Kate Spofford, author

Tag: horror movies

  • horror movies “based on a true story”: Open Water

    “Based on true events.”  Today we’ll look at this oft-used tagline for horror movies to examine the truth behind the shark attack movie “Open Water.” What is true: In 1998, a couple (Tom and Eileen Lonergan) went scuba diving and did not return because the boat crew did not take an accurate headcount. They were…

  • horror movies “based on a true story”: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

    The tagline says, “What happened is true.”  Tobe Hooper based this classic horror flick on serial killer Ed Gein (who has inspired several other “based on a true story” movies…).  I will examine things that are true/false based only on events in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (not the other Gein-inspired movies). What is true: Ed…

  • horror movies “based on a true story”: The Amityville Horror

    Ah, horror movies and the oft-used tagline that draws us in over and over: “Based on a true story.” I’ll start with The Amityville Horror because it was probably one of the earliest horror movies to really claim that it was based on true events.  Jay Anson wrote a book about these events and the…

  • horror movie playlists for every occasion!

    When you’re pregnant: Rosemary’s Baby – The classic “my unborn baby is the devil” movie The Eye II (Gin Gwai 2) – This “sequel” about a pregnant woman who attempts suicide and gains the ability to see ghosts can stand on its own. Grace – Her stillborn baby is born alive… and hungry for blood!…

  • recent movies roundup

    Since the 4th of July holiday has derailed my Camp Nanowrimo’ing, why not post about movies? In Theaters The Heat – Hilarious.  If you are a fan of Melissa McCarthy and/or Sandra Bullock, you will not be disappointed.     World War Z – Completely unlike the book, but still pretty great.  Just try to…

  • horror movie tropes and what they say about us

    If you’ve seen as many horror movies as I have, you’ve probably noticed that there are only a few different plots.  I came up with 7… can you think of any others? 1. Isolation You head out for a camping trip.  There’s no cell reception out here, and of course your car breaks down.  You…

  • the Possession Story formula

    This week I am examining the common formula for a story about demon possession, using the following 5 movies:     Start with a young woman, just hitting puberty. The Exorcist: Regan is a 12-year-old girl The Exorcism of Emily Rose: Emily is college-aged young woman The Last Exorcism: Nell is a teenage girl The Possession:…

  • what i’ve been writing: The Horror Movie Drinking Game!

    It may only be mid-September, but I am gearing up for Halloween!  I’ve been perfecting the Horror Movie Drinking Game I started last Halloween while watching a marathon of Friday the 13th movies.  This looks like a lot of things, and you’ll end up getting totally wasted, but I know not every one will be…

  • recent movie roundup

    In theaters now: The Cabin in the Woods– This was a movie made for horror movie buffs.  It had scares, gore, humor, and lots of in-jokes… I loved it!  It’s hard to say much about the plot without giving it all away, but it is much more than your average “group of 5 college students…

  • top 5 news stories

    In writing news… Just got word today that my short story, “His Type of Girl,” was accepted for an anthology called I’ll Never Go Away, to be published in May 2012 by Rainstorm Press! I’ve also been working on a short story for another anthology.  I found this anthology listed on Ralan.com, a great site…