What elements make a good horror movie? Some would say you need a good villain, a motive, and an iconic weapon. Knives are top-rated in slasher movies like Psycho and Halloween, but other horror movies set themselves apart with razors, hook hands, drills, and more. If you're interested in learning more about the tools of the trade, we compiled a list of the most iconic weapons in horror movies.
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We didn't realize it when the first Saw film was released, but the horror franchise would have an enormous impact on the entertainment industry. The villain was largely ambiguous while events slowly unfolded, revealing layers of plot that were all occurring at roughly the same time. These techniques and other nuances vaulted Saw into stardom. At the same time, its impact also led to a number of parodies. Naturally, we saw references to Saw in movies like Scary Movie 4 and Insidious, but its influence reached some far corners of pop culture—corners that you might not expect! In no particular order, we'll share some of our favorite Saw references.
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Some horror movie cliches are cliches because they're so effective. We're talking dim lights, suspenseful music, point-of-view camera work, and, yes, masks! They're unsettling simply because they exploit our fear of the unknown. They force us to ask ourselves: what is behind the villain's mask? That question inspired us to write this piece showing the history of masks in horror films.
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Horror movies are almost as old as the medium of film itself. We love them for their jump scares, but also how they reflect our deepest fears and anxieties. In short, horror resonates with us. If you're interested in reflecting on the horror genre, then let our ultimate guide to horror movies show how we got from innovative and timeless tales to modern classics like Let the Right One In, The Cabin in the Woods, and Us.
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The horror genre has several staples that are bound to give you the heebie-jeebies: jump scares, creepy kids, basements, isolated settings and creepy dolls. We'll be taking an exclusive look at horror movie dolls. What is it about dolls, ventriloquist dummies and mannequins that scare us? The fear of non-human but human-like things is called automatonophobia. Perhaps the unblinking, soulless eyes are unnerving. In a dark room, dolls can be mistaken for a lurking figure. Dolls can even be made to resemble a particular person, which often hits that uncomfortable spot in the uncanny valley. Whatever the case may be, scary dolls aren't about to stop appearing in horror films anytime soon, especially this year with movies like Annabelle Comes Home, the Child's Play reboot and Brahms: The Boy II. If you love niche horror and you're interested in delving into other creepy doll horror movies, we collected some of the most unsettling automatons in the movies for you.
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We've finally reached October and Halloween will be arriving sooner than you think! Along with the greatest holiday ever, there is plenty to look forward to in the Autumn months. Things like sweatshirt weather, apple cider, pumpkin spice everything, and watching as many horror movies as possible in the days leading up to October 31st. Every year brings a brand new batch of horror movies, some good and some bad, to add to the neverending list of options to choose from. However, the most popular horror movies to binge watch tend to the be the franchises that feature iconic villains. One of the reasons is because there's so many of them. If a horror movie is successful and has a good villain, they will totally make more. This year alone, we've seen a reboot of Pennywise in the latest adapation of Stephen King's IT. 2017 has also seen or will see new entries from horror franchises including Child's Play, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Saw (which is getting it's eighth film release!).
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