Some examples of these combos can be seen in the series ‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015) following the eating habits of cannibal Renaissance man Hannibal Lecter played by Mads Mikkelsen; in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), a display on how independent horror movies can become a cultural influence that transcends the silver screen, and Spain’s c with its social commentary covered in gore and apprehension.

To discuss the relationship between gastronomy and horror, the Big Picture Film Club interviewed Sarah Stubbs, a film critic and online content creator known for her passion for various aspects of pop culture and her in-depth knowledge of food and horror.

Stubbs’ passion for cooking blossomed in her early childhood when learning how to cook from her mom, who also introduced Sarah to horror pictures like ‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1959) and all the Universal Monster films before the tender age of 10, laying the ground for the merger of these subjects in the younger Stubbs’ brain.

In our interview, Stubbs discusses the different roles food can play in horror films, ranging from being the killer itself to social allegories that emerge as the fatalities pile up in the score counting. Stubbs revels in how eye-appealing food can be another storytelling resource, the meaning of dinner time in American society, and how it is subverted, or even perverted, in the classic series starring Leatherface and his feared chainsaw.

Gabriel Leão: How is gastronomy used in horror movies and series?

Sarah Stubbs: Gastro horror is kind of like this big, all-encompassing thing. Thus, when I talk about gastro horror, I break it down a little bit. Because we have gastro horror, where the food is the killer. Think of movies like ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,’ ‘The Stuff,’ ‘Ginger Dead Man,’ where you literally have killer food.
I did an article where, literally, the food is the killer. I broke down just about everyone you can find. For some reason, bread is a popular food used, producers like to make stuff about killer bread.
I think it’s because “bread” and “dead” rhyme, so people like to play with titles like ‘Evil Bread,’ or ‘Night of the Living Bread’. Then you have instances of horror using gastro elements, like dinner scenes, feast scenes, death by food, Et cetera. For example, in ‘Sleepwalkers,’ someone is stabbed to death with an ear of corn.
Therefore, elements of food, like in the movie ‘Thinner,’ in which there’s a cursed pie, enter the discussion. But food isn’t necessarily the main feature. And then you have things that have cannibalism. So, literally, people are eating people.

I think gastro horror is kind of an all-encompassing thing, because human nature is eating. We have to eat to survive; there’s no way around it, and what’s scarier than something we have to do, being the source of danger? I find that particularly fascinating, and there’s a lot of subversions of dinner and meals, because it is something that is a part of our lives. It’s how we connect to people. We talk to people over dinner, when you go out for dinner on a date, hence subverting all of these things that we do daily, and making them horrific is always scary.

GL: How do you evaluate the role of gastronomy in the series ‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015)?

SS: Admittedly, I am not a big TV watcher. Nevertheless, I am very familiar with Hannibal. That said, I think what draws people to Hannibal is that there’s something so charismatic about him, you’re drawn to this cannibal, you want to see what this cannibal is going to do. When it comes to the show, not only that, but you have beautiful-looking food. It’s not grotesque in the visuals of it. When you look at this plate of food, what’s terrifying about it is that it’s absolutely something you would see at a fancy restaurant.

(The characters) may not know, but as the viewer of the show, you know this is human. This is what makes it so terrifying. My husband and I have this phrase we call things that are kind of attractive but scary. We call it “sexy dangerous.” And I feel like this is that, especially with the TV show’s star, Mads Mikkelsen.
There’s something so charismatic about Mikkelsen. You just can’t take your eyes off him. You want to keep watching what he’s going to do. You want to see what Hannibal’s going to do, and how he’s going to do it.
This brings us back to how it is not like ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ or ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ where the cannibalism is primal, ghastly, or grotesque; it’s not a ‘Wrong Turn’ movie, where you’re just seeing someone get their limbs hacked off and barbecued. It’s presented beautifully. We eat with our eyes.
It’s hard to look away when it’s something so beautiful. You see this in movies like ‘The Menu’ or ‘House of Spoils,’ where it’s not cannibalism, but there are these horrific scenes and moments that use beautiful food to, for a moment, pull you out of that scariness and that horror, because it’s just so gorgeous.

GL: How influential is the dinner scene in ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)?

SS: The dinner scene in the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is great for so many reasons, and it’s important to gastro horror, in my opinion. It is not the first time we have seen a dinner scene in horror. It’s not even nearly the first time. But what’s interesting about the dinner scene in ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is that aside from it just being this awful moment, it has a history. That scene was filmed at night; they filmed it for hours and hours and hours. The scent of rotting meat was everywhere. Everybody was sweaty.

In every book about ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ they talk about this scene, and its history just being such an awful night of filming, the actors’ stress and grunge, and everything is real, and so it feels so visceral.
But also, in the 1970s and in the United States, we’re seeing this kind of push away from, the nuclear family ideal, whereas in the 1950s, we had family dinner, and they were really trying to push this notion of everybody at the dinner table, dressing nicely and having a fancy dinner where children should be seen and not heard, mother and father talk about their day, it’s this cookie-cutter image and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ absolutely turns that on its head.

You have this horrific meal, people are being tortured, people are tied to the chair, they’re poking fun at modernity in a way that subverts it so much, because it’s so far from the family dinner that we would expect and that we see in Hollywood, since family dinner is supposed to be this place of comfort and joy, you think about the Sunday dinner where you get together with your family, you catch up, and it’s nice, meanwhile this scene is not like that at all. This is horror. This is Sally trying to escape this dinner with every fibre of her being and her life. She literally jumps out a window to escape it.

This dinner scene is shown in various ways throughout the ‘Texas Chainsaw’ franchise, with the exception of the more modern remakes. Even ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation’ kind of removes it. There’s a dinner scene, but dinner isn’t the point anymore, and effectively, we see how family dinner throughout history in the United States changes through how it’s depicted in the ‘Texas Chainsaw’ franchise, which is really fascinating.

GL: The Spaniard horror film ‘The Platform’ (2019) touches on some social issues through allegories. How do you see the subjects of luxury food and cannibalism playing out in the product?

SS: In the ‘Platform,’ there’s not as much cannibalism (as in the others we previously discussed), if I recall correctly. It’s been a minute since I’ve watched it, but they do touch a lot on the social commentary, and you do see this in cannibalism movies. There is a lot of, eat the rich, or going the opposite way where the rich are taking advantage of marginalized people and communities, and, in essence, they are the ones doing the eating. There is a Norwegian film called ‘Kadaver,’ and the premise is rich people who are inviting people who aren’t rich and they deem to be below them to dinner, then the people they’ve invited are, in fact, the meal, and these people are trying to escape, similarly to the ‘Platform’. There is the social commentary of those “above” having more than those “below”. And I think that it’s a really fascinating look and way to examine society. Food is obviously something that, again, everybody needs, but not everybody has access to and so to use starvation and/or the removal of food as the means of horror is another way that we can give focus to these issues without necessarily making a movie that’s directly about those topics.

Sarah Stubbs

Interested in more Gastro Horror? Check out Sarah Stubbs’ official website.

Visit sarahstubbssays.com

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Today, we will briefly look over the historical and cultural attitudes towards animal rights in filmmaking. Before looking at some examples of pro-vegan/animal rights films (old and new) to see how their messages were delivered and how they have changed.

Animal Rights in Cinema

Cinema has a long history of animal cruelty, from the cruelty inflicted on film horses for early Western and historicals to the horrors of Heaven’s Gate, which led to SAG and the AMPTP contracting the American Humane Association to oversee animal treatment in films. However, even recent films like Life of Pi show that cinema is still willing to mistreat animals for art.

That is not to say that film workers don’t care about animals. We should also be wary not to fall into racist stereotyping when discussing international cinema that shows animal cruelty and films that feature the practices of Indigenous peoples. However, with large-scale animal slaughter, testing etc being so ingrained in society, animal well-being is often devalued. This is often further compounded by tight finances incentivising filmmakers to cut corners.

That said, rising awareness around healthy eating and social justice among millennials, coupled with concerns around climate change (with deforestation and industrial food production impacting climate as well as animals) have led to a growth in people identifying as vegan and a growing movement for environmental and animal justice over the decades. Which in turn has led to films exploring both themes.

Green Gems

Of course, movies with pro-vegan and animal rights themes are not limited to the modern era. Blood of the Beasts (1949) showcased the brutality of slaughterhouses and through its juxtaposition with suburban France showed how a supposedly idyllic life is built on violence. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) comments on how slaughterhouse practices impact those who work in them. Also, its brutal allusions to violence encourages viewers to see the characters as animals being killed for meat. PETA listed it as one of the 10 movies to make you go meatless. There is also the double bill of Watership Down (1978) and Plague Dogs (1982). Both used animal characters to comment on how brutally humanity impacts their lives. Through changing their environments and experimenting with them.

One thing these examples have in common, aside from being independent productions, is that despite having animal rights themes they never explicitly vocalise action to stop these practices. Instead making audiences draw their own conclusions.

Evolving Times?

Nowadays we still see films that focus on animals being abused and killed to elicit sympathy for animals. Examples include acclaimed documentaries like The Cove and Blackfish.

But there have also been films that have favourably advocated for explicit action regarding both subjects. For example, while it has numerous flaws, Christspiracy uses its questionable narrative thrust to encourage activism and to link movements for social and environmental justice to those of animal rights. Saying a fight for a better world must ensure both humans and animals are treated better.

Then there is Okja. One of the best high-profile animal rights stories. Through great performances and CGI, we can see what animals mean to people and the emotions that animals are capable of. Therefore when the Animal Liberation Front come to help our hero get Okja back we see them in a sympathetic light. Largely mainstream movies have shown militant animal rights activists as naive people who just end up causing trouble (see 28 Days Later‘s opening). And while the ALF do questionable things the film always portrays them as fighting for the right reasons. To save as many animals as possible from a corporation that is killing them on a mass scale. It’s a film that makes animal rights activists into actual characters, not caricatures and dares to say they are right.

Conclusion

It is unclear if the current landscape will continue to inspire more thoughtful and forthright animal rights films. But there have always been filmmakers willing to challenge the status quo. Plus in the fight for a better world, why should animals not also be cared for?

The post Lights, Camera, Compassion: The Evolution of Animal Rights Films appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Jack Griffin – The Invisible Man (1933)

Ironically Jack Griffin’s bandage mask reveals more about him than if he remained maskless. But the mystery it initially generates as we wonder what is underneath his bandages is what helps to draw everyone into the story.

Christiane – Eyes Without A Face (1960)

The mask Christiane wears while her face is being reconstructed is really unsettling. Its neutral expression feels lifeless and devoid of emotion, a far cry from Christiane’s actual face. Expressionless masks producing horrifying results is now a genre staple. But Christiane’s mask is effective more because of how it restricts her displays of emotion.

The Killer – Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Set in the fashion world Blood and Black Lace‘s killer uses a mask that obscures any defining features, to hide their identity. The mask’s pale and smooth nature recalls the look of mannequins and brings about the feeling of the uncanny valley because of how it makes the killer look human and inhuman.

Leatherface – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

What is scarier than someone wearing a mask made from human skin?

Michael Myers – Halloween (1978)

Blank, pale, emotionless, and with hauntingly dark eyes. Michael Myers’ mask embodies everything evil Dr. Loomis glimpsed when Michael was a child. It has no human feelings, no warmth, and the eyes, meant to give a window to his soul, are in shadow. Not a bad result for a cheap William Shatner mask.

Jason Voorhees – Friday the 13th Part 3 Onwards

Jason’s second mask is now synonymous with the marauding machete murderer. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it gives away just enough about Jason’s appearance without ever fully revealing everything. Thus everyone is left to dread what is lurking underneath his iconic look.

Silver Shamrock Masks – Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)

Two factors make these accessories iconic. They are incredibly designed, managing to capture Halloween cultural icons in a definitive way. And the fact that they are not designed to hide killers. They are instead designed to entice and ultimately kill the children that wear them.

Irving Wallace – Stage Fright (1987)

The unmoving eyes of this owl mask really bring across Wallace’s predatory nature. As though he is constantly waiting for a moment to strike. Despite looking heavy enough to hinder the killer’s movement it really taps into a primal animalistic fear.

Button Face – Nightbreed (1990)

Everything about Button Face makes viewers feel uncomfortable. The dark buttons like Michael Myers’ mask effectively remove any empathy we could glean from someone’s eyes. And the off-kilter zipper brings to mind horrifying fables of people with their mouths sewn shut. A masterpiece of simple but effective terror.

Sam – Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

Sam’s mask embodies the spooky spirit of Halloween. The mask has a homemade costume feel. Additionally, it evokes the terror and joy of the season with its happy stitched-on smile, and its overall look resembling sacks worn by hanging victims. But its childlike simplicity puts forward the glee one should approach Halloween with. There’s a reason Sam has become the new mascot for the spookiest time of year.

This ends our rundown of 10 iconic horror movie masks. Unfortunately, with only 10 spaces we had to exclude some fan-favourite choices. So what famous horror masks did we miss out?

Also Read: Netflix Horror Movie Written Entirely Using Artificial Intelligence

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Whether you’re a hero or villain you need a great weapon to help you vanquish your foes. And cinema is full of amazing weaponry. So, today we’re going to look at seven iconic movie weapons, who wielded them and their real-world origins.

Lightsaber (Star Wars Franchise)

The weapon of the most powerful beings in the galaxy far far away, the Sith and the Jedi. Many famous Jedi and Sith have wielded the multi-coloured laser swords. Including Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, his son Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, and Rey. George Lucas decided to include a futuristic sword in the original Star Wars as a symbol of honour and chivalry. And with only a 4×5 camera flash attachment (the hilt), sticks wrapped in reflective material (the blade); the hum of a projector and the buzz captured from a TV set (the sound effects) Lucas and company birthed arguably the most famous movie weapon of all time.

Freddy Krueger’s glove (Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise)

Horror films have created several iconic weapons, some of which we will get into later. But horrors most inventively creepy killing implement is Freddy Krueger’s Razor Glove. Envisioned by director Wes Craven as a throwback to mankind’s primal fear of claws grafted onto modern equipment, not only is Freddy’s glove inventive but its very look is surreal and frightening. Perfectly fitting with the story’s nightmarish aesthetic.

Nunchaku (Bruce Lee Movies)

This traditional Okinawan martial arts training weapon has become a staple of martial arts movies specifically because of Bruce Lee. Bruce used Nunchaku in several of his movies (Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon & Game of Death). He wielded them with such speed, grace, and effectiveness that they were transformed in the public’s mind from mere training implements into incredible weapons in their own right.

The Infinity Gauntlet (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

The MCU needed to give its ultimate villain Thanos a weapon that would make an impression on audiences after ten years of build-up. Made of Uru metal, forged by the dwarves of Nidavellir, with a design ripped straight from the original comic and armed with the infinity stones that collectively give the wearer the ability to do practically anything, including wiping out half of all life in the universe, the Infinity Gauntlet is, without doubt, the most destructive weapon on this list.

Chainsaw (Texas Chainsaw Massacre Franchise)

Employing household tools as weapons is a common practice in slasher movies, and this is one of the movies to thank for that. Director Tobe Hooper originally thought of the idea to use a chainsaw as his movie’s weapon when he was wondering how to get out of the busy store and saw a chainsaw in the hardware section. One thing’s certain, audiences have never looked at chainsaws the same way since.

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch (Monty Python & The Holy Grail)

In 1975, the Pythons gifted us with possibly the silver screens silliest weapon. When confronted with the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog, King Arthur and his knights use the Holy Hand Grenade, originally used by Saint Atilla, to destroy the beast. Shaped like the Sovereigns Orb of the United Kingdom there is no better weapon to destroy your beastly foes and satirize religion.

Revolver (Western Genre)

Everyone loves westerns and the one weapon that typifies the western is the revolver. Patented by Samuel Colt (later developed by multiple companies in the 1800s) as a singlehanded firearm, that can be fired several times without reloading. The revolver has become a symbol of the old west gunslinger. A weapon of great destructive capabilities that requires a keen eye and steady hand to master. No Mexican standoff is complete without one.

So ends my list of seven iconic movie weapons. Be sure to fire your suggestions for great movie weapons I missed into the comments.

Also Read: The Best Action Films of the Decade (2010 – 2019)

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Horror films thrive on spooking their audience in a variety of ways. For example, the recent tech horror Countdown tapped into our anxiety about our mortality with an app that predicts the time you’ll die, down to the second. The central conceit being, how do you avoid death?

Well, today we’re counting down seven reasons characters die in horror films. Avoid these things to ensure your safety.

1. Taking drugs/having sex

Let’s get the obvious reason out first. Now many tend to overstate the significance of not taking drugs and having sex in horror movies. There are many iconic horror movie survivors who didn’t die after taking drugs (Laurie smokes marijuana and survived Halloween (1978)) and having sex (Ginny in Friday the 13 part 2, Sidney in Scream and Jay in It Follows).

But generally, it’s best to play it safe. For every iconic horror survivor who disproves this claim, there are slews of iconic horror victims that prove it. Just see Tina in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) who had sex moments before her tortuous slicing by Freddy Krueger.

And Palmer in The Thing (1982) definitely shouldn’t have gotten high with a shapeshifting alien creature running around.

2. Mocking conventions

Something less widely recognised is the fact that knowing genre clichés can also be a death sentence. How many times in horror movies have you heard someone mock their compatriots, by saying, “haven’t you seen a scary movie before?” only for them to die soon after. Unless you’re part of the Scream series self-aware characters rarely live to the end credits.

For a great example of how self-awareness kills, look at the character of Lizbeth from Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives.

3. Heading into the unknown

A word of advice, if you’re heading somewhere and find that it’s abandoned, rundown, has measures in place to keep people out, contains weird items or you don’t know much about it, just leave. You don’t know what may be lurking around.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) typifies this. Two of our leads wander onto a property with a drained swimming pool, blacked-out windows, and teeth are found on the porch. When they don’t leave there are very unfortunate consequences.

4. Going anywhere alone

Following on from the last entry, while it’s a bad idea heading into the unknown it’s even worse to go anywhere without bringing someone with you. It’s a good rule of thumb, when you go off alone you’re easier to stalk, terrorize and kill because no one’s there to keep you grounded and out of harm’s way.

No series exemplifies this trope better than the Friday the 13^th series. The first movie, in particular, features several effective reasons for why you should never go anywhere alone.

5. Being generally unpleasant

As in life, don’t be unpleasant to people. Don’t insult, belittle, harm or be rude, it just makes everyone hate you. And when everyone hates you in a horror film you can rest assured that you are going to die.

Look no further than this scene from Silent Night for proof of that.

6. Ignoring warnings & premonitions

I get that sometimes it’s hard to accept warnings from strangers, close friends, relatives or even your subconscious (in the case of dreams). It may feel patronising or like you aren’t personally in control. But these warnings are for your safety. It’s so baffling that horror film characters continually ignore them, as it usually leads to someone biting the big one.

Again Friday the 13^th shows that warnings should be heeded. If the kids listened to Crazy Ralph, they’d still be alive.

7. Cheating death

The final irony of horror movies is that you’re seldom truly safe. There was a time when good people survived and lead happy lives after the credits rolled. But besides the odd exception, that’s not the case nowadays.

If you’re in a self-contained movie maybe, one or two survivors will live to tell the tale. But if you’re a returning character from another film (and you aren’t Sidney Prescott, Ash Williams, Tommy Jarvis or Alice Johnson), you’ll more than likely die. So, if you survive, avoid sequels.

The master of dying in sequels is Laurie Strode. Originally dying in an off-screen car crash between Halloween 2 and 4, she was brought back in H20 (which continued from Halloween 2), only to die again in Halloween: Resurrection. She also died in the director’s cut of Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 (the second film in the reboot timeline) before being brought back in Halloween (2018). It seems the universe has a fascination with reviving and killing Laurie.

So there’s our list of seven reasons why characters die in horror movies. Just avoid doing these things and you’re sure to live to see another day.

Also Read: 5 Horror Films and The Real Events Behind Them

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“Based on a true story”. While those words should always be taken with a pinch of salt these claims of truthfulness do contribute to the audience’s experience. The idea that what you are watching isn’t far removed from reality makes the narrative feel more real and immediate, which horror films need to be effective. And these real-world horrors should be known alongside the movies they inspired.

So, today we are looking at the real-life stories behind five famous horror films. Warning, there is upsetting content ahead.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) & Ed Gein

In 1973 Sally and Franklin Hardesty and their friends head to Texas to check that the Hardesty’s grandfathers’ grave hasn’t been the victim of a series of grave defacements and robberies. But while there, they run afoul of a group of vicious killers’ intent on killing them all.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre drew a lot of inspiration from the story of Ed Gein. Gein was a killer and graverobber who operated in Wisconsin in the late 40s and early 1950s.

Gein was apprehended in 1957 as a murder suspect. When the police searched his home they discovered many disturbing sights. These included lampshades and masks made of human skin and a heart in a plastic bag near the stove. This lead to rumours of cannibalism, though this was never definitively proven. These elements were subsequently filtered into TCM’s set design and the characters of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family.

The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) & The Phantom Killer

An early proto-slasher and pseudo-documentary, The Town that Dreaded Sundown tells the joint narrative of the Phantom Killer, as he stalks and kills several residents of the town of Texarkana, and the police working to track him down.

The film was loosely based on the 1946 Texarkana moonlight murders. Where, over 10 weeks the Phantom Killer attacked 8 people and killed 5, sending the town into a panic. The state police did investigate, but the killer was not caught.

After it’s release several lawsuits were filed against the film. The brother of one of the victims sued the production over the derogatory portrayal of one of his family members. And Texarkana officials themselves filed a complaint against the movie’s marketing, which apparently unnerved the townspeople (including the victims’ families) by saying that the killer “still lurks” around the town.

The Amityville Horror (1979/2005) & The Lutz’s Story

Both the 1979 and 2005 Amityville Horror’s tell the story of the Lutz family, who moved into a new home where the previous residents were murdered. They soon begin experiencing many spooky goings-on. And it becomes apparent that they are in very real danger in this house.

Both films are based on the book of the same name, which claimed to be a true story. Several story aspects, including the DeFeo killings, where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered 6 members of his family in their home, and the Lutz’s moving into the former DeFeo house for a short time are true.

After the 1979 film’s release, the judge presiding over a case involving the fraudulence of the book declared that he believed the book to largely be fictitious. Later, the real George Lutz sued the makers of the 2005 remake (which claimed to be based on a true story), for defamation. But he passed away soon after.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) & Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome

The 1984 horror masterpiece concerns a group of friends plagued by horrific nightmares. All involving the razor glove wielding, burn victim Freddy Krueger. But while their parents think they’re just nightmares the kids soon realise that if they die in their dreams, they die for real.

Wes Craven stated that the inspiration for the film came from a string of LA Times articles about south-east Asian refugees in the 1970s. Many of these people refused to go to sleep after suffering from disturbing nightmares and were later found to have died in their sleep. Craven then took this inspiration and imagined that a dream figure was responsible. Thus birthing one of the most iconic killers in all of cinema.

Silent Night (2012) & The Covina Massacre

Silent Night, the remake of 1984’s Silent Night Deadly Night, focuses on a police officer who must hunt down a killer who has come to her town for the holiday season. But being dressed as Santa, the killer will be difficult to find.

While most of the film is typical slasher movie fair, during a flashback we learn of a man believed to be the killer who took a homemade flamethrower to a Christmas party and used it to kill his ex-wife.

This part of the story is based on the 2008 Covina Massacre where Bruce Pardo killed 9 people at his ex-wife’s Christmas Party while dressed as Santa using a homemade flamethrower and several handguns.

And, so ends my look at the real-life stories behind 5 famous horror movies. Proof that sometimes reality is more terrifying than any movie.

Also Read: Horror On Horror Sets

The post 5 Horror Films And The Real Events Behind Them appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Warning, there is upsetting content ahead.

The Bunny Game

A shock-horror film about a prostitute being kidnapped and tortured by a truck driver, the BBFC rejected The Bunny Game, fearing that its portrayal of violent and dangerous acts may harm audiences. This wasn’t helped by the presence of extreme unsimulated acts within the film.

While filming a nude scene in a junkyard, actress Rodleen Getsic received several injuries from shards of metal sticking into her body. And during one scene, she was actually branded.

Through trying to create an authentic atmosphere, the filmmakers created one of the most disturbing movies of the past decade, from a health and safety perspective.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Like the Bunny Game, 1974’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s production is a tale of a horrific working environment. Because of the films low budget, the effects were minimal, and often employed workarounds to accomplish them. But when coupled with hundred-degree weather, rank working conditions (dead animals were used as set dressing) and a stressed crew, something was bound to happen.

Notably, the scene where Sally’s finger is cut was supposed to show stage blood coming out of a tube. But when the mechanism didn’t work, Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface) cut actress Marilyn Burns’ finger with a razor. Also, during the scene where Leatherface kills the character Kirk, Hansen brought a real running chainsaw down three inches from actor William Vail’s face, making the film’s title very nearly prophetic.

The Exorcist

Often considered the scariest film of all time, the Exorcist has several on-set horror stories to go with it.

As well as most of the MacNeil house set burning down (eerily, aside from the scenes where the exorcism would take place) actress’ Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair both suffered back injuries during filming. Burstyn was pulled back strongly by a rig for a stunt, injuring her coccyx, which she has said still bothers her to this day. And Blair was hurt when the lacing of her back brace came loose when she was being thrown around on a bed. Ironically the takes where both actresses received these injuries were used in the final film.

The Omen

The Omen’s filming was also plagued with problems.

When the filmmakers charted a plane to get some aerial shots of London, they allowed another party to use the plane first. Shortly after the plane took off it crashed killing 6 people. The filming also had several serious incidents with animals. A rottweiler injured a stunt double when it bit through his protective padding. In the zoo scene, the baboons used by production attacked the car that actors Lee Remick and Harvey Stephens were in. Remick reportedly feared for her life. And a zoo handler who had been working with the production was killed by a tiger after zoo shooting wrapped. And those are just the incidents that happened during production.

Maximum Overdrive

When people think of Stephen King, they think of some of the most terrifying novels of the last century, but cinematographer Armando Nannuzzi probably thinks of King very differently.

During the making of King’s sole directorial effort, Maximum Overdrive, for a low shot involving a lawnmower all safety equipment was removed from the mower, exposing the blades. When the lawnmower met the wooden stand the camera was on, it sent a large number of splinters into Nannuzzi’s face which resulted in him eventually losing an eye. He later sued King and the crew for unsafe working conditions.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

During the making of the final movie in the long-running action-horror series stunt woman, Olivia Jackson was injured when her motorbike collided with a malfunctioning camera crane at high speed. She was put in a medically induced coma for two weeks and suffered several injuries. Including crushed facial bones, a degloved face and a paralyzed left arm that was eventually amputated.

Following this horrific accident crew member Ricardo Cornelius was unfortunately killed when a hummer fell off a rotating platform and crushed him.

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Finally, we come to the film that started modern Hollywood’s move for better safety regulations. Twilight Zone: The Movie was an anthology movie based on the classic tv series.

In John Landis’ segment, Time Out, we follow a racist man (Vic Morrow) forced to witness the consequences that such attitudes have had throughout history.

However, while filming the segment’s climax where the main character saves two Vietnamese children (Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Che) from a warzone the helicopter they were using flew too close to a pyrotechnic, causing it to crash on top of the three actors, killing them instantly.

Thank you for reading and always remember, stay safe.

Also Read: Video Nasties: The History of Censored Films in the UK

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