Though I seldom comment on a celebrity’s death unless I have some personal story about them, I did feel an extra kick in the gut when Donald Sutherland died. He was a face so present for the entirety of my life (his career was in full swing in the seventies when I was born) that I’ll miss knowing he’s out there.

He did plenty of great movies, of course, but being that I’m a horror fan, I want to list THE THREE CREEPIEST DONALD SUTHERLAND HORROR FILMS

Invasion of the Body Snatchers
When I think of this long-running horror enterprise, I first think of the great Jack Finney book from which it was drawn (called simply “The Body Snatchers.”) Then I think of the 1956 movie version, a great noir-horror (noiror?) flick. But I then turn to the 1978 remake with Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy. It isn’t really great, but Jesus, that last scene… that face Sutherland makes. And that sound…

Don’t Look Now
I saw this 1973 film only a few years ago. It’s a very seventies character-driven exploration of grief with paranormal overtones. There’s a brutal twist ending. It also has a love scene Sutherland performs with Julie Christie that would be described as pornographic by today’s standards. (Love the seventies!)

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
This is one of the best horror films of the past ten years or so. Based on a Stephen King short story, it has the usual Kingly fair: the pathos of growing up, haunted objects, murder. An aging Sutherland takes a character who could be played simply as a bad guy and gives him some human touches which make him even more menacing.