10 Perfect Horror Movie Lines

When Ed McMahon introduced Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for the first time, it is unlikely the notion that he had breathed life into one of the most famous horror lines of all time had crossed his mind. While constructing the immortal character of Jack Torrance, Jack Nicholson knew a line of particular unsettling resonance was required for maximum impact during the iconic scene in which he chops through a bathroom door with a fire axe.

Nicholson chose The Tonight Show's soundbite as he knew this was a line that Americans heard through their television sets everyday - words that made them feel warm and safe. The actor was well aware that juxtaposing this quote with the image of a demented homicidal lunatic would land perfectly in terms of shock factor, but even he could not have predicted the lasting impact the line would have within pop culture.

While The Shining has justifiably taken a pounding in recent years due to the revelations concerning director Stanley Kubrick's abhorrent abuse of female lead Shelley Duvall during production, what cannot be disputed is the terrifying perfection of Nicholson's delivery in the seminal sequence. The actor looks legitimately insane as he taunts his wife through the door before smashing through and gleefully roaring the unforgettable quote in bloodcurdling fashion.

"Here's... Johnny!"

In a further display of his dazzling dramatic capabilities, Nicholson actually improvised the sensational one-liner on the spot. Consummate genius.