Five real-life locations that inspired classic horror movies
Is there anything more terrifying in horror movies than a ‘true story’? We know this term gets thrown around a lot, used to try and market a film that is far from being true, but some filmmakers are a little more true to their word and base their stories on real-life cases of pure terror. Whilst many of these may be based on spooky paranormal experiences or brutal murders, sometimes all it takes for a little inspiration is a terrifying location.
We’re not talking about locations that have been made famous by horror movies, like New Jersey, Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, famed for its appearance in the 1980 slasher flick Friday the 13th or the house from The Amityville Horror, which itself is based on a terrifying novel. Instead, we’re seeking out those filmmakers whose films came organically from an eerie real-life place that magnetises fear.
Our list of five real-life places that inspired classic horror movies includes the films of such iconic filmmakers as Stanley Kubrick, Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, as well as a collection of horror films that are recognised as some of the most unique of their kind.
Aside from one European treat, the list includes only American locations, with Hollywood clearly not too bothered about looking beyond the limits of its own nation for inspiration. Still, each one of our choices sheds light on five truly terrifying real-world sites.
Five real-life places that inspired classic horror movies:
Burkittsville, Maryland – The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The 1999 independent film The Blair Witch Project is known for being one of the most compelling horror films ever told, so much so that when it was first released, directors Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick used the movie’s authenticity to sell the film as ‘real’. The intense found footage horror flick was filmed in and around Seneca Creek State Park, Maryland, but was inspired by the town of Burkittsville, only about 30 miles away.
The Black Hills Forest, located just outside the area, has been known to be haunted for generations, with the filmmakers using this as inspiration to make their iconic found footage horror.
Catacombs of Paris – As Above, So Below (2014)
The 2014 movie As Above, So Below isn’t so well known, but it’s something of an undiscovered horror gem nonetheless, telling the story of a group of travellers who venture into the Catacombs of Paris to try and find the philosopher’s stone. Taking to Paris, France, for the movie’s actual production, the team was granted permission to film in the 300 km tunnels lined with human remains.
Tours into the underground network are available in the French capital, but not the whole network is open to the public. It’s for good reason, too; you wouldn’t want to get stuck down there.
Danvers State Mental Hospital, Massachusetts – Session 9 (2001)
Though the Brad Anderson horror movie Session 9 from 2001 may not be wildly well-known in mainstream circles, for cult fans of horror, it is seen as one of the very best of the 21st century. Set at the Danvers State Mental Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts, the film follows a cleaning crew who are tasked with eradicating the asbestos from the abandoned facility until a mysterious tape welcomes ghosts of the past.
As well as inspiration for director Brad Anderson’s horror tale, the eerie hospital is also thought to have inspired H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham in The Picture in the House.
Estes Park, Colorado – The Shining (1980)
The Overlook Hotel of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror film, adapted from the novel by Stephen King, might be one of the most iconic movie locations of all time. An isolated hotel located in the Rocky Mountains, the location in the film is actually located on Mt. Hood in Oregon, but this was not the house that first inspired King. In fact, the author has previously stated in interviews that it was actually Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which provided him with the inspiration for the novel and subsequent movie.
Staying in the hotel back before he wrote the 1977 novel, King recalled that the place gave him an ominous feeling that he tried to translate into the book.
Winchester Mystery House, California – Winchester (2018)
The final location on our list is so peculiarly stunning that you may be surprised that it exists at all, with the Winchester Mystery House in California attracting visitors year-round. Belonging to Sarah Winchester, an American heiress who amassed great wealth after the death of her husband, the house had 160 rooms, 47 fireplaces, six kitchens and three elevators, with mentions of its possible haunting going back generations.
The 2018 Hammer horror movie Winchester used this location as the direct inspiration for its terrifying tale, which stars the likes of Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook and Jason Clarke.
