Every great artist has a muse. Whether it’s a rock that reminds you of a spaceship or the lady in the cubicle next to you, everyone needs inspiration. Macabre, horror and science fiction are some of the most difficult genres to master, which makes finding the perfect influence all the more crucial. Films like “Rosemary’s Baby” have inspired entire sub-genres of horror and gore. Consider these great horror films as research, dive in and let the darkness ignite your next masterpiece.
‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ (2005)
This romp with Satan’s minions may not be the most incredible horror film ever made, but the story behind it makes it worth watching. The real Emily Rose was a German Catholic woman named Annaliese Michel, a German Catholic girl that was once vibrant and ambitious. She exhibited strange symptoms that no doctors could diagnose. As a last resort, her family hired priests to excise the spirits of Nero, Hitler and others she claimed were possessing her. Despite all attempts to treat her, she would succumb to her illness. The chilling components of the terrible tale offer fodder and insight into demonic horrors — the kind straight from hell.
‘World War Z’ (2013)
“World War Z” inspires with swarms. Although Pitt’s first attempt at the film followed a more socio-political plot, executives slashed and burned it, opting instead for a more cookie cutter approach. Although some scenes are like watching funny videos clips of pretend zombies online, the wide-angle “swarm” shots inject the film with fear and tenebrism. When people visualize swarms of any kind, discomfort and fear ensue. “World War Z” inspires by showing an audience the effect of vicious, decaying corpses on the populace — and it could be applied to anything. Your next book could be about swarms of nanobots infecting human amygdalae, or hordes of bloodthirsty aliens. Swarms are horrific and CGI is awesome to watch.
‘The Bird With the Crystal Plumage’ (1970)
The horror of this film captures one man’s mental torment exquisitely. “The Bird” is Italian, the first film made by the esteemed Dario Argento, so it has a gritty neo-realistic look that just adds to the horror. It features an American writer in Rome who is privy to a brutal attempted murder, but he is powerless to help because he is trapped behind a set of double glass doors. That image alone evokes the horror that only powerlessness can provide. Although the woman survives, the protagonist only learns that her attack is the tip of the iceberg. He must then track the serial killer, filling in the details the police left out. The ominous backdrop of the film makes for a perfect storm of terrifying noir. There aren’t many horror films that can effectively captivate the audience with plot alone, and this is one of them. No gimmicks, no forced scare tactics, just the tortured mind of a writer chasing a cold blooded killer. “The Bird” gives the aspiring horror writer a perfect way to wedge himself into the center of their own twisted, alluring world.
