Ringu Tops Scare Factor List

LONDON -

- Film Fans Name Scariest Movie Moments for Halloween

The chilling moment of a girl crawling out of a TV screen in Ringu (www.lovefilm.com/film/Ring/3878/?cid=lfprhwn) has beaten competition from Alien (www.lovefilm.com/film/Alien/2116/?cid=lfprhwn) and The Shining (www.lovefilm.com/film/The-Shining/1389/?cid=lfprhwn) to be named the Scariest Movie Moment in a poll of over 2,000 film fans.

LOVEFiLM (www.lovefilm.com/?cid=lfprhwn), the UK’s largest online DVD & games rental service and entertainment website polled its members on the scariest movies scenes to mark the launch of the first ever talking DVD envelopes - specially modified limited edition envelopes which will let out either a Psycho-esque theme, piercing scream, ghostly wail or evil laugh to those in line to receive horror films over the Halloween period.

Arguably the scariest Japanese movie, cult horror Ringu (www.lovefilm.com/film/Ring/3878/?cid=lfprhwn), in which viewers of a cursed videotape die seven days after watching the tape and featuring the scene of a young girl ‘crawling out of a TV to kill with a stare - scared film fans so much that they had no choice but to give it a winning 16 per cent of votes.

Bursting out in second place was the infamous ‘alien shooting out of stomach’ scene in Ridley Scott’s 1979 futuristic thriller Alien (www.lovefilm.com/film/Alien/2116/?cid=lfprhwn). They say that in space, no one can hear you scream - but 14 per cent of film lovers certainly heard this guy’s cries for help and voted accordingly.

The next horror scene spawned arguably one of the most famous film quotes of all time. The line, ‘Here’s Johnny!’ uttered by a crazed Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (www.lovefilm.com/film/The-Shining/1389/?cid=lfprhwn) is so well known that it pulled in 10 per cent of the vote, putting it in third place.

One of the hardest-to-watch scenes in the horror hierarchy was from 1990’s Misery (www.lovefilm.com/film/Misery/14768/?cid=lfprhwn). The scene involves a crazed woman, a man’s ankles, a mallet and a lot of screaming - but that was all it took for it to smash its way to fourth place, with nine per cent.

In fifth place was a scene that evokes fear in most of those that step into the shower in the morning. The stabbing scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological flick Psycho (www.lovefilm.com/film/Psycho/1491/?cid=lfprhwn) was deemed scary enough to strike its way into the top ten, with eight per cent of the votes.

If the next scene is anything to go by, we are definitely steering clear of water for good. The severed floating head in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (www.lovefilm.com/film/Jaws/2611/?cid=lfprhwn) bobbed into sixth place with seven per cent on the scariest movie moments list.

It got heads spinning so much that audience members reportedly fainted at its first screenings, but the neck swiveling scene from 1979’s shocker The Exorcist (www.lovefilm.com/film/The-Exorcist/1626/?cid=lfprhwn) was twisted enough to make the top ten, with five per cent of the votes - putting it into seventh place.

Attempting to save face at number eight was the gruesome scene from Silence of the Lambs (www.lovefilm.com/film/Silence-Of-The-Lambs/13969/?cid=lfprhwn) where Hannibal Lecter wears a paramedic’s face as a mask to escape from prison. The grizzly moment raked in just four per cent of votes in the poll.

Taking just three percent of votes was the ‘Jaw trap’ scene in 2004’s Saw (www.lovefilm.com/film/Saw/32435/?cid=lfprhwn), a film that preceded a whole series of chilling movies. A woman wakes up to find herself with a literally head-splitting conundrum to solve - and only by retrieving a key from a man’s stomach can she save herself.

The final scene to make the top ten was Drew Barrymore coming to an unfortunate end in 1996’s teen thriller Scream (www.lovefilm.com/film/Saw/32435/?cid=lfprhwn). With just two per cent of all the votes cast, it seems that most LOVEFiLM (www.lovefilm.com/?cid=lfprhwn) members will be willing to pick up the phone this Halloween…

The Top Ten Scariest Movie Moments are as follows: 1. Girl crawling out of a television set Ringu (www.lovefilm.com/film/Ring/3878/?cid=lfprhwn) - 16% 2. Alien bursting out of stomach Alien (www.lovefilm.com/film/Alien/2116/?cid=lfprhwn) (1979) - 14% 3. ‘Here’s Johnny!’ The Shining (www.lovefilm.com/film/The-Shining/1389/?cid=lfprhwn) (1980) - 10% 4. Ankles broken with a mallet Misery (www.lovefilm.com/film/Misery/14768/?cid=lfprhwn) (1990) - 9% 5. Shower Scene Psycho (www.lovefilm.com/film/Psycho/1491/?cid=lfprhwn) (1960) - 8% 6. Severed head underwater Jaws (www.lovefilm.com/film/Jaws/2611/?cid=lfprhwn) (1975) - 7% 7. Neck twisting scene The Exorcist (www.lovefilm.com/film/The-Exorcist/1626/?cid=lfprhwn) (1973) - 5% 8. Face worn as a mask Silence of the Lambs (www.lovefilm.com/film/Silence-Of-The-Lambs/13969/?cid=lfprhwn) (1991) - 4% 9. Jaw trap scene Saw (www.lovefilm.com/film/Saw/32435/?cid=lfprhwn) (2004) - 3% 10. Opening scene (Drew Barrymore) Scream (www.lovefilm.com/film/Saw/32435/?cid=lfprhwn) (1996) - 2% (Other - 24%)

Helen Cowley, Editor at LOVEFiLM (www.lovefilm.com/?cid=lfprhwn) commented:

“Our top ten scariest movie scenes list combines all of those moments that for a variety of reasons, scare us witless - but always leave us coming back for more. Ringu and its unnerving ending was a real winner with audiences, but there’s a long list of horror moments that it had to contend with to take the top spot. This Halloween our members have a surprise in store as they open up their scary film rentals to screams and wails from their LOVEFiLM envelopes - something that will add to the frightening experience of watching a really good horror movie.

LOVEFiLM’s (www.lovefilm.com/?cid=lfprhwn) selection of over 65,000 titles and streaming content includes more treats than tricks - and if you’re looking for a Halloween scare-fest then we’ve got it covered. Of course, with no late fees, how long it takes to pluck up enough courage to leave the house after is completely up to you.”

Notes to Editors About LOVEFiLM - LOVEFiLM UK carries over 65,000 unique titles including games - LOVEFiLM is Europe’s leading online DVD rental subscription service with over one million members and operates in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany - In just over five years, LOVEFiLM has grown to become the UK’s third largest home entertainment subscription service and was ranked number one Entertainment & Movies Website in the Hitwise 2008 data - In 2009, the Office of National Statistics added online DVD rental services like LOVEFiLM to its inflation basket as a sign of the change in UK viewing habits - LOVEFiLM UK customers have generated over 72 million film ratings and over 780,000 member reviews - LOVEFiLM offers a range of online DVD rental options in each market. In the UK these include GBP3.91 a month allowing members to have 1 DVD at a time (limit of 2 per month), GBP7.83 for 2 DVDs at a time (limit of 4 per month), GBP9.78 a month for one DVD out at a time (unlimited), GBP12.72 for two at a time (unlimited) and GBP15.65 gives the option for three DVDs at a time (unlimited). These packages include unlimited DVD rental each month, free postage and no late fees - The LOVEFiLM UK weekly newsletter reaches 850,000 members - LOVEFiLM UK has won: British Video Association’s award for the UK’s Best Rental Service in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, the fast-growing media company Media Momentum award in 2005, 2007 and 2008, UK technology - Innovation & Growth award for Mediatech Impact of the Year 2008, Home Entertainment Week awards for Rentailer of the Year 2008 and 2007, the 2008 Fast Growth Business Award for Retail/Leisure business of the Year, awarded 9th place in The Sunday Times Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Tech Companies 2009 - (2nd in 2008 and 5th in 2007), The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 2007 - Best Management Team Award, awarded 5th place in the Deloitte Fast 50 technology growth awards 2009 and was a finalist in the National Customer Service Awards 2008 and Retail Week awards 2009 - The group currently works with major partners in the UK including Tesco, easy Group, CD Wow, Guardian News Media, WHSmith, Odeon and Vue Cinemas, some of whom offer a fully white-labeled service

Source: LOVEFiLM.com

For further information please contact the LOVEFiLM.com press office at Mischief on +44(0)20-7100-9999 or lovefilm at mischiefpr.com