This Or That: Pt. 2
ISSUE #02
with Anne Hickey of
Gratuitous Productions
Ahoy Creeps, Cretins and Horror Enthusiasts!
Welcome back to another edition of “This or That” with Gratuitous Productions.
In our last battle, we presented to the voting polls two of the best jump scares in horror cinema. By a very narrow margin, the classic nun jump scare scene in the criminally underrated flick “The Exorcist 3”squeaked out the win just above the heart pounding Xenomorph tunnel scare in “Alien”. For this edition, we are comparing and voting on two absolutely stunning examples of special effects work in horror cinema. Always a fan favorite but rarely executed as well as the examples below… the best head explosion in horror cinema.
CHOICE A:
First up we will look at the jaw dropping head explosion scene in David Cronenberg’s 1981 masterpiece “Scanners”
This scene is a psychologically intense sequence right out of the gate. White knuckle, edge of your seat madness! In the first ten minutes of the film no less, this piece of special effects magic sets the tone for what is to come. Beautifully executed by Gary Zeller and his team of make up artists Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis. A guaranteed rewind every single time!
Choice B:
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a Tom Savini classic explosion on this poll. Better yet, team him up with George A. Romero and you have the brilliance that is the original “Dawn of the Dead” (1978)
In this sequence, the energy has already hit a fever pitch. The stakes are high, the frantic nature of the upcoming scene is palpable and then BAM! We get a nauseatingly graphic and brilliantly timed shotgun blast head explosion. No frills. All killer, no filler.
No CGI. No smoke and mirrors. Just pure ingenuity and craftsmanship from two juggernauts of the special effects world.
Now it’s up to you to decide…
Honorable mention: another Savini classic… the shotgun blast through the car windshield in William Lustig’s “Maniac” (1980)
