The Modernist wrote:The problem with answering these kind of questions is often the impact of things will dissipate over time, but I can remember the experience of watching Blue Velvet in the cinema and how disturbing and chilling Frank Booth was when he first appeared. You didn't know what he was going to do next and that unpredictability was deeply unsettling. Now I've seen the film so many times that I almost view him as a comedy character.
Good post. I remember watching Mulholland Drive at the cinema and the diner scene felt like clammy, creeping dread followed by a cattleprod in the balls. May not have the same power on repeat viewings, but a great scene nevertheless.
Another scene that really sticks out in my memory is the reveal of the weeping child/wizened crone in
The Others (clearly influenced by
Don't Look Now).