From the double-bass pulse that signals the presence of the giant shark in "Jaws," to the shrieking strings that slice along with Norman Bates' knife in "Psycho's" famous shower scene, horror films ...

With Halloween around the corner, we asked Peter Brown, sound editor behind the movie Paranormal Activity to share his secret behind scary sound effects. Now it's time for our regular segment Words ...

It’s a dark and stormy night. Outside, the wind is howling. Rain is beginning to tap steadily at the window. You decide it’s the perfect setting to watch a scary movie. Armed with a bowl of popcorn, ...

Picture this: A girl walks alone down a long, creaky hallway. The lights are off, her pace is slow, and she’s inching towards the shadows. What sort of music is playing in the background? Almost ...

Long before radio became mainstream entertainment, Edgar Allen Poe was already writing for the airwaves. Throughout the last decade of his life, his poetry and prose bristled with words and phrasing ...

There are certain sounds that drive us batty. For many people, it's nails on a chalkboard. For me, it's the squeaking sound of styrofoam. What causes this reaction? —Brepark, via the Straight Dope ...

Do you have more splintering? IS there anything like ‘straining at the door panel?'” asks Lawrence Kasdan. His sound designer, Bob Grieve, suggests that the music is too loud; the audience won’t catch ...

If things on Earth aren't scary enough for you this Halloween, you can listen to scary sounds from space thanks to NASA. The U.S. space agency tweeted that they will host a live listen with a question ...

Note: This piece is better heard than read. To hear this review and the specific musical moments it references, listen at the audio link. Mark Korven specializes in making scary sounds. Lately, though ...