Top 11 Scalpings in Horror

Ever have a hair brush with bristles so sharp they ripped through the skin on your head? Do you shave your melon and get 3rd degree sunburns? Even worse, have you ladies (or some gentlemen with long hair) ever gotten into a fight where your hair got pulled till a piece of your scalp got ripped off? Well, hopefully it’s time to feel better about yourself because this week we rip apart ... 11 Scalpings in Horror movies!

SPOILERS AHEAD

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11. The Lost Boys (1987)

In the massacre scene of this definitive 1987 vampire movie, there's a blink and you miss scalping during this scene. The whole scene is quite grisly and gives the movie an insane tone for rest of the flick. It really is easy to miss if you blink for more than a half of second though. Enjoy the GIF and feel the pain!

10. Under the Skin (2013)

Scarlett Johansson is the selling point of all her movies. "Under the Skin" has this creep-tastic moment though that can get...under your skin, I guess. It got me the first time I saw it. The face still moves after being removed too. It's enough to cause some mild nightmares, I'm sure. If I were the alien, I would of just kept the fuckin face and scalp on.

9. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

I didn't think I'd like this movie before I watched it. Then, one day, my friend "Beast" brought it over on Halloween Eve. and I was delighted at how good it was. The feeling of this movie is amazing. It gives me vibes of all types of Horror cinema. The scalping scene stuck in my brain long after watching it. The following night on Halloween, "Beast" brought over the sequel and I was again blown away, but this scalping will always be effective in my dome. Can't wait for part 3, bring on blood!

8. Re-Animator (1985)

This one might he easier to watch than the "House of 1000 Corpses” one because it's done to a dead body. It goes harder with the visual though. This is a full blown scalping by Dr. West, showing off to his students. Just look at that skin rip, he doesn’t even flinch while removing the flesh.

7. Maniac | O.G & Remake | (1980 & 2012)

You think of scalping in Horror movies, you think of "Maniac" and the remake. I like both films but the original is hard to top in tone. It's one of those "shower" movies where you really the need to shower after watching it. Why am I attracted to these? I don't rightly know, but I do love me some slasher movies and “Maniac” is a very peculiar slasher film as if they weren't already different enough.

Joe Spinell lives on through his work.

6. Demons (1985)

Randomness comes to mind when I say "Demons" out loud. This movie's a fun time. If it were not a fun time, it'd be almost too disturbing to bear. The gore in "Demons" bangs the viewer over the head, one gag after another. Then something so silly and ridiculous happens that a laugh is immediate, along with some fingernails scratching to one’s own scalp (haha) wondering how they made this movie so exciting while having cringe worthy blood spatter and scalpings like this one. It’s a popcorn movie if I’ve ever seen one.

5. Scalps (1983)

The name of this 80's slasher movie tells you you'll be seeing at least one scalping, and it delivers. One thing I'd like to point out about this movie is that director Fred Olen Ray was the man responsible for giving Quentin Tarantino a 16mm camera to film "My Best Friend's Wedding" which would later be filmed as "True Romance" by director Tony Scott. So this movie is fuckin great in my ojos just for that fact alone. It really is an enjoyable slasher movie, too. I recommend it to anybody that wants to a good slasher flick they've never seen.

4. Blood Mania (2016)

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Herschell Gordon Lewis, R.I.P. The man delivered gore and this last film he presented to us was so great even going as far as having a gore song at the beginning. We're treated to 5 segments. The third has this succulent scalping with the antagonist finger-tipping the edge of this victims scalp. That'd feel fuckin agonizing, just rip it off and get it over with! As I watch the scene though, my eyes light up because it looks real and I love seeing this nasty stuff. I'll be going to see a psychiatrist after I'm done writing this list.

3. Blood Feast 2 (2002)

This is a scalping and a facing! Ouch! Wtf? This is cruel. Good thing it is. Another entry from Herschell Gordon Lewis. The sequel to his tongue-ripping "Blood Feast". This woman has her scalp all the way to her face ripped off while still alive. It's extreme for the love of gore. Herschell was a master at this stuff hence why they called him the "Godfather of Gore".

2. The Gruesome Twosome (1967)

Wait, Herschel again? 3 times in a row? Yes, but, I swear I didn't plan it that way. A list goes in order and these 3 stole the scalping show, well...almost. Sitting pretty at #2 is "The Gruesome Twosome" from 1967. Think "Psycho" if Mrs. Bates were still alive in the movie and instead of a motel, the mother and son duo were running a wig shop. To get these wigs though, the hair alone isn't good enough to acquire by itself, no, the whole scalp must come off too. Herschell Gordon Lewis may also have been, not just the king of gore, but, king of scalping too. I admire the kahunas this man had, I mean, without me specifically trying to put him on this list as many times as I could, he pretty much dominated it.

and the winner of Top 11 Scalpings in Horror…

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1. Piranha 3D

This is fucking mean and cruel. The difference between some directors, some would just have had the scalp and skin rip off of her face. Other directors like Alex Aja make sure the character screams about her fucking hair being caught, and the guy driving the boat showing how he only gives a fuck about himself, ignoring the poor girl’s cries. For a fun movie, this bit of gore had a psychological effect, too. This was a random character but I actually felt bad for her. Eli Roth has good death scene though so that made it better. Anyway, "Piranha 3D" has the best, most gruesome scalping in my blood drenched mind. Do you agree?

Honorable Non Horror Mentions

Inglorious Bastards

Honorable mention Inglorious Basterds.gif

Kill Bill

Legends of the Fall

I'm Dr.LoveGore signing off once again for Longlivethevoid.com wishing all gore-hounds safe brushings with no scalpings. See ya next week!

This week on Beyond The Void Horror Podcast is back on the Howling Franchise as promised! They dip into Howling 5 The Rebirth & Howling 6 The Freaks! It’s been a long bumpy road in the franchise but it’s almost over. Spoiler free review, trivia & favorites scenes with spoiler warning. See which one wins! You can listen here or you can Listen/Subscribe on iTunes here!