4 of 10

by The Original Maverick

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When one thinks of shocking moments in movies, the natural thought would be of horror flicks. I'll never forget my aunt, may she rest in peace, who delighted in telling me the horror of seeing Frankenstein in the original back in the late 30's I believe. When his face appeared, My aunt and her friend literally ran from the theater crying and screaming. One can also recall the beginning of Jaws, where the girl showed what a shocking moment can really be like. That was chilling. When Micheal Myers sits up in Halloween unbeknown to Jamie lee Curtis was another. Psycho of course was classic with the mother in the rocking chair. Seeing that for the first time was really something. Another little scene known as the shower scene was so upsetting that motel business dropped all over the country. Hitchcock led us into the modern world depravity we all take for granted now. When I think of these shocking moments,I realize they are not as bad as many others not in the horror genre. I'd like to share a few that had impact on me. Especially when I was a kid.

First off, I still cannot get over the sudden death of Sgt.Stryker in The Sands of Iwo Jima. John Wayne struck down by a sniper was a little to much to take. The Duke sealed his legend with that one. Another that got me as a kid and is still very hard to watch is James Cagney being dragged to the electric chair in Angels with Dirty Faces. Cagney's performance was electric as he faked fear for the sake of the kids that he did not want idolizing him in death. Talk about Kleenex time. What about the sudden horrendous death of Peterson (Jim Hutton)at the hands of the Viet Cong in The Green Berets. The Duke consoling the kid Hamchung afterward was lip biting time for sure. The final bloodbath scene in The Wild Bunch was as shocking as it was exhilarating. Especially for the day. Westerns were not nearly so bloody till then. So there are many shocking things we remember on film not always from the horror genre.

More recently we remember the treatment of the prisoners in Shindler's List. Shocking to see, even with all we know already of the holocaust. I still hate when Al Pacino gets shot in Carlito's Way. Braveheart when Mel's bride gets her throat cut so suddenly. Stuff like that is as shocking as the horror stuff where you expect shocking things. I guess I should also remember the scene in Goldfinger where Sean Connery flings the heat lamp into the bathtub electrocuting his foe. Of course, 007 gets off the line "Shocking. Positivly shocking"

Learn more about this author, The Original Maverick.

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