Sure, chainsaws and axes are scary implements of murder, but there are plenty of items of death, doom and destruction that can be found right in the home. Just look around your kitchen and you’ll see plenty of things that can separate a man from his breath in a big hurry. Read on for our Top Five Heinous Household Horrors!
Garbage Disposal-Rolling Thunder
Okay, we went deep into the archives for this one. For those who don’t remember Rolling Thunder, it was a 70’s exploitation film starring William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones. The duo returned from Vietnam after spending seven years as POWs in Hanoi. And how do the locals welcome the Major (Devane) back? By breaking into his home and threatening to kill his family if he doesn’t turn over some silver coins the local bank gave him as a thank you for his service. When the Major refuses to comply, the local toughs rough him up and jam his hand into the garbage disposal. Devane spends the rest of this revenge flick with a metal hook for a hand (insert your own butt-wiping joke here).
Lawn Mower-Dead Alive
When unknown director Peter Jackson burst on the scene with his first two films, Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles, there were probably very few people (aside from possibly members of his immediate family) who ever dreamed he would go on to become the uber-director we know today. But even his most staunch supporters had to hide their eyes and cringe at the beautiful gore-fest that was Dead Alive (aka Braindead to get it right for you New Zealanders). And no moment in this unending bloodbath was more extreme than the climax when our hero, Lionel, tears through the mass of infected flesh-eaters by firing up a lawn mower, picking that machine up and mashing it into the faces of the monsters. Needless to say it made one helluva mess.
Soda Can-Maximum Overdrive
What could be more common and harmless than a simple soda can? Well, in the classic 1986 horror flick Maximum Overdrive, an adaptation of the Stephen King short story “Trucks,” soda cans become lethal projectiles as a soda machine went haywire, along with all the rest of the machines in the world. The machines go on murderous rampages. The result of the soda machine attack is a baseball umpire that takes a can right in the junk, then another one in the bean that opens up a fatal head wound that all fans of 80’s horror films certainly remember.
Tack Hammer-The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Chop-Top. Just the name puts a smile on the faces of horror fans. He is one of the most beloved characters in the genre, and the man who brought the demented vision to life, Bill Moseley, continues to be a favorite among fans, and in the 20+ years since he played the role, he has become a horror icon. But it was certainly that initial shocking introduction we get with Chop-Top that got the ball rolling. After the infamous “E-X-I-T” scene, we soon see Chop-Top pounding away on the skull of radio station employee L.G. with a tack hammer while repeatedly screaming his unforgettable line, “Incoming mail! Incoming mail!” Classic. By the way, the video below is of Chop-Top’s initial meeting with Stretch (Caroline Williams) as the “Incoming Mail” scene was unavailable. However, upon researching this segment, we stumbled upon a YouTube video entitled “Buckethead, Bill and The Duck.” It’s worth checking out.
There you have the Top Five Heinous Household Horrors. And certainly when Evil Dead hits theaters this Friday, April 5, there will be some new extremely intense and downright chilling horror to deal with. Groovy!