The horror genre is probably the most popular movie genre as Horror movies are loved worldwide. Therefore, gorehounds are constantly looking for the best horror movies on Netflix or other major streaming platforms so that they never miss a good one.
Though nothing beats a good horror flick, sometimes its behind-the-scenes stories are even more chilling than what you see on the screen.
For the rejoice of horror movie lovers, the blog presents 5 fascinating facts about your favourite horror movies.
So, brush up your horror knowledge with these interesting trivia about your beloved horror movie.
1. The first movie nominated for the Best Film is the scariest film – The Exorcist
Although the academy didn’t love the horror genre much, the first-ever movie nominated for the Best Film Award is The Exorcist, one of the scariest films of all time.
The Exorcist has been recognized in history as the first horror film nominated for Best Film at the Academy Awards in 1974.
Though the movie lost the award to The string, it also got 9 nominations in other categories, including awards for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Director. Out of 9 awards, it bagged 2: Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The movie is still widely regarded as one of the terrifying horror movies. The thing that made The Exorcist the scariest movie of all time is its realism.
Its grounded nature themes, terrifying performances, and realistic special effects made it seem like The Exorcist was a true story.
2. Saw was filmed in only 18 days within the production budget of $1 million only
Saw (2004), a horror film that scared the world in 2004, was shot in the span of 18 days. Directors James Wan and Screenwriter Leigh Wannell challenged their creativity by completing the project within a shoestring budget of roughly $1 million,
Because the funds were so tight, very few retakes were permitted for each scene, and the entire movie was shot in one room.
Besides, the use of visual effects was also avoided in the film, and in one scene, Leigh Whannel had to put the “Reverse Bear Trap” fangs in his mouth to make it look natural.
The horrific car chase scene was filmed in the warehouse garage. The lights were switched off to make it scary, and cars were shaking from behind while taking the shot from the front.
The jigsaw doll used in the film was made entirely from scratch by Director James.
According to the BBC, despite being a limited-budget movie, Saw was one of the most profitable and successful horror films at that time.
3. Filming of Scream’s ending resulted in a real-life injury for actor Skeet Ulrich
The 1996 classic horror Scream, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, actually injured actor Skeet Ulrich in real life.
The incident took place when he was filming the ending scenes, where Sidney had to attack him twice in the chest with an umbrella. Wounded by the attack, Billy screamed in pain, bled, and then collapsed to the ground.
But, Billy’s pain in that iconic scene was genuine. Though he did wear protective armor underneath to protect himself from possible injuries.
Sidney’s second stab missed the vest. Instead, it directly hit his chest and struck a wound from an open-heart surgery operation that the actor went through when he was ten years old.
Craven was so moved by his genuine reaction that he decided to include the footage of Ulrich’s real pain in the final cut of the film, which adds not only realism but also an intriguing behind-the-scenes story for fans.
4. Hitchcock’s mega-hit Psycho was spoiled months before the film’s release
Psycho is disputably the most iconic film by Hitchcock, filled with many horrific plot twists and scenes that audiences had never seen before.
That’s why Hitchcock utilized all his potential sources to ensure that the project remains completely spoiler-free.
However, Hitchcock’s efforts were marred by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. They wrote spoilers regarding the film and published many top-secret moments months before it came out, and people talked about revelations.
But in an era before social media, word of mouth couldn’t spread as quickly as news in print. So, People were still thrilled to see why the film was hyped despite spoilers’ availability.
The film not just broke box office records across the world but was also titled the most beloved horror film in history.
5. The corps’ bodies eaten by zombies in Night of the Living Dead were grilled ham covered in chocolate sauce
1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, by George A. Romero, is the creator of Zombies in the horror genre as this independent film introduced a new level of gore in the horror genre.
However, did you know that the material used to simulate blood in this first-ever zombie classic was actually a Bosco chocolate syrup?
Chocolate syrup gave realistic effects as its dark brown colour and viscosity resemble human blood.
There was a horrible scene in the movie in which zombies ate corpses‘ bodies in the burnt-out truck. But those bodies were actually grilled ham covered in chocolate syrup.
In another scene when Tom chopped off his hand with a kitchen knife. That hand was made from clay, and the blood that came out was chocolate syrup.
Final Words
The horror genre is undoubtedly the most popular movie type out there. But unlike horror movies we see on TV or in the cinema, their backstories are funny and absurd as they contain insights into how they were actually filmed.
That’s why people are not just interested in behind-the-scenes stories of their favourite horror films but also enjoy those fascinating stories more than the movies themselves.
