30 Rare Backstage Photos From Classic Horror Movies
Shock, fear, surprise, and nightmares are all elements that directors of Horror movies use to attract their audiences.
But what goes on behind the scenes of these classic tales? Take a look because the behind-the-scenes photographs of some classic horror movies are too spooky to pass up (Jamie Lee Curtis kissing Mike Myers, anyone?).
Carrie
Mia Farrow played the role of “Carrie” in the 1976 movie of the same name. In the scene captured in this image, Carrie is trying to get revenge and BBQ everyone at the prom.
This image provides perspective into the fire’s size and how close it was to Carrie.
Friday The 13th
A decomposed version of Jason, played by Ari Lehman, is filmed rising out of Crystal Lake.
Pictured here is actress Adrienne King who plays camp counselor Alice Hardy. In “Friday the 13th,” Hardy and the other counselors run for their lives throughout Camp Crystal Lake from Jason, who drowned at the same campsite.
Gremlins
Spoiler alert, “Gremlins” were not played by real people. Gizmo, seen here, and the evil critters, were puppets manipulated by strings, cables, and hands.
Gremlins came alive when they were fed after midnight or when they got wet. Led by Spike, the Gremlins caused havoc everywhere, for everyone.
Child’s Play
If you have seen “Child’s Play,” you remember seeing the life-sized doll Chucky chasing his victims all throughout the house.
The image here shows the fascinating detail and work that went into bringing the doll to life. Chucky is possessed by inmate Charles Lee Ray, played by Brad Dourif.
Scream
Director of “Scream” Wes Craven is showing cast member Drew Barrymore (Casey Becker) the very knife used in her untimely undoing.
Barrymore initially approached Craven about doing the movie and was originally cast as Sidney Prescott. Neve Campbell eventually became Sidney due to Barrymore having too many outside commitments.
The Fly
You may not recognize who is playing “The Fly” because of the tremendous makeup effects covering actor Jeff Goldblum who plays the life-sized pest.
Director David Cronenberg is seen here giving Goldblum instruction in between takes. The outstanding makeup work earned “The Fly” an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
The Exorcist
Linda Blair is the demon-possessed character Regan MacNeil in the Horror classic “The Exorcist.” This behind-the-scenes look shows Blair being tended to by the makeup team for her role as the demon version of Regan.
Reportedly, the effects used in the movie later caused a few health issues for Blair.
Halloween
Tensions must have been running high on the set of the classic horror film “Halloween.” Nothing else could explain this friendly kiss between actors Jamie Lee Curtis (Lori Strode) and Nick Castle (Michael Myers).
The photo is ironic because the characters are siblings, and Myers wants to end Strode’s life.
Saw
This image captures the main antagonist, Jigsaw(Tobin Bell), being made up as Director James Wan delivers his last-minute directions to the cast and crew.
Jigsaw is alone in the final scene, filmed in a washroom. The photo provides insight into how much preparation and how many people it takes for this scene.
The Omen
This is definitely not the face of a demon-possessed child. Actor Harvey Stephens plays the role of Damien Thorn in the movie “The Omen.”
Stephens apparently found some downtime from portraying the Antichrist in front of the camera to take some on-set snapshots of his own behind a camera.
The Birds
Director of “The Birds” and other horror classics Alfred Hitchcock, is photographed enjoying a rarely captured laugh in between takes.
Hitchcock is usually serious and quite stoic in images and on set. The plot of “The Birds’ involves the sudden appearance of birds that violently attack a small town.
Jaws
“Jaws” director Steven Spielberg is captured here in what is thankfully the mouth of a mechanical shark used in the movie.
“Jaws” features three life-sized mechanical sharks which maneuvered through the water using a special and large crane. “Jaws” went over budget, and several cast members got seasick during filming.
The Silence Of The Lambs
Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins plays the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of The Lambs.” Lecter is a renowned psychiatrist who moonlights as a cannibal.
Hopkins is in this backstage photo with Director Jonathan Demme exchanging a funny moment before Hopkins is fitted with his prop mask.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Freddy Krueger spends the “A Nightmare On Elm Street” movie franchise terrorizing the teens pictured here kissing actor Robert Englund, who played him.
Krueger appears in their dreams and attempts to fatally end their teenage years. Krueger seeks revenge on the children of the parents who burned him alive.
Alien
From the moment that Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew discover the killer extra-terrestrials aboard their ship, their mission changes from discovery to survival.
Here, Weaver is getting prepared by “Alien” Director Ridley Scott for a scene where she is attempting to escape one of the large creatures from space.
Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow” was a horror film starring Johnny Depp and was directed by Tim Burton. Police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp) investigates mysterious murders by a Headless Horseman occurring in the town of Sleepy Hollow.
Christopher Walken plays the Horsemen before decapitation, while Ray Park rides as the Headless Horseman.
It
Bill Skarsgard is pictured in this shot posing with “It” Director Andy Muschietti. Skarsgard is the evil clown Pennywise in the movie.
Pennywise targets and terrorizes a group of children who often were treated like losers. The children must escape Pennywise while dealing with their own inner demons.
Son Of Frankenstein
Fans of “Son of Frankenstein” truly need to appreciate how much production was involved in making the movie. Frankenstein, played by Boris Karloff, required makeup and a costume that weighed the actor down.
Karloff was reportedly unhappy with how heavy the makeup and costume were, which hindered his performance.
The Shining
Casting Jack Nicholson as the lead role of Jack Torrance in “The Shining” could not have been more perfect. Nicholson’s natural smile often resembled the creepy grin of the characters he played.
Filming for this scene shows the cameras following Nicholson up a staircase in pursuit during a crazed rage.
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock is credited with making the first horror slasher movie when he directed the 1960 classic “Psycho.” The movie is thought to be the best of all Hitchcock’s films.
This image shows Hitchcock giving instructions to actress Janet Leigh before her character Marion Crane is stabbed while showering.
Critters
You are not alone in feeling that the 1986 horror movie “Critters” very closely resembles Joe Dante’s 1984 “Gremlins.”
“Critters” involves two furry alien creatures that escape and proceed to go on a carnivorous rampage. The creatures were hand-puppets, like in this image, unlike the stringed puppets used in Gremlins.
Hellraiser
This image does not fully capture the detail involved in creating Pinhead,”the main character of Clive Barker’s 1987 “Hellraiser.”
Actor Doug Bradley sat through hours of uncomfortable makeup. The head is layers of plastic with pins in them. Bradley also had vision issues from black contact lenses.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
After watching “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” it is easy to see why this photo would make people uncomfortable. Actor Gunnar Hansen is cast as Leatherface, a mute that wears a mask made from human skin.
Hansen is captured sharing a light moment with an actress he chases around as Leatherface.
The Conjuring
Director James Wan has slowly left his mark on the horror film genre. Wan brought horror buffs “Saw” in 2004 and then directed “The Conjuring” in 2013.
In this image, Vera Farmiga is taking cues from Wan on handling a creepy jack-in-the-box. Farmiga is the paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren.
The Ring
In a remake of the 1998 Japanese original version (Ring), American Director Gore Verbinski adds his Western spin to his 2002 horror film “The Ring.”
Verbinski is leading the actors through his detailed account of encountering a videotape that kills whoever watches it. Two sequels followed the original classic.
The Blair Witch Project
Many people who watched “The Blair Witch Project” in the theaters complained that they experienced dizziness and nausea from watching it. Those audiences were not used to the style of filming used here.
Josh and other characters are wearing and running for their lives with the cameras filming them.
The Thing
This image reveals how most of the horror classic “The Thing” was filmed. Miniature mechanical figures made out of rubber were manipulated off-camera by people to form this shape-shifting monster.
Horror film directing legend John Carpenter brought the creature to life on refrigerated sets. Filming lasted 12 weeks.
Dracula
Countless versions of this 1931 original classic horror film “Dracula” have been released over the years. Bela Lugosi originally played Dracula on stage before he landed the role of the blood-sucking vampire on screen.
Children and adults worldwide dress up in Dracula costumes because of the movie’s iconic villain.
Deliverance
Burt Reynolds is mostly known for playing lead roles in comedy-themed movies. Reynolds has some serious roles on his resume, like this 1972 classic horror movie “Deliverance.”
Director John Boorman is shown here coaching Reynolds in-between takes. Reynolds is cast as Atlanta businessman Lewis Medlock in the film.
Rosemary’s Baby
Before a scene, Roman Polanski directs Mia Farrow (Rosemary Woodhouse) in “Rosemary’s Baby.” The movie’s plot features taboo subjects like Catholicism, paranoia, and women’s liberation.
Polanski’s 1968 classic film earned numerous award nominations, and Actress Ruth Gordon won two separate awards for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Minnie Castevet.
