Top 5 Spook-tacular Halloween Stunts

At the British Action Academy, we usually deal in a very different kind of Jump Scare. If we trade in any kind of fear, it's the feeling you get when you look over the edge of the platform on B.L.A.S.T. and prepare for a 30 feet drop. The end of October gives us the opportunity to look at being scared in a different context. Who doesn't fill the week leading up to Halloween with as many horror movies as they can? We know we all do!

With that in mind, we started thinking about our favourite stunts from Horror movies, and we came up with this top five. They might not all be the greatest or riskiest stunts ever committed to film, but they are the stunts which made us fall in love with these scary movies...

 

5. Halloween

It may not be the greatest stunt of all time, but it has certainly become iconic. Mike Myers fall to his apparent death is the climactic shot of John Carpenters seminal horror movie. The fact that Myers survives the fall, adds to the sense of dread which surrounds his character. Even when the franchise was rebooted last year, this scene was still used as the jumping-off point, erasing everything that came after, and starting a brand new story focussed on Jamie Lee Curtis' survivor.

 

4. The Exorcist

Sometimes a simple stunt, expertly executed, is enough to send shivers down your spine. The spider walk scene in The Exorcist is certainly one of them. Utilising a stunt double to chilling effect, this sequence upped the weird factor and made you question the very fabric of your reality. If you thought she was faking her possession until now, then this moment made you want to leave the theatre and run back to church.

 

3. Final Destination 5

Maybe not the most prestigious horror film series of all time, but they are undoubtedly fun. The Final Destination franchise has always pushed the boundaries between horror and high concept action, and that is none clearer than in Final Destination 5, and the bridge scene which showcases some joyously horrific deaths.

 

2. 28 Days Later

Okay, we might be a little bit biased with this one, but 28 Days Later showcases one of the best full-body fire stunts ever performed in a movie performed by our very own chief instructor. The stunt even earnt Andreas a nomination for a Taurus World Stunt Award. The beauty of this stunt is how it drives the story and is a true display of how relentless those affected by the rage virus are. Even on fire, they will just keep coming at you. A perfect display of stunts and story working together.

 

1. An American Werewolf In London

This film is a firm favourite in the office, and so could really only be at number one. It may have been released in 1981, but the combination of practical effects and stunt work still holds up. The barrage of stunts in this climactic scene working to show the true chaos of the beast unleashed. This along with Rick Bakers award-winning makeup helped to cement the place of this film among the classics.  We will definitely be re-watching the movie over Halloween. What will you be watching?

If you want to test your nerves, why not join us on one of our courses? You can find our full course diary HERE, and if you're really brave,  come along to BLAST, our live-action stunt training course and see if you've got what it takes to be a stunt performer!

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