The Immortal Mirror Scare

How could you have a scary movie without the immortal mirror scene? It is simply a must. The scene where the unsuspecting victim is going through his, usually her, medical cabinet only to close it and - viola - there is the 'bay guy' right behind him, usually her, and now she's trapped.

These scenes always make audiences jump, even if the technique has been done a thousand times and more. It is always an anxious moment even if you know it is comes, because you're on the edge of your seat on how it is going to happen and what the victim will do. I do not know if in Hollywood history there is a more used and reused template. The mirror scene is ubiquitous and now a cliche.

But it is still vital and fun to watch. Here is a tribute featuring 50 mirror scares:

My personally favorite is when the guy actually starts talking to the mirror. I mean, what is he supposed to do?

I think Hollywood should put this to rest for now. I has been way too overused. There needs to be a new way to make the victim look unsuspecting and then have the 'bad guy' come out of no where and scare the audience.

Rearview mirrors are part of this genre and have also been overused. It's all been done. Give it a rest and close that cabinet for good.