10 Ways Horror Movies Got Scarier By Accident
3. A Mistimed Explosive Enhanced The Intensity - Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
The brilliant 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers memorably climaxes with protagonist Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) burning down a a warehouse containing a number of alien Pods.
Matthew then flees the area, only to be chased by a horde of the aliens, with one of them memorably being taken out by an explosion on the exterior of the building, while Matthew just barely runs clear of the fire.
But this wasn't actually planned at all. Rather, the extra chasing after Donald Sutherland mistimed his cue and ended up legitimately engulfed in a gigantic explosion, suffering severe burns as a result.
Director Philip Kaufman liked the shot enough to keep it in the film, and by showing how the Pods would even run into flames in the pursuit of world domination, further ratcheted up the already palpable sense of bleak hopelessness.