Horror Books and Movies Based on True Tales

There has long been a debate going on in the world of horror aficionados: which is scarier, books or movies? Those who argue for books reason that readers can create the scenes of terror within their own mind, using their own fears, for the ultimate customized fright. With film, everything is clearly painted for you, but movies also have the advantage of exposing viewers to scenarios they couldn’t possibly have imagined before. There are also, however, those serendipitous moments when a horror book gets made into a film and both go on to become classics. Given Hollywood’s penchant for adapting
books into films, it should come as no surprise that there are dozens upon dozens of horror book adaptations to pick from to get in the Halloween mood this October. Let’s take a look at some of the best that you can not only read and watch, but are also based on true (scary) tales…

Psycho:

This horror classic took on a life of its own once famed director Alfred Hitchcock got his hands on the book, which was originally published in 1959 by Robert Bloch. The book was actually inspired by the very real Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and gravedigger.

The book and film center around Marion Crane (immortalized in history by Janet Leigh), who steals $40,000 in cash from her employer and goes on the run. With the police on her tail she finds refuge at the Bates Motel where the owner, Norman Bates, takes an interest in her. Not only are the police searching for her, but her boyfriend and sister have also followed her trail, leading them to the Bates Motel as well. While there, the two begin to piece together horrifying facts about Marion’s disappearance and the hotel’s strange owners.

The Silence of the Lambs:

With its famous line, “Hello, Clarice,” and Anthony Hopkin’s bone chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter, this film was deemed a horror classic within weeks of its release. Based on the second book in the elusive Thomas Harris catalog of books which surround the fictitious character of Hannibal Lecter, the tale has both horror and suspense. Like Silence of the Lambs, many of Harris’s other novels have been turned into films, including NBC’s current cult favorite series Hannibal, which you can watch on demand easily through cable providers like DirecTV or on NBC’s website.

The film, as previously stated, revolves around Hannibal Lecter, a sociopathic serial killer who’s been known to consume his victims. Lector is brought in by the FBI to offer insight into another serial killer on the loose, dubbed Buffalo Bill, by an agency trainee, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). The two strike up a deal: in exchange for insights into Buffalo Bill’s mind, Clarice will offer him personal information about herself and her life. The rest of the film is an engrossing psychological thriller that will surely instill a sense of paranoia in the viewer until it’s unsettling end.

In real life, Harris’s Hannibal was largely inspired by a doctor he met in a Mexican prison while working as a journalist, Alfredo Balli Trevino. Balli Trevino was serving 20 years for the murder of his lover, Jesus Castillo Rangel. The doctor dubbed the crime one of passion, and largely inspired the look and mannerisms of Hannibal – he was small and well-mannered and in possession of an eerie elegance.

The Shining:

Of course, we all know that when it comes to horror stories, nobody can beat the king-Stephen King, that is. His bestselling thriller (and third book to be published) was first published in 1977, and responsible for setting the rapid pace for the rest of King’s career. Fans simply couldn’t (and still can’t) get enough of the twisted world of Stephen King.

The book and film take place at the Overlook Hotel, in Colorado’s scenic Rocky Mountains. Jack Torrance (infamously portrayed by Jack Nicholson), a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as a caretaker at the hotel during a winter so rough that he becomes snowed in along with his wife and son. From the beginning of the film, Jack is warned that the previous caretaker went stir crazy, killing both himself and his family. Strange events begin to occur, noticeably centered around room 237, which the family was explicitly instructing to avoid. The film’s steady pace of increasing insanity will have viewers reaching a fever pitch just before it’s heart pounding end.

King’s work was actually inspired one of his own vacations to Estes Park, called the Stanley. Shortly after arriving, the Kings discovered they were the only guests there, and King, being a horror writer, took the opportunity to wander the halls of the empty hotel. That night, Stephen dreamed of his then three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking over his shoulder and screaming. Needless to say, King had the inspiration for his next novel.

There is no season like fall for getting a good fright, and with these and other books you can certainly enjoy a few good scares. Just maybe pick a more lighthearted fare for your nighttime reading.

About Elizabeth Eckhart

Bio:

Elizabeth Eckhart is a film and entertainment blogger that was born and raised in Chi Town, Illinois. She likes fantasy, especially, as well as sci-fi and other genres of fictional stories.

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