Brain Dead Radio’s Top 15 Death Scenes

If you visit this site on a regular basis (or listen to any of our amazing podcasts) then it should be of no surprise that Ceej and I are huge fans of the horror genre.  The BDR/PodCaust empire was founded on our mutual love of horror movies.  From our old school favorites such as The Universal Monsters, Night of the Living Dead, and A Nightmare on Elm Street to our new school favorites such as Cabin in the Woods, V/H/S, and Slither, we enjoy all types of horror flicks.  That means we love even the shittiest of horror movies, we’re looking at you Trick or Treat, and do not base our opinions of movies on the budget, plot, reviews, etc.  We only base our opinions on if we enjoyed the movie or not.

That being said, we decided to come up with a top 15 of our favorite kills in the movies.  These do not represent our favorite horror movies of all time, these are just a sampling of some of the kills that have stuck with us.  Now we are prepared for the outcry of “What the shit?!  Why is this on there but *insert movie here* isn’t?!“, but this list wasn’t taken lightly by either of us.  We also tried to not have the same kills that everyone picks (although there are a few on our list that just had to be there).  We could easily do a top 15 list in regards to just the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises.   We both came up with a list of our most memorable kills and then cross referenced them against each other to see how many we both agreed on.  Only 2 kills were on both of our lists.  The rest came from lengthy conversations about what makes a kill memorable and we poured through countless movies to find some of our favorites.

The rules were simple:

One kill per franchise.

The movie has to have more going for it than the kill we picked.

The kills still had to be awesome, which means we re-watched each scene to make sure that nostalgia wasn’t clouding our minds.

 

After two weeks of back and forth discussion, we narrowed it down to 15 kills (we had over 40).  Then came the hard part of ranking the kills.  I’m not sure if you know this or not, but Ceej and I have differing opinions on what makes a kill awesome.  Putting them in order was the most difficult part to do.  Rest assured internet friends, these kills may not be your favorite but there is no denying how great they are.  We hope you enjoy.  Also it shouldn’t need to be said, but there will be spoilers ahead.

 

15.  Creepshow 2 -Buy it here!

I know that I am probably in the minority for being a fan of this film.  Maybe it’s because of nostalgia or maybe it is because I like shit movies (as Rob has told me many times throughout the years). I don’t give no fucks if you like this movie or not but you better appreciate the death scene from “the raft” short. The best death in the movie is the first kill by the sludge/oil slick/bunch of lawn bags monster that will eat you if you try to get laid in the middle of a lake…and since we live in the land of 10,000 lakes you best take this shit like a public service announcement. -Ceej

14. Last House on the Left – Buy it here!

Yes I know the original is way more brutal in terms of tone, but this death scene is hardcore in its own right.  I’m a big fan of drawn out death scenes and this kill doesn’t let up.  The rest of the movie is a bit of a mess, but this scene stuck with me.  Not only does he get stabbed (which would be a horrible way to die slowly), he almost drowns, gets his hand stuck in the garbage disposal for what seems like an eternity, and then he gets his head caved in.  So yeah, it’s like 4 deaths in one.  It’s science, bitch. – Rob

13. Maniac – Buy it here!

This is one fucked up movie.  Sometimes the scariest movies are ones that have a plot that could actually happen.  Supernatural killers can be scary, but the idea that the guy you share a cubical with goes home every night to kill and scalp women, dress up mannequins with said scalp, and then sleep with them is messed up.  There is a remake of this coming out soon starring Elijah Wood that has been getting decent reviews but the original still works.  It’s dirty, grimy, and unsettling.  Plus, TOM SAVINI! – Rob

12. Death Proof – Buy it here!

It was hard as shit to pick just one Tarantino death (the cop scene in Reservoir Dogs, his death in Planet Terror, and Hitler getting rocked in Inglourious Basterds were all discussed) but this one beat them all in my mind.  Once again, it’s 4 kills in one and each one is brutal.  Still a huge fan of Vanessa’s face being peeled off by the car tire and seeing Jungle Julia’s leg fly off is my favorite part because fuck Jungle Julia.  Hated her character, so much.  Kurt Russell is the goddamn man in this flick and when the tables are turned, he puts in a hell of a performance. – Rob

11. Dead Alive – Buy it here!

Ah, the good old days when Peter Jackson wasn’t just making movies with Hobbits in them.  Some people only know PJ from his Lord of the Rings flicks, and that’s a goddamn shame.  His film work prior to those showed just how insane the guy really is.  While I prefer The Frighteners (Suck it Ceej!) a bit more in terms of his filmography, no one can dismiss his earlier efforts like Dead Alive and it’s zany brand of humor mixed with epic amounts gore.  This movie gave us the epic line: “I kick ass for the lord!”,  and the awesome lawnmower scene however this particular scene kicked my ass when I first saw it as a teenager.  Yes it’s cheesy but it’s the best kind of cheesy.  SUPER CHEESY. -Rob

10. The Monster Squad – Buy it here!

The Monster Squad is one of our favorite movies of all time and for good reason.  It’s a flick for kids that doesn’t talk down to them but instead allows them to be the voices of reason.  It starred kids that had the same interests and interactions that my friends and I had at that age.  It also was great in the fact that we got a decent flick starring all of the old school horror monsters that didn’t involve Abbott and Costello.  Directed by Fred Dekkar and written by Shane Black, this flick had it all.  Scary German Guy, the best version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon that isn’t the original, a scary as fuck Dracula, and  one of the best montages ever.  Now while the kill above may not be the goriest, scariest, or grossest kill ever shot, it had something that the other kills didn’t.  A fat kid was the hero.  Horace, who was the butt of jokes throughout the movie was able to show that just because he may not have been the suavest kid in school that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to fuck shit up.  His name is Horace indeed. -Rob

9. Slither – Buy it here!

Slither is a pretty great flick.   James Gunn (of Tromeo and Juliet fame) crafted a great blend of gore and humor with this flick and having Michael Rooker as Grant is just the icing on the cake.  It’s a pretty great alien/zombie horror flick that has some pretty excellent kills and a great sense of humor.  The one above is one of our favorites.  The slow realization that comes over the hunter’s face is perfect as his intestines spill out.  Yes it’s not the most original kill, but it is pretty great.  Also, MEAT! -Rob

8. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch – Buy it here!

We all love Michael Myers and the Shatner mask but let us just throw all of that out the window and make a movie in the franchise that has absolutely nothing to do with the other films.  This movie was about an evil toy company and Halloween masks that fuck your shit up.  Why do they fuck your shit up you might ask?  Well how about computer chips, Stonehenge, and no young hot Jamie lee Curtis to light up your pumpkin.   The reason that this movie stands out in my mind from my childhood is one scene where a kid wearing the pumpkin mask watches the “magic pumpkin” on TV and all kinds of bugs and snakes and whatnot start crawling out of his mask….spooky shit when you’re a kid. -Ceej

7. High Tension – Buy it here!

Alex Aja is so hit or miss it’s ridiculous.  Mirrors almost made this list but it didn’t follow our rules because it’s a piece of shit.  Same with Piranha 3d.  Thankfully, High Tension is definitely a hit.  It had it all: hot French chicks masturbating, decapitations, awesome gore, and it lived up to its title.  While some may be turned off by the ending, this movie has some ridiculously awesome kills and this one doesn’t disappoint.  When being chased by a crazed looking Gérard Depardieu impersonator with a giant fucking circular saw, one should try to not be stuck in a confined space.  This poor bastard did not follow that suggestion and instead got his shit rocked hard.  -Rob

6. Return of the Living Dead – Buy it here!

I loved this movie as a kid and still love this movie now. I consider this one of those “go to” movies that I will always be entertained by and it has so many quotable lines. The sound track to this movie is bad ass and the talking zombies are funny as shit. My favorite scene in this movie is the monster known only as “Tarman”.  Tarman is a dude in a army container that loves brains like Cookie Monster loves cookies….or like Rob likes bad facial hair…a fucking lot.  Tarman alone is awesome but when he takes a bite out of the punk’s head like a granny smith apple it is quite an epic kill. -Ceej

5. House of 1000 Corpses – Buy it here!

I once again realize that I am one of the few fans of this movie….Hell even Chris Hardwick tends to talk shit about this movie but guess what, he is a weird egomaniac who makes Kevin Smith seem like he is still a normal down to earth dude. I like the entire movie but you cannot argue that the death of the police officer by Otis with the long slow drawn out gunshot is a thing of beauty, evil creepy beauty. – Ceej

I hate the shit out of this movie as it’s a bad music video with some of the worst acting ever (FUCK YOU BABY).  That being said, Ceej is right.  This scene is fucking amazing and is probably my favorite shot in the entire flick.  I still prefer The Devil’s Rejects over this mess but this scene showed that Rob Zombie had some tricks up his tattered sleeves.  – Rob

4. The Lost Boys – Buy it here!

People are strange when you’re a stranger….or when you are Corey Feldman or Corey Haim. This movie is awesome and if you don’t know about it then go fuck yourself with a VHS copy of Mannequin because this movie was awesome back in the day and remains one of the best two Corey films. This movie features many wonderful death scenes but my favorite has to be the death by stereo scene simply because of the delivery of the line “death by stereo”.  I can only hope that some day far in the future my death is by stereo. – Ceej

3.  Friday the 13th Part VII : The New Blood – Buy it here!

As a horror fan I still hold out hope that at some point we will receive all of the F13 flicks in their uncut, unfucked with by the MPAA, glory.   Jason always had some decent kills in his movies, but this one is still one of my favorites of all time.  And thanks to someone editing in a bit of cut footage, you can see what the director was going for.  It’s amazing how 2 extra seconds of footage turned this awesome kill into a much more awesome kill.  In the amazing book, Crystal Lake Memories, the director lamented how all of his ideas were cut to shit by the MPAA and just how more brutal the original kills he shot actually were.  This is one of them.  The quintessential Jason kill in my mind.  Thanks to the F13 series, I’ve had an aversion to camping since I was a kid.  I once had to go to a winter camp with my class in 5th grade and I freaked out every night that Jason was going to come into our cabin and kill each of us.  We had a fish tank next to our bunk filled with fish and turtles and I used to envision Jason coming into the cabin, slamming my head into the tank and then shoving a turtle down my throat.   I’m pretty sure my counselors hated me.  We even got a kickass shoutout to this scene in Jason X.  So awesome. – Rob

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors – Buy it here!

Did you really think we’d have a list without a Freddy kill?  For shame you godless heathens.  It’s no secret that Ceej and I are both HUGE Freddy fans and this was one of the kills on both of our original “best kill” lists.  NOES 3 is the Freddy movie that encapsulates his character and what made him scary.  While I know some people will take issue with that statement here’s what this movie gave us:

1. The most inventive kills of the franchise in our opinion and a near perfect ending for Mr. Krueger and Nancy.
2. Freddy is both scary and campy but not completely over the top yet.  He saves that for Part 4.
3. A giant Freddy penis worm.

On top of all those awesome things, we got this amazing scene.   It showcases both Freddy’s sadistic side along with his campy side.  From the sweet stop motion animation of the marionette to the incredibly fucked up shot of Philip’s tendons being used as strings, this kill really did a number to me as a kid.  Mostly because I was a fan of puppets and used to make them, just like Philip.  So thanks to another horror franchise something I enjoyed to do as a kid was ruined for life.  It was a tough choice to pick this as our number 3 (we debated choosing the”Roach Motel” scene), but this one won out. Mostly because Morpheus is in this movie. – Rob

1. Day of the Dead – Buy it here!

If you couldn’t see this one being our number one pick then you obviously have never listened to any of our podcasts, which makes us sad.  George Romero is one of our biggest heroes.  The man is responsible for the zombie genre as we know it.  While Dawn of the Dead is our favorite movie of all time, the kills on display in Day of the Dead showcase just how far Tom Savini improved his craft in just a few years.  Some people feel this movie is much too abrasive to be enjoyed, and I can’t fault them for that.  The acting on display is definitely over the top, and Joe Pilato does not (or maybe does) disappoint in that area.  His portrayal of Captain Rhodes is one for the books.  As a pompous, egomaniac, jerkass, you spend the whole movie just waiting for his eventual demise.  And George doesn’t disappoint.  The line “Choke on em!” still comes up in our conversations to this day.  Having Bub salute Rhodes as he is being torn apart is perfect. – Rob

 

 

Honorable Mentions

Since we could only pick one movie per franchise and only scenes from movies we actually enjoy, a bunch of deaths didn’t make this list.  And because we feel so strongly about our top 15 there were so many more that just didn’t make it in due to our love of the ones we did pick.  Here’s a sampling of the other deaths that we talked about but didn’t make it in our list for one reason or another.

Dawn of the Dead – Buy it here!  

Roger’s death may not be the best zombie kill ever but it is the kill that was revealed to me as a kid thanks to it being on the FRONT COVER OF THE DAMN VHS TAPE.  Plus we always liked his character.

 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master – Buy it here!

This kill ranks up there with the best of the NOES kills however the movie as a whole does not.  Hence it being mentioned here.

Inglourious Basterds – Buy it here!

Fuck Hitler.

Final Destination 2 – Buy it here!

Pretty much every kill in all of the Final Destination movies are great.  This one is my personal favorite.  Never fuck with pigeons.

Wrong Turn 2 – Buy it here!

This one almost took Death Proof‘s place in the list above, but I just really fucking love Death Proof and it is a better movie.  That being said, WT2 is one of those rare horror sequels that make the original look like a kids’ flick.  The gore is ridiculous and much more over the top.  Plus Henry “Fucking” Rollins is in it.

 Basketcase 3: The Progeny – Buy it here!

Honestly one of the funniest death scenes of all time.  I still laugh when I watch it.

Mirrors – Buy it here!

I just saved you an hour and a half of your life by showing you the only redeeming part in this piece of shit.  You’re welcome.

Jason X – Buy it here!

I’m one of the few that truly enjoys this horrible movie.  But it’s alot of fun, has some decent kills, and has fun with the character without taking itself seriously.

Pet Sematary 2 – Buy it here!

Yeah yeah, everyone loves the first one more.  Well fuck that.  Three words: CLANCY MOTHERFUCKING BROWN.  ‘Nuff said.

Jaws – Buy it here!

Not technically a horror movie in the strictest sense, here’s another movie that fucked me for life.  I don’t even swim in pools.

The Omen – Buy it here!

We’re not the hugest fans of this movie overall, but this kill is pretty spectacular.

The Midnight Meat Train – Buy it here!

I wasn’t into this movie as much as some people were (I thought it was a tad over-hyped), but Vinnie Jones did a pretty great job playing a psycho killer.

Gremlins – Buy it here!

I miss the days when this was considered PG material.  For once a Peltzer invention worked.

House – Buy it here!

I grew up watching this movie.  I still love it and this scene is still fantastic.

The Stuff – Buy it here!

This movie needs to be seen by more people.  It’s a fantastic piece of 80’s cheese.

Simon Says – Buy it here!

I personally love the hell out of this movie thanks to Crispin Glover.   I cannot recommend this movie enough if you haven’t seen it.  Totally a “get drunk and make fun of” flick.

Simon Birch – Buy it here!

Not a horror movie in the slightest but this is probably my favorite death scene of all time.  Seriously.  So awesome.

 

 

Well, there you have it.  BDR’s Top 15 Death Scenes.  Whether you agree with our choices or not, being a horror fan means that there is always a movie out there for your type of interest.  Whether that be a slasher flick, torture porn, psychological thriller, etc, chances are there is at least one movie out there that will rock your face off with an amazing kill.  We hope you had fun reading this as much as we had fun coming up with our list. If you enjoyed this article please make sure to share it with your friends via Facebook or Twitter!

Have a safe and happy Halloween from all of us at Brain Dead Radio!