Ep 002 Twisted50 Podcast: Why We LOVE 1980’s Horror Movies
30 July 2024 · 4 min read
The Golden Age of Horror: A Deep Dive into the Films That Shaped Our Nightmares
Remember those nights when you couldn’t sleep because a movie scared you senseless? That’s exactly what Chris Jones and Bob Schultz dive into during their fascinating chat about the horror movies that shaped their childhoods. As the founder of Twisted 50 and the London Screenwriters Festival, Chris brings a unique perspective that meshes perfectly with Bob’s experience as a horror movie writer and producer.
The conversation kicks off with those unforgettable first encounters with horror films – you know, the ones that left permanent marks on our psyches. They recall how Jaws and Alien totally changed the game, with that chest-burster scene in Alien being particularly nightmare-inducing. As one of them puts it, it “absolutely shook me to my core.” Who hasn’t felt that way after watching something truly terrifying for the first time?
Then there’s the whole slasher genre – what a wild ride that was! Halloween and Friday the 13th basically wrote the rulebook for how to scare teenagers out of their minds. The hosts share some pretty cool stories about watching these films in tiny theaters, which honestly sounds like the perfect way to experience a horror movie. They talk about how these films mastered the art of making you feel unsafe from the very first minute – like pulling the rug out from under you and never letting you find your footing again.
But let’s talk about the really gnarly stuff – the creature features. The Thing and The Fly pushed the boundaries of what practical effects could do, and boy, did they deliver! There’s this amazing moment when they discuss the maggot birthing scene in The Fly, where one of them proudly stayed in the theater while their friends bailed. That’s true horror dedication right there!
The supernatural hits get their moment in the spotlight too. The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and The Omen – these films didn’t just scare us, they got under our skin and stayed there. The hosts reminisce about that infamous sheet of glass scene in The Omen, and how Poltergeist managed to make even a peaceful lake seem terrifying. They also get into some interesting stuff about British horror TV shows and those weirdly scary public information films that traumatized an entire generation of UK kids.
Wrapping things up, they geek out over werewolves and vampires, particularly in films like An American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. These movies showed us that horror could be funny and scary at the same time – pretty revolutionary stuff! They also give props to the literary giants of horror, Stephen King and James Herbert, who proved that sometimes the scariest stories start on the page. The conversation ends with some solid advice for aspiring horror writers: “The more original and yourself you can be with your writing, the more you’re going to stand out and really sparkle. So don’t be afraid. Just make other people afraid and you’ll do great.”
And honestly, isn’t that what great horror is all about? Making other people afraid while having a blast doing it? This conversation really captures why we love being scared by movies – it’s not just about the jumps and screams, it’s about those moments that stick with us long after the credits roll, making us check under the bed just one more time before we go to sleep.
Chapters
00:00:06 Introduction to 80s Horror Movies
A discussion about the influence of 80s horror movies on the speakers’ minds and emotions.
00:01:07 First Experiences of Horror
Sharing memories of the speakers’ first experiences of horror, including Jaws and Alien.
00:05:40 Creating Scary Moments
Discussing the importance of creating gasp moments and jump scares in horror movies.
00:09:23 Slasher Genre and Iconic Movies
Exploring the iconic slasher genre and movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
00:19:04 John Carpenter’s Influence
Reflecting on John Carpenter’s impact on horror movies and his innovative techniques.
00:25:03 Creature Features and The Fly
Exploring creature feature movies and the impact of The Fly on the speaker’s life.
00:30:00 Cronenberg’s Impact
Exploring the iconic movies of Cronenberg and his influence on the horror genre.
00:30:17 Zombie Land
Discussion on George Romero and Sam Raimi’s impact on the zombie genre.
00:31:06 Censorship and Movie Memories
Recollections of experiencing Dawn of the Dead and The Evil Dead.
00:32:15 The Unforgettable Evil Dead 2
Discussion on the impact and energy of Evil Dead 2.
00:34:27 Poltergeist and The Omen
Exploring the impact and memorable scenes of Poltergeist and The Omen.
00:37:38 TV Shows and British Horror
Reflections on British horror TV shows and their impact.
00:42:08 Classic Creature Features
Discussion on werewolf and vampire movies, including American Werewolf in London and Fright Night.
00:43:32 Influential Horror Novelists
Exploring the impact of Stephen King, James Herbert, and Dean Koontz on the horror genre.
00:46:14 Twisted 50 Initiative
Encouragement to participate in the Twisted 50 horror writing initiative.
Written by
Chris JonesPassionate about all things film, I have spent my life watching movies, making movies and helping others make their movies too. Most recently I have been directing Splinter Unit on 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning', parts 1 and 2 for Paramount. I also executive-produced 'The Enfield Poltergeist' for Apple TV+. Deeper into my past, my early major projects include action thriller 'The Runner', serial killer thriller 'White Angel' and paranormal horror 'Urban Ghost Story'. I co-created and authored The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook series, published by Bloomsbury. There are now eight books in the series. More recently I have run a series of London-based festivals, kicking off with the London Screenwriters Festival which attracts over 1,000 professional screenwriters from around the globe annually. I also set up and run TEDxEaling, an annual TEDx conference on storytelling and human communication. In 2009, I made the multi-award-winning and Oscar-shortlisted 'Gone Fishing', the whole process being heavily documented on my blog. In 2014 I completed my fourth feature film, the crowd-created 50 Kisses which entered the Guinness Book Of Records for most screenwriters on a feature film. Following this success, I founded Create50 to continue the idea of crowd-created projects. Twisted50, our first book, was published on Halloween 2016 and immediately toppled Stephen King from the top spot on Amazon. Five books have followed in the Twisted50 series and we are working on the sixth now. During the summer of 2016 I trained to become a master Firewalk instructor and now regularly take people across the hot coals for charity. Late 2017 I directed the short film 'Seeing Him' which collected a ton of awards too. Over the following years I continued to make award-winning shorts, such as Meet The Nativity and Never Too Late. In the summer of 2022 I premiered Impact 50, the second feature-length movie from Create50. This time I directed the segment at the start of the film, with Olivia Williams as the President, and written by Joe Eszterhas. In the summer of 2022, I also joined the Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 productions as Splinter Unit director. At Halloween 2023, the Apple TV+ show that I co-executive-produced, 'The Enfield Poltergeist', premiered. I run regular filmmaking workshops for filmmakers both online and in person. Some people ask how I began making films? Like most filmmakers of my generation, it was with a Super 8mm camera, summertime and school friends, usually after watching a behind-the-scenes TV programme on a Hollywood movie like Star Wars. My first film was a zombie horror called Necronomicon, heavily influenced by John Carpenter's The Fog. And I was hooked for life. Contact me at Ealing Film Studios, Ealing Green, London, W5 5EP, UK
