"The Cask of Amontillado" still gives me the chills, no matter how often I've read it. Of course, along with the chills, I can't help but think that this Montresor guy is pretty bad-ass because of his complete lack of guilt (sort of the antithesis of the guy in "The Tell-Tale Heart").
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.
I love William Peter Blatty and Exorcist III, which was really better and scary than the previous ones, IMHO.
Aside from the sharp dialog and sharp performances by actors such as the late great Ed Flanders (St Elsewhere) and George C . Scott, there are many scenes that still chill my blood every time I see them. There's one where an old lady in a nursing home who is possessed by a demon is seen in the background walking up the wall and ceiling like a spider. Chilling. The movie really deserved to be called something other than Exorcist III because it is a marvelous creation on its own.
Poe would have loved it, I'm sure.
As for my scariest Poe story, the one that still makes me shiver is The Fall of the House of Usher.
I am a huge fan of the diversity of Poe's work, and i often point out to ancillary Poe-fans that the "master of the macabre" has written substantially more than horror stories.
But, with that said, in the spirit of the Halloween season, let's talk horror. First, what do you think is Poe's most effective scary story? That is, which story do you think will still send shivers up your spine, even in 2008?
Feel free to throw in mentions of other horror works, film or fiction, by others besides Poe. Let's get a good discussion rolling!
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It was night in the lonesome October, of my most immemorial year.