We all have a favorite movie and genre of film. Here at ANDERSON, each of our team members has a movie that resonates most and that’s what makes us so unique! But one terrifying genre ties us all together in an unforgettable way: horror. This eerie genre is one of the most impactful in terms of storytelling because it can truly scare people in different ways.
With Halloween coming up, there’s no better time to find out what horror movies have shaped the ANDERSON team.
Someone call a priest.
There’s almost nothing scarier than the thought of someone or something unexpected coming after you, so movies about possession truly haunt us all. When Project Manager Lauren Larson saw Annabelle: Creation (2017), it was one of the scariest theater experiences she’d ever had. “I was just practically screaming in the theater. It was the worst!” Lauren remembers.
The movie that scared Digital Media Manager Austin Kreitler the most was Insidious (2010). “I couldn’t even dare to watch it when my friends put it on. Anything that deals with the paranormal is a hard pass for me. Give me something like Scream or Halloween because at least you know when the kills are coming.”
One of the more classic horror movies of the 2000s, adapted from the Japanese film Ringu (1998), is The Ring (2002). Account Coordinator Amy Heidbreder vividly recalls being unable to make it through the movie “…because it had scared me so much. The girl with the long black hair will forever haunt me!”
Creatures are no comfort.
Creepy crawlies and ghastly ghouls can be some of the most memorable and shocking creatures in horror film history. To Creative Director Sara Cody, The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and Bone Tomahawk (2015) provided her with more than enough nightmare fuel. “Both movies gave me nightmares for weeks. The level of creep had me genuinely concerned for the people who created these movies.”
Movie monsters can have a lasting effect on audiences and even have the power to change daily, insignificant habits. Intern Tessa DeConcini was so affected by Gremlins (1984) that she believed they were living under her bed! “For years, I only slept on the side of my body facing the door for a quick getaway! To this day, I’m still most comfortable sleeping on that side.”
Sometimes, horror movies don’t even need to be purposely scary to get under our skin. The divisive, political nature of Vice (2018) is enough to terrify our VP of Public Affairs Matt Grodsky.
Satire can be spooky, too.
Not all horror films have to be outright scary. Edward Scissorhands (1990) provides a lead character odd enough to root for. “I’m all for a protagonist who’s a bit of an outcast or weird guy in comparison to the norm. Plus Johnny Depp really slayed!” says Social Media Coordinator Rowan Franks.
One of the classic satires of the horror genre is Scream (1996), which truly changed what we expect from the genre. VP of Account Services, Adri Dalpiaz, remembers seeing it her freshman year of high school and becoming entirely obsessed with the premise of a cozy town stalked by a sadistic serial killer. “I saw it in theaters six or seven times and watched it another 40 on VHS. My college best friend was obsessed, too, and she and I still quote it regularly!”
As for myself, I have seen enough horror movies and unsettling stories to give me nightmares for the rest of my life but the one movie that genuinely affected me the most was 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Although it’s technically more sci-fi, the last 30 minutes are some of the scariest and most existential filmmaking I have ever seen. I watched it by myself one night and it genuinely made my heart race to the point of having an anxiety attack. Any time a movie can make me feel something like that, I know it’s good.
Keep on screaming.
Horror movies continue to stretch the boundaries of filmmaking and will also continue to haunt us day after day. We all have our reasons for being scared of different things—and movies bring those fears to life in ways that we sometimes could never imagine. Have a spooky October and make sure to check your closets and under your beds tonight!
