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CultureQuiet 14d · day 15

Guardian ranks horror's greatest practical special effects

Anne Billson counts down cinema's most iconic makeup and in-camera tricks, from silent-era vampires to The Exorcist.

newest coverage 14d agosummary written 12d ago4 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • The Guardian ranks practical special effects from horror classics, arguing pre-CGI techniques created more impactful visuals than modern digital effects.
  • The countdown spans from silent-era films (Nosferatu, The Phantom Carriage) to contemporary horror (The Ring), highlighting makeup, stop-motion, and in-camera trickery.
  • At least one social media user expressed skepticism about the rankings or selections.

“The pea-coloured puke popularised the term 'projectile vomiting', and the deleted 'spider-walk' became legendary before its restitution. But the signature effect in William Friedkin's film is Linda Blair's 360-degree head rotation, an effect at once ludicrous and horrifying, thanks to Dick Smith and Marcel Verco…”

Anne Billson, Guardian film critic · The Guardian ↗

Anne Billson Guardian film criticHideo Nakata Japanese filmmaker

Guardian ranks horror's greatest practical special effects
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Oct 29, 8 AM; 4 pieces over 15 days (3 articles · 1 post) Oct 29, 8 AM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Newswires 2, Google News 1Oct 29, 12 PM — quietOct 29, 4 PM — quietOct 29, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 30, 4 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 12 PM — quietOct 30, 4 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 12 AM — quietOct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 12 PM — quietOct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietNov 7, 3 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 11 AM — quietNov 7, 3 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 11 PM — quietNov 8, 3 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 11 AM — quietNov 8, 3 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 11 PM — quietNov 9, 3 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 11 AM — quietNov 9, 3 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 11 PM — quietNov 10, 3 AM — quietNov 10, 7 AM — quietNov 10, 11 AM — quietNov 10, 3 PM — quietNov 10, 7 PM — quietNov 10, 11 PM — quietNov 11, 3 AM — quietNov 11, 7 AM — quietNov 11, 11 AM — quietNov 11, 3 PM — quietNov 11, 7 PM — quietNov 11, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 12
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  1. 2

    Mastodon user reacts with skepticism to the rankings

    A user on Mastodon shared the article with an expression of disbelief about the selections or rankings.

    “You've gotta be fucking kidding…”
    — xs4me2
    • xs4me2@mastodon.social

      “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding…” https://www. theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/ 29/exploding-heads-mutant-aliens-and-bursting-chests-horrors-greatest-special-effects-ranked?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

      xs4me2@mastodon.socialMastodon14d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 1

    Guardian publishes ranked guide to horror's greatest practical effects

    Anne Billson's article surveys iconic moments in horror cinema emphasizing pre-CGI practical effects, from The Omen's beheading to The Birds' attic scene, with extended analysis of films including Nosferatu, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Eyes Without a Face, and The Exorcist.

    “Towards the end of the 20th century, when film-makers' overreliance on CGI was increasingly making special effects less special, it took the old-school practical approach of Japanese film-maker Hideo Nakata to make one's hair stand on end.”
    — Anne Billson, Guardian film critic · source

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 3 outlets Exploding heads, mutant aliens and bursting chests: horror’s greatest special effects – ranked!

    first by The Guardian, 14d ago · also Guardian Media, Guardian Culture