10 Greatest Sacrifices In Horror Movie History
9. The Shining
This particular entry is both one of the great heroic sacrifices in horror movie history, but also one of the most monumental failures as well.
When Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance finally snaps and turns on his family, his 'shining' blessed son Danny uses his abilities to contact hotel cook Dick Hallorann to come and save them. Hallorann braves the elements, hops a plane, and ploughs his way up the mountain to help save this young boy he's just met.
However, it does not go to plan as he is axed down almost immediately by the psychotic Jack Torrance. Hallorann's spectacular fail has become somewhat legendary in horror circles, most notably being referenced in a particularly great Treehouse of Horror episode of the Simpsons. However, it does not change the heroic nature of the effort.
In fact, the overwhelming failure of it should only serve to further highlight the fact that Dick Hallorann was nothing more than an ageing cook just trying to do the right thing - he never stood a chance against Nicholson's unhinged lunatic, but he showed up anyway. An unsung hero of one of the greatest horror films of all time.