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34 Bits of Trivia About the Biggest Horror Movie Franchises

These will make your head spin

34 Bits of Trivia About the Biggest Horror Movie Franchises

June 21, 2025

Since you’ve most-likely never been possessed by a demonic entity, this might be the only chance for your head to fully spin around. Like a perturbed poltergeist, each one of these facts can somehow physically affect the physical world. They’re powerful enough to throw your head in all kinds of directions.

That might sound like a warning to most, but since you’re here right now, we’re guessing that you’re up for paranormal activity like that. Ooh, and speaking of Paranormal Activity, we’ll shut up and get to the brain rearranging facts about the best horror films of all time.

34

Chucky

For certain scenes in Child's Play... a child actor was used to portray Chucky - which is honestly way creepier than the regular doll. — Source: The Hollywood Reporter

33

The Exorcist’s Oscar Nomination

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS The Exorcist is the first horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture. CRACKED.COM It received 10 Oscar nominations in 1974, including Best Supporting Actress for the 15 year old Linda Blair. It lost Best Picture to The Sting, a movie you didn't know existed until now.

32

The On-Set Conditions for Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The actors were losing their minds, and their lunches. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE CRACKED.COM Conditions were hot, gross, and terrifying. Everyone was on edge all the time, and the cast routinely leaned out the window to puke during the dinner scene. — Source

31

The Blair Witch Project’s Script/Outline

Horror movies on streaming HBO hulu peacock max Paramount+ The Blair Witch Project There was no script, only a 35-page outline for the actors to improvise dialogue around. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

The Conjuring

BTS STORIES FROM HORROR MOVIES 2013 THE CONJURING Things mysteriously changed places in the Warrens' store room. Actress Joey King became covered with bruises, while Vera Farmiga woke up with three scratch marks on her thigh, and the same marks would also appear on her laptop and cellphone. Also, Farmiga would wake up between 3 and 4 a.m., the same time at which the witch dies in the film. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

The Exorcist

BTS STORIES FROM HORROR MOVIES 1973 THE EXORCIST The home where the movie would be filmed caught on fire, so filming was delayed. During the shoot, actress Ellen Burstyn was injured, and her scream of agony can be heard in the film. Relatives of Linda Blair and Max Von Sydow died during production, and two actors died shortly after production wrapped. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Annabelle Comes Home

BTS STORIES FROM HORROR MOVIES 2019 ANNABELLE COMES HOME The set for the third Annabelle installment was so spooky, a priest had to intervene. A piano bench would move by itself, door knocks would be randomly heard, and performers saw shadowy figures on the set. CRACKED.COM — New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.
The Wrap

27

The 2018 Halloween Reboot

Halloween Then vs. Now From a tired franchise to today's renaissance The Friday the 13th movies fizzled out very soon. When A New Nightmare lent new life to Freddy, Curse represented one of the franchise's low points. Following Scream, H20 gave it new post-modern tricks. But today, 2018's Halloween almost turned the concept into what kids these days call elevated horror. Today is, perhaps, the franchise's very best period after the original. CRACKED.COM — MovieClips/YouTube

26

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Scary Movies Based on A weird series of sleeping deaths involving Asian men in the early '80s A Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy Krueger's name is actually a nod to writer/director Wes Craven's childhood bully, Fred Krueger. CRACKED.COM — The Take

25

Friday the 13th

Horror Classics Then vs. Now Friday the 13th The 1980 original is actually quite good. From there to the ones with David Cronenberg or Freddy Krueger, we've had 12 Friday the 13th movies. The 2009, Michael Bay-produced remake was the last time we saw Jason. We miss him, yes, but come on, just give us a good one already. CRACKED.COM

24

Linda Blair

CRACKED TOKFZA SCREAM INCLUDED A SOLID NOD TO THE EXORCIST. Director Wes Craven brought in The Exorcist star Linda Blair for a cameo as a reporter. It's a clear tribute to one of the best horror films of all time. — Source

23

There’s Something About Lin Shaye

Scream Queens Lin Shaye is a scream queen legend. With almost 30 horror movies in her resume (including Insidious, The Grudge, and A Nightmare on Elm Street), Shaye is queen among queens. She also has a classic contribution to comedy as Magda, the hyper-tanned lady in There's Something About Mary. CRACKED.COM — Source: Wikipedia

22

Ed Gein

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS Three separate horror movies are inspired by real-world serial killer Ed Gein. CRACKED.COM In the late 50's, Ed Gein confessed to two murders and was found with a house full of human remains. The horrific actions of Gein were used as inspiration in film over four decades in Psycho (1960), The Silence of the Lambs (1974), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1991). — Source: 14 Behind The Scenes Facts About Our Favorite Horror Movies

21

Scream

Freddy Prinze Jr. almost played Billy Loomis in Scream. According to Prinze Jr., if it was up to writer Kevin Williamson he'd have gotten the part, but director Wes Craven wanted Skeet Ulrich for the role. CRACKED.COM — Source

20

James Wan

JAMES WAN saw Poltergeist when he was very young, and the movie scarred for life with its creepy dolls. Billy the Puppet in Saw? The scary Annabelle in The Conjuring? Those all come from that childhood movie experience. CRACKED.COM — Vulture

19

Robert Rodriguez

ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TOP CHOICES TO DIRECT THE FIRST SCREAM WAS ROBERT RODRIGUEZ. According to Quentin Tarantino, the Weinsteins were gunning for Rodriquez to direct before Wes Craven was optioned. Craven initially rejected the movie because he didn't want to do another horror movie at the time. CRACKED.COM — Source, and another source

18

Scream 3

THE COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL MASSACRE INFLUENCED SCREAM 3. Following the traumatizing event, director Wes Craven decided that the franchise's third installment should have more comedy than horror because sometimes you just have to read the room, man. CRACKED.COM — Source

17

George Romero

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD RIPPED OFF I AM LEGEND. For his seminal horror film, George Romero just took Richard Matheson's apocalyptic novel and changed the vampires into zombies. That's not an empty accusation: Romero himself admitted as much. Matheson wasn't mad, though, as Romero never made any money off of the movie due to a copyright mix-up. GRACKED.COM — 6 Iconic Movies And Shows That Were Outright Ripoffs

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16

Michael Myers’ Hands

MICHAEL MYERS'S HANDS IN HALLOWEEN: In the beginning of the 1978 film where Myers open a kitchen drawer to retrieve a knife, we're actually seeing the hands of co-writer and producer Debra Hill. CRACKED.COM — Source: Film School Rejects

15

Robert Englund (Yep, Him Again)

BEFORE HE BECAME FREDDY KRUEGER. ROBERT ENGLUND WAS PAID TO THROW LEAVES AROUND ON THE SET OF HALLOWEEN Englund said he was conned by his roommate to work as a temporary set builder on the production of the 1978 film. CRACKED.COM — Source: Mental Floss

14

The Blair Witch

THE CAST'S DISTRESS IN THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT WASN'T ALL ACTING. Filmmakers gave the actors supplies and basically sent them off to get lost in the woods. Brown As they grew more cold Barbara Maria and tired, the directors cut their food rations, secretly terrorized them with creepy noises, and violently shook their tents if they tried to get some sleep. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT CRACKED.COM — Source: 21 Horror Movies (Even Scarier Behind The Scenes)

13

Chucky vs. Annabelle

CRACKED VS. Kills CHUCKY ANNABELLE 67 victims 3 (she's more into terrorizing) Most creative kill: Most creative kill: In Child's Play 3, The Mullins. After making deal the devil to Chucky see tortures the a with their dead daughter again, CEO of Playpals, and the Mullins try to repent by the toy doll kills the opening their home as a toy boss with a yoyo shelter. The demon ends toy. It's totally meta. up killing them by mocking their religious beliefs. CRACKED.COM — Sources: Screen Rant, Rotten Tomatoes, Slasher in Suits, Fear: The Home of Horror

12

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Matthew Mcconaughey Mcconaughey and Renee Zellweger starred in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.

11

Jason Voorhees

34 Bits of Trivia About the Biggest Horror Movie Franchises

10

The Exorcist

34 Bits of Trivia About the Biggest Horror Movie Franchises — Read More: 5 Roles That Badly Screwed With Actors Heads

9

Michael Myers

Michael Myers really likes his Dr Pepper. - He was already chugging the stuff in the first Halloween in 1978 -- and he was still at it for the 2018 se — Source: Bloody Disgusting

8

Robert Englund

CRACKED co ROBERT ENGLUND LOOKS REALLY FRIENDLY WITHOUT MAKEUP. There's nothing about Freddy Krueger that doesn't scream thus guy will rip your guts

7

2010 A Nightmare of Elm Street Remake

The 2010 remake of the Wes Craven classic, A Nightmare on EIm Street did better at the domestic* box office than the original, even if you adjust the

6

Gunnar Hansen

GUNNAR HANSEN HAD TO WEAR A RANCID SHIRT EVERY DAY IN THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Filmmakers only made one Who will survive costume for Leatherface,

5

Halloween

CRACKED.COM HALLOWEEN In Halloween, Michael Myers is cold, unforgiving, inexplicable evil. No motivation is ever given for why he does what he does, m

4

Scream’s Easter Eggs

Wes Craven references his other popular franchise in Scream. The horror director briefly appears in his own movie as the high school janitor wearing F

3

American Psycho

AMERICANPSYCHO (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) Patrick Bateman's VHS viewing CRACKED.COM a clue- next chain ofevents. of

2

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

34 Bits of Trivia About the Biggest Horror Movie Franchises

1

Wes Craven

A producer insisted on the cheesy ending of Nightmare on Elm Street. So THE DIRECTOR PUT HIM IN FULL BONDAGE GEAR. Writer/director Wes Craven had plan

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