Category: Scary Movies and Series

Supernatural horror related movies and series

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Is the Movie Red Christmas Based On a True Story?

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Scary Movies and Series

A seemingly normal family meets for Christmas, all gathering together from varying walks of life and styles of living. Clearly there is a dark family secret, however, and a lot of puzzle pieces are not revealed until far later in the film.  The characters are nicely built and all members of the audience most certainly identify with at least one of the actors or actresses.  This personal connection to the audience is one of the most important aspects of a horror film, without it, the audience is unable to feel empathy for the victims within the movie, and ultimately unable to be scared or enjoy the film. 

That said, Red Christmas does a great job of building the characters, as niche as it may be. And the story line is so unique and compelling that one must wonder… Is Red Christmas based upon a true story? 

The Inspiration and Making of Red Christmas [Spoiler Alert]

Red Christmas (2017) was written by Michael Joy and is apparently his first title, at least to be popular enough to find through imdb. Michael Joy does an awesome job of putting together the dynamics which is interpreted by the viewers as a sincerely terrible situation to be in. A mother had long ago aborted a baby after learning he has down syndrome, but the baby survives (unknown to the mother).  This baby grows up to be truly disfigured and in a great deal of emotional pain…deciding to seek out the mother and slay her and her family on Christmas itself! 

What Inspired Making Red Christmas?

Dee Wallace recently shared in an interview that the movie Red Christmas possessed a strong “slice of life” element, which she describes as ‘real’ and ‘those quirky things that go on between families.’  And she is definitely right: the movie capitalizes on real family dynamics to make a personal connection with the audience, and posses a quite possible real life horror scenario.  Director Craig Anderson is interviewed about the movie as well and is specifically asked about the inspiration for the villain Cletus. Craig states that the abortion debate had a lot to do with the movie itself and that he wanted to encourage thinking about it from multiple perspectives.

The film was somewhat a result of a shot in the dark, as Craig also goes on to admit that he started out with a pro-life slasher film because he was trying to capitalize on satire.  He even tried to model the movie after previous low-budget horror films (interesting that he wound up picking Dee Wallace, who absolutely KILLED IT in this movie!). However, after realizing his initial plot didn’t align with his personal beliefs, he spent a couple years researching and getting to know reproductive rights and the ethical challenges that all perspectives faced. The result was creating a slasher who the audience would feel sympathetic towards, but also fear.  Ultimately, both Dee Wallace (playing Diane) and Sam Campbell (playing slasher Cletus) were made to feel as though their characters were justified in their actions, as though they were both ‘the good guy.’

Is Red Christmas About Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?

Director Craig Anderson specifically tried to give both sides a spotlight and opportunity for sympathy in his film, Red Christmas.  While it is true that the movie seems to sway in favor of pro-life, as the director himself suggests the film is most likely received as a pro-life film, he still insists he was concerned with giving both sides a fair chance and a fair amount of unbiased representation within the film.

Could a Baby Really Survive an Abortion Like in Red Christmas?

Both, doctors and abortion clinics have proven that babies can survive the abortion process. If a baby survives the abortion, they are supposed to be immediately transported to the hospital.  In fact, there are many documented cases of a baby surviving an abortion.

Are There Any Documented Cases of an Aborted Baby Murdering Their Mother?

There has not been any documented incident of a baby growing up after surviving an abortion to seek out their mother to murder her. Still, it is possible a renamed baby could grow up (like many before have done), and murder their mother without law enforcement ever making the blood-relation connection. 

The Bottom Line: Was There a REAL Red Christmas Before the Movie? [Spoiler Alert]

red christmas abortion horror movie

No, Red Christmas is not based upon a true story…however, a common fear of a mother-to-be has spawned this tremendously creative horror film, which no one would want to experience in real life.  Real life fear is what drives horror…and Red Christmas strikes upon a very real fear.

Final Notes about Red Christmas

This movie hosts some pretty fantastic performances, most notably by Dee Wallace, previously known for E.T., Critters and Cujo. Props needs to be given to director Craig Anderson as well.  Whereas Red Christmas may have received poor reviews in other places, Horror Enthusiast applauds the originality and acting in the 2017 instant cult classic.  Red Christmas is a diamond among the rough that every horror movie fan should see (though we can’t guarantee it won’t offend you)!

Fun Fact About Red Christmas: The movie is released in the summertime because it is an Australian film and their seasons are reversed, thus due to the logistics of shooting and the psychology of the local Australian release, director Craig Anderson and team decided on August 2017.

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Is The People Under the Stairs Based on a Real Story?

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Scary Movies and Series

Is The People Under the Stairs Based Upon a True Story?

The People Under the Stairs (1991) was one of Wes Craven’s greatest horror movies of all time. It gets a little less publicity than most of his other films, but it is a diamond among the rough! The movie is a little edgier than most horror films, but it pays off in huge scares and real terror. A wicked family keeps their sheltered daughter hidden from the world while collecting a number of other people ‘under the stairs’. Although the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it is without a doubt a cult classic and one of Wes Craven’s finest films.

The True Inspiration Behind The People Under the Stairs

The horror that transpired within the house that harbors the ‘people under the stairs’ is grim and the atrocities of this family are sincerely twisted.  Here is a little about what inspired The People Under the Stairs.

Wes Craven’s Inspiration Behind The People Under The Stairs

The real inspiration behind the movie came from a newspaper excerpt that Wes Craven was reading, about a family that got into trouble after police were called to a burglary scene.  Apparently, burglars tried to break into a house, but instead of finding the perpetrators…the police found locks everywhere and children who had never been allowed to go outside, raised in total abuse, totally indoors.

Although he would take the movie to an extreme, with the idea that the family was on the search for a perfect brother to match their ‘perfect daughter.’  Each boy that did not meet the standards, had their tongue cut out and now resides in the basement, in cages under the stairs.  They are malnourished and scary looking. One of Wes’ most interesting twists in the People Under the Stairs, is turning the home burglars into protagonists and the property owners into antagonists (normally the home owners would be victims of a home invasion or robbery, not the antagonists).

The movie was also meant to be a sort of adventure type of film. There are contraptions and traps everywhere, both to help and harm the protagonists. There are hidden rooms and a whole network of tunnels made throughout the walls of the house.  There is even a tale of gold to be had at the end!  The action is pretty solid as well, but still in a horror-thriller, suspenseful kind of way.

Modern Day Example: Real Life People Under The Stairs

People under the stairs horror movie actor illustration

Recently there was a case that came to light from the woodwork. A strongly religious family, much like the belief system of Alice’s parents in the movie, were found to be keeping their 13 children captive in their home basically their entire lives.  Although they appeared younger than they actually were, the children were all different ages, some even in their 20s. The David-Louis Turpin family is a perfect example of a real life People Under the Stairs situation.  Despite the fact the children were not abducted, the girl in the movie (Alice), was not abducted either, but apparently the family’s natural born daughter.

Another case a few years back also shines light on the possibilities.  Ariel Castro abducted Michelle Knight (one of three women abducted, actually), and kept her captive for more than a decade. There are several other cases of the similar sort, where victims are mutilated. Whether through abduction or natural child birth, unfortunately these are all very real fears that exist in the world, making such a movie about children kept captive for years in a basement so much more scary.

A Realistic Fear the Audience Can Feel

The story line behind The People Under the Stairs is absolutely heartbreaking and truly realistic in presentation.  There are real life thugs like Leroy, and there are hurting families out there willing to do nearly anything to help their situation.  Unfortunately, there are sadistic families that truly do keep their kids captive from the world, and it really is possible to have them mutilated as well. 

Be safe out there, as there is real evil in the world very similar to the evil seen in this movie, and you never know when there may be some people living under the stairs!

Fun Fact: Wes Craven once said he would remake The People Under the Stairs, alongside Shocker and The Last House on the Left, however, sadly he only had a chance to remake the last of the three.

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Is the Saw Movie Based On a True Story

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Horror Mystery and Lore Scary Movies and Series

Is There a Real Jigsaw Killer (Like Saw)

The Saw Movie Franchise: Is It Based Upon A Real Story?

The Saw horror franchise is notorious for its sick and twisted death scenes (even being produced by a company called “Twisted Pictures”). The Saw franchise takes advantage of a very real fear in all of us: sadistic torture and body horror.  Given torture is a fairly realistic fear, free of supernatural elements, it is more logical that there could be a real life killer like John Kramer (Jigsaw from the movie). After all, many of the traps (or similar mockeries) could be devised from simple components and parts available online and from hardware stores.

Is There Any Real Life Killer Like John Kramer (aka Jigsaw) From Saw?

Who could possibly come up with such sadistic torture strategies like those employed by Jigsaw, if they weren’t basing it off of some type of real life event? Twisted Pictures.  Twisted Pictures is responsible, along with James Wan and other directors and writers, for coming up with the deranged story line that is the Saw franchise.  That said, there is one really strong media push to WANT a jigsaw killer, probably due to the movies themselves. In 2009, Jeffrey Howe was murdered by Stephen Marshall and Sarah Bush. Howe was dismembered completely and the body parts were found scattered throughout multiple places. Because the many body parts turning up, the media referred to Howe as the “Jigsaw Man,” and later referred to Marshall as the “Jigsaw Killer.”  Truly, Howe was Marshall’s only victim, and Marshall was no where near as smart as John Kramer. In fact, Marshall was a body builder who killed Howe, his friend, in order to steal his food and housing benefits…hardly an intelligent move!

Ultimately, there is no real life Jigsaw killer, however, there are still several notable murders and deaths which ACTUALLY DO resemble Saw-like devices.  And it is most certainly reasonable to assume a fair amount of murderers and conspiring-to-be murderers would draw inspiration from Jigsaw, Saw and the traps from the movies.

drawing of knife machine from Jigsaw Killer and Saw Movies

Notable Murders, Deaths & Plots That Resemble Saw Movie Deaths

Real Death Like Saw #1: The Death of Brian Douglas Wells

A device was attached to Brian Wells’ chest and he was ordered to rob a bank.  The device armed and exploded, leaving a huge baseball-sized hole in his chest, instantly killing him.

Real Death Like Saw  #2: The Death of Richard Hamilton

In 2013, a murderer was spawned who copied a scene out of a Saw film directly by slicing through his victim, Richard Hamilton’s spine until he revealed his ATM card’s PIN number. The murderer was Matthew Tinling, who owned a copy of the very Saw with the torture scene itself. Turns out he only wanted £240, specifically to spend the money on crack cocaine.

Real Death Like Saw  #3: A Triad Murder

Although the murder occurred before the time of Saw, the famous Hello Kitty Murder in Hong Kong (1999) left the world shocked in a similar sense of sadistic. A woman was murdered, decapitated, and her head stuffed into a Hello Kitty doll as an intimidation tactic.

Real Death Like Saw  #4: Canadian Serial Killer Cody Legebokoff

Cody was a fairly young serial killer and decided to murder those he felt sorry for, similar to John Kramer’s reasoning for trapping and murdering his victims in the Saw franchise.

[Close Call] Saw Inspired Plot #5: Recreating the Movie

Two teenage boys (15 and 14 years old) were turned in by one of their mothers after she heard them discussing a plot to recreate the saw movies by kidnapping a police officer and 2 girls around their age, who they believed deserved the saw treatment. They had even begun collecting their necessary supplies, including camcorders for documenting their recreation.

[Close Call] Saw Inspired Plot #6: Saw-Like Phone Calls

Two 13 year old girls from Tennessee got into a little trouble after harassing an older woman with a Jigsaw-like voice, leaving messages that insinuated a game had begun in her home.  The voice messages exclaimed her friend was trapped, hidden in fact, in her home and that she needed to risk dying of toxic gas poison while trying to find her friend, or immediately save herself by escaping the home.  The poor woman instead had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital!

Final Notes About a “Real Jigsaw Killer”

Although many people are inspired by movies, and there may most certainly have been some notable murders that could have been inspired by Saw’s fictional killer Jigsaw…there is no real Jigsaw killer.  The Saw franchise, no matter how creative, is not based upon a true story.

Still, James Wan, Twisted Pictures and everyone else involved in the production of the Saw movies, deserve a standing ovation for their originality within a wildly-saturated industry that is the horror genre.

Teddy bear with fake murder scene imagery

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Is the Slender Man Movie About the Murders?

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Horror Mystery and Lore Scary Movies and Series

Behind the Scenes: The New Slender Man Movie (2018)

Slender Man is a world renown horror figure in form of a tall, slanky man without a face or real defining characteristics. He is ghostly in appearance and has abnormally long arms. Slender Man haunts children and is responsible for the disappearances of many of them. This horror icon was born long before the upcoming theatrical release was even conceived.  So, was the plot for the Slender man (2018) movie (release date of May 18, 2018) based upon the myth and legend of Slender Man himself?  Does the Slender Man movie have anything to do with the murders attributed to the monster? Horror Enthusiast probes internet lore and mystery surrounding Slender Man, and compares details about the script for the film, to determine the true origin of the movie.

The Real Story of Slender Man

The real Slender Man is scary, because many people believe that he is real.  He is a tall, long-armed face-less man that sometimes wears a black suit.  The truth is, the real Slender Man started out as a simple meme. People swear, however, that they see Slender Man. They claim they see him in their dreams, in the mirror, in photographs, out their window (almost like a Mothman type of entity), and in their house.  Usually he is a stalker or abductor of children.

Unfortunately, the Slender Man fiction inspired a series of violent activities, most notably an almost-fatal stabbing of a teenage girl in Wisconsin.  This stabbing would be known as the “Slender Man Stabbing.” Two teenage girls lured one of their peers into the woods to stab her in order to impress and gain notoriety with Slender Man.  They truly believed he was real, so much so that they were declared not guilty by reason of mental insanity.  Instead, they would be sentenced to a mental institute for 25 years.

About the Slender Man (2018) Movie

The Slender Man movie most definitely capitalizes on the mainstream attention that the Slender Man Stabbing achieved…however, it does not appear to be directly about the incident, at least, not from what has been leaked so far.  The movie seems to be about a man on a mission to find his missing daughter. The trailer is grotesque, including actual maggots and a disturbing collection of Slender Man clips.  One character exclaims that he gets into your mind…and another girl is depicted as delusional and in psychiatric care.  There is no doubt the movie would be an instant horror classic and it appears to be a unique representation of the horror villain, rather than a true crime or “inspired by true events” type of movie.  The movie appears to focus on the true essence of Slender Man and his reputation as a horror icon.

Slender Man’s Painful Backlash

Regardless of whether the movie is about the actual Slender Man Stabbing or not, the victim’s father and several others noted the film as “distasteful” or otherwise poorly timed.  Many theaters have vowed not to screen the Slender Man movie.  The mother of the victim has revealed how traumatic the event has been for her family and her daughter, explaining that the stabbing has defined their lives.  This was not the only Slender Man-inspired crime, either.  Two more young girls are on record in the same year (2014), also wreaked violent havoc, attributing their criminal activity to Slender Man’s beck and call.

No Matter What Slender Man Gets the Final Say…

Slender Man would make for a scary horror movie killer. And there is no doubt he would be responsible for a lot of deaths, and probably have a really high body count.  Though, it is hard to make a horror movie directly about a string of high profile violence so close to the time of occurrence…the exact reason many critics spoke negatively after the release of the Slender Man trailer.  Still, Slender Man set its release date for May 18, 2018 and there does not seem to be any going back!

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Is The Third Halloween Movie Scary?

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Scary Movies and Series

What Is The 3rd Halloween Movie About?

Halloween’s second sequel, the 3rd movie in the franchise, left a lot of fans really confused.  Whether having seen it when it was released in 1982, or later down the road after many other Halloween movies were released, it is undeniable that it does not seem to fit in with the rest of the franchise.  Halloween III: Season of the witch (1982) is extremely well-done, however, and is absolutely scary in its own right. The oddball in the franchise is about a shady Halloween mask company called “Silver Shamrock Novelties,” who produce some super realistic and terrifying looking masks. These masks glow in the dark too, but that’s not all…they also take over your brain!

Literally, the masks are micro-chipped and every kid in America wants one! The mask company releases these creepy commercials that hypnotize kids into reciting the eerie Silver Shamrock theme song.

A Different Type of Fear

The Silver Shamrock Novelties company is creepy in every way. They utilize high-tech (for 1982 any way) surveillance equipment, mind-control devices, and implant microchips into their masks.  They have brainwashing commercials and maintain control over an entire town. They even implement a curfew! This new type of fear that is created in Halloween part 3 is that of conspiracy and the control of society…almost a 1984 meets The Matrix (1999) kind of fear.  Plus, if someone learns too much or if they get too close to figuring things out, they get taken out!

Why Isn’t Michael Myers In Halloween Part III?

Most Halloween fans instantly recognize this as the only film in the series that is not focused on the slasher who made the franchise famous.  Michael Myers is not present in the film because the creators believed the franchise deserved to become much larger than just one single horror slasher.  John Carpenter (Halloween creator) and Debra Hill, produced and helped direct this film.  They were also involved on many other Halloween films (basically all of them in one fashion or another).  Thus, their opinion mattered greatly when they explained the franchise should become an anthology series in the horror genre.  They believed there should be a new fear in each Halloween movie…each focusing on the holiday by which the movies are titled.  The director, Tommy Lee Wallace, shared this belief and had written Season of the Witch with the intention of it being the first of the attempt at an authentic horror anthology series.

Mind Control Instead of Traditional Slashers 

season of the witch tv commercial on a tv with a person watching

Writer Debra Hill has explained that the idea behind the third Halloween movie was to create a mind control type of “pod” movie.  She has cited Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) as inspiration on more than one occasion. The name of the film, Season of the Witch, is a tip of the hat to George A Romero’s Season of the Witch (1973).

Worst Grossing Halloween Movie

Unfortunately for Wallace, Carpenter, and Hill, and everyone else involved, Halloween III: Season of the Witch was the worst grossing Halloween movie of the entire franchise.  The movie had a budget of $2.5 million and only grossed a little over $14 million in the United States. Most people have attributed the negative reviews and poor earnings from having been marketed as a part of the Halloween franchise. In fact, it could be suggested that if it were to have been marketed on its own it would have done much better (such as being called “Season of the Witch,” maybe notating that it were BY the creators of Halloween). 

This was an experiment that could have been great, but terribly which left critics under-impressed for the hype.  While the movie may be underrated (it is actually decent), making the Halloween franchise an anthology series would have been a fantastic idea.  Sure, some of them would be worse than others, but the idea has had real success previously with other franchises and concepts.  Examples include the very popular Friday the 13th TV series, the Outer limits, the Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, the Crypt Keeper, and others.

Final Words About Season of the Witch

Ultimately, there has probably never been a bad film produced, written or directed by John Carpenter. Having Debra Hill co-producing and involved on the project also instantly makes it better. That said, Halloween’s Season of the Witch creates a deeper paranoia than the traditional Halloween stories. And although Halloween 3 was totally separate from the Michael Myers story line altogether, it contributed greatly to the ‘conspiracy horror’ genre and has burned a mark in the Halloween franchise, forever!

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