Peek-a-Boo Corpse: Difference between revisions

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Yes. Once again, the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse'''—the bane of squeamish horror movie watchers ''everywhere''—has made an appearance, rearing its ugly, eyeless, wormy head and worming its way into the nightmares of kids and adults alike.
Yes. Once again, the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse'''—the bane of squeamish horror movie watchers ''everywhere''—has made an appearance, rearing its ugly, eyeless, wormy head and worming its way into the nightmares of kids and adults alike.


If you're a naive moviewatcher (e.g., a child), there ''is'' no defense from the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''', for there is no way to see it coming. Even if you've had ''some'' experience watching horror movies (and can pretty much tell if a desperate [[Damsel in Distress]] is going to run into trouble,) there are still times and places when the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' will pop out unexpectedly, scaring the bejeezus out of even the most hardened of horror fans, especially if it's a particularly hideous one. Most '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse'''s like to hang around haunted houses and cemeteries, but occasionally they'll turn up in clean and innocuous environments where you'd least expect them (and where they'll have maximum shock value). A common way to find out if an ordinary, non-suspicious character is actually a villain is to have the heroine stumble upon a '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' hidden in their closet or basement. (Unfortunately, for the heroine, the villain is usually close by, watching this development, if they're not actively chasing her already.)
If you're a naive moviewatcher (e.g., a child), there ''is'' no defense from the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''', for there is no way to see it coming. Even if you've had ''some'' experience watching horror movies (and can pretty much tell if a desperate [[Damsel in Distress]] is going to run into trouble,) there are still times and places when the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' will pop out unexpectedly, scaring the bejeezus out of even the most hardened of horror fans, especially if it's a particularly hideous one. Most '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse'''s like to hang around haunted houses and cemeteries, but occasionally they'll turn up in clean and innocuous environments where you'd least expect them (and where they'll have maximum shock value). A common way to find out if an ordinary, non-suspicious character is actually a villain is to have the heroine stumble upon a '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' hidden in their closet or basement. (Unfortunately, for the heroine, the villain is usually close by, watching this development, if they're not actively chasing her already.)


You can expect the identity of the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' to be:
You can expect the identity of the '''Peek-a-Boo Corpse''' to be:
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== [[Film]] ==
== [[Film]] ==
* [[Steven Spielberg]] is probably the Grand [[Puppet Master]] of the Peek-a-Boo Corpse:
* [[Steven Spielberg]] is probably the Grand [[Puppet Master]] of the Peek-a-Boo Corpse:
** In the movie ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', the hapless Richard Dreyfuss happens upon a particularly nasty example of this trope in an underwater wreck. (this one Spielberg reshot specifically to be as much of a [[Jump Scare]] as it could)
** In the movie ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', the hapless Richard Dreyfuss happens upon a particularly nasty example of this trope in an underwater wreck. (this one Spielberg reshot specifically to be as much of a [[Jump Scare]] as it could)
** In ''[[Jurassic Park]]'', [[Laura Dern]] has just escaped the raptors when she feels an arm on her shoulder—oh look, [[Samuel L. Jackson]]'s here! ...Nope, just his arm.
** In ''[[Jurassic Park]]'', [[Laura Dern]] has just escaped the raptors when she feels an arm on her shoulder—oh look, [[Samuel L. Jackson]]'s here! ...Nope, just his arm.
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** The only scenes which could rival the Peek-a-Boo Corpse scrum in ''Raiders'' would be those which occurred in the ending of the Spielberg-produced ''[[Poltergeist]]'', which featured, among other things, the mother of the family being assaulted by corpses in the unfinished backyard pool. Later on, the entire family had to escape from a house where corpses in coffins were literally popping themselves up out of the floor and blocking their way. One even tossed itself onto the windshield of their departing car for good measure. (That and the [[Monster Clown|evil clown toy]] are why this editor will never watch a Spielberg movie again...)
** The only scenes which could rival the Peek-a-Boo Corpse scrum in ''Raiders'' would be those which occurred in the ending of the Spielberg-produced ''[[Poltergeist]]'', which featured, among other things, the mother of the family being assaulted by corpses in the unfinished backyard pool. Later on, the entire family had to escape from a house where corpses in coffins were literally popping themselves up out of the floor and blocking their way. One even tossed itself onto the windshield of their departing car for good measure. (That and the [[Monster Clown|evil clown toy]] are why this editor will never watch a Spielberg movie again...)
*** What makes this particular instance of Peek-A-Boo-Corpse so bad however, is that whenever the mother was in the unfinished pool, the corpse in there with her... [[Fridge Horror|WAS REAL]]!
*** What makes this particular instance of Peek-A-Boo-Corpse so bad however, is that whenever the mother was in the unfinished pool, the corpse in there with her... [[Fridge Horror|WAS REAL]]!
* Subverted in ''[[The Machinist]]''. At the start of the movie the main character is shown in an attempt to dump a body, {{spoiler|and later his fridge starts leaking blood after he fails to pay his electric bill. When opened, however, it only contains a large fish he caught.}}
* Subverted in ''[[The Machinist]]''. At the start of the movie the main character is shown in an attempt to dump a body, {{spoiler|and later his fridge starts leaking blood after he fails to pay his electric bill. When opened, however, it only contains a large fish he caught.}}
* The ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13 th]]'' movies all climax with multiple Peek-a-Boo Corpses, in the form of previous victims, all popping up at once to terrorize the [[Final Girl]].
* The ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13 th]]'' movies all climax with multiple Peek-a-Boo Corpses, in the form of previous victims, all popping up at once to terrorize the [[Final Girl]].
** You gotta give the killer credit for going through the extra effort of throwing a corpse through a window just scare their next victim.
** You gotta give the killer credit for going through the extra effort of throwing a corpse through a window just scare their next victim.
* Need we even mention ''[[The Ring]]''? If the one in the closet doesn't get you, the one in the chair will...
* Need we even mention ''[[The Ring]]''? If the one in the closet doesn't get you, the one in the chair will...
** If you want to see something even worse, pause the movie during the final moments of the opening "slumber party" scene. Then do some frame advances... (Keep the nitroglycerin on standby.)
** If you want to see something even worse, pause the movie during the final moments of the opening "slumber party" scene. Then do some frame advances... (Keep the nitroglycerin on standby.)
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* ''[[Grindhouse]]'': The trailer ''Thanksgiving'' parodies this trope, with two kills in a row resulting from a sudden beheading that's suddenly revealed when a character looks up.
* ''[[Grindhouse]]'': The trailer ''Thanksgiving'' parodies this trope, with two kills in a row resulting from a sudden beheading that's suddenly revealed when a character looks up.
* ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' of course did this multiple times where Laurie is exploring a house, she find one body then walks into something which prompts another peek a boo corpse to pop out. Also in one of the many ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' sequels (don't ask which one) they're holding a reality TV show inside the Myers house, the TV crew have set up a number of fake peek a boo corpses to scare the contestants, then real peek a boo corpses start turning up to the disbelief of everybody. The series continued this even when the main character was a nine year old girl...with one of the corpses being her adopted sister. Yikes.
* ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' of course did this multiple times where Laurie is exploring a house, she find one body then walks into something which prompts another peek a boo corpse to pop out. Also in one of the many ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' sequels (don't ask which one) they're holding a reality TV show inside the Myers house, the TV crew have set up a number of fake peek a boo corpses to scare the contestants, then real peek a boo corpses start turning up to the disbelief of everybody. The series continued this even when the main character was a nine year old girl...with one of the corpses being her adopted sister. Yikes.
* In the [[Jean Claude Van Damme]] vehicle ''Sudden Death'', JCVD opens a closet door to find the corpse of a woman hanging on the door, with a bullet in her brain.
* In the [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] vehicle ''Sudden Death'', JCVD opens a closet door to find the corpse of a woman hanging on the door, with a bullet in her brain.
* In ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', Batman impostor, Brian, is killed by the Joker, and his corpse is mercilessly hung outside the mayor of Gotham's office. What with the sudden appearance of his body slamming into the window, accompanied by creepy, startling music, it tends to make people jump.
* In ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', Batman impostor, Brian, is killed by the Joker, and his corpse is mercilessly hung outside the mayor of Gotham's office. What with the sudden appearance of his body slamming into the window, accompanied by creepy, startling music, it tends to make people jump.
* There's a great scene in ''[[American Psycho]]'' when a young woman is attempting to escape the lethally insane Patrick Bateman and she runs into several corpses all over his apartment.
* There's a great scene in ''[[American Psycho]]'' when a young woman is attempting to escape the lethally insane Patrick Bateman and she runs into several corpses all over his apartment.
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* Played with in the first of ''[[The Mummy Trilogy]]''. When the three protagonists finally open up the [[Sealed Evil in a Can|Sarcophagus]], cue the explosion of dust, momentary scare chord, and the corpse snapping out at the trio. The Heroine screams for a second, before sighing, "Oh, I ''hate'' it when they do that!"
* Played with in the first of ''[[The Mummy Trilogy]]''. When the three protagonists finally open up the [[Sealed Evil in a Can|Sarcophagus]], cue the explosion of dust, momentary scare chord, and the corpse snapping out at the trio. The Heroine screams for a second, before sighing, "Oh, I ''hate'' it when they do that!"
* Invoked in-universe in ''National Lampoon's Class Reunion'', where the killer sets a Peek-a-Boo Corpse on a rope swinging across the auditorium's stage like a pendulum, thus freaking out the attendees ''en masse''.
* Invoked in-universe in ''National Lampoon's Class Reunion'', where the killer sets a Peek-a-Boo Corpse on a rope swinging across the auditorium's stage like a pendulum, thus freaking out the attendees ''en masse''.
* In the "Black Hair" segment of the Japanese horror film ''Kaidan'', the samurai makes an unfortunate discovery after a passionate night with the wife he had abandoned.
* In the "Black Hair" segment of the Japanese horror film ''Kaidan'', the samurai makes an unfortunate discovery after a passionate night with the wife he had abandoned.
* Done a couple of times in ''[[Disturbia]]'' first when Kale's friend Ronnie plays back a video he shot of the inside of his creepy neighbor's house and discovers a dead woman inside the vent, later when said neighbor pushes Kale into an underground pool he discovers several dead women inside.
* Done a couple of times in ''[[Disturbia]]'' first when Kale's friend Ronnie plays back a video he shot of the inside of his creepy neighbor's house and discovers a dead woman inside the vent, later when said neighbor pushes Kale into an underground pool he discovers several dead women inside.
* The bug-eyed corpse with the music box in hand, which topples out of the semi in the beginning of the second ''[[Mad Max]]'' movie.
* The bug-eyed corpse with the music box in hand, which topples out of the semi in the beginning of the second ''[[Mad Max]]'' movie.
* ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan]]'' McCoy's making his way through the Regula I station when he bumps into a [[Cat Scare|Rat Scare]]. Relieved after the initial shock, he turns around - slap-bang into a corpse, hung upside down.
* ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan]]'' McCoy's making his way through the Regula I station when he bumps into a [[Cat Scare|Rat Scare]]. Relieved after the initial shock, he turns around - slap-bang into a corpse, hung upside down.


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** There was also the extreme dead guy in Aura's locker from the first episode.
** There was also the extreme dead guy in Aura's locker from the first episode.
** Played with in "Dead Things", where Buffy (thanks to a spell) doesn't realize that Katrina is a Peek-a-Boo Corpse and thinks she's killed her.
** Played with in "Dead Things", where Buffy (thanks to a spell) doesn't realize that Katrina is a Peek-a-Boo Corpse and thinks she's killed her.
* Often how the dead body is found on ''[[Castle]]''. You're just going about your day, minding your own business, opening your safe or dumping your old pizza boxes down the garbage chute and ''bang''.
* Often how the dead body is found on ''[[Castle]]''. You're just going about your day, minding your own business, opening your safe or dumping your old pizza boxes down the garbage chute and ''bang''.
** It happens to the leads during the Halloween episode in a closet in an attic. It's [[Played for Laughs]].
** It happens to the leads during the Halloween episode in a closet in an attic. It's [[Played for Laughs]].
* This happens a few times on ''[[Misfits]]'', firstly when the group find {{spoiler|Gary's}} hacked-up corpse in a locker. It also happens when Sally finds {{spoiler|her fiance's body}} in her car boot, although Curtis ultimately manages to avert this with his [[Time Master|time-turning]] ability. Plus, in episode 6, even though the audience already knows that {{spoiler|Sally}} is dead, it still comes as a bit of a shock to see that {{spoiler|Simon has propped her up in a giant freezer and is nonchalantly eating his lunch while gazing at her mangled corpse.}}
* This happens a few times on ''[[Misfits]]'', firstly when the group find {{spoiler|Gary's}} hacked-up corpse in a locker. It also happens when Sally finds {{spoiler|her fiance's body}} in her car boot, although Curtis ultimately manages to avert this with his [[Time Master|time-turning]] ability. Plus, in episode 6, even though the audience already knows that {{spoiler|Sally}} is dead, it still comes as a bit of a shock to see that {{spoiler|Simon has propped her up in a giant freezer and is nonchalantly eating his lunch while gazing at her mangled corpse.}}
** This happens again in season 2, but the scene quickly [[Mood Whiplash|takes a comedic turn]] when [[The Ditz|Nathan]] starts frantically screaming at the corpse: ''"Help! What should I do?"''
** This happens again in season 2, but the scene quickly [[Mood Whiplash|takes a comedic turn]] when [[The Ditz|Nathan]] starts frantically screaming at the corpse: ''"Help! What should I do?"''
* Happens all the time in [[Psych]]. Then Gus vanishes if not stopped first.
* Happens all the time in [[Psych]]. Then Gus vanishes if not stopped first.
* A fairly common way to open an episode in [[NCIS]].
* A fairly common way to open an episode in [[NCIS]].
** One prime example is the opening scene of episode 10 of season 4, "Smoked." Workmen at the Quantico Marine Military Base are replacing a furnace when the well-preserved (smoked) body of a dead man falls out of the chimney, which scares the bejeebus out of them.
** One prime example is the opening scene of episode 10 of season 4, "Smoked." Workmen at the Quantico Marine Military Base are replacing a furnace when the well-preserved (smoked) body of a dead man falls out of the chimney, which scares the bejeebus out of them.
* An episode of ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' pulls a PG-rated version of this on the ''viewer'', having a murder victim literally spring back to "life" as a white-faced zombie.
* An episode of ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' pulls a PG-rated version of this on the ''viewer'', having a murder victim literally spring back to "life" as a white-faced zombie.
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== Webcomics ==
== Webcomics ==
* Oddly combined with [[Gory Discretion Shot]] in [[Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name]] when Veser [http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=426 discovers the body in the theater].
* Oddly combined with [[Gory Discretion Shot]] in [[Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name]] when Veser [http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=426 discovers the body in the theater].
* In ''[[Silent Hill Promise|Silent Hill: Promise]]'' Vanessa turns the lights on and finds a body waiting for her.
* In ''[[Silent Hill: Promise]]'' Vanessa turns the lights on and finds a body waiting for her.




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[[Category:Horror Tropes]]
[[Category:Horror Tropes]]
[[Category:Peek A Boo Corpse]]
[[Category:Peek A Boo Corpse]]
[[Category:Peek-a-Boo Corpse]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Peek-a-Boo_Corpse"