And don't forget that cat-like ability to torture victims even before inflicting a single blow: if that was never better demonstrated than in the very first kill of Drew Barrymore's Casey Becker and her jock boyfriend, it's no shame that that remains the highwater mark of cruelty.

That mask, inspired by the Edvard Munch painting The Scream but part of a costume called "Father Death" onscreen, has become one of the most popular Halloween costumes for the 13 years since Scream came out in 1996. Combining Jason's psychosis with Freddy's wit and Myers' eye for a well-staged corpse, Ghostface succeeds not only as a horror icon but also as a parody and reflection of the same, distilling all their strengths into one super-killer.

Catchphrase: "What's your favourite scary movie?"

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Have Your Say
Which of these classic horror icons is your favourite? Is there another scary legend you'd like to nominate? Register or login now to have your say.

Your Comments
1 RE: A list Empire made that I actually agree with.
Posted on Monday November 2, 2009, 11:13 by Mooton
L: alsybroth  Stephen King's IT is one film that really is in dire need of a remake. would agree with that as long as it is done right and they get rid of that stupid f*cking spider from the second half and just stick to Pennywise actually being scary. I dont think Jigsaw should be in there, candyman should probably replace him. Read More

2 :O
Posted on Sunday November 1, 2009, 06:22 by tesorone
Chucky is fucking scaaary!! he should be number one on the list Read More

3 Get Rid Of Jigsaw & replace with Candyman
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 19:18 by princemadonna
Then you have a really great list - but Jigsaw isn't iconic enough to look at. The rest are all very iconic in their looks, especially Freddy and Pinhead. Love Ghostface and Michael (in the original series) but Jigsaw is too new and also dead, plus - if they'd put the little doll on the bike there then yes, but not Tobin LOL. Candyman with his hook, being the only black guy and also wearing that fur lined coat of the rich - very iconic, plus the line "They wll say I've shed innocent blood - what's blood for? If not for shedding?" Is iconic, agree with all the rest, but Samara does speak - she says lotsa things LOL - plus the iconic 'Seven Days' on the phone? Hello? At least this shows us how the original movies are classics and now we're getting re-made shitty versions of these guys and gals. I always thought Mrs. Voorhees was way scarier than Jason too LOL. Read More

4
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 17:19 by Youshouldberunning
Totally, Pennywise should be in there. I first read it on holiday, when I slept near to the water system that fed the swimming pool, those were NOT fun nights. He does lose some of his menace later on, but come on, "We all float down here, Georgie, we alllllllll float...". Plus the munching on the armpit, genius. Read More

5 Norman Bates
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 15:51 by castaway666
Norman! NORMAN!! he should replace Scream for god's sake! Read More

6 What
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 15:09 by Andybee76
Where's the Candyman!!! Read More

7 Jigsaw? Meh
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 13:25 by hughjass
Sorry but for me he is one of the worst villians in movie history. "I'm dying Life sucks. Why should I die whist others get to live? I know, I'll torture a few folk who made a few wrong choices, who stayed from the path, just to make me feel better about myself but blame them fro the actaully dying part." Sorry Jigsaw, the blood is all over your hands, whether you like to acknowledge it or not. Cr*p villain, equally cr*p franchise. Read More

8 Missing in Action
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 12:15 by blindfold
What? No Candyman or (aherm) Wishmaster! Read More

9 Perfect list!
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 11:04 by bronco3114
People can argue all day about the order but the top 10 are pretty much nailed on, even Jigzaw who after the first Saw I got bored of very quicky (but you can't argue with the weight of his success). The clown from IT would have made my list but don't think I'd have bumped any of the existing 10 off for him. Read More

10 Silent Killers
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 01:43 by Aaronmantium
It is quite amusing how many of the psycho's/killers never utter a word yet still manage to instill fear with nothing more then actions an body language....a silent killer i find is more menacing because they never give away their intentions they just do it which makes them unpredictable which i think is really cool ..my favourite out of them would be between Halloween or Freddy Krueger Read More

11 A list Empire made that I actually agree with.
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 19:39 by alsybroth
I can agree with all those monsters on the list. Both Candyman and Henry would've made good additions too. But I definately wouldn't put Pennywise/IT on there. He stopped being scary by the second half of the film and just corny. Stephen King's IT is one film that really is in dire need of a remake. Read More

12 Freddy aka
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 18:03 by plmc77
error in the details there as before he was burned to death he was also known as the springwood slasher! as was reviled in opening 2 mins of freddy Vs jason Read More

13 GOOD LIST!
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 14:55 by Deckystrikesback
pretty much the predicted top ten i would have come up with but great list Read More

14 Canned Jigsaw
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 14:02 by waltham1979
Anyone else alarmed at how much Jigsaw looks like Jasper Carrot?! Read More

15 Ghosface/Woodsboro Killer???
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 13:38 by fuzzbox77
SCREAM??? Come-on! Pam Ferris as The Trunchbull in Matilda was far more scarier! Hmmmmmmm... time to log off.... Read More

16
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 12:25 by drews
Don't care for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I'm just glad the annoying kid in the wheelchair was killed. Read More

17
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 12:08 by drews
Don't care for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I'm just glad the annoying kid in the wheelchair was killed. Read More

18
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 11:51 by Director
Kathy Bates in Misery, no? Scared the shit out of me Read More

19 IT
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 09:56 by Nagindra
Pennywise!!! Made half the planet fear clowns, and still do. Read More

20 Five words...
Posted on Thursday October 29, 2009, 01:35 by c0nal
Candyman Read More

21 what about....
Posted on Wednesday October 28, 2009, 23:44 by cheekimonki
Pennywise the clown?! Read More

22
Posted on Wednesday October 28, 2009, 22:41 by Toursiveu2
And let's not forget about Michael Rooker's Henry. Read More

23
Posted on Wednesday October 28, 2009, 22:39 by Toursiveu2
I'd add Norman Bates and Joe Spinell's Maniac to the list. And of course, the Leprechaun! Read More

24 its gotta be?
Posted on Wednesday October 28, 2009, 19:43 by vdjfrancis
really cant pick between Pinhead and Freddy.. saw freddy when I was 8 (30 now) and that stayed with me but I think its gotta be the hooks that pull you apart in Hellraiser that clinches it I think..saw that at 9. maybe I shouldn't of done...done no harm OH, what about Damien from the omen flicks... some truely inventive killin right there! Read More


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