When it comes to genres, horror is one of the hardest to get right.
The smallest detail can break the spell filmmakers rely on to suck viewers in and get them invested
in the scenes that'll fuel nightmares later.
It's all about timing and balance, so it's no surprise a lot of otherwise good scenes
can get the axe.
Sometimes, those lost scenes are awesome.
Whether they give new insight into a character or hint at a sequel, they're worth revisiting.
Let's do exactly that, starting with...
A killer confrontation
The Saw series started out pretty basic.
Two guys, leg chains, hacksaws… you know the drill.
Things would eventually get more complicated, but we could usually count on Amanda staying
relatively strong... up to her violent end, at least.
As a victim turned willing accomplice, she needed to be a little more complicated than
most of the other characters.
(Who were, of course, usually just torture-meat.)
Making the jump to becoming Jigsaw's pawn is almost unimaginable, and this deleted scene
from Saw 3 is a glimpse into that struggle.
"Rockstar!
Sorry, your hair, is very rockstar."
It's too bad we never got to see it, because it's particularly effective in a series that
could have benefited from some relatable moments like this.
It's a flashback to an Adam who's oblivious to what's in store for him, and a chance meeting
that's about to go horribly wrong.
We all know it, even if they don't.
"I'll see ya there."
Henry's bad day
IT was one of the most terrifying movies of 2017.
Pennywise gave everyone another reason to fear clowns, but that wasn't all for the Loser's
Club, who also had classroom bully Henry Bowers to deal with.
They know Henry's a little unstable, and we know it, too.
One blink-and-you'd-miss-it deleted scene would have helped make the full extent of
his psychotic break completely clear.
Henry sits in a car, watching our favorite group of Losers head into the most terrifying
house we've ever seen.
(Yes, even including this one.)
He has company, but friends Belch and Victor aren't feeling too talkative considering what
he's done to them… and that just really brings it home about just what kind of bully
the Loser's Club has had to deal with on a daily basis.
That's the very definition of horror.
Say what you will about Pennywise, but at least Henry makes your own school bully look
positively pleasant.
Evil Dead's extra-dark details
The 2013 reboot of Evil Dead was as ridiculously bloody as you'd expect, and director Fede
Alvarez once told Collider,
"I know we ordered a truck [of blood] the other day that was…
50,000 gallons?
Just for one scene."
That's a shocking amount of blood.
Even though most made it on-screen for an insanely blood-soaked finale, there were still
a few details left on the cutting room floor.
In the original ending, Mia's brother, Steve, burns down the cabin.
It's a sacrificial move, as he traps himself and their possessed friend.
A deleted shot shows a little more of what happens inside the cabin as it's going up
in flames, and spoiler alert: it's not good for Steve.
And, in case you've ever wondered just what happens when the blood's stopped flowing and
the bodies are done falling, this cut scene shows just how Mia got back to civilization.
"Are you okay kiddo?"
"Help me…"
Neither shot adds anything to the story, but it's possible that last glimpse of Steve might
have been setting up a sequel.
We hope.
"Groovy…"
A breathless confession
2016's Don't Breathe might be one of the most tense, claustrophobic thrillers ever made,
and it starts when three thieves decide to break into the home of a blind man.
It's not long before they realize they've picked the wrong house, and it's Stephen Lang's
performance as the intended victim that's at the heart of the film.
Since he doesn't have much dialogue, it's extra terrifying when he does speak — like
he does in this deleted scene.
"My daughter was my life."
And that might be why this ended up on the cutting room floor.
It might have given him just too much to say, going into some pretty explicit — and heartbreaking
— detail about the accident that killed his daughter.
While it might help us understand more about him, the explanation is ultimately unnecessary.
The scene would have thrown a wrench into the film's pacing, but Lang's reading of it
is no less mesmerizing than the rest of his performance.
Extra scares
Most deleted scenes are short and sweet, but 2002's The Ring lost an entire subplot involving
an accused murderer played by Chris Cooper, who shot scenes to bookend the film.
While these scenes were unfortunately never made available to the public, a few other
deleted scenes have slipped out.
One of the most nerve-wracking is an incredibly creepy one in which Noah makes a horrifying
discovery as he heads off to investigate the classic sort of creepy cabin.
Unfortunately for him, a small boat floating just offshore in the lake grabs his attention.
"Hey buddy!
Hey!
You okay?"
It's effective, but maybe too effective.
The ultimately unnecessary scene — and subplot — may have had the effect of lessening similar
scares at earlier and later points in the film, and we can all agree The Ring is pretty
epic without the added weight.
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