Movies | Horror
The Intriguing Inspirations Behind 5 Horror Movie Characters
We find inspiration in the most unexpected places. Sometimes an idea for a film strikes while doing something as mundane as watching TV.
The films in this list contain some of the most recognizable characters in the horror genre. Keep scrolling and discover what triggered their authors to create such bloodcurdling characters.
Pan’s Labyrinth
One of my favorite films of all time, this dark fantasy tale directed by Guillermo del Toro took heavy inspiration from Japanese mythology, specifically for the monster known as The Pale Man. The dangerous monster in question resembles a yokai named The Tenome.
The story follows a man traveling the plains at night when a blind person suddenly attacked him. The man noticed that the hands of his attacker had eyes on them. He ran away as fast as he could, founding an inn where he could hide from the entity.
After some time, he met with the innkeeper and explained what he just witnessed. The innkeeper told him about a dreadful incident that happened the night before. A scoundrel mugged and killed a poor blind man in the area, and before he died, he painfully proclaimed:
“If only I had seen their faces — If only I had eyes on my palms”.
The consumed anger of his tragic soul caused the man to come back to life as the Tenome.
Candyman
This origin story differentiates from the rest thanks to its strong take on racism and hate crimes. Candyman was an artist from the 1800s called Daniel Robitaille. He fell in love with a white woman, and both were expecting a child.
Sadly, her father was against the relationship, so He sent a mob to kill Daniel. After they captured him, they cut his hand and put honey on his face, resulting in a swarm attacking him to death.
Two of the most recognizable urban legends in the United States — Bloody Mary and The Hook — inspired the character.
According to the myth, you enunciate Bloody Mary numerous times in front of a mirror to invoke her. This method is included in the film almost identically. To summon Candyman, you have to repeat his name five times.
Now when it comes to The Hook, the inspiration relies on Candyman’s lethal weapon.
This urban legend begins with a couple having a lovely date inside a car. Suddenly, terrible news flourished on the radio. A disturbing mental patient had escaped recently. His most prominent characteristic? He had a hook for a hand.
After this announcement, the boyfriend heard a strange sound; he exited the automobile to see the cause of the noise. Later on, another disturbing din caught the attention of the girlfriend. She left the car to look for her boyfriend, only to find his corpse lying on the floor.
Nightmare on Elm Street
I find the inspiration behind Freddy Krueger to be the most engaging, as it took inspiration from a medical condition.
Many South Asian refugees mysteriously died in their sleep in the 1980s. But there is one particular case that ignited Wes Craven’s imagination.
A story about a refugee child from Cambodia; He was refusing to sleep because he had an immense fear that an ambush was waiting for him in his dreams.
The parents calmed down once the boy finally fell asleep, thinking everything was over.
On the contrary, the tragedy had just begun. The couple started hearing the screams from their son in the middle of the night. When they arrived at their son’s room, he was dead.
Additionally, Craven’s personal experiences were references to the character. Putting the name of his high school bully into his frightening villain is a good example.
Furthermore, another distressing memory served as a source of conception for Freddy Krueger.
One time when Craven was a child, he heard weird noises outside his apartment. He looked through the window to see what all the fuss was about. A strange man — With a hat like the one Freddy uses — was standing outside his house.
The creepy man turned and looked at him. Craven hid away and started counting, waiting for the man to leave. No longer hearing noises, He looked through the window again, but the man was still watching him.
Asking his older brother for help was a wise decision. The brother got himself ready with a baseball bat to defend the family. But when he went outside, the scary man was nowhere to be found.
The Babadook
The fascination with a character’s backstories can lead us to create content with similar storylines. And with a couple of rewrites, they become their own thing.
Yet Director Jennifer Kent didn’t need to see the plot of “London After Midnight” on the screen to select this lost film as a reference for The Babadook, as images were enough to do so.
The 1965 MGM vault fire destroyed this silent film, but you can still find pictures from the movie on Google.
Lon Chaney’s looks impressed Jennifer Kent so much that “The Man in the Beaver Hat” became a reference for The Babadook’s design.
Scream
A real-life TV murder special was the inception of this slasher. Let me give you some context.
The window of Kevin Williamson was open when the story of The Gainesville Ripper was airing on his TV. The man was a bloody cold assassin who killed five students in Florida and another three in Louisiana.
As a result, Williamson was terrified by how easy it would be for a serial killer to climb through the window and murder him.
However, it took him no time to realize that a plot idea was developing in his head. And it has been said he wrote an 18-page first draft that same night.
Now let’s talk about the design. Ghostface is one for the books. It’s one of the most popular Halloween costumes of all time, and it’s curious how it came to life by chance.
When looking for a location to shoot, the director of photography found a mask hanging on a house. He presented it to Wes, and he loved it.
At first, The company that owned the rights to the mask wanted to avoid involvement with the film. But, in the end, the film’s production and the company reached an agreement, giving this slasher villain his final look.
