The Absolutely Essential Classics of American Horror Films by Isabel Sullivan

References

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:03:17 UTC

Harris, Mark H. "The Truth Behind Horror Movies Based on a True Story." ThoughtCo. N.p., 03 Mar. 2017. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

Sciretta, Peter. "Jaws Was Released 35 Years Ago Today – /Film." Slashfilm. N.p., 19 June 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

Grey, Orrin. "Possessed: The Real-Life Exorcism of Roland Doe." The Lineup. N.p., 13 June 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

Verma, Shraddha. "26 Really Scary Horror Movies Based On True Stories." ScoopWhoop. N.p., 02 June 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. .

King, Wayne. "NIGHTMARES SUSPECTED IN BED DEATHS OF 18 LAOTIANS." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 May 1981. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

O'Connell, Sarah. "Here's the Shocking Real Life Inspiration for Silence of the Lambs's Serial Killer Buffalo Bill." Movie Pilot . N.p., 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

"Top Grossers of 1948." Variety (January 1949). Variety, 05 Jan. 1949. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

"Horror movies based on real-life events." Msn. Microsoft, 06 May 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

"How To Visit The Real-Life Overlook Lodge From "The Shining"." Roadtrippers. N.p., 12 July 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

Nelson, Matthew Aaron. "The Fascinating True Stories That Inspired 10 Unforgettable Horror Movies." AOL Moviefone. Moviefone, 25 Oct. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. .

Trabing, Wally. "Birds "Invade" Santa Cruz, California." Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Santa Cruz Sentinel , 18 Aug. 1961. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

"Horror Films." AMC filmsite. AMC, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

Fisher, Luchina. "'Jaws' Turns 40: 5 Ways It Changed Movies Forever." ABC News. ABC News Network, 20 June 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

Stringer, Jason. "Watch: How They Reacted in 1974; The Cultural Impact of The Exorcist." Captain Howdy. N.p., 27 June 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .
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Hudson, John. "How Hitchcock's 'Psycho' Changed Cinema and Society." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 16 June 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

"'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre': An Original, Effective and Highly Influential Pillar of Horror Cinema • Cinephilia & Beyond." Cinephilia & Beyond. N.p., 01 Oct. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. .

Grow, Kory. "'Silence of the Lambs' at 25: 'It Broke All the Rules'" Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

Hutchinson, Pamela. "My favourite Hitchcock: Rope." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 27 July 2012. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. .

Essner Published April 17, 2013, Dean. "LASTING IMPACT: The Shining." The Diamondback. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. .

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Jaws (1975)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:03:41 UTC

"Before the summer of '75, Hollywood studios rarely advertised their movies on television. [But] that changed with Jaws", recalls abc News. Universal "saturated the networks" with Jaws trailers for a few days before it's release date. The movie then quickly broke box office records, making over 470 million worldwide. Jaws also "capitalized the [summer movie release] trend." It received 8/10 on IMDb and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now for the true story behind Jaws. Thought Co.'s Mark H. Harris explains that, in 1916, there was a series of shark attacks at New Jersey Shore. The attacks were blamed on a 7 foot long great white shark with human remains found in its stomach. Once it was killed, no further attacks were reported that summer. This was the inspiration for Jaws.

via Universal Studios

The Exorcist (1973)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:04:54 UTC

An article from fan site 'captainhowdy.com' describes the reactions of audiences in the 1970s when viewing The Exorcist. Appherently, people were vomiting, fainting, and bursting out crying left-and-right; something never seen before then. In addition to that, this film broke records with attendance, theaters across the country had to hire extra security just for the event. The Exorcist received 8/10 on IMDb and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also earned over 441 million worldwide. The true story which this movie is based on is the case of Roland Doe. Doe tried contacting his deceased aunt using a Ouija Board, only to come in contact with "dark forces" says Orrin Grey in The Lineup. His family turned to the Catholic church for help, they then "preformed a series of intense and at times violent exorcisms" to rid Roland Doe of these "dark forces".

via Warner Bros.

The Conjuring (2013)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:06 UTC

The Conjuring won the Empire Award for Best Horror and the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie in 2014. It received 7.5/10 on IMDb and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Conjuring also earned over 318 million worldwide. It is about the true story of the Perron family. Blumhouse Productions talked of their story on its website. The Perrons, a family of 7, moved into a house in Rhode Island in 1970. Strange things began to occur almost from their first day in the house. Soon they began to believe they were being haunted by a past resident of the house named Bathsheba. The Warrens were called to help the Perrons with this situation, but their presence only made Bathsheba more violent. So the Perrons made the Warrens leave their home. They continued to live in the house and endure Bathsheba's terror for 10 years due to financial constraints, until they were finally able to sell the house.

via Warner Bros.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:25 UTC

A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Kruger is a huge pop culture icon to this very day. You'll always see at least one burnt faced trick-or-treater with knives for hands on Halloween each year. The movie made 25 million in the US alone. It earned 7.5/10 on IMDb and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. A Nightmare on Elm Street was inspired by the mysterious deaths of 18 Laotian refugees. They are said to have been perfectly healthy when they suddenly died in their sleep from fear experienced in nightmares.

via Elm Street Venture, The

Psycho (1960)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:33 UTC

Rotten Tomatoes critics called Psycho "immortal for its contribution to the horror genre", giving it a 96% rating. Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman claims that it discarded the '50s "civilized propriety" when it came to horror movies, and MTV's Adam Rosenberg says that Psycho gave birth to the slasher genre. IMDb gave Psycho 8.5/10, and it earned 32 million in box office sales. The movie's Norman Bates "was inspired by Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who was arrested in 1957 on charges of committing 2 murders and digging up the corpses of countless other women who reminded him of his dead mother", as stated by Mark H. Harris.

via Shamley Productions

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:41 UTC

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre contributed to modern horror because it set out the concept of "several ordinary people in the wild, desolate surroundings faced with horrible, maniacal atrocities" which is "copied endlessly to this day," declares Cinephilia and Beyond. It also introduced the slasher tradition of "wearing a terrifying mask". IMDb rated The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 7.5/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it 88%. It earned over 30 million in box office sales. It's main antagonist, Leatherface, is also based on Edward Gein. He wore a mask made of human skin, like Gein's own fondness of wearing skin.

via Vortex

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:49 UTC

Rolling Stones reports that in 1992, "[Silence of the Lambs] became 1 of only 3 movies to win Oscars in the 5 major categories." It received 8.6/10 on IMDb and 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. 272 million dollars was earned from the film's sales. It's 'Buffalo Bill' was inspired by 6 serial killers including Jerry Brudos, Ted Bundy, Gary M.Heidnik, Edmund Kemper, Gary Ridgway, and predominantly Ed Gein.

via Orion Pictures

Rope (1948)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:05:57 UTC

Rope "rejects the formula [of murder movies] by taking inspiration from a real-life murder" notes The Guardian. It is inspired from the story of "Nathan Leopold and Richard Leob, two young men from wealthy backgrounds who killed fourteen-year-old boy Robbie Frank purely because they wanted to commit a 'perfect crime'", as quoted from msn.com. Rope earned over 2 million dollars, and received 8/10 on IMDb and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

via Warner Bros.

The Shining (1980)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-03 13:06:06 UTC

Dean Essner of DBK News says," The Shining is forever worth our attention, though, because it means something." Apparently there are many theories and conspiracies about what the meaning of The Shining is, but no one can exactly decide what its true meaning is. The Shining is inspired from a real haunted hotel called the Stanley Hotel. Hauntings have been documented there since 1911. Commonly seen ghosts are the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, the hotel's namesake, said to be seen roaming the hotel grounds and playing the piano. It is also said that children's laughter can be heard through the halls of the 4th floor. Then there is the famous Room 217 where a staff member was electrocuted, it is supposedly became a paranormal hot spot after the event. The Shining earned over 44 million, and received 8.4/10 on IMDb and 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

via Warner Bros.

The Birds (1963)

iheartbritishboyz0215 — 2017-03-06 22:53:39 UTC

Rotten Tomatoes gives The Birds a 96% rating; highlighting its job-well-done in turning "birds into some of the most terrifying villains in horror history... [perhaps making it] the greatest of all disaster films." It made 11 million in domestic sales. The story it's based on is an event that happened in Santa Cruz, California in 1916. A huge flock of birds swarmed the city, blinded by fog, they slammed into people's houses and ultimately killed themselves. When walking out of their houses, the city found the streets filled with the birds' dead bodies. IMDb gave this title 7.7/10.

via Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions