20 Perfect Scenes In Otherwise Terrible Horror Movies

Anyone remember Case 39? Probably not. It was, after all, an uber-forgettable, mediocre studio horror film. It brought together an impressive cast, and unlike many horror films of this era, they at least had the good sense to make it R-rated. But otherwise? This creepy-child horror is largely indistinct and lifeless... except for this death, of course, which killed off Bradley Cooper in a horrible manner. 

It's interesting to watch this back now, as this was just before Cooper hit the big time, and in this short scene alone he shows off his substantial acting gifts. He plays Douglas Ames, a psychiatrist and the best friend of protagonist Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger), a social worker who's just adopted a mysterious little girl who might not be as innocent as she looks. Emily gets Douglas to evaluate the child, and this, sadly, has terrible consequences for Douglas. During the meeting, he makes the mistake of revealing his phobia of hornets. 

That night, the poor man is overcome by a swarm of them in the bathroom, before it gets even worse: they begin to emerge from within him - his mouth, his nose, his ears, even under his eyelids. Such is the shock that he falls and breaks his neck, concluding a nightmarish bit of body-horror that's elevated further by Cooper's superb physical performance.