Five Horror Movie Effects that Always Creep Me Out

Despite the fact that there aren't too many horror films these days that really interest me, I will admit that there are certain elements in these movies that I find quite effective in facilitating the requisite queasiness that often accompanies this kind of cinematic fare. Slasher movies with lots of gore continue to fascinate and disgust audiences. And while seeing someone's intestines used as a belt is certainly an eye-opener, I prefer the more subtle uses of special effects. For the most part, these kinds of effects are used in supernatural horror films. Here are a few that never fail to send chills down my spine.

Speech in another person's voice...

This effect is perhaps the easiest effect ever used in horror films, and has probably been used in cinema from the beginning of time. The effect pretty much involves dubbing the actor's voice in place of another one. Most famously recognized in movies like The Exorcist, this effect has been exhausted throughout Hollywood for years. In Stir of Echoes, when little Jake briefly spoke to his Dad (played by Kevin Bacon) with an altered voice, for me the film took another instantaneous dark turn. For the most part, this effect usually occurs in movies where some sort of "possession" has taken place. In any event, this trick never fails to give me the shivers.

Black Eyes

The use of contact lenses has been a huge part of dressing the horror genre for quite some time. Seeing someone's eyes roll back in the head (showing the whites) has always creeped me out. But I truly find it evil when directors and film effects gurus choose instead to completely blacken out an actor's eyes. Those oily pits of blackness always symbolize the utter wickedness going on in the movie. And the idea of seeing someone in real life whose eyes (not just the pupils) have gone completely black is a bit more than unsettling. Check out any of The Prophecymovies, or even The Ghostrider (starring Nichohlas Cage) to see this trick used in full effect.

Body Contortions

The Cirque de Soleil acrobats have nothing on the special effects crews who were able to help bend the back actress Jennifer Carpenter (of The Exorcism of Emily Rose) into a 90-degree angle. It has been reported that Carpenter's double-jointed condition helped add creepiness to other scenes. But the result of utilizing harnesses or CGI tricks to contort someone's body into unnatural positions is enough to leave an indelible mark on one's psyche.

Mismatched reflections

When I look into the mirror, I expect to see the same person I've looked at my entire life looking back at me. Furthermore, I expect that whatever movements I make will be reflected in the same manner in the mirror. However, in many horror films I've seen, directors use mirrors to establish a terrifying mood. This is done by having the actor perform some task, while another image is implanted in the film's "mirror." The 2008 movie, Mirrors is perhaps the best example of the use of this technique. But plenty of other movies have utilized this trick in order to exact a chilling mood, even when the movie itself doesn't fit into the horror genre. For instance, there is a scene in the epic film, Alexander, in which Angelina Jolie's reflection smiles wickedly while she in fact, looks into the mirror with a stoic face. In short, the idea that one's reflection could misrepresent what he/she actually looks like (or one's actions for that matter) will forever give me the willies.

People crawling on ceilings or walls

The first time I watched The Exorcist IIIand saw the little old lady crawling around on the ceiling of the hospital, I realized that this is yet another horror film special effect that has profound consequences on the psyche. Film crews have employed this tactic dozens of other times in movies. Another example of its use can be seen in Queen of the Damnedin which LeStat scampers up the wall of his lair, right before devouring his female guests. The defiance of the laws of gravity is a very subtle way to create a horrifying image in the minds of viewers. As such, this is one special effect that makes me nervous just thinking about it.