Top 10 Most Paused Horror Movie Moments
#10: Pop Goes Pazuzu “The Exorcist” (1973)
Top 20 Most Paused Horror Movie Moments
Although Regan MacNeil is the face of this groundbreaking horror film, the demon possessing her, Pazuzu, actually makes a couple fleeting appearances. During Father Karras’ haunting dream, Pazuzu rears his grisly head from out of the darkness. The edit goes by so quickly, however, that audiences tend to second guess what they saw, frightening them on a subconscious level. In the film’s Director’s Cut, Pazuzu also pops up when Regan gets an uncomfortable medical exam. Later, as the lights start to flicker in the kitchen, Pazuzu briefly emerges next to Chris’ head. With a pale face, twisted teeth, and fiendish eyes, Pazuzu can send chills throughout the theater even when he’s onscreen for a mere second. His face isn’t exactly one that screams, “Captain Howdy!”
#9: Wes Craven “Scream” (1996)
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When Wes Craven directed “A Nightmare on Elm Street” in 1984, many deemed it his horror magnum opus. Over the following decade, though, horror movies in general started to become over-reliant on clichés. Even the “Elm Street” sequels were widely hit-and-miss. With “Scream” in 1996, Craven aimed to reinvigorate the horror genre by playing with tropes and expectations. He also littered his film with references, including an homage to Freddy Krueger himself. Searching the school, Principal Himbry has an encounter with a janitor wearing a striped sweater and fedora similar to Freddy’s. Fred the Janitor is played by Wes Craven himself, a detail you’ll likely miss without the pause button
#8: Can’t Get Rid of the Babadook “The Babadook” (2014)
Another Top 10 Most Paused Horror Movie Moments
The titular Babadook is wisely kept in the shadows for most of this film, adding to the suspense and uncertainty. Even when the Babadook shows up in person, we only get a few glimpses of his ghastly face. Arguably the most chilling encounter with the boogeyman occurs one night when the sleep-deprived Amelia hears her bedroom door creak open. Crawling across the ceiling, the Babadook lingers for a moment and then leaps down at the bed. In a flash, we’re given an up-close look at the Babadook, albeit only for a second. With black teeth, a white face, and dead gray eyes, the Babadook is every bit as terrifying as his popup book suggests, leaving the audience feeling like they’ve seen a ghost.
#7: Monster Mash “Cloverfield” (2008)
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Clover isn’t the only massive monster who causes mass destruction in this found-footage flick. The filmmakers work in a couple clever cameos from iconic movie monsters. Although these creatures are towering in size, their screen time is limited. In one frame, the giant ants from 1954’s “Them!” are visible. Later, when the characters are navigating through the subway, the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms appears. Finally, as our heroes crash land in a helicopter, King Kong fends off airplanes atop the Empire State Building. Also, if this logo is any indication, the Dharma Initiative from “Lost” might’ve been connected to the attack on New York. Both have producer J. J. Abrams in common. Maybe Clover even knows the smoke monster!
#6: Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces “Saw” (2004)
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Billy the Puppet from the “Saw” franchise has proven so popular that James Wan snuck him into a few other movies. In “Dead Silence,” Billy is grouped in with Mary Shaw’s puppet collection and in “Insidious” his face is doodled on a chalkboard. The man behind Billy is John Kramer, aka the Jigsaw Killer. In the original “Saw,” Kramer’s true identity isn’t revealed until the very end. One little detail, however, gave away Kramer’s secret much earlier. Dying from cancer, Kramer lies in a hospital bed with a sketchbook by his side. Pausing the scene, you’ll notice that one of Kramer’s sketches looks an awful lot like a torture device, specifically the reverse bear trap. It was right in front of us this whole time!
#5: Walking with Aliens “Signs” (2002)
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At this point in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs,” we’d only seen an alien’s silhouette and even one of their feet. After almost an hour of buildup, this scene marks the first time the audience – and the characters for the matter – are given a full look at one of the invaders. Our anticipation is thus at its peak as Merrill watches a newscast with footage of an alien. Videotaped in Brazil, a green humanoid creature walks by. Like Merrill, the audience jumps back in terror, hits the rewind button, and then presses pause on the blurry image. This shot shares a great deal in common with a frame from the Patterson–Gimlin film in which a hazy figure that looks like Bigfoot wanders by.
#4: The Telephone Pole “Hereditary” (2018)
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If “Hereditary” proves anything, it’s that the devil is in the detail. Instead of bombarding the audience with jump scares, this film sneaks up on us with subtle scares hidden in the background, whether it’s Annie lurking on the ceiling or a naked cult waiting outside the house. In an especially ingenious bit of foreshadowing, Peter and Charlie drive by a telephone pole on their way to a party. This seems fairly irrelevant until later when Charlie sticks her head out of a moving vehicle and gets decapitated on the pole. If you go back and focus on the telephone pole, you’ll notice a symbol seen throughout the film. This mark belongs to the coven pulling all the strings, indicating that Charlie’s death was premeditated.
#3: Xenomorph Skull “Predator 2” (1990)
Sometimes a tiny Easter egg can snowball into something much greater. On the Predator’s ship, Lieutenant Harrigan stumbles upon a trophy room, which includes a skull belonging to a Xenomorph from the “Alien” movies. Astute viewers who caught on to this reference immediately started to theorize ways the “Alien” and “Predator” franchises could be linked. Although an “Alien vs. Predator” story had already been published in a Dark Horse comic several months earlier, it was this paused movie moment that really got fans excited. In the years that followed, we not only saw more “AvP” comics, but novels, video games, and board games as well. It’d take fourteen years to get a theatrical crossover movie, though.
#2: Wouldn’t Even Harm a Fly “Psycho” (1960)
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Throughout this masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock, we’re not sure how to feel about Norman Bates. Is he a nice guy who got roped into a bad situation or is there something more sinister lurking behind the shower curtain? In the end, it’s revealed that Norman had a murderous split personality modeled after his mother. Even then, it’s hard to say if Norman’s mental condition makes him more menacing or more sympathetic. The final shot of Norman perfectly sums up the character, although you’re inclined to miss a key detail without the pause button. As mother’s skull begins to appear across Norman’s face, we see both the mild-mannered man who lost himself to insanity and the monster festering within that can’t be tamed. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: The Dancing Boy “Insidious” (2010) Freddy Krueger’s Glove “Evil Dead II” (1987) “Batman v Superman” “I Am Legend” (2007) Alfred Hitchcock “Psycho” (1960) The Necronomicon “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” (1993)
#1: The Whiteboard “The Cabin in the Woods” (2012)
Top 10 Most Paused Movie Moments
This lovingly crafted horror comedy claims our top pick for packing so much into a single scene that requires a pause button to catch every detail. Although it’s ultimately decided that zombies will invade the cabin, there were several other candidates on the table, ranging from mainstream monsters like vampires to unconventional horror creatures like the Sugarplum Fairy. Some of the ghouls listed sound tailor-made for spinoff movies, such as Reptilius, The Bride, and The Huron. While these creatures don’t take part in the initial attack on the cabin, many of them pop up during the climatic purge. Some are even alluded to in the cellar. Studying the whiteboard, the audience is encouraged to go through the entire movie and try to spot each monster.
