Fact or Fiction: Found Footage Horror

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Featured Indie Horror Indie Horror Creation Scary Movies and Series

What is Found Footage Horror?

If you’re newer to the horror community, then you may not be aware of the found footage style that makes up a widely celebrated part of the genre. That being said…

Relatability and Morbid Fascination

The dark, savage aspects of human nature have a certain allure that cannot easily be disregarded. We’re more likely to see characters who are awkward, trashy, creepy, oblivious, or skeptical throughout the movie—the found footage style has been known to explore those traits more fully since it needs to feel like candid camera footage. As a culture, we tend to have a fascination for things that we can identify with and many people find reality entertainment more relatable—while others find them to be like a trainwreck they can’t stop watching.

Fact or Fiction?

When The Blair Witch Project premiered in 1999, the world witnessed what could reasonably be believed to be real footage of three student filmmakers. These students would go on to disappear while filming their investigative documentary; their footage, as revealed by the movie, was later found by a third party and published for the world to see. The documentary-style film allowed the audience to see through the eyes of the protagonists. We were able to step into their shoes, with a growing sense of trepidation, as they dove into the gruesome legends woven into the history of Burkittsville, Maryland (Derry 228).

Indie Horror Creation

There are only really a handful of found-footage films that directly benefited from the cult following The Blair Witch Project developed at the turn of the century. Regardless, the horror genre branched out into the of found-footage and made it feasible for indie filmmakers to put themselves out there with a low film budget and then expect a larger profit margin in return. Since the mockumentary style of The Blair Witch Project required nothing more than handheld cameras, or more recently, a GoPro. The technology was no longer a barrier. There was a preference of unknown faces that were hired for talent because it would leave the audience with a more authentic quality of film. The promised result was an otherwise cheaply produced finished product with no over-the-top special effects. This style lent directly to the perceived authenticity of the events that would occur within the confines of the film (Derry 229).

Growing Popularity of Reality Horror

The rising popularity in this “reality” horror soon caused the film budgets of these types of movies to rise significantly and the profit margin to subsequently decrease—but why is that? Because, when you think about it, if a found footage film is properly executed they can be an indie filmmaker’s dream. Then again, there also has to be the consideration that most indie horror filmmakers would love to have their film be the next Blair Witch Project. Most just aren’t naive enough to believe that their film will achieve that level of notoriety. Even a movie such as Cloverfield (2008), arguably one of the highest budgeted movies in the style can showcase archetypal lo-fi aesthetic (Kring-Schreifels), but then they blow their budget on special effects. Explosions, enormous alien monsters, and entire buildings being knocked over certainly didn’t help them to cut costs. If their featured talent hadn’t done a wonderful job at performing their roll, it would have been a lot less convincing (although, let’s be real, none of us thought it was real—unlike many with The Blair Witch).

Convincing Storytelling

Thankfully, it’s no longer the believability factor, as much as it is the feel of authenticity and the purity of the scares or creepy story they tell. So, it’s now far less important that these films are regarded as found footage, if we’re distinguishing films being true to the style. If we’re looking for a true found footage film, we must consider movies that fully utilize a diegetic camera, which means that both the camera and if applicable, the person behind it are part of the story. Since the diegetic camera in found footage films is acknowledged by the characters, it can be considered a prop of the fictional world (Turner 8).

Whether we are witnessing the events of the film through security footage, or we’re experiencing the events as a camera-wielding character or part of a film crew, we’re left with room for interesting developments. Even though I won’t deny that security footage style is a diegetic camera, it does have the drawback of removing the closeness we’ve obtained with the character behind the character. When we’re seeing through the camera being held by one of the characters, it feels like we’re literally seeing through their eyes.

The Eyes of Narration

Going back to the previous example of Cloverfield we rarely see the character behind the camera and the longer we go without acknowledging that character, the more closely we get pulled into the him. When he’s nosey, we’re also inclined to be curious of what’s going on—likewise when he’s in a situation where he’s afraid for his life, the audience feels uneasy and fearful. I feel like this not only happens because we’ve identified as the character behind the camera, but because if that character dies, then we’re unaware of where the story will take us next. Typically, someone else is conveniently around to pick up the camera in order to continue to film. We’ve been allowed to suspend our disbelief just long enough to identify as the person behind the camera (Turner 4).

Anything that allows the viewer to more closely relate to the film or the characters within tends to provide a more interesting viewing experience. Whether it’s considered a diegetic camera film, a found footage film, or a “reality” horror film, if “the viewer cannot maintain distance between the events of the story and their own viewing,” then they cannot help but becoming part of the story (Turner 8).

The Beginning of Found Footage Horror

The Blair Witch Project isn’t considered the first found footage horror ever created—that honor is regularly attributed to Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980) regardless of whether it was deserved or not. After watching Cannibal Holocaust I started to wonder why it was declared as being found footage at all—sure it utilized the technique for the recovered documentary crew’s film, but there was also a significant part of the movie that is noticeably shot with an objective camera. I submit to you that if we’re going to consider Cannibal Holocaust a found footage film, that we also consider Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) a found footage film.

Reality Entertainment

In many ways, shows like “The Real World” and “Cops” were more of an influence on the initial popularity of a movie like The Blair Witch Project than its found footage predecessors (Kring-Schreifels). Like the reality television trend that people were already enjoying, The Blair Witch Project blended fact and fiction; which appealed to the landscape of entertainment of the time and has helped it continue on as the benchmark for all indie horror creators. So despite the fact that The Blair Witch Project isn’t considered the first of its kind, it still held a unique draw for younger generations of adults who were already immersed in the trend of reality television.

YouTube and Access to the Internet

Just six years after the film’s inception, the world saw the arrival of YouTube which made it even easier to blur the lines between fact and fiction; it’s been noted by those involved in the film, that their successful marketing tactics slipped through a narrow window of an audience that was on the brink of overly accessible information. That, in today’s world, someone looking for more information on Heather Donahue, the female lead, would be able to find with no uncertainty that she was in fact, an actress who had not gone missing at all (Kring-Schreifels). Still, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez drew on the most important aspect of creating horror by heightening tension and fear; they accomplished this by way of primarily composing the movie as POV shots which limit what the audience sees and creates feelings of anxiety (Turner 16).

Acceptance of New Styles

The Blair Witch Project took a simple and otherwise unprofound concept and made something that rocked the entire genre of horror (Derry 229). Rather than spur a new series of films, however, it signaled the beginning of almost a full decade with no overly notable films in the style (Derry 230). Hill explains that “horror nostalgia emerges precisely when new generations of audiences have embraced more recent developments in horror,” which leads to a sort of conservation of horror as it was when they first found their love of the genre (Hill 101). So when found footage films were making their way into the genre, children of the eighties were clinging to their late-era slashers like Scream and the newly emerging torture porn of Hostel and Saw. There was also an overwhelming boom of paranormal and supernatural horror films that were created in the 2000s.

Unrepeatable Success

Fans of the horror genre are known to form an emotional attachment to the version of a film they see first, regardless of which one is considered the better film. As a result, those who saw The Blair Witch Project during their youth are more likely to prefer the original to the remake Blair Witch of 2016 (Hill 101). It was clear that a remake of The Blair Witch Project would not be as successful as the original; not only because the guerrilla-style marketing campaign couldn’t be replicated, but a remake would hold less appeal for those who enjoyed the original film (Hill 102). Over twenty years since its premiere and there are still people who look back at The Blair Witch Project wanting answers. Of course, this isn’t because they still believe (if they ever did) that it was a true documentary, but because the movie left them with questions—namely, what does the Blair Witch actually look like?

There is no denying that what The Blair Witch Project accomplished was phenomenal. From the boots-on-the-ground marketing campaign to the missing person posters designed to boost the level of authenticity of the film, the filmmakers utilized tactics that could never again be repeated. The nostalgia for a time since passed contributed to the success of The Blair Witch Project and in essence has contributed to the success of many of the found footage films that have come since.

Works Cited

Hills, Matt. “Horror Reception/Audiences.” A Companion to the Horror Film, by Harry M. Benshoff, Wiley Blackwell, 2017, pp. 90–108.

Kring-schreifels, Jake. ‘The Blair Witch Project’ at 20: Why It Can’t Be Replicated. 30 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/movies/blair-witch-project-1999.html.

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Facts About the House of Wax Remake

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Scary Movies and Series

Behind the Scenes: The Making of the House of Wax (2005 Remake)

Facts, Trivia and the Making of the House of Wax Remake

Talk about a unique horror movie: a house made entirely of wax, a town inhabited by wax people, and death by wax encapsulation. House of Wax has a fast-paced story line that hurls a group of college-age kids into a “lost town” off the beaten path, literally inaccessible by way of normal vehicle.  The town of “Ambrose” is the home of the serial killing family Sinclair, who kill their victims and preserve them as wax people for their famed wax museum. Ultimately a town that consists of fully automated wax people and only a few feigning killers, is enough to trick nearly all of the victims long enough for slaughter.

Facts and Trivia About House of Wax

House of Wax Fact #1: Film Name Change

Originally the 2005 horror film was going to be called “Wax House, Baby,” however, Warner Bros. Changed the name to “House of Wax” after they realized they were permitted to use it. In fact, a lot of posters and other promotional materials had already been created for Wax House, Baby, before the name change!

House of Wax Fact #2: Principal Photography from Australia

Most of the principal photography for House of Wax took place in Queensland, Australia. This means, despite a lot of the cast being American, most of the actual filming of the movie itself occurred in Australia.

House of Wax Fact #3: Special Effects Team Sued

Village Theme Park Management and Warner Brothers Movie World Australia sued special effects expert David Fletcher and the company Wax Productions on the basis of negligence after a fire broke out on set during actual production.

House of Wax Fact #4: A Song Without a Credit

The House of Wax soundtrack features a 12 song list, however, there is an additional song that plays during the overnight campfire party scene. The song is “Roland” by Interpol.

House of Wax Fact #5: Extras Wearing Masks

Most of the wax figures throughout the movie are actually actors wearing masks. This is especially true in scenes featuring larger numbers of wax people, such as within the church and movie theater.

House of Wax Fact #6: Peanut Butter Wax

The wax bed used to consume Elisha Cuthbert’s character, Carly, is actually peanut butter.  The bed was so sticky and entrapping that she actually got stuck several times while filming and between scenes!

House of Wax Fact #7: Real Glue

Elisha Cuthbert insisted on using real glue to seal her lips while in the basement of the auto shop.

House of Wax Fact #8: An Embarrassing Scream

Paris Hilton reportedly was so embarrassed by her scream that she needed the entire crew to scream along with her (cast included) for the first few times she had to yelp.

House of Wax Fact #9: Too Short to See

Elisha Cuthbert was so much shorter than her costar Jared Padalecki, that she required two inch thick blocks of wood to be taped to the bottom of her boots for all of their knee-up shots.

House of Wax Fact #10: Only a Loose Remake

Although the movie was inspired by the original House of Wax film in 1953, it is only a loose remake of the plot itself, sharing mostly only movie title and film environment.

House of Wax Fact #11: The Construction of Ambrose

The town of Ambrose was thrown up in an impressive 10 weeks and was modeled after a real life town of Asmara. Asmara is located in Eritrea, East Africa, and was built during World War II in Modern Style.

House of Wax Fact #12: Lester’s Character

Lester was named “The Roadkill Collector” in the script, however, is nameless in the movie itself.

House of Wax Fact #13: Paris at the Center

The entire cast as a whole were built around Paris Hilton, even being trained to repeat her catch phrase throughout the film (“That’s Hot”).  Before Paris was chosen for the role of Paige, both Jennifer Connelly and Kate Winslet were considered.

House of Wax Fact #14: Tourist Trap

Minus the original House of Wax novel and movie from the 50s and 60s, there was one other predecessor which may have helped develop the House of Wax script, that movie being Tourist Trap (1979).  Tourist Trap features a similar group of young friends stranded at a secluded roadside attraction.  A masked psycho with telekinetic powers kills the friends one by one within the museum.

House of Wax Fact #15: Elisha’s Hair

Elisha Cuthbert actually dyed her hair brown for the film. 

House of Wax Fact #16: The Death of Paris Hilton

As a part of a Warner Bros. promotional, Paris Hilton sold shirts pre-release which read “On May 6th, Watch Paris Die.”

House of Wax Fact #17: Vincent Lives

Vincent, one of the killers in House of Wax, is a tribute to the Vincent Price of the original House of Wax (1953).

House of Wax Fact #18: Alternate Beginning

A character named Jennifer is killed by Bo or Vincent in an alternate opening scene available as a special feature on the DVD and Blu-ray.  This character was stranded on the side of the road when she met up with one of the killers.  She is still in the movie itself in form of the female wax sculpture that Vincent works on (later displayed with flowers in a pink dress outside of the movie theater).

Final Notes About House of Wax

killer for house of wax 2005 painting of a man with black hair

House of Wax (2005) remains one of our favorite horror movies at the Horror Enthusiast, due to it’s original deaths by hot wax encapsulation and creepy town setting. However, the movie does retain some of the most landmark necessities of a good, suspenseful thriller…the killers are clever, the victims at first unaware, and there is blood!  The acting is obviously a little cheesy, however, that’s what you get when you cast Chad Michael Murray and Paris Hilton in a horror flick (or in any film for that matter)!  Regardless of casting choices, House of Wax still reels in an exciting and suspenseful experience that can be counted on by nearly anyone for a good time.

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Famous Novels that Became Horror Movies

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Best Horror Books Best Of Horror Books Scary Movies and Series

List of HorrorBooks that Became Famous Horror Movies

How Many Horror Movies Started As Books?

Many horror movies begin as novels or short stories of some kind. Some of them are more popular than others. There are horror movies which are nearly word-for-word scripted by the books. There are also movies that are only loosely based upon a true story. Whether it was loosely inspired, or a full-on contribution, novels which become horror movies have done pretty well in terms of creating a cult following and earning box office dollars. Most of the time, the books are even worth reading on their own!

Popular Books that Became Horror Movies

These are the most popular novels that became horror movies. Because it is impossible to rank these movies in terms of actual popularity, they are listed alphabetically.

1408 – Inspired by Stephen King

1408 is a very creative haunted house story. It stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Cusack plays a depressed, alcohol horror novelist reviewing haunted hotels. 1408 is a special room in New York’s Dolphin Hotel. The writer stays in the hotel room despite the many warnings from Jackson’s character, the hotel manager. The write, and the audience, battles the psychological thriller throughout the night until the room permanently consumes the protagonist.

30 Days of Night – Inspired by Steve Niles

30 Days of Night is one of the best vampire movies ever made. The vampires have an “understood backstory,” which explains them in an almost gypsie-like fashion. They travel to feed, visiting towns which experience authentic darkness for a month or longer. Although they have the typical vampire power to convert a human into a blood sucker, they typically prefer to violently kill their victims and

American Psycho – Inspired by Bret Easton Ellis

Christian Bale is an incredible actor who fully immerses himself into a role. American Psycho is a display of talent that exceeds the expectation of even a Bale performance! This movie became an instant cult classic, but still spawns from one of the most elegantly composed orchestras ever to grace paper.

The Amityville Horror – Inspired by Jay Anson

The Amityville Horror is a well-respected haunted house horror classic. The film focuses on the weakness of unsuspecting residence to fall to spiritual possession. The patriarch of the family is always possessed and forced to adhere to the murderous ways of the spirit who controls the house. The spirit encourages the possessed to kill their entire family.

Cabal – Inspired by Clive Barker

This movie was written about nightmarish city-dwelling monsters, a psychiatrist-serial killer, and overall horror despair.

Candyman – Inspired by Clive Barker

Candyman (1992) is about a knife-wielding (hook handed) killer who can be summoned by repeating his name five times in front of a mirror. It is a demonic possession-thriller that is the fear of any human being who has ever heard an urban legend involving a mirror. Clive Barker is responsible for this masterpiece.

Candyman horror movie monster looking in a mirror

Carrie – Inspired by Stephen King

Carrie (1976) and the remake (2013) are really popular horror classics. They were given a humble entrance to the horror scene by an early Stephen King. Carrie has always done very well, drawing so much positive feedback and a significant cult following.

Children of the Corn – Inspired by Stephen King

Out of all of the books Stephen King has written which have inspired movies, Children of the Corn (1984) is one of the most disturbing stories. The town which engulfs the protagonists is a small town, but only children live there. Though, they are all followers of a super sinister preacher. The couple realizes they are the feature on the children’s sacrificial menu and they run for their lives.

Christine – Inspired by Stephen King

Christine is a scary movie about a car that takes on a life of its own. Unfortunately this vehicle has the personality of a murderer. It was a really popular movie in 1983 and has remained relevant even today. Christine got its start in another Stephen King book.

Cujo – Inspired by Stephen King

The 1981 terror known as Cujo showcases a horrifying experience of being hunted by a rabid St. Bernard. While many people would not find a dog particularly scary nor horror-worthy, Stephen King painted an excellent storyline for the insane canine killer.

The Dead Zone – Inspired by Stephen King

Christopher Walken plays a patient who awakens from a coma to find many years have eluded him. He also finds himself some new psychic abilities to play with.

The Devil’s Advocate – Inspired by Andrew Neiderman

The Devil’s Advocate is often considered one of the most perverse horror flicks to hit the big screen, even including some suggestive incest. Ultimately, it still built a very powerful cult following and performed very well at the box office. Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino pulled in the bacon and provided viewers a great rendition of Neiderman’s novel.

Dracula – Inspired by Bram Stoker

Dracula (1992) is one of the most infamous, instant classics to ever grace the horror genre. This is one of the better historical-period horror movies.

Dreamcatcher – Inspired by Stephen King

Dreamcatcher (2001) is about an alien invasion and was written in cursive while King recovered from a car accident. It was also his 36th novel.

The Exorcist – Inspired by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist (1973) may be one of the older movies on this list, however, it was scary then and it is still scary today! Blatty did an excellent job with cementing terror through time.

Firestarter – Inspired by Stephen King

Firestarter (1984) is about a couple whom submitted themselves to medical testing and give birth to a daughter with a special ability. The little girl (played by Drew Barrymore) can start fires with her mind.

Frankenstein – Inspired by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Frankenstein (1931) is one of the most classic horror movies of all time. It is also the oldest movie on this list.

Hannibal – Inspired by Thomas Harris

Hannibal (2001) is the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs. The story tracks Dr. Hannibal Lecter after he escaped custody in Europe. Julianne Moore joins Anthony Hopkins to put author Thomas Harris’ sequel to life on the big screen.

The Haunting of Hill House – Inspired by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House is actually a novel which inspired multiple horror movies. The two most notable movies which based their storyline most closely to the book include The Haunting (1999) and House on Haunted Hill (1999). Jackson was truly a wicked good writer and a creative soul!

Hellraiser – Inspired by Clive Barker

Hellraiser (1987) was created after the Clive Barker novel The Hellbound Heart. It’s a creepy film about a man who opens a portal to hell. The demons released are insanely disturbing. So is the reincarnation of a dead man who requires fresh blood to reconstruct his being.

I Know What You Did Last Summer – Inspired by Lois Duncan

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) rustled together an all-star cast including: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddie Prinze Jr.). The partying high school graduates accidentally hit a pedestrian with their car, creating a wild train of paranoia and suspense worthy of the horror industry. The original story is credited to Lois Duncan.

Interview With the Vampire – Inspired by Anne Rice

Interview With the Vampire (1994) is a period horror set in the 18th century. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt put on an amazing show, all of which is being recorded by biographer Christian Slater.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Inspired by Jack Finney

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) is another one of the older horror movies. Still, very thrilling and about a nearly unstoppable alien invasion.

IT – Inspired by Stephen King

The original IT from 1990 is technically a TV mini-series. It is an extreme psychological terror flick. However, the movie adaptation of 2017 takes Pennywise and evil to an entirely new level. The gore, blood, and killings are truly horrifying. The cinematic value is extremely well-done and the mental depravity is unruly.

Jaws – Inspired by Peter Benchley

Jaws (1975) was directed by Steven Spielberg and brought to life one of the most intimidating beasts of the sea: a mammoth-sized shark that haunts unsuspecting water-dwelling beach-goers and boat-riders. Before Jaws became an instant cult franchise classic, the original material came from the clever mind of Peter Benchley.

The Midnight Meat Train – Inspired by Clive Barker

The Midnight Meat Train (2008) is an interesting horror movie about photographer down on his luck who follows an organization onto one of the most bloodiest subway rides ever seen.

Misery – Inspired by Stephen King

Misery (1990) is another Stephen King inspired film to make the list. This movie highlights realistic horror. A nurse rescues a writer after a serious car accident and is revealed to be an obsessive lunatic.

The Mist – Inspired by Stephen King

The Mist (2007) is about a destructive storm that forces a family into town for supplies. Terror in the form of a mist surrounds the family when they enter a grocery store and they are forced to hole up. The true terror, however, was yet to come from the fog!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Inspired by Seth Grahame-Smith

Grahame-Smith made this movie into a much more cinematic thriller than many of the other movies in the general genre. Still, the 2016 action-thriller still makes the list due to its obvious horror-oriented theme.

Psycho – Inspired by Robert Bloch

Psycho (1960) is one of the coolest ideas for a horror movie of its time. This is because it focuses on normal, everyday life and embraces a lot of realism. Norman Bates and his mother are in charge of a hotel which they use to terrorize and murder guests.

The Ring – Inspired by Koji Suzuki

The Ring (2002) left many moviegoers in shock and too scarred to ever watch another video cassette again. The movie crafts the idea that a simple videotape could invoke an evil that kills the viewer within 7 days. For a very long time, many people pranked one another, imitating the eerie phone call a viewer would get directly after watching the film. Thank you, Koji Suzuki, for this scary masterpiece!

Rosemary’s Baby – Inspired by Ira Levin

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is another older flick that made the list. Levin does a wonderful job of painting the most horrifying picture about a mother who decides her baby is from another world.

The Shining – Inspired by Stephen King

The Shining (1980) is one of Jack Nicholson’s finest performances. He was extremely immersive in his acting. The story of psychic premonition and suspense is carefully crafted. Jack’s character is a writer who’s writing dries up and forces him into mania.

The Silence of the Lambs – Inspired by Thomas Harris

No one can deny The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was not one of Anthony Hopkin’s most realistic and disturbing performances. The movie follows a psychiatrist who hunts people and eats them. Yes, eats them. Thomas Harris is the writer who originally found this idea appealing, although, the cult following suggests he is not alone!

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Inspired by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is one of the most underrated authors of all time, however, his horror staples made a dent in the genre that will last forever. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) is about a terrifying carnival owner who preys on people having fun.

A Stir of Echoes – Inspired by Richard Mattheson

A Stir of Echoes (1999) is an incredible mystery-horror flick which follows a blue-collar worker (played by Kevin Bacon) throughout his newly found psychic lifestyle.

Last Words About Horror Novels

Many other books have also evolved into really great horror flicks as well. In fact, it is very rare for a film to draw no inspiration from any written content. Obviously, Stephen King has taken the largest chunk of the pie in terms of “novel to horror movie” genre, however, many other great authors have surfaced too. After all, fear is evolving, and it is only a matter of time before the next horror movie genius is born upon the pages!

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Freddy Krueger Secrets: Little Known Facts and Info

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Scary Movies and Series

Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger

Freddy Krueger, originally “Frederick Charles Krueger,” is Elm street’s serial child killer starring throughout the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Most notably played by Robert Englund (from 1984 through 2003), the character prey son the children of Elm street through their sleep in the dreamworld.  Freddy Krueger is traditionally powerless in the real world, and thus one of the most successful ways of ‘killing’ him, were to bring him into the real world by gripping onto him while being woken up from the dreamworld. Wes Craven’s Freddy Krueger is one of the most notorious fictional serial killers to grace the screen of horror…and one of the oldest, being a product of the 80s!

Fun Facts About Nightmare’s Freddy Krueger

Although there are seemingly infinite Freddy Krueger fun facts and trivia, some stand out as particularly interesting. Check out some of these unbelievable tidbits about one of our favorite horror slashers!

Freddy Krueger Fact #1: Casting the Perfect Freddy Krueger

Finding Freddy Krueger wouldn’t be easy, and although probably dozens or more actors would be considered, Robert Englund would be selected.  Robert has explained that he went through some pretty gross last minute efforts before entering the building to talk to Wes, including running oil from his car’s dipstick through his hair, and cigarette ash under his eyes. I would say “WTF,” however, seriously…WHO’S LAUGHING NOW ?!

Freddy Krueger Fact #2: A Personality that Grew With Attention

Originally, Freddy Krueger was designed to be scary in many ways, however, his clever phrases made famous in later films wasn’t one of them.  Wes Craven did not draw power from fearful dialog, however, a scary setting, a scary claw, a scary figure…and ultimately a scary dream. A dream you could not control. Your dream, taken over by a serial child killer. However, as Freddy Krueger’s Nightmare on Elm Street films grew with popularity, Freddy’s personality began to blossom and bask in glory! Freddy became more creative, cunning and clever with his dialogue than ever before, going on to star in many more films, all filled with a variety of memorable lingo.

Freddy Krueger portrait with knife hands

Freddy Krueger Fact #3: The Boiler Room

The boiler room used for scenes throughout A Nightmare on Elm Street was actually the Lincoln Heights Jail of the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.  The scenes not only look super realistic and super scary, but the actual jail were closed at the time…being condemned and supposedly haunted in itself! Maybe if we replay the original flick enough, we’ll see a ghost or two from beyond the dreamworld!

Freddy Krueger Fact #4: The Transformation

A lot of Freddy Krueger and Nightmare on Elm Street fans alike ask “How long does the Freddy Krueger makeup take to put on?” Robert Englund answered this directly on his website himself stating that he would be sitting in a chair for 3-4 hours each day receiving his Freddy transformation.  He describes it as a “jigsaw puzzle of twelve or more pieces of pre-painted foam latex” which would be glued to his face and then blended together. Once I was Freddy Krueger for Halloween (age 10), and it took my mother about half that long to apply the goop-based makeup kit the franchise commercialized!

https://www.robertenglund.com/about-robert/

Freddy Krueger Fact #5: An Evil Beginning

Even the most enthusiastic Freddy Krueger and Nightmare on Elm Street fan would easily miss the birth of Freddy Krueger, which was revealed in Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Unfortunately Freddy Krueger’s mother, Amanda Krueger (the nun in the film from Westin Hills mental hospital) became pregnant after being raped by a gang of a hundred inmates. This was probably used as a way to create sympathy for the killer due to his increasing popularity.

Freddy Krueger Fact #6: A Child Murderer

Originally, Freddy Krueger was slated to be a child molester, as Wes Craven believed it was the epitome of evil; However, an outbreak of publicized, high-attention child molestation and abuse cases at the time posed a potential liability. Wes and others feared that it could have been misconstrued as a way of exploiting these cases, and ultimately decided to make Freddy Krueger a child murderer instead.

Freddy Krueger Fact #7: A Child Molester

Oddly enough, if enough time has passed, society must heal from anything…as the 2010 remake of Nightmare on Elm Street decides to portray Freddy Krueger as the child molester he was originally intended to be! Poor Jackie Earle Haley (we liked your performance as well though, and it’s not your fault society is jaded!).

Freddy Krueger Fact #8: Dreamweaver

A popular hit song called “Dreamweaver” emerged in the 1970s featuring the mind’s ability to weave dreams. Wes Craven has been quoted giving credit to Dreamweaver’s keyboard intro and exit (outro) being partly responsible for the Nightmare on Elm Street theme and ultimately Freddy Krueger’s most valuable strength: his ability to control dreams.

Freddy Krueger Painting

Freddy Krueger Fact #9: A tattered sweater

Wes Craven has explained in a number of interviews and other excerpts that Freddy Krueger were also inspired by a school age bully.  This bully being an older man who haunted Wes one day on his way home…a homeless, disfigured man who wore a tattered green and red striped sweater. The man actually followed Wes all the way home, and up into the stairwell of his apartment building where his older brother lay waiting with a baseball bat to defend.  Only when Wes and his brother entered the stairwell, the Freddy-like character were no where to be found.

Freddy Krueger Fact #10: Elm Street, only a movie name

Wes Craven recently revealed that the street name “Elm Street” was never spoken out loud during the original Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). This may come to some surprise to even the most hardcore Nightmare fans, as many of us know the words “Elm Street” are most certainly repeated throughout other Nightmare franchise films…almost incessantly.

Final Words

Freddy Krueger is one of the most creative horror killers available. With the franchise having no real anticipated “true end” (they have attempted to end the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise SEVERAL times with no success), Freddy Krueger is likely to amaze and impress us for years to come. As best said by Freddy himself… “This…Is God!”

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Friday the 13th Movie Cameos

Categories
Lifestyle Scary Movies and Series

Celebrity Cameos in the Jason Movies [Friday the 13th Trivia]

Are There Any Cameos in the Friday the 13th Movies?

The Friday the 13th franchise has been highly entertaining for decades. In fact, Jason Voorhees and Camp Crystal Lake never seem to get old! That said, throughout the long duration of Voorhees killings, there have been plenty of opportunities for celebrity cameos. There are a lot of ‘short lived’ roles (pun intended) that need filling, and cameos are sometimes the perfect way to get the job done.  Many of these cameos will be super obvious!

List of Celebrity Cameo Appearances in the Friday the 13th Movies

The Friday the 13th movies are iconic in the horror slasher genre, and thus a cameo appearance is a really cool ordeal!  Here is the complete list of celebrity cameos that appear throughout the Friday the 13th movies.

Betsy Palmer

Mrs. Voorhees, Jason’s mother, from the original film was invited to partake in a cameo for the second film, Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981).

Steve Miner

The voice of the TV newscaster in the 3rd film, Friday the 13th Part III (1982), is the director, Steve Miner!

Corey Feldman

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), was supposed to star Corey Feldman, however, his role of Tommy Jarvis was given to someone else due to scheduling conflicts.  Instead, Corey shot a few scenes to be used as a cameo in the film.

Walt Gorney

Walt played Crazy Ralph in the first two films.  He then returned to lend his voice as the narrator in the beginning of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988).

John Carl Buechler

John is one of the best special effects and makeup  guys out there. He also plays a firefighter who finds and retrieves Jason’s broken mask at the end of the movie.

Kane Hodder 

The screenwriter for Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) makes a cameo in the movie.

California DJs

Two California DJs can be seen in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993). When Jason goes to hell, he throws a party first!

David Cronenberg

Cronenberg was killed on screen in a cameo appearance during Jason X (2001) as part of a deal made with director, Jim Isaac. Call it…pay back.

Robert Shaye

Robert Shaye has produced all of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, including Freddy vs Jason (2003).  He makes a cameo in this film as Laurie’s high school principal.

Rey Mysterio

Famed wrestler makes an appearance in Freddy vs Jason (2003). He can be seen “as the person who jumps.”

Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline is a part of a crowd about 27 minutes into the film. She is wearing a long-sleeve green shirt.

Last Notes About Friday the 13th Cameos

There were a couple that probably could have happened, but some red tape must have got in the way.  One example is the cameo of Adrienne King (the heroine of the original Friday the 13th movie) which was rumored to happen for the Friday the 13th (2009) remake.  It ultimately did not happen because the producers decided they did not want any originals to be in the remake.  It is obvious the franchise has had a lot of chances to cast cameo appearances, but has been rather conservative in doing so.

If you think you have found a new cameo or find other great cameos from famous actors in horror movies, please comment below so we can add it!

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