10. George Clooney, Return to Horror High
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Unbeknownst to most, George Clooney is one of the many actors who has bitten the dust in a horror movie. The very same George Clooney who went on to star in Syriana and The Descendants, and would succeed in becoming a multi-award winning global superstar. As with all great actors, Clooney had to start somewhere; his 1987 début in Return to Horror High being no exception to this rule. With that said, Clooney's 'début' was short-lived, proving to be nothing more than a glorified cameo. Having been offed in the film's opening sequences, he didn't even make it to the fifteen minute mark. Nevertheless, his premature demise came when playing the role of Oliver, the lead actor in a film concerning a series of real-life high school murders. When finished filming for the day, Oliver ventures off set in search of the parking lot. Somewhat predictably, he becomes hopelessly lost, eventually stumbling across an eerie looking, blood covered door. Obviously, he enters through the door, beginning arguably the most awkwardly drawn out 30 second death scene in the history of film. Unsurprisingly, the film itself was in truth a hit and miss. Upon its initial release, many highly respected critics dismissed it altogether; though perhaps the essence of the film was lost on them. Indeed, the misleading title, sketchy acting and completely unfathomable plot did nothing to suggest the critics were wrong. Though with that said, the film was never actually intended to be taken seriously. Return to Horror High was a spoof, the bottom line being that this concept flew straight over the heads of those who criticised it. Now, with this knowledge in mind, it's fair to say that it wasn't actually that bad. In fact, the comedic factors of both the Scream and Scary Movie series wouldn't have existed were it not for this film; a truly misunderstood forbearer of its time. Detention is
out now on DVD.