124 Fun Facts About Horror

In the 1960 film Psycho, where does Marion Crane stop for the night and meet her fate?

The Bates Motel, run by Norman Bates and his "mother," is one of the most iconic locations in horror film history. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) revolutionized the genre.

Which author wrote the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus?

Mary Shelley began Frankenstein in 1816 at age 18 and published it anonymously in 1818; it is often called the first science fiction novel.

What is the name of the killer in the Friday the 13th franchise who wears a hockey mask?

Jason Voorhees is the iconic hockey-masked killer of the Friday the 13th series. Interestingly, he didn't get the hockey mask until Part III (1982) — in Part 2 he wore a burlap sack.

In The Shining (1980), what phrase does Wendy find typed over and over in her husband's manuscript?

Wendy discovers that Jack has been typing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over, revealing his descent into madness at the Overlook Hotel.

Which 2017 Jordan Peele film follows a Black man visiting his white girlfriend's family?

Get Out (2017) was Jordan Peele's directorial debut and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film explores racism through the lens of horror.

What is the name of the demonic entity terrorizing the Perron family in The Conjuring (2013)?

Bathsheba Sherman is the witch whose spirit haunts the Perron farmhouse. The film, directed by James Wan, is based on case files from real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

In the Scream franchise, what is the name of the masked killer?

Ghostface is the identity adopted by different killers across the Scream series. The mask was an off-the-shelf Halloween costume made by the Fun World company before Wes Craven picked it for the film.

Which Stephen King novel features a telekinetic teenage girl who unleashes her powers at prom?

Carrie (1974) was Stephen King's first published novel. The story of Carrie White's bloody prom night has been adapted into multiple films, most famously the 1976 Brian De Palma version.

What type of creature is Count Orlok in the 1922 film Nosferatu?

Count Orlok is a vampire in F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922), an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The film is one of the most influential horror movies ever made.

Who directed and starred in the 2018 horror film A Quiet Place?

John Krasinski directed A Quiet Place (2018) and played father Lee Abbott opposite his wife Emily Blunt; the film earned over $340 million worldwide.

Which horror film features the line "They're here" spoken by a young girl watching television static?

Carol Anne Freeling, played by Heather O'Rourke, speaks the iconic line "They're here" in Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist (1982). The film was produced and co-written by Steven Spielberg.

Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" features a bird that repeatedly says which word?

"Nevermore" is the only word spoken by the raven in Poe's 1845 poem. The poem explores themes of loss, grief, and the impossibility of escaping sorrow.

What is the name of the fictional town in Maine where many Stephen King novels are set?

Derry, Maine is the fictional setting for several Stephen King works including It, Insomnia, and 11/22/63. King based many of his Maine settings on real towns like Bangor.

Which 1973 horror film, often called the scariest ever, involves the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl?

The Exorcist (1973), directed by William Friedkin and based on William Peter Blatty's novel, depicts the possession of Regan MacNeil. It was the first horror film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

In the Saw films, which tricycle-riding puppet with spiral cheeks and red eyes delivers Jigsaw's recorded messages?

Billy rides a tricycle to deliver recorded messages from John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer, and was designed by Saw creator James Wan.

What is the name of the clown in Stephen King's novel It?

Pennywise the Dancing Clown is the primary form taken by the entity known as It in King's 1986 novel. The character has been portrayed by Tim Curry (1990) and Bill Skarsgard (2017/2019).

Which 2018 Ari Aster horror film follows a family unraveling after their grandmother's death?

Hereditary (2018) was Ari Aster's feature debut; Toni Collette plays Annie Graham, whose grief after her mother's death curdles into occult horror.

In which year was the original Halloween film, featuring Michael Myers, released?

Halloween was released in October 1978; John Carpenter shot it in about 20 days for roughly $300,000 and it grossed around $70 million.

Who played Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining?

Shelley Duvall played Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980); Kubrick's famously demanding shoot included 127 takes of the baseball-bat staircase scene.

In Bram Stoker's Dracula, which English solicitor travels to Transylvania to meet the Count?

Jonathan Harker opens Dracula (1897) with his journal of the journey to Castle Dracula, where he becomes the Count's prisoner before escaping.

Which Lovecraft entity is described as a giant octopus-dragon hybrid sleeping beneath the ocean?

Cthulhu first appeared in Lovecraft's 1928 short story "The Call of Cthulhu." The creature lies dormant in the sunken city of R'lyeh and has become the most recognized figure in Lovecraftian horror.

Which 1999 film follows three student filmmakers who vanish in the Maryland woods?

The Blair Witch Project (1999) was shot for roughly $60,000 and grossed nearly $250 million worldwide, helped by a website that listed its actors as missing.

Which actor played Freddy Krueger in the original 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street?

Robert Englund played Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven's 1984 original and in every sequel through Freddy vs. Jason (2003); Jackie Earle Haley took the role in the 2010 remake.

Which TV show, set in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana, features a telekinetic girl and a dimension called the Upside Down?

Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, debuted on Netflix in 2016 and pays homage to 1980s horror and sci-fi, particularly Stephen King and Steven Spielberg.

In Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Leatherface wears masks made from what?

Human skin, stitched from his victims' faces, forms Leatherface's masks; Gunnar Hansen played him in the 1974 original, shot in brutal Texas summer heat.

What narrative format does the TV series American Horror Story use?

American Horror Story, created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, uses an anthology format where each season features a self-contained story with recurring cast members in different roles.

Which 1975 Spielberg film about a man-eating shark made audiences afraid to go in the water?

Jaws is regarded as the prototypical summer blockbuster. Its three mechanical sharks were nicknamed Bruce after Spielberg's lawyer, and their constant breakdowns pushed him to keep the shark off screen.

Which horror subgenre do The Haunting (1963) and Rosemary's Baby (1968) exemplify?

Psychological horror exposes universal emotional vulnerabilities and the darker parts of the psyche people repress; The Babadook (2014) is a recent example.

Who won an Oscar for playing Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)?

Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter despite only appearing on screen for about 16 minutes — one of the shortest lead performances to win the award.

In Alien (1979), what is the name of the spaceship where the crew encounters the xenomorph?

The USCSS Nostromo is a commercial towing vessel whose crew responds to a mysterious signal on LV-426. Ridley Scott's Alien blended horror with science fiction to create one of cinema's most terrifying creatures.

Ari Aster's Midsommar (2019) follows visitors to a nine-day midsummer festival at a rural commune in which Nordic country?

Sweden's Hälsingland region hosts the Hårga commune's nine-day midsummer festival, and the film sets most of its terror in broad daylight.

Which American urban legend, dating to at least the 1950s, has a couple parked on Lovers Lane hear of an escaped killer?

The Hook's killer has a hook prosthetic, and the parked couple hear a radio report about his escape; the tale dates back to at least the 1950s.

In Child's Play (1988), dying killer Charles Lee Ray transfers his soul into which brand of doll?

The Good Guy doll is the brand Charles Lee Ray possesses in Child's Play (1988); Brad Dourif plays Ray in the opening chase and voices Chucky for the rest of the franchise.

Who played sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead TV series?

Andrew Lincoln played Rick Grimes from the 2010 pilot until leaving the main series in season 9; the British actor returned for the 2024 spin-off The Ones Who Live.

Which demon possesses Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist?

Pazuzu was an Assyrian and Babylonian demon king of the winds. Father Merrin unearths a statuette of him at a dig in Iraq before the possession begins.

Which Italian director, a giant of the giallo thriller, made Suspiria (1977) and Deep Red (1975)?

Dario Argento is an Italian director renowned for his visually stunning and intensely violent giallo films. Suspiria, his masterpiece about a ballet academy run by witches, is celebrated for its vivid color palette and Goblin's iconic score.

In the Conjuring universe, what is the name of the possessed doll that got her own spin-off films?

Annabelle is based on a Raggedy Ann doll investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren; the films redesigned her as a porcelain doll, and Annabelle (2014) launched her own spin-off series.

Which Australian horror film turns a pop-up-book monster into a metaphor for grief?

The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, follows a widowed mother terrorized by a creature from a children's book. The film is widely interpreted as an allegory for grief and maternal depression.

Which real killer inspired Norman Bates, Leatherface and Buffalo Bill?

Gein's crimes around Plainfield, Wisconsin came to light in 1957, when police found he had been robbing graves and fashioning keepsakes from bones and skin. Each film borrowed a different piece of the story.

Which term names H.P. Lovecraft's signature brand of horror?

Cosmic horror, also called Lovecraftian horror, centers on humanity's insignificance against incomprehensible cosmic forces. Lovecraft's central philosophy was that true horror comes from realizing how small we are.

In the 2019 film Midsommar, what happens during the Attestupa ritual that shocks the visiting Americans?

Elders leap from a cliff in Midsommar's ättestupa rite, which ends Hårga life at 72; one survives the fall and the commune finishes him with a ceremonial mallet.

Which 1920 German Expressionist film features the sleepwalking murderer Cesare?

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is a landmark of German Expressionist cinema. Its distorted sets, painted shadows, and unreliable narrator influenced horror filmmaking for the next century.

What is the name of the fictional New England university at the heart of many H.P. Lovecraft stories?

Miskatonic University, in Lovecraft's fictional Arkham, Massachusetts, sponsors the doomed Antarctic expedition of At the Mountains of Madness (1936).

In James Wan's Insidious (2010), what is the astral realm where young Dalton is trapped?

The Further is the dark astral plane in Insidious (2010) where Dalton Lambert's spirit is trapped; Lin Shaye's medium Elise Rainier guides his father into it.

In Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado', how does Montresor kill Fortunato?

Montresor walls Fortunato up alive in his family catacombs, luring him with a promised cask of Amontillado sherry; Poe published the story in 1846.

Which film scholar coined the term 'final girl', expanded in the 1992 book Men, Women, and Chain Saws?

Clover argued that slasher audiences start out sharing the killer's point of view and switch allegiance to the final girl partway through — a shift she saw as quietly progressive.

Which fictional grimoire, credited to the 'Mad Arab', recurs in H.P. Lovecraft's stories?

Lovecraft invented both the book and its author, Abdul Alhazred, yet hoax editions have been published ever since.

Which 1968 Romero film created the modern zombie genre without ever using the word 'zombie'?

Night of the Living Dead (1968) never says 'zombie' — Romero called his creatures ghouls — yet it set the genre's rules: reanimated corpses and survivors barricaded in a farmhouse.

Who directed the 1931 Universal film Frankenstein?

James Whale directed Frankenstein (1931) for Universal; Jack Pierce created the flat-headed monster makeup worn by Boris Karloff.

Which actor played Henry Frankenstein in Universal's 1931 Frankenstein?

Colin Clive played Henry Frankenstein in Frankenstein (1931), delivering the famous 'It's alive!' line, and returned for Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Bela Lugosi's 1931 Dracula was based directly on a stage play by which two writers?

Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston wrote the 1927 Broadway play that Universal's Dracula (1931) adapted; Lugosi had already played the Count in that stage production.

Which 1935 Universal film was the studio's first lycanthrope picture, before The Wolf Man?

Werewolf of London (1935), starring Henry Hull, was Universal's first werewolf film, six years before Lon Chaney Jr.'s The Wolf Man (1941).

In the 1932 film The Mummy, Karloff's Imhotep poses as a modern Egyptian named what?

Ardeth Bey is the alias Imhotep uses in The Mummy (1932) while seeking his reincarnated love Anck-es-en-Amon; the 1999 remake reused the name for a heroic Medjai.

Which two performers shared the role of the Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon?

Chapman played him on land and Browning underwater in the 1954 3D film.

Which actress played both Mary Shelley and the Bride in Bride of Frankenstein?

Elsa Lanchester played both Mary Shelley in the prologue and the Bride in Bride of Frankenstein (1935); her hissing Bride is on screen for only a few minutes.

In which year was Hammer Film Productions founded?

Hammer Film Productions was founded in 1934 by William Hinds, who performed as Will Hammer; the studio became famous for colour Gothic horror from The Curse of Frankenstein (1957).

Which two actors played the Baron and the Creature in Hammer's 1957 Curse of Frankenstein?

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee played Baron Frankenstein and the Creature in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Hammer's first colour horror film, directed by Terence Fisher.

Which 1953 film helped establish Vincent Price as a horror star?

House of Wax (1953), the first 3D feature from a major Hollywood studio, gave Vincent Price his breakout horror role and set up his later run with William Castle and Roger Corman.

Which 1934 film was the first to pair Boris Karloff with Bela Lugosi?

The Black Cat (1934), loosely credited to Poe, was the first of eight films pairing Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi; Edgar G. Ulmer directed.

Which recurring role did Bela Lugosi play in Son of Frankenstein and its 1942 sequel?

Lugosi had served as an infantry officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

Silent star Lon Chaney was nicknamed what for his makeup artistry?

The Man of a Thousand Faces came from makeup techniques Lon Chaney developed himself to transform for roles like the Hunchback and the Phantom.

Rosemary's Baby was adapted from a 1967 novel by which author?

Ira Levin's 1967 novel Rosemary's Baby was filmed by Roman Polanski the next year; Levin later wrote The Stepford Wives (1972) and The Boys from Brazil (1976).

Which actor made his film debut as Damien in The Omen (1976)?

Harvey Spencer Stephens made his film debut as Damien Thorn in The Omen (1976) and cameoed as a reporter in the 2006 remake; Richard Donner directed Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as the parents.

Roughly what did Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cost to make?

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) was made for roughly $140,000 with mostly unknown central Texas actors and grossed more than $30 million.

Which actress played Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 film Carrie?

Sissy Spacek played Carrie White in Carrie (1976) and earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination; Piper Laurie, as her mother Margaret, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

A visit to which Pennsylvania location inspired the setting of Dawn of the Dead?

Monroeville Mall, east of Pittsburgh, inspired Dawn of the Dead (1978) after a friend who helped run it showed Romero around; the crew shot there overnight after the stores closed.

John Carpenter's The Thing is based on which 1938 novella?

Who Goes There? (1938) by John W. Campbell Jr. is the novella behind The Thing (1982), in which Kurt Russell plays helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady.

In which year did John Landis write his first draft of An American Werewolf in London?

John Landis wrote the first draft of An American Werewolf in London in 1969 while working as a crew member on Kelly's Heroes in Yugoslavia; the film reached screens in 1981.

Which 1978 short film served as Sam Raimi's proof of concept for The Evil Dead?

Within the Woods (1978), a half-hour short made for about $1,600, was screened to investors and helped raise the first $90,000 toward The Evil Dead.

Hellraiser is based on which Clive Barker novella?

The Hellbound Heart (1986), Clive Barker's novella, became Hellraiser (1987), which Barker directed himself; Doug Bradley played the lead Cenobite, Pinhead.

Which Clive Barker short story was the basis for the 1992 film Candyman?

The Forbidden, a Clive Barker short story set on a Liverpool housing estate, moved to Chicago's Cabrini-Green for Candyman (1992); Tony Todd played the hook-handed spirit summoned by saying his name five times.

Which Oscar did Cronenberg's The Fly (1986) win?

Best Makeup went to Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis for The Fly (1986), its only Oscar; the tagline was 'Be afraid. Be very afraid.'

Which actress played Thomasin in Robert Eggers' The Witch (2015)?

Anya Taylor-Joy played Thomasin, the eldest daughter of a Puritan family in 1630s New England, in The Witch (2015), her breakout role.

How long did Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon take to write The Cabin in the Woods?

Three days was all Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon needed to write The Cabin in the Woods, holed up in a hotel in 2009; MGM's bankruptcy then shelved the finished film until 2012.

What are the doppelgängers called in Jordan Peele's Us?

The Tethered are the doppelgängers living in tunnels beneath the United States in Us (2019); Lupita Nyong'o plays both Adelaide and her double, Red.

In Nope, the horse-wrangling siblings try to film a UFO in which California town?

Agua Dulce, in the high desert north of Los Angeles, is home to the Haywood horse ranch in Nope (2022); Peele shot on location there near Vasquez Rocks.

In Talk to Me, teenagers contact spirits using what object?

An embalmed severed hand lets the teens in Talk to Me (2022) channel spirits for 90 seconds at a time; twins Danny and Michael Philippou directed the Australian film.

Barbarian's Airbnb nightmare unfolds in which Detroit neighbourhood?

Brightmoor, a blighted Detroit neighbourhood, is where Barbarian's Airbnb sits; Zach Cregger's solo directing debut grossed about $45 million on a roughly $4.5 million budget.

Which 2020 short film did Parker Finn expand into Smile?

Laura Hasn't Slept (2020), Parker Finn's short about a patient haunted by a grinning figure, grew into Smile (2022), with Sosie Bacon as therapist Rose Cotter.

Who physically portrayed the killer doll in M3GAN?

Amie Donald, a young New Zealand dancer, performed M3GAN on set in a mask and suit; Jenna Davis provided the doll's voice.

Art the Clown of the Terrifier films haunts which fictional part of New York?

Miles County, a fictional corner of New York State, is Art the Clown's stomping ground in Damien Leone's Terrifier films; Lauren LaVera's Sienna Shaw is the heroine destined to face him.

Which Psycho star is the father of the writer-director of Longlegs?

Anthony Perkins, Norman Bates in Psycho, was the father of Osgood Perkins, who wrote and directed Longlegs (2024) with Nicolas Cage as the occult killer.

Which 2024 A24 film traps two Mormon missionaries in Hugh Grant's house?

Heretic (2024) stars Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed, who lures missionaries played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East into a house they cannot leave; Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wrote and directed.

Sinners (2025) is set in which year and region?

1932 in the Mississippi Delta, in and around Clarksdale, is where Sinners unfolds; Michael B. Jordan plays twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's film.

How many children vanish from one classroom in Zach Cregger's Weapons?

Seventeen children from the same class run out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. in Weapons (2025); New Line won a bidding war for Zach Cregger's script.

Who played Count Dracula in Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)?

Gary Oldman played Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), ageing from withered ancient to young prince; Keanu Reeves played Jonathan Harker and Winona Ryder played Mina.

In Interview with the Vampire, in what year does Lestat turn Louis into a vampire?

1791 is the year Lestat turns Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire; Anne Rice's 1976 novel opens with Louis recounting it, and Kirsten Dunst played child vampire Claudia in the 1994 film.

Which M. Night Shyamalan film earned Haley Joel Osment a Best Supporting Actor nomination?

The Sixth Sense (1999) earned Haley Joel Osment a Best Supporting Actor nomination at age 11, one of the film's six Oscar nominations, which also included Best Picture.

The Others (2001) is set in 1945 on which island?

Jersey, in the Channel Islands, is the 1945 setting of The Others (2001); Alejandro Amenábar wrote, directed and scored the film, shot largely in Cantabria, Spain.

Which 1951 novel, along with Romero's films, inspired Alex Garland's 28 Days Later?

The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John Wyndham, whose hero wakes in hospital to a ruined world, inspired the opening of 28 Days Later, where Cillian Murphy's courier Jim wakes from a coma.

Which Saw co-writer also acted in the 2004 film alongside Cary Elwes?

Leigh Whannell co-wrote Saw (2004) and played Adam, chained opposite Cary Elwes's Dr. Gordon; it was James Wan's feature directorial debut.

In which country are the tourists of Hostel (2005) tortured?

Slovakia is where Hostel (2005) sends its backpackers to be sold to torturers, though Eli Roth shot the film in the Czech Republic; Quentin Tarantino was an executive producer.

For how much was Paranormal Activity originally shot?

$15,000 was Oren Peli's budget for shooting Paranormal Activity (2007) in his own house; Paramount later spent about $200,000 on a new ending before the 2009 wide release.

Which distributor gave Insidious its wide release in April 2011?

FilmDistrict gave Insidious its wide release on April 1, 2011, as the new distributor's first film; it had premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010.

Which actress stars as the pursued young woman in It Follows?

Maika Monroe plays Jay, the college student stalked by a slow-walking entity passed from person to person, in It Follows (2014), which grossed about $23 million on a budget near $1.3 million.

The Conjuring 2 dramatises which famous English haunting?

The Enfield poltergeist, reported by the Hodgson family in north London from 1977, is dramatised in The Conjuring 2 (2016), with the Warrens arriving to investigate.

Which 2002 film gave co-writer C. Robert Cargill the nightmare that inspired Sinister?

The Ring (2002) gave C. Robert Cargill a nightmare about finding a reel of snuff film in his attic, which became Sinister (2012), with Ethan Hawke as true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt.

Train to Busan takes place mostly aboard which type of service?

A KTX high-speed express from Seoul to Busan carries the passengers of Train to Busan (2016), Yeon Sang-ho's South Korean zombie hit starring Gong Yoo.

Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) was which instalment of the Ju-On series?

The third: Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) followed two direct-to-video films, Ju-On: The Curse and Ju-On: The Curse 2 (both 2000), and was Takashi Shimizu's first theatrical Ju-On.

Takashi Miike's Audition is adapted from a novel by which Japanese author?

Ryu Murakami wrote the 1997 novel Audition; Takashi Miike's 1999 film, with Eihi Shiina as Asami, rode the J-horror wave set off by Ring (1998).

Let the Right One In is set in which Stockholm suburb?

Blackeberg, a western Stockholm suburb of 1980s apartment blocks, is where Oskar meets Eli in Let the Right One In (2008); John Ajvide Lindqvist adapted his own 2004 novel.

In Rec (2007), reporter Ángela Vidal follows firefighters into a building in which city?

Barcelona is the setting of Rec (2007), where reporter Ángela Vidal and her cameraman are quarantined inside an apartment block; Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza co-directed.

Where were The Descent's cave interiors filmed?

Sets at Pinewood Studios stood in for the caves in The Descent (2005) because real caves were judged too dangerous and slow to light; Neil Marshall directed.

Which real killers inspired Mick Taylor in Wolf Creek?

Ivan Milat's backpacker murders and Bradley Murdoch's 2001 killing of Peter Falconio shaped Mick Taylor in Wolf Creek (2005), played by John Jarratt.

Cannibal Holocaust was inspired by Italian media coverage of which group?

The Red Brigades' 1970s terror campaign, and Italian TV coverage Ruggero Deodato suspected was staged, inspired Cannibal Holocaust (1980) and its fake-documentary framing.

Which studio distributed Hereditary, The Witch and Talk to Me?

A24 released The Witch (2015), Hereditary (2018) and Talk to Me (2022), building its reputation for auteur-driven horror.

Which university did horror writer Shirley Jackson attend?

Syracuse University is where Shirley Jackson met her husband, critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, graduating in 1940; she wrote six novels including The Haunting of Hill House (1959).

Which 1980s short-story series established Clive Barker as a horror author?

Books of Blood, six volumes published in 1984 and 1985, made Clive Barker's name; Stephen King's blurb declared 'I have seen the future of horror, and his name is Clive Barker.'

What was Anne Rice's birth name?

Howard Allen Frances O'Brien was Anne Rice's birth name; born in New Orleans in 1941, she renamed herself Anne on her first day of school.

Who coined the term 'splatter cinema'?

George A. Romero coined 'splatter cinema' to describe his own Dawn of the Dead (1978); John McCarty's 1981 book Splatter Movies then popularised the label.

Between which years was the 'Golden Age' of slasher films?

1978 and 1984 bracket the slasher golden age, when Friday the 13th, Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine and dozens of imitators flooded cinemas.

What does the Italian word 'giallo' literally mean?

Yellow is the literal meaning of giallo, after the yellow covers of Mondadori's crime paperbacks launched in 1929; the film genre peaked in the 1970s.

Which three British films are considered pioneers of folk horror?

Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973) form folk horror's so-called 'unholy trinity'; The Witch and Midsommar revived the subgenre.

Which 1967 novel inspired the screenplay of The Wicker Man?

Ritual (1967) by David Pinner, about a policeman probing a child's death in a Cornish village, was bought by Christopher Lee, Peter Snell and Anthony Shaffer, whose screenplay became The Wicker Man (1973).

Where was Robert Eggers' Nosferatu (2024) primarily filmed?

Barrandov Studios in Prague hosted most of the shoot for Nosferatu (2024), with Czech locations standing in for Wisborg and Transylvania; Bill Skarsgård played Count Orlok.

Who played the title role in Universal's 1933 film The Invisible Man?

Claude Rains made his Hollywood debut as scientist Jack Griffin in The Invisible Man (1933), his face unseen until the final shot; his voice carried the performance.

In the Halloween franchise, in which year did Michael Myers murder his sister Judith?

1963 is when six-year-old Michael Myers stabbed his sister Judith on Halloween night; he escapes Smith's Grove fifteen years later to terrorise Haddonfield, Illinois.

Who wrote the original Friday the 13th screenplay?

Victor Miller wrote the original Friday the 13th (1980) screenplay for producer-director Sean S. Cunningham; Harry Manfredini composed its 'ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma' score.

Freddy Krueger haunts teenagers in which fictional Ohio town?

Springwood, Ohio is the fictional town where Freddy Krueger stalks Elm Street's teenagers; Wes Craven co-scripted the third film, Dream Warriors (1987).

What did the French Directors' Guild give John Carpenter at Cannes in 2019?

The Golden Coach (Carrosse d'Or), the French Directors' Guild's career honour presented at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight, went to John Carpenter in 2019; earlier recipients include Clint Eastwood and Jane Campion.

Which 1985 film completed Romero's original zombie trilogy?

Day of the Dead (1985) closed Romero's original trilogy after Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), moving its survivors into an underground Florida bunker.

Which 1975 film was among David Cronenberg's early body-horror works?

Shivers (1975), about a parasite spreading through a Montreal apartment tower, was David Cronenberg's first commercial feature and the start of his body-horror run.

Which 1993 Spanish-language film was Guillermo del Toro's debut feature?

Cronos (1993), about an antiques dealer who finds a 16th-century device granting vampiric immortality, was Guillermo del Toro's debut feature, shot in Mexico.

Which film magazine dubbed The Wicker Man (1973) 'The Citizen Kane of horror movies'?

Cinefantastique devoted a 1977 issue to The Wicker Man, calling it 'the Citizen Kane of horror movies'; Total Film later ranked Robin Hardy's film the sixth-greatest British film ever.