50. The Final Destination (2009)
The Horror Character: Hunt, an obnoxious jock who doesn't believe in Death's plans to collect his missing souls.
The Bad Luck: Poor old Hunt is undone by his so-called lucky coin, as he dives into a swimming pool to retrieve it. Unluckily for him, the pool's ventilation system is malfunctioning, and proceeds to suck his innards out through his back passage. Oof!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: It would have gone the same way as the coin, and Hunt would still have ended up in that pool.


49. Saw (2004)
The Horror Character: Steven Sing, a homicide detective who partners the film's increasingly deranged hero, David Tapp.
The Bad Luck: While almost every other one of Jigsaw's victims has failed some form of moral test, Sing is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus, he gets taken out by the most basic of Jigsaw's traps: a simple shotgun rigged by a trip-wire. D'oh!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have come down with a cold that morning and spent the evening in bed.


48. Hannibal (2001)
The Horror Character: Paul Krendler, a corrupt member of the Justice Department working in league with the fiendish Mason Verger.
The Bad Luck: Expecting to enjoy a relaxing holiday at his lake house, he turns up to find Hannibal Lecter waiting for him. Worse still, he ends up being spoon fed sautéed pieces of his own brain. We know he's a bit of a shit, but that's a little strong, no?
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Hannibal would've presented him with a nice bottle of chianti, shaken him by the hand and continued on his way.


47. Friday the 13th (2009)
The Horror Character: Richie, one of a group of disposable moppets Jason works his way through in this 2009 remake.
The Bad Luck: Usually you can count on Jason to deliver a quick death, but poor old Richie has the misfortune to step in a bear trap before Jason can arrive on the scene. A painful wait, then, and still a machete in the face at the end of it.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Jason would have triggered the trap himself, allowing his victims to make a swift getaway.


46. Carnosaur (1993)
he Horror Character: Doc, a booze-addled security guard who becomes embroiled in the mission to take down a herd of genetically altered dinosaurs.
The Bad Luck: It's quite unlucky to find yourself under attack from dinosaurs in this day and age, but having survived that onslaught, Doc is brutally gunned down by the shadowy corporate types looking to keep the whole thing a secret. He can't win.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd be appearing in Jurassic Park, in which his chances of survival would have been marginally better.


45. The Shining (1980)
The Horror Character: Dick Hallorann, the chef at the Overlook Hotel who shares an unspoken connection with young Danny Torrance.
The Bad Luck: Having picked up on Danny's distress signal, Hallorann travels all the way back to the frozen Overlook from sunny Florida, only to get an axe in the chest as soon as he steps through the door. That's what you get for trying to help, Dick!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have lucked out and had the film directed by somebody else. He makes it in the book!


44. Psycho (1960)
The Horror Character: Marion Crane, a former receptionist who heads off on the lam when she pinches a client's fortune.
The Bad Luck: As soon as she leaves the city, things start going wrong for Marion. Firstly, she falls asleep in a layby, attracting the attention of a passing cop. Then she gets caught in a ferocious rainstorm and is forced to seek shelter. And finally, she pitches up at the Bates Motel. Not her day, is it?
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The weather would have stayed fine and it would have been plain sailing to California.


43. Cabin Fever (2002)
The Horror Character: Jeff, a self-interested chancer who abandons his friends at the first sign of trouble.
The Bad Luck: Disloyal he might be, but Jeff's plan to hide out in the woods was actually a sound one, as evidenced by his victory cry upon returning to the camp. "I made it," he yells, gleefully. "I fucking made it!" Of course, it's at this point that he's shot down by a group of armed police officers.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have known to avoid the camp altogether. You've already abandoned them, mate. What's the point in going back now?


42. Saw 6 (2009)
The Horror Character: William Easton, a health insurance executive with the misfortune of having pissed Jigsaw off at one time or another.
The Bad Luck: Not only does William suffer an agonisingly painful death at the film's close (needles through the head; hydrofluoric acid pumped into his body), he also has to make a series of terrible choices between various captives as to who should live and die. The heartache of the latter might not be as bad as the pain of the former, but it's still not great!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have recognised Jigsaw as a nutter when he first met him, treated him and averted the rage of his followers.


41. The Orphanage (2007)
The Horror Character: Laura, a former inhabitant of the titular orphanage who returns there as an adult to convert it into a home for disabled children.
The Bad Luck: With her adopted son Simón suddenly going missing, Laura understandably begins to lose the plot, fearing adduction and then ghostly intervention. In the end, the answer is revealed to be as mundane as a simple blocked door, with Laura herself having trapped the boy in the basement without realising. Talk about a devastating blow…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have realised that the knocking sounds she was hearing weren't made by ghosts but by her missing son!


40. Friday the 13th pt. 2 (1981)
The Horror Character: Mark, the wheelchair-bound member of the group. Surely he'll be safe, right?
The Bad Luck: It's particularly unfortunate that Mark encounters Jason while perched precariously at the top of the biggest flight of stairs we've ever seen. You can guess what happens next.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd be at the top of a big old ramp. He'd still have to find a cure for the machete in the face, mind…


39. The Omen (1976)
The Horror Character: Katherine Thorn, wife of Robert, who is none the wiser about the swap performed by her other half when her newborn child dies shortly after birth…
The Bad Luck: It's unlucky that the child they end up with is the antichrist, but it was a fairly dodgy move on Robert's part nonetheless. Katherine, however, knew nothing about the swap, but ends up miscarrying her next child and eventually dying because of it!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have ended up with a nice normal boy without the slightest interest in pushing people off balconies.


38. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
The Horror Character: Nancy Thompson, the young girl who first experiences a series of dreams in which a strange claw-handed man begins to make his presence felt…
The Bad Luck: Despite it being her parents that Freddie should really have a problem with, Nancy ends up locked in a long-running battle with the former janitor, "killing" him twice before finally biting the dust. Even then, he doesn't stay dead for long.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Her dreams would have stayed populated by ponies and Johnny Depp.


37. The Thing (1982)
The Horror Character: Dr. Copper, one of the resident medics at the remote Antarctic research station.
The Bad Luck: Not only does he find himself locked in a remote, icy nightmare with a bunch of dead co-workers for company, he also goes out in horrific fashion while trying to help Norris retreat from death's door. Having your arms bitten off by your patient's gaping chest is going above and beyond the usual bedside manner…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Norris would only have been suffering a mild dose of the flu.


36. Final Destination 3 (2006)
The Horror Characters: Ashley and Ashlyn, a pair of bleached-blonde barbie doll types whose tanning obsession takes an abrupt turn for the worse.
The Bad Luck: Luck is a tricky concept with the Final Destination films, as there's a bit of a grey area with the idea of fate. Still, we'd say it's pretty unlucky to suffer the most painful-looking death in the entire series, as the girls are boiled alive in their malfunctioning sunbeds.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They'd have opted for a spray tan instead. Much less potential for incineration.


35. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
The Horror Character: Paul, one of a group of friends who've hired a holiday house at Crystal Lake. Error.
The Bad Luck: When facing Jason, you can probably expect to get your head squished, or a machete through the throat. Paul however, catches the big man in creative mood, and gets a spear right in his groin. Ouch.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have had the presence of mind to put some clothes on, so as not to present Jason with such an obvious target.


34. The Wicker Man (2006)
The Horror Character: Edward Malus, a sheriff lured to a mysterious island to investigate the disappearance of a little girl.
The Bad Luck: We've opted for the remake because this version of Malus really does go through the wringer, having his legs broken, being attacked by bees and finally being burned alive in the titular structure. However, thanks to Nic Cage's towering performance, the whole thing is irresistibly funny!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have packed up and left, without having to dress up as a bear or punch any middle-aged women in the face.


33. Screamers (1995)
The Horror Character: Colonel Joseph A. Hendricksson, leader of the Alliance on colonised planet Sirius 6B.
The Bad Luck: Having survived the Screamer onslaught, Hendricksson finally manages to board a shuttle leaving for Earth. Unfortunately for him, he's brought a teddy bear along as a souvenir, a teddy bear that begins to move as the final screen fades to black…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have brought along some female company rather than a murderous stuffed toy.


32. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
The Horror Character: Tommy Jarvis, survivor of two previous encounters with Jason Voorhees one previous encounter with Jason Voorhees and one copycat killer, and his killer in one of them.
The Bad Luck: Having successfully managed to put Jason down, it was perhaps foolish for Tommy to tempt fate and revisit the corpse. Stabbing said corpse was also a bit weird, but where's the harm? Unless of course his stabbing implement is struck by lightning, reanimating Jason and giving him new super-powers. Bugger.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Jason would have been cremated. The end.


31. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
The Horror Characters: The survivors of the shopping mall onslaught, who manage to battle their way out of that hell-hole onto a boat, and salvation…
The Bad Luck: Having managed to overcome almost impossible odds in escaping the zombie hoard, the survivors weigh anchor at a far-flung island, only to find there are zombies there too! Oh come on…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They'd have made their way to a tropical paradise full of friendly animals and tasty, tasty mangoes. And no zombies.


30. Saw 2 (2005)
The Horror Character: Eric Matthews, a police detective with some fairly serious anger issues.
The Bad Luck: Of all Jigsaw's victims, Matthews is probably the one who goes through the most torment. Across three films he has his son abducted, his ankle smashed, is locked up for god knows how long and then placed in one of the later killers' traps. No wonder he effectively commits suicide by the end. As he puts it himself, "I don't want to play any more!"
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Jigsaw would have confessed, reconciled himself to his condition and passed away peacefully. Job done.


29. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
The Horror Character: Jamie Lloyd-Carruthers, daughter of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers' niece.
The Bad Luck: Jamie has a really rough time of it, all things considered. She's teased about her uncle by her peers, is rendered mute by the weird connection she shares with him, is forced to have sex with him, sees all her friends and her sibling killed by him and finally ends up mangled in a threshing machine. Great!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have found out she was adopted. Although that probably wouldn't save her, to be honest.


28. The Human Centipede (2010)
The Horror Character: Lindsay, one of the luckless trio who become the unwilling subjects in Dr. Josef Heiter's bizarre science experiment.
The Bad Luck: All of them are fairly unlucky, but as the middle-section of the centipede, Lindsay has it worse than most. Indeed, by the end, she's attached to a pair of corpses! Gross.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She and her friend would have chosen a different house in which to seek shelter.


27. The Strangers (2008)
The Horror Character: Kristen McKay, who heads off on holiday with husband James to his parents remote house in the country. Naturally, it's not that relaxing a break.
The Bad Luck: Having had a trio of strangers break into her house and terrorise her, Kristen begs of the ringleader, "why are you doing this to us?" The answer is devastatingly simple: "because you were home." Blind chance in its most horrifying form.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The neighbours would have answered their door first!


26. Scream (1997)
The Horror Character: Sidney Prescott, primary target of the Ghostface killer during the Woodsboro murders.
The Bad Luck: Not only has she had to endure the rape and murder of her mother, but poor old Sidney has been targeted by various killers throughout four whole movies, with many of her loved ones buying it in the process. Enough already!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot:
She'd have moved away from Woodsboro immediately after her mother's death, and resisted the inexplicable urge to return!


25. Drag Me To Hell (2009)
The Horror Character: Christine Brown, a bank loan officer who turns down an old woman's extension on a mortgage payment.
The Bad Luck: Her decision to toe the bank's party line in order to impress her boss results in three days of torture for Christine, before finally being, er, dragged to hell. Doesn't really seem fair, does it?
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The old dear would simply have been depositing twenty quid in coppers. A pain, sure, but better than the alternative.


24. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The Horror Character: David Kessler, an American tourist backpacking his way across the green and pleasant land of England.
The Bad Luck: If embarking upon a rural English holiday you can bank on freezing temperatures, driving rain and the odd randy bull or two. What you can't legislate for is a sudden werewolf attack. That's just bad luck.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have run into an over-exuberant sheepdog at the very worst.


23. Eden Lake (2008)
The Horror Character: Jenny, a nursery teacher who heads off to the countryside for a weekend away with her boyfriend Steve.
The Bad Luck: Unlucky enough to run into a bunch of murderous teenagers who torture both her and her boyfriend (who they go on to kill), Jenny is shit out of luck even when she escapes – the house in which she seeks help just happens to be where the gang leader lives!
.If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have made the executive decision to take Steve for a weekend abroad. Britain is broken, after all.


22. Child's Play (1988)
The Horror Character: Andy Barclay, a six-year-old boy who longs for only one thing: a talking "Good Guy" doll.
The Bad Luck: As if it isn't bad enough that his doll is possessed by the soul of a deceased serial killer, Andy is forced to take the rap for several of Chuckie's crimes, landing him in a psychiatric ward. He's only six, for heaven's sake!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: His mum would have bought him an Action Man instead.


21. Mulberry Street (2006)
The Horror Characters: The six survivors of the Manhattan-based plague that turns humans into bloodthirsty rat-like creatures.
The Bad Luck: Our heroes decide the time is right to slaughter their nearest and dearest, all of whom have been transformed into said creatures. Moments later, they discover that everyone will return to normal on the arrival of sunrise. Oh.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They'd have been privy to that information before summarily executing their respective family members.


20. Hostel 2 (2007)
The Horror Character: Whitney, the "tough" one of the trio of girls who find themselves in a spot of bother at a remote Slovakian health spa…
The Bad Luck: Obviously, picking that particular spa was fairly unfortunate, but even allowing for that, Whitney gets a pretty raw deal, having to sit bound to a chair with her skull partially sawed apart before finally getting decapitated. Rubbish.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The girls would have camped instead.


19. Final Destination (2000)
The Horror Character: Valerie Lewton, a high-school teacher who managed to cheat death by avoiding the plane crash foreseen at the beginning of the film.
The Bad Luck: She suffers the most convoluted bait-and-switch routine in the entire film, her ice-cold vodka cracking a warm glass and spilling into a computer monitor, causing it to explode and embed a sliver of screen into her neck. Stumbling into the kitchen, she's floored by a small gas explosion, before a desperate grab for a towel drags a kitchen knife off the surface and into her chest. And then her house explodes.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have died on that plane. It would have been a lot less traumatic!


18. Hellraiser (1987)
The Horror Character: Frank Cotton, a petty criminal who buys an antique puzzle box from a mysterious dealer, with terrible consequences…
The Bad Luck: Not only was Frank unlucky enough to inadvertently open a portal to a nightmarish nether world, he also suffers one of the most painful deaths on this list, as the flesh is pulled from his body by numerous metal hooks.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have come away from the dealer with a jigsaw with a few pieces missing rather than the puzzle box that drags him to hell.


17. Wolf Creek (2005)
The Horror Characters: Liz Hunter and Kristy Earl, a pair of backpackers unlucky enough to get themselves lost in the middle of the Outback…
The Bad Luck: Not only do they get themselves lost, they also get themselves found by local nutjob Mick Taylor. That said, they don't help themselves by not escaping when they have the chance. If you think the killer might not be dead, he's definitely alive.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They might have had the presence of mind to drive the hell away, rather than attempting a convoluted plan in which they fake their own deaths and go back to Taylor's camp!


16. The Last Man On Earth (1964)
The Horror Character: Dr. Robert Morgan, the last man on an Earth that has fallen pray to a deadly vampiric plague.
The Bad Luck: Robert is briefly cheered by the discovery of a dog, a faithful companion with whom he can spend the rest of his days. However, within seconds the dog reveals itself to be infected, and Morgan is forced to kill it. Aargh!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have discovered a friendly helper monkey who could assist him in his battle with the infected.


15. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
The Horror Character: Resident douchebag Andy, who can't help but spend the majority of his screen time dicking about in extremely aggravating fashion.
The Bad Luck: He might be a bit of a tit, but nobody deserves to die via a machete to the groin! Awful, awful way to go…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have appeared in an earlier film and got the simple blade through the throat routine. Much nicer.


14. Halloween (1978)
The Horror Character: Mild-mannered babysitter Laurie Strode, who finds herself being terrorised by seemingly unstoppable killer, Michael Myers.
The Bad Luck: Myers ends up stalking Strode through three films in total, killing off most of her friends and family as he does so. Oh and he kills her too, just to cap it all off. That's what happens when you're brother is a murderous loon…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have just stabbed him when she had the chance, resisting the urge to double-check she's got the right man.


13. Carrie (1976)
The Horror Character: Carrie White, a teenage girl enduring one of the more difficult phases of growing up, with a few extra issues thrown in for good measure.
The Bad Luck: Not only does she have to put up with playground bullies and a fundamentalist wack-job of a mother, she's also got a set of burgeoning telekinetic powers to keep under control. It's just not fair!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: It probably would have gone flying out of her hand within minutes.


12. Saw 3 (2006)
The Horror Character: Lynn, a likeable doctor kidnapped by Jigsaw, whose only real shortcoming is a slight tendency to take her family for granted.
The Bad Luck: She is the unwitting pawn in a pair of tests set by Jigsaw for her husband Jeff and his disciple Amanda. Both of them fail and she ends up with her head blown off.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: Her husband might have been able to control his rage, sparing her a final scene death.


11. Aliens (1986)
The Horror Character: Yes, we know Aliens is possibly stretching the definition of a horror movie. but Private Hudson is certainly unlucky, as he keeps telling anyone who'll listen…
The Bad Luck: He puts it best himself: "Aww man," he complains. "I was getting short, too! Four more weeks and out. Now I'm gonna buy it on this rock." And so he does.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The crew would have found a happy band of colonists, with nary a Xenomorph in sight. Wouldn't have made for much of a movie, though…


10. The Crazies (2010)
The Horror Characters: David and Judy Dutten, the local sheriff and his wife, inhabitants of the cursed township of Ogden Marsh.
The Bad Luck: Having battled their way out of Ogden Marsh (making them the only two survivors to do so), David and Judy make their way to the next town over, unaware that the military is planning for the exact same nightmare to unfold there.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They'd have been out of town when all the mayhem kicked off.


9. Who Can Kill A Child? (1976)
The Horror Character: Tom and Evelyn, a pair of English holidaymakers taking one last holiday before Evelyn gives birth.
The Bad Luck: Turns out the island they pitch up at is populated by a swarm of killer kids! This wasn't in the brochure...
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: They'd have arrived in Marbella, where the worst they'd have had to deal with would have been a few England shirts and an abundance of bars called, "The Red Lion".


8. The Incredible Melting Man (1977)
The Horror Character: Steve West, an astronaut charged with the distinct honour of becoming the first man to set foot on Saturn.
The Bad Luck: Sadly for Steve, he gets blasted by some sort of radiation from the planet's rings, turning him into a blob of melting flesh. Who could've seen that coming?
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have died reentering the atmosphere, marking him down as a hero in death, rather than a hideous and feared monster.


7. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
The Horror Character: Ash Williams, housewares department.
The Bad Luck: Poor old Ash is forced to decapitate his girlfriend, sever his own hand and fight off all manner of demonic beasties, and for what? The grand prize of being dumped back in the middle ages. Where there are even more Deadites!
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have taken a wrong turning and settled for a night in a Premiere Inn.


6. The Descent (2005)
The Horror Character: Sarah, a keen adventure sports fanatic with a penchant for adventure weekends with the girls.
The Bad Luck: Not only does Sarah see her husband and daughter killed in a horrific car accident, but the weekend away she takes one year on (in part to help take her mind of things) ends up with her and all her friends being set upon by cave-dwelling mutants. Then, just when she thinks she's escaped, she realises she's dreaming, and hasn't at all. Bummer.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: She'd have discovered a money-spinning batch of unharvested diamonds, rather than a family of rabid freaks!


5. 28 Days Later (2002)
The Horror Character: Frank, one of the survivors encountered by Jim as he flees a crowd of the infected in a London council estate.
The Bad Luck: Frank just happens to be looking upwards as a single drop of infected blood falls from above, landing directly in his eye. Anywhere else and he'd probably have been fine.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have got it in his hair, on his nose, on his cheek… anywhere but his eye!


4. The Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Horror Character: Ben, a survivor of the sudden zombie apocalypse sweeping America in George Romero's horror classic.
The Bad Luck: Having held off a swarm of zombies from his cellar-based refuge, he finally emerges into the sunlight just a posse of rednecks are passing. Not stopping to check whether he's a zombie or not, they put one in his head without a second glance.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have been fighting zombies somewhere on the east coast rather than in the deep south…


3. Alien (1979)
The Horror Character: Ellen Ripley,  warrant officer aboard the good ship Nostromo.
The Bad Luck: Ripley finds herself embroiled with the Xenomorph menace not once, not twice but three times, eventually having to give her life to fighting the chest-bursting beasties.
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: The Nostromo would have sailed straight past LV-426, allowing her to lead a quiet life.


2. The Mist (2007)
The Horror Character: David Drayton, a local artist who finds himself caught in the middle of an otherworldly event when he and his son take a trip to the local supermarket.
The Bad Luck: Having decided he and his fellow survivors can travel no further without becoming monster-food, Drayton takes the awful decision to put a bullet in the heads of his friends and son… only for the military to turn up a minute later. Urgh…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He'd have had just a tiny bit more gas in the tank.


1. The Fly (1986)
The Horror Character: Seth Brundle, the brilliant creator of a set of teleportation machines known as Telepods.
 The Bad Luck: Drunkenly taking the decision to teleport himself, Brundle fails to notice that a common housefly has buzzed its way into the pod alongside him. Trouble duly ensues…
If They'd Been Carrying A Rabbit's Foot: He could have at least found himself in there with something cooler than a fly. A lizard maybe? Or a bird?