7. Clowns - Poltergeist (1982)
Ive no doubt clowns will be another popular phobia. It's known as
coulrophobia and truth be told, Im not the biggest fan of them either; theres just something inherently creepy about them and because their intentions are normally lighthearted and comedic, the subversion of them into antagonistic entities is one easily capitalized on in horror stories. Like many phobias, I imagine this one often has its roots in some sort of negative childhood experience with a clown. While it is tempting to choose It for this one, I'm going to have to go with Poltergeist for its clown doll scene. It was truly creepy as a child though; I'll never forget that image of Tim Curry in full clown make-up on the VHS cover over at my uncle's house, taunting me every time I came to visit. Poltergeist, on the other hand, is a more classic slice of 80's horror movie fun. Scary, a little funny, it never takes itself too seriously and is an entirely fun ride. It's effective because of the simplicity of its plot: a happy, nuclear family suddenly having their home invaded by an unknown entity. Later on in the film a children's clown doll is possessed, leading to one of its most iconic scenes. It plays on many childhood fears, even subverting the classic "monster under the bed" scare to a degree, but it's the fact that a clown is the antagonist in this scene that brings it over the edge. It's also a doll though, which leads us onto our next fear...