The 100 Scariest Movie Moments

100 scary moments from 100 movies, and not all of the movies featured are from the horror genre. This is an incredibly well done, informative and often very funny countdown show, featuring some very frightening moments from the scariest and most disturbing movies ever made.

Not content to stick with the mainstream scares of Freddy, Jason and Michael (although they are all to be found here as well!), "100 Scariest Movie Moments" also brings us images from forgotten, neglected and such controversial films as "Deliverance", Fulci's "The Beyond", the harrowing Dutch film "Spoorloos" and even such family fare as "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "The Wizard of Oz" - neither of which are films typically thought of as being scary but which contain some seriously disturbing imagery nevertheless! The show doesn't flinch either as it shows us eyeballs pierced in "Zombi", the nauseating disemboweling scene from "The Last House on the Left" and some naked butt from the transformation scene in "An American Werewolf in London."

The commentary is fascinating as well. Rob Riggle and Rob Huebel provide some of the best comedic moments as they enthusiastically comment on and re-enact scenes from "Psycho", "Blue Velvet" and "Jurassic Park." Interesting facts and fascinating memories are provided by the filmmakers themselves and longtime fans offer amusing recollections, recalling exactly how scared they were upon viewing the scene in question the first time.

All in all, "100 Scariest Movie Moments" is a bit like sitting around with your geeky horror fan friends and enthusiastically comparing notes as you run screaming down memory lane. Some horror fans will undoubtedly be disappointed and screaming "Foul!" with the revelation of #1, but one must remember that this isn't a countdown confined strictly to the horror genre. Okay, I admit - I agree that #3 and #1 should have switched places, but it's a small gripe. The show is incredibly entertaining. It is by turns funny, nauseating and intelligent.

Be warned: this show clocks in at around 5 hours, and it's very addictive. Make sure you have the time to sit in front of your TV, or else have a blank tape handy. Once you start watching it, you won't want to stop.

I've seen the entire 100-movie countdown 5 or 6 times now. Even so, I love it every time. Every time through it feels like a new countdown. Because of this special, I've now seen many more horror films. I admit they got some interesting people to do interviews with, like the Coors Light twins...maybe they were only added to do the 'come play with us' line from The Shining. Regardless, I enjoyed the interviews between clips; they added some needed humor and insight.

Though this list isn't a perfect rank of the scariest movie moments, it still knows which are scarier than others. Maybe they should've called it "Scariest movie moments" and left it at that, without it being a countdown. Then everyone can be happy.

List specials come and go, but "100 Scariest Movie Moments of All Time" is different. Made by Bravo and done VH1 style, the best word to describe it is just "fun." A group of guests were rounded up to discuss each movie in turn, and they're a wide-ranging bunch at that. From the masters of horror (Stephen King, Wes Craven, etc.) to comedians to people who have nothing to do with movies at all, everyone has something to say. I sometimes think the Coors Twins were just hired to recite the "Come play with us. Come play with us," line from "The Shining" in an eerie unison.

The horror movies themselves don't seem to be in any particular order. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is ranked high above "Child's Play", and the #1 spot will likely leave you scratching your head. But it's not a big flaw. The movies too are wide-ranging. The big boys of terror have their moment in the spotlight. But also expect to see obscure/or foreign films that, while not as popular as Freddy and Jason, can be more terrifying than you'd ever imagine.

The list itself might be scary, but there's no shortage of humor. The commentators don't hesitate to joke about even the scariest moments; they're funny, too. One such moment is after the hobbling scene in "Misery", and someone says "I didn't walk for, like, six weeks after that." This gives the whole special the feeling you're discussing horror movies with a group of friends.

Bravo shows reruns occasionally, so I'd recommend checking the guides. You won't be disappointed by this one. At least it's better than that awful "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs...Ever".

It's amazing that something this smart/insightful can be so much fun. The producers took a gaggle of talking heads and had them comment on a clip filled countdown of scary/suspenseful movie moments — in everything from horror/SF movies to things like Wait Until Dark. (The full list is at Bravo.com.) Rerun a few times a year, it stays watchable even after you've seen bits and pieces of it already. (It's five hours.)

Basically it's like those VH1 music countdowns, and the fun is in the variety of who they picked to comment. These include big-name filmmakers and authors, offbeat fans like the Swedish Bikini Team (or the St. Pauli Girls or whoever the hell those blond twins are), and film experts such as my favorite, the ever-fabulous MAITLAND McDONAGH, whose books, such as "Filmmaking on the Fringe," "The 50 Most Erotic Films of All Time" and the definitive Dario Argento bio, "Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds," are damn good readin'.

I may not have agreed with the placing of each film (the final five could do with some switching around), but by and large I had no complaints about the rankings and enjoyed seeing many older movies and a few good lost-in-the-shuffle films featured. Several of the films were those not generally considered horror per se, and it was nice to see them included.

Many of the commentators had insightful, interesting or just plain entertaining observations. It's rare that a show such as this is devoid of particularly annoying participants, but everyone here was fun and lively. If Bravo decides to give this special another run this upcoming Halloween season, I'd certainly recommend catching it.