Are You An Expert On Horror Movie Villains?
- by Edward Cambro
- – on
- in Movies and TV
You're here because you love scary movies. If you're here and you don't, well, take the quiz anyway, you'll learn something. People love horror because it's a safe way to explore a natural impulse and it's always fun seeing bad things happen to people who aren't you. And, let's be honest, with the way most of the characters in this movie act, it's just proof that Darwin was right. Many of these villains are just culling the herd of stupid people.
With decades of horror movies to sift through, we chose some of our favorites--the biggest icons with the greatest legacies (your mileage may vary with the sequels)--and a few soon-to-be-classic to test your knowledge on. The characters, the world they inhabit, and the backstage work that inspired it all.
These characters terrify us, they make us laugh, they could use a fleet of psychiatrists, but we love them, and you probably do too. Maybe we need the therapists as well, but you can look for some after you take this quiz. So, how well do you know these horror movie icons?
What is the name of the summer camp that Jason Voorhees terrorizes?
Jason Voorhees is the mass murdering, hockey-mask wearing star of the gore-fest horror franchise Friday the 13th. He was a disabled boy who drowned at camp while the attendants were too busy not caring about him. Despite dying, little Jason came back as a giant, supernatural predator that hunts anyone who comes to the camp. Also, people in New York and in space for some reason, but it's best not to focus on that. Considered to be one of the biggest horror icons of them all--having debuted in the boom of 1980s slasher pictures--Jason's popularity has remained steady for over three decades.
Leatherface was inspired by what real-life killer?
The original Texas Chainsaw massacre was released in 1974. Made on a shoe-string budget and utilizing unknown actors gave the exploitation film a stark realism that bordered on documented snuff. Director Tobe Hooper attempted to limit the amount of gore in the film to obtain a PG rating, which seems absolutely laughable; the film went on to be banned in several countries. Leatherface, despite only having a limited role in the film, became iconic and the mythology built around the film's production generated enough interest to warrant follow-up after follow-up. Fun fact: the original farmhouse that provided the film's setting is now a restaurant.
What was the shark's nickname in Jaws?
Jaws birthed the American summer blockbuster movie. While its status as a horror movie is arguable, it is an effectively scary one despite the decades that have past since its debut. Jaws provides us with an enemy that we can't always see and makes us question our own place on the food chain; the Earth is mostly water. The prop sharks used in filming were infamous for looking not-quite-real, but were effective thanks to Spielberg's camera work and the film's score. The sharks were named for Spielberg's lawyer, which you can take as an insult or a compliment.
What is Freddy Krueger's body count?
It takes real talent to turn a child killer into a cultural touchstone, but by god Frederick "Pizza Face" Krueger somehow managed it. A great description of Freddy Krueger is that as a kid you're afraid of him, but as an adult you love him. Krueger's dark humor (along with very 80s production standards of the early films) provide a kitschy air juxtaposed the darker aspects of the series' overall plot. It's unintended black camp. We know he's a horrible human being, but he's just so damn funny that we can't help but like him. Also, let's just be clear: Freddy is better than Jason.
What is the name of the murderer in Psycho?
One of the original examples of "diminishing returns" in film is Psycho. Somehow, this closed-story managed to spawn three sequels, a made-for-TV remake and a long-running television series since the original film was released in 1960 (based on the 1959 novel). Soft-spoken antagonist is the every-man of serial killers. He's unassuming and appears sensitive. However, his strange relationship to his mother eventually lead him toward severe mental instability and murder. Depending on which version of the story you know, either Norman gets better or he ends up dead.
Why does Candyman use bees to kill his enemies?
Candyman has one of the most tragic backstories in horror. Daniel Robatille was a soft-spoken, free African American man in the 1890s. A renowned and respected painter, one of his clients (either in Chicago or New Orleans--the films can't keep it straight) requested a portrait made of his daughter. Who was white. Who he fell in love with. Who he had a child with. Society at the time didn't respond well to that. Like many of Clive Barker's villains, Candyman is one we can sympathize with and even like, but it belies how dangerous they truly are. Even decent people can be corrupted.
How many children did Chucky have?
Never so much scary as he is entertaining, Chucky is still a horror icon. Serial killer Charles Lee Ray is fatally wounded in a shootout with police, but thanks to a handy voodoo ritual, he was able to transfer his soul into a Good Guy doll. He spent a few movies trying to get his soul into a human body before realizing he had an interesting niche in the horror genre. Now, we all just kinda go along with it. For Chucky, sometimes it isn't about killing people, but making them think they've gone insane before you do it. Life's about simple pleasures.
What is the name of the smart zombie in Day of the Dead?
George A. Romero's "Day of the Dead" doesn't get the credit it deserves for being as effective as it is. Claustrophobic setting, small cast, insurmountable odds. Ostensibly, it's a retelling of the first film, but is so much more. The film focuses on characters who are exhausted, desperate and clearly dealing with PTSD. Combining that with an unapologetically 80s soundtrack, "Day of the Dead" is a bizarre story about humanity in its dying days where not everybody gets to go out with their dignity.
What is the name of the puzzle box from Hellraiser
The puzzle box was created by a toymaker for French aristocrat Duc de L'Isle in 1794. L'Isle was into black magic and imbued the box with energies to make it a conduit to hell. In turn, the toymaker attempted to create another configuration to destroy the demons who were coming through the portal, but was killed. His bloodline was then cursed for creating the puzzle box in the first place, which seems like overkill, but you know how wrathful deities can be. When the puzzle box is solved, sadomasochistic demons arrive to "deal with you." So, if you're into that sort of thing, it can be a real treat.
How many people did Hannibal Lecter kill?
Hannibal Lecter is by far the classiest villain on our list. A courtly man with expensive taste and genius-level intellect, he was respected in both the surgical and psychological fields. He was also a cannibal that would turn his victims into high-end meals. He would prefer to eat the rude, but never had qualms about killing someone when he was low on ingredients. Dr. Lecter's story has been told and retold in many mediums, though we're partial to the original books and the TV series that was cancelled way too soon.
What is the name of the demon who possessed Regan in the Exorcist?
Like many horror films, the Exorcist just never knew when to give up. The original is an unparalleled classic, though, given the way William Friedkin directed it, perhaps the real scary story was the production. You know the story: a little girl is possessed by an ancient evil that seeks to corrupt. Friedkin shot a prop gun in the air to scare the cast. Hilarity, pea soup and reiki ensued. Many sequel cashed-in on the name, but thankfully never tarnished its legacy. That said, the recent FOX television adaptation isn't half bad.
What is the final body count in the first Friday the 13th?
Jason Voorhees is the mass murdering, hockey-mask wearing star of the gore-fest horror franchise Friday the 13th. He was a disabled boy who drowned at camp while the attendants were too busy not caring about him. Despite dying, little Jason came back as a giant, supernatural predator that hunts anyone who comes to the camp. Also, people in New York and in space for some reason, but it's best not to focus on that. Considered to be one of the biggest horror icons of them all--having debuted in the boom of 1980s slasher pictures--Jason's popularity has remained steady for over three decades.
Who were the Ghostface killers in Scream 2?
Scream was a shot in the arm for 90s horror movies. By then, many fans were tired of the slasher genre and had become saavy to its tropes. While the similarly meta (and frankly superior) Nightmare on Elm Street: New Nightmare covered the same ground earlier, Scream was the bigger hit. A sequel was an obvious next step, though it suffered a major, last minute setback: some schmohawk leaked the final pages of the script, revealing the bad guys so a new ending with a new (less sensible) twist was commissioned.
What was the name of Quint’s ship from Jaws?
Quint was Jaws' secret weapon. Played to perfection by a perennially drunk and curt Robert Shaw, Quint was the old seaman who reeked of salt water and whiskey. While Richard Dreyfuss provided the science and the snark and Roy Scheider was the family man and human center of it all, Quint was the one who gave the film its larger-than-life qualities, as well as a sense of legitimacy. Through Quint, we buy into the danger of what they're facing, while adding a layer of swashbuckling fun.
What was Pinhead's human name?
Admittedly, he isn't a fan of the name "Pinhead" either. In Clive Barker's book, the Scarlet Gospels, it was revealed that Pinhead preferred to be called Hell Priest. In the films, he preferred the name The Engineer, though at one point he was a human being. He was a military captain in World War II and became disillusioned and disgusted with people after seeing the ravages of war. He began attempting to numb himself with drugs and alcohol, eventually coming across the puzzle box which he used to "push the boundary further." Welp, mission accomplish.
Who was originally cast as Freddy Krueger?
Robert Englund's casting as Freddy Kreuger is like Doug Bradley's as Pinhead: iconic, perfect, and irreplaceable. To imagine others in the role is nearly blasphemous. However, while the original Nightmare on Elm Street was in its early stages of development and before Englund was cast, someone else was approached and set to star as the burned victim/dream intruding murderer. Apparently, the change came at a strange time: the makeup tests had already been developed and the sculpt of how this actor would look as Freddy was already made. Only recently have pictures of the sculpt made it to the public.
What is the name of Jigsaw's puppet?
Saw is arguably the creator of the torture-porn--a kind of merging of the exploitation and grindhouse genres. Saw proved that with enough creativity, you can disgust people with even the smallest budget. The series follows Jon Kramer, a brilliant engineer dying of cancer, who wants everyone to be aware of the gifts of life. Rather than writing a book or becoming a motivational speaker, he forced his morality on those who he felt took life for granted. He put them in fatal traps and had them fight for survival. Not what we would've done, but everyone has to have a hobby.
True or Fale: Michael Myers' mask is a painted William Shatner mask from Star Trek
Many of the horror tropes we've all come to recognize, love and loath, began with John Carpenter's Halloween. Thanks to that slow gait and plain, featureless mask, Michael Myers is a terrifying villain that we can project our fears upon. The fact that he's so unhurried provides a sense of inescapable inevitability, like personified death. Though intended to be a standalone film (and then intended to be an anthology series), Halloween belongs to Michael Myers, who has survived nine movies, proving that not even Rob Zombie can kill him.
True or False: More people have portrayed Leatherface than Jason Voorhees
There have been eight Texas Chainsaw Massacre films. There have been ten Friday the 13th films (eleven if you count Freddy vs. Jason). Both roles do not require an actor to actually act. You only need a big guy in a mask, so replacing them for a cheaper actor in the next sequel makes sense. But does that matter when you have no dialogue? Does the difference between the number of Leatherface and Jason films correlate to anything? Are we just messing with you?
How many actors have portrayed Freddy Krueger?
Robert Englund's casting as Freddy Kreuger is like Doug Bradley's as Pinhead: iconic, perfect, and irreplaceable. To imagine others in the role is nearly blasphemous. When the original Nightmare on Elm Street was in its early stages of development, and before Englund was cast, David Warner was set to star as the villain. However, Warner quickly left the project due to a scheduling conflict and never shot any scenes or wore the costume, so we're not counting him. Warner knows how to play a villain--any Star Trek fan could tell you that--but it's difficult to imagine someone other than Englund in the role.
In what horror film did Sam Hain debut?
Look at him! He's adorable! This sweet little guy is a gatekeeper to Hell (oh wait, never mind) and is a kind of Halloween police. He goes to a different town every year and punishes those who don't celebrate the holiday correctly. He also loves chocolate, so the murders he commits might be a result of low blood sugar. You've seen those Snickers commercials. You know it's no joke. Anyway, Sam is a bit of a stickler for the rules and a born bureaucrat--you always want that in your horror antagonist--so don't make sure to give out candy or he'll kill you. Come to think of it, that seems like a bit of an overreaction.
Which of these films was NOT written by George A. Romero
Despite being primarily known for his satirical and bloody "Living Dead" franchise, George A. Romero wrote extensively in other horror sub-genres. He contributed several scripts to the Twilight Zone-like Tales From the Darkside in the 80s and has fourteen non-zombie related credits on IMDb to say nothing of the works of his that have yet to be filmed. While nothing is certain right now, it seems likely that Romero's children will be allowing the Living Dead series to continue, and it is likely that there will be considerable studio interest in his unproduced scripts.
Which horror movie does this character belong to?
Everybody's afraid of the unknown so it's no surprise masks used to obfuscate a person's identity have been used to scare people since fear was given a name. Each of these movies feature a character hidden behind a plain white mask. No, it's not Halloween. We're not going to make it that easy for you. And no, it's not Vanilla Sky either. Just because a movie is horrible doesn't make it a horror movie. So which one is it? I want to play a game. Oh crap, wrong movie.
Besides being a serial killer, what did The Collector do for a living?
The Collector and Jigsaw have a lot in common--largely because the original version of the Collector was meant to be a prequel to the Saw series. Here, the Collector isn't motivated by his fear of death or his desire to force his belief system on others. Rather, he forces his victims into elaborate death traps because he's a truly vile individual (again, everyone needs a hobby). The sequel to The Collector found hapless protagonist Arkin capturing the villain by tracking down all of the people in the area who had the same (daytime) profession.
What was the final Hellraiser film to feature Doug Bradley as Pinhead?
The Cenobites are demons to some and angels to others. Not the best PR branding, but there you go. The Hellraiser sequels have been hit or miss, but one thing that remained consistent was Doug Bradley's stark and chilling performance of Pinhead. Bradley has admitted that some of the sequels just aren't very good (we're looking at you, Deader), but Revelations was so terrible that even he had to decline returning. That's right, the guy who played the King of Suffering thought that Revelations was too awful. Meditate on that one.