As moviemaking technology gets more and more sophisticated, filmmakers are better able to create works that can scare viewers out of their seats. I provide the following list as a warning to those of you who may have specific fears likely to be triggered by these current blockbusters. I recommend that you find an alternate movie, unless you have Theatrophobia (fear of theaters) to begin with.
* Hoplophobia: Fear of firearms * Ballistophobia: Fear of bullets * Murophobia: Fear of rats 2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre—The Beginning * Mechanophobia: Fear of machines (like chainsaws) * Hemophobia: Fear of blood * Necrophobia: Fear of death or dead things 3. Open Season * Hylophobia: Fear of forests * Agrizoophobia: Fear of wild animals * Arctophobia, Ursaphobia: Fear of bears (Are you listening, Stephen Colbert?) 4. Employee of the Month * Ergophobia: Fear of work * Odontophobia – Fear of teeth (Jessica Simpson’s) 5. The Guardian * Thalassophobia: Fear of the sea * Cymophobia: Fear of waves * Aquaphobia, Hydrophobia: Fear of water * Floppaphobia: Fear of Waterworld 6. Jackass: Number Two * Dystychiphobia: Fear of accidents * Traumatophobia: Fear of injury 7. School for Scoundrels * Scolionophobia, Didaskaleinophobia: Fear of school * Sophophobia: Fear of learning * Testophobia: Fear of taking tests * Slingbladaphobia: Fear of Billy Bob Thornton (who has Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns) 8. Jet Li’s Fearless * Nihilophobia: Fear of (absolutely) nothing * Peladophobia: Fear of bald people * Sinophobia: Fear of the Chinese, Chinese culture, etc. * Consecotaleophobia: Fear of chopsticks 9. Gridiron Gang * Ephebiphobia: Fear of teenagers * Megalophobia: Fear of large objects (like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) 10. The Illusionist * Rhabdophobia, Arcanophobia: Fear of magic * Pogonophobia, Pognophobia: Fear of beards (especially Edward Norton’s goatee)
Update: This post was featured in the October 13, 2006 edition of the Carnival of Cinema.
