Five Creepy Characters

We horror fans all have different things that spook us, whether it be clowns, masked maniacs, crazy old ladies, rabid animals, or any other number of celluloid creations. Below are five of my creepiest characters in the history of horror:

5) Movie: "Pet Sematary" (1989)
Character: "Zelda"

Ok, so who wasn't creeped out by this paper-thin, bony, spine-twistingly venomous freak? Cackling old ladies always freak me out, especially deformed ones that want to maim you. Zelda scores extra points for being portrayed by a man.

4) Movie: "Dead Silence" (2007)
Character: "Mary Shaw"

"Beware the stare of Mary Shaw..." begins this tale of the ghost of an insanely vengeful ventriloquist that was brutally murdered and has come back to silence every member of the family that persecuted her. Aside from being another ultra-freaky old woman with a maniacal smile, Mary's method of execution involved ripping out her victim's tongue. Gurgle gurgle gurgle!

3) Movie: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971)
Character: "Willy Wonka"

Forget the Everlasting Gobstopper, Fizzy Lifting Drinks, or that gum that's a four-course meal--this film's greatest creation was Willy Wonka himself. Gene Wilder was an absolute revelation in this film, his portrayal of Wonka leaving us with the certainty that no one else could possibly have played this character (as we later dismally learned with no less than Johnny Depp's abysmal failure in the 2005 remake). Wilder's persona is intrinsically connected with Wonka in much the same way as Anthony Hopkins/Hannibal Lecter and Robert De Niro/Travis Bickle. So where's the creepiness? How about the fact that Willy lives in an isolated candy factory with a host of orange and green midgets as his only company? Or that he seems to be delighted that children are dropping like flies throughout his tour? Then what about the way he seems to give a shit about no one's safety throughout the entire film, taking them on what is still the creepiest boat ride this side of "Apocalypse Now"? This flick is as timeless as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", and will likely be terrorizing youngsters for generations to come. A deliciously decadent film.

2) Movie: "The Shining" (1980)
Character(s): The Grady Twin Daughters

If Willy Wonka didn't freak you out, you were likely not a child that was faint of heart. If these little girls didn't give you nightmares, you need to have your fucking head examined! There is nothing about the twins that is not terrifying, from the way they speak together in voices that manage to be both sing-song and monotonous to them making an extra-wide hallway u-turn so they could remain side-by-side. Oh, and they also appear in all their bloody, butchered gory (I meant "glory"). I was seven years-old when I first caught this movie, and I still list it as my all-time scariest.

1) Movie: "The Exorcist III" (1990)
Character: The Gemini Killer

For all intents and purposes, this character was actually portrayed by Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, an old lady, a disembodied voice in a church confessional...you get the idea. The aggregate effect of these elements is the single creepiest character in horror film history--able to strike through anyone, at any time, and linked to the present by Father Damien Karras (who was present at the original exorcism in "The Exorcist" in 1973). Whether it be his dynamic conversation with Lt. Kinderman in the padded cell, his confession in the church, or his appearance as a crazy old lady crawling on the ceiling in the hospital, the Gemini Killer keeps you on the edge of your seat, but peering through your fingers, throughout the entire film. One of the most underrated horror performances ever.

So there's bound to be alot of disagreement, but please leave a post about your creepiest character? Bye for now.