19. The Omen David Warner
A stunning piece of cinematography and special effects, in addition to being a gory death in the original and affecting Omen movie, which came fresh on the heels of the Exorcist. David Warner plays Jennings, a photographer who comes to the aid of Gregory Peck and helps him with his investigation about the origin of his adopted son who doesnt seem to be quite right. When they seem to be getting close to unearthing the truth, a pane of glass slides from the back of a truck, sails through the air and with the precision and effectiveness of a guillotine, takes Warners head clean off his shoulders. The shot is captured from a series of angles in slow motion. We watch, hearts in our mouths, as the head jumps off his shoulders then spins in the air before landing on the ground. If Peck needed convincing before that something is rottin in Denmark (or London, as it were) he doesnt any after this horrific decapitation.
18. Hot Fuzz Adam Buxton
Theres nothing like laughing at death. But the death of Adam Buxtons meddling reporter in Wright and Peggs cross genre cop thriller set in a tiny town in the British countryside provides a joilting shock and leaves you bamboozled as to how to respond to it with horror or laughter. Buxton stands beside a church waiting to meet a mystery source. Above we see the masket killer exit onto the church roof and proceeds to push the spire off. It flies down at Buxton who looks up just in time for it to impale him, crushing straight through his skull and embedding itself into his body. Pegg arrives on the scene just in time and it is through his POV we witness the impact.