TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

There’s something uniquely terrifying about horror movies that draw from real-life events. While masked killers and supernatural slashers have their place, the idea that the story on screen really happened is what really changes. Over the years, some of the scariest movies of all time have taken inspiration from true crime cases.  Slashers are always frightening , but those based on true events leave a lingering fear after the movie is over. They remind us that evil doesn’t always come with a mask or a supernatural force; it can be a neighbor, a co-worker, or a stranger.  Here are some horror films based on real stories that will terrify you this Halloween!  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Perhaps the most infamous “true crime” slasher, Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece was loosely inspired by Ed Gein, a murderer and grave robber in Wisconsin who was known for crafting household items and clothing from human remains. While Gein’s crimes weren’t actually done with a chainsaw...

This week, we’re remembering the incredible career of Lalo Schifrin , who recently passed away at the age of 93 . Schifrin was one of the most influential film and TV composers of the last century. His music helped shape the sound of action, suspense, and horror, and he brought something iconic to every project he worked on. He’s best known for creating the theme to Mission: Impossible , one of the most recognizable TV themes of all time. But his work goes far beyond that. He scored films like Bullitt and Cool Hand Luke , utilizing a blend of jazz and traditional orchestral music to create tension, mood, and emotion in ways that still resonate today. You can also hear his work in the 1979 horror classic The Amityville Horror . Schifrin’s score is a big part of what made that film so scary. He used jarring, discordant notes to build suspense, especially during scenes involving the haunted house. The music made everything feel more unsettling and played a major role in the film’s lasti...

Copyright Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection Fall has officially begun, and October has started. This is the time of year when horror movie fans revisit familiar favorites and watch all the new horror films and series released during spooky season . Scaring each other through horrifying stories has been a part of human history since the beginning. Folklore in oral traditions and literature centered around the supernatural has been spread throughout every culture. It’s no wonder the first horror film was created as soon as cinema began .  In the mid-1890s, George Mellies created “ La Manoir du Diable. " The film is also known as “ The Haunted Castle” or “House of the Devil” in English. This film was created in 1896, and it’s a 3-minute silent film that features ghosts, the devil, and skeletons, among other creepy supernatural things. This film paved the way for other films created in the 1920s-30s that defined the horror genre. This golden era of horror introduced us to...