Can You Tell The Difference Between Horror Movies And Fairy Tales?
- by Russ Boswell
- – on
- in Movies and TV
What do you think about when you hear someone say "fairy tale?" If you're like most, you probably recall legendary stories with happy endings and magical creatures. The Disney corporation has done a fantastic job showcasing some of the worlds best fairy tales, proving that true love can break any curse and that good always triumphs over evil.
What may shock you, is that this is rarely the case in traditional fairy tales. Most of Disney's adaptations have been completely changed, cherry-picking specific scenes and morals to craft family entertainment. In reality, the fairy tales that inspired a lot of these wholesome films are every bit as dark and morbid as most horror films.
In fact, we'd argue that some horror films are rather tame by comparison. The Grimm Brothers published a slew of dark fables that showcased children going missing, loved ones growing apart, and evil having the last laugh. Some of these tales can even be graphic, explaining detailed situations in which individuals have their eyes pecked or dismembered parts of their bodies.
This quiz will challenge your ability to differentiate between actual horror movies and twisted fairy tales. Most of these questions pertain to specific scenes and story arcs, but there are some gems mixed in to test your overall fairy tale and horror movie knowledge. Do you think you have what it takes to pass this harrowing test?
Is this a macabre foot-based fairy tale or a hobbling horror movie?
The discovery of a slipper made from squirrel fur prompts a prominent Prince to seek out the shoe's original owner. The determined young man happens upon a small cottage, where he puts the occupants through a "size test" by allowing them to try on the fluffy footwear. The Prince would eventually find his true love here, but only after two of her siblings attempted to trick their way to the throne. In a morbid twist of events, the sisters chopped off pieces of their feet, in an effort to wear the coveted slipper.
Which horror movie is this iconic scene from?
A young lad named Georgie Denbrough is happily playing with a paper boat during a rain storm. He follows the miniature skipper down a roadway before it accidentally slips into a nearby storm drain. When he goes to retreive it, Georgie is shocked to see a rather creepy clown standing in the sewers. The creepy individual asks the child if he'd like a balloon, which leads to a rather shocking exchange. When Georgie moves too close, his arm is promptly ripped from his body.
Is this wolfy scene originally from a fairy tale or a horror movie?
The gullibility of children is expressed through horror films and fairy tales alike. In this particular scene, we see a crimson-veiled girl questioning a furred-villain who stole her grandmother's identity. The girl seems oblivious to her grandmother's "transformation." In an earlier scene, we witness a sneaky wolf, as it forces its way into the elderly woman's home and proceeds to devour her whole. From there, it dons her clothing and slips into bed, lying in wait in hopes of devouring the young girl too.
Which creepy tale turned Disney film originally featured this haunting scene?
We all know this colorful movie as Disney's first animated feature film but it came from rather horrifying roots. In the original tale, a beautiful young lady is forced to flee her castle home after her father becomes so enamored with her beauty that he obsesses over her. She finds herself captured and enslaved by seven wicked dwarves. In a shocking and morbid twist, a scene follows a local prince as he commits morbid scenes of "sexual degradation" with the comatose princess. Thankfully, the Disney version is light-hearted and pure.
In this frightening doll-themed scene from a horror movie or a fairy tale?
During a scuffle with authorities, a wanted criminal finds himself severely injured. Before his wounds consume him, he manages to recite a voodoo spell, transferring his immortal soul into the nearest object. The item in question happens to be a child's doll. The next day, an unknowing mother purchases the doll and takes it home to her child. The murderous criminal, with a new form, continues his heinous acts by terrorizing his "new family." Is this creepy legend about a doll-gone-mad a horror movie or a creative fairy tale?
Is this dream-invading killer originally from a fairy tale or horror movie?
There are few things scarier than a demented "being" that takes pleasure in the pain and torture of others. A series of scenes follows a sadistic "clawed" villain as he invades the dreams of his victims and turns their fears against them. For a group of youngsters, the only escape is staying awake. If you die in your dreams, you die in real life.. We've seen a lot of fairy tales that create magical killers and devious creatures. Is this a prominent legend or just some movie magic?
Which of these terrifying horror movies was not adapted from a fairy tale?
The lines between fairy tale and horror movie are constantly blurred. As we've seen with the Grimm Brothers, some fairy tales can be incredibly morbid, featuring scenes and depictions that would send a shiver down anyone's spine. Due to their eerie nature, some film directors turn to fairy tales to draw direct influence for their horror films. You'd be surprised how many b-rate films are floating around that feature well-known characters from popular fables. Which of the following horror titles was not directly modeled after a creepy fairy tale?
Which fairy tale involves breaking and entering, stealing, and then falling asleep on the job?
It's never a good idea to break into someone else's home. Not only is it morally irreprehensible and illegal but it can also get you into a lot of trouble. The young lady in our next scene learns this lesson all too well. Creating a bit of mischief, the girl enters a mysterious home where everything's built in sets of three. After rummaging through the home and partaking of some food, she passes out on a nearby bed. We later see the homeowners (three towering anthropomorphic bears) return. They aren't happy with their newest house guest.
Which famous fairy tale features a goose that lays golden eggs?
Fairy tales are full of wacky creatures and magical beasts. In one prominent fable, a young boy climbs to a mysterious world above the clouds. There he finds a massive castle, with supersized items and architecture. He also happens across a mysterious goose, which has the magical ability to lay valuable golden eggs. The boy, being of simple means, decides to take the goose back home in an effort to create a better life for himself and his family. Unbeknownst to him, the castle's owner, a towering giant, lurks nearby.
Was this legend of a strange-named fellow originally a fairy tale or a horror movie?
If you're like me, it can be agonizingly difficult to remember names. I'm so bad at it, that I'll sometimes forget the name of someone I met yesterday. So imagine how difficult it would be to randomly guess someone's moniker. If you had enough time, you may eventually get it right, but the girl in the following legend was put on a strict time limit. A rather creepy imp-like man threatens to steal a woman's first-born child if she cannot guess his name in three days.
A demonic child terrorizes others. Is this a stellar horror movie or well-written fairy tale?
In the historical city of Rome, an American diplomat and his wife are expecting the birth of their child. Sadly, the young boy is pronounced dead shortly after he's born. The local hospital chaplain manages to convince the grieving father to adopt a young boy (whose mother had died around the same time). The husband agrees and promises to keep the entire ordeal a secret, not even telling his wife. Unfortunately, the boy's origins are rather sinister, with many claiming that he's the spawn of the Devil himself.
Which of these morbid Grimm stories was not adapted into a family-friendly Disney movie?
It's common knowledge that some of the greatest Disney movies started out as fairy tales. What you may not know, is that most of these tales were adapted from some seriously twisted fables. It's "happily ever after" for all the princesses we see but things go very differently throughout their original adventures. For example, in some early versions of Rapunzel, the girl with flowing locks finds herself pregnant and alone. In other variants, the heroic prince is blinded after falling from the tower and landing in a bramble patch.
A crafty fox devours a slew of animals in what famous fairy tale?
People often refer to foxes as sly, for good reason. This canidae can be rather crafty, using their wits to outsmart their prey. Such is the case in a well-known fairy tale. It would be easy for a fox to overpower a chicken or a goose, but the "antagonist" of this fable lets a paranoid chick do his dirty work for him. The anxious fowl gathers up his friends and ushers them off on a mission to tell the King about "the falling sky." Along the way, the group encounters a fox, who invites them home and promptly devours them all.
Does the Devil open up shop in a fairy tale or book-based horror movie?
Imagine a shop that was filled to the brim with a cavalcade of unique curios, all free to anyone that wished to take them home. It's hard to imagine that particular store staying in business for very long, unless, it wasn't meant to be a "store" at all. A series of scenes see a rather eccentric fellow passing off cursed items to a town of greedy patrons. Before the denizens know what hit them, they're tangled in a wicked weave of curses and misfortunes woven by the Devil himself.
True or False: The Thing was inspired by a fairy tale?
John Carpenter's The Thing is classified as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It didn't receive this accolade by mistake. The horrorfying imagery is enough to unsettle anyone and each terrifying scene is masterfully written. For those unfamiliar, The Thing follows a group of men as they investigate an American research station in Antarctica. They soon discover that they're not alone, which begins an elaborate game of cat and mouse between humans and a skin-wearing alien entity. Was The Thing based off a fairy tale, or is it Hollywood grown?
Which Grimm fairy tale features a father unknowningly eating his son?
The Brothers Grimm are well-known for their fantastical fairy tales and short stories, but some of their fables feature some incredibly morbid subject manner. Take, for example, a legend in which a father unknowingly dines on his son. The story goes that a wealthy man had a wife, who bore him a son, but died during child birth. The man remarried but his new wife didn't take kindly to the presence of the son. In a fit of rage, she cut him up and served him in a stew to his oblivious father.
Does this sound like a handsy fairy tale or a morbid movie?
A downtrodden farmer grows tired of his poor fortune and pleads for greater wealth. The desperate individual is approached by a mysterious man who offers him a ton of money in exchange for the item located behind his farmhouse. Noting the large apple tree growing in the back, the farmer agrees. He later discovers that the man was the Devil, and the item he was referring to was the farmer's daughter. In a shocking turn of events, the Devil requires that the father chops her hands off.
Real or Fake: Is this frightening and surreal story an actual fairy tale?
Fairy tales are so insane sometimes that it seems like anyone could randomly toss together a string of words and have a functioning fable. In "The Mouse, The Bird, and The Sausage," three unlikely roommates get into a heap of trouble when their avian friend decides to slack off. Tired of gathering wood, the bird defiantly stays home, forcing the sausage to look for wood and the mouse to cook. The sausage gets himself eaten by a dog, and the mouse boils in a pot of porridge. Is this an actual fairy tale, or something we simply made up on the fly?
Is this skeletal scene from a horror movie or a fairy tale?
Two brothers are tasked with killing a wild boar, with the victor gaining the right to marry a beautiful princess. When the boar is spotted, one of the brothers kills it with a spear. The other, jealous of his brother's accomplishment, gets him drunk on spirits and murders him. The evil sibling returns to the king and lives a happy life with his new bride for some time. A wandering shepherd comes across a weathered bone and turns it into a mouth piece for his horn. When he blows it, the spirit of the murdered brother calls out.
Does this unlucky series of events come from a horror movie or a fairy tale?
While cleaning out an old farmhouse with his friends, a young boy hears a cry for help. Believing a child is in danger, the boy finds a locked crate (with a four leaf clover atop it) and opens it up only to discover a leprechaun inside. Now suddenly believing in the pint-sized creatures, the young boy spots a nearby rainbow and locates 100 gold coins at the end of it. This proves to be a big mistake, as the released leprechaun begins murderous rampage to recover his gold.
Did this legend of a cannibalistic witch start as a horror movie originate as a fairy tale?
Two young children find themselves lost in the woods and dying of hunger. In a strange stroke of luck, they happen upon a house made entirely of gingerbread. It seems that the home's owner is an obsessive baker, using her talents to create elaborate structures and items. She offers to feed the children, who greedily nibble her abode. Unbeknownst to the kids, the property owner is actually a witch in disguise. She lures children to her brightly colored home and then cooks them alive.
Which of these fairy tale characters hasn't received the horror movie treatment?
I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for a good b-rate horror movie. I love the cheesy special effects and wacky storylines. Our family owned a video store when I was younger and I spent a lot of my time taking home dusty horror VHS tapes and staging movie marathons. Fairy tales act as a great subject matter for b-rate horror movies, taking classic characters and turning them into evil variations with intense blood lust. Which of the following classic fairy tale characters did not receive a horror movie makeover?
Which holiday horror is the following scene from?
Christmas can be creepy. After all, a lot of holiday legends revolve around a portly individual breaking into your home at night and eating your cookies. Okay, so Santa isn't meant to be sinister, but that hasn't stopped horror directors from painting Christmas in a blood-soaked light. Take, for example, the following scene, in a which a possessed snowman comes to life and "lies in wait" as his victim's bath water. When the girl sits down for a soak, she's immediately trapped in a freezing prison.
In the morbid fairy tale "The Juniper Tree," how did the vengeful bird kill the evil stepmother?
The Juniper Tree is rather messed up from a storytelling standpoint. The original tale sees a beautiful father/son relationship torn apart by a benevolent stepmother. The wicked woman kills the son and bakes him into a stew, which she serves to his father. Thankfully, the evil wife gets her comeuppance, as the boy is "reborn" as a vengeful songbird. The bird begins to drive the woman insane with its clarion call and eventually kills her. How did the bird manage to eliminate the stepmother?
True or False: The Red Shoes horror film was based off a fairy tale.
In 2005, a South Korean director pieced together and elaborate horror story that taught a moral regarding vanity. In The Red Shoes, a woman finds a pair of red heels on a subway, train and takes them home after failing to find their owner. The woman is enamored by the beauty of the shoes but slowly sees her world fall apart in a shocking turn of events. People that borrow the shoes turn up missing or even end up dead. Even when she finally decides to get rid of he footwear, it keeps "magically appearing" at her home.