We’re approaching Halloween and the weekend before trick-or-treaters start banging on doors and haunting streets and shopping centers. Horror movies become very popular this time of year.
So a look at some Google statistics on horror movies is in order.
According to Google Study, the 2017, Jordan Peele horror flick, Get Out is the most Googled Halloween movie this year. It tops the list in nine states including three PIA Western Alliance states.
They are Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
Steven Spielberg’s horror classic, Jaws (1975) popped up number one in four states and ranks second. Stanley Kubrick’s version of Stephen King’s, The Shining (1980) and the original, The Exorcist (1973) tied for number three and ranked at the top of the searches in three states each.
Eight movies were tied for fourth with two states each. They are The Conjuring, A Quiet Place, IT, Trick R’ Treat, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs, Friday the 13th and Halloween.
These are the most Googled movies in the nine PIA Western Alliance States:
Alaska — A Quiet Place (2018)
Arizona — Get Out (2017)
California — Hannibal (2001)
Idaho — The Exorcist (1973)
Montana — The Evil Dead (1981)
Nevada — Get Out (2017)
New Mexico — Get Out (2017)
Oregon — Trick R’ Treat (2007)
Washington — Friday the 13th (1980)
The conclusions of Google Study comes from analyzing over 200 horror movies from Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) and Rotten Tomatoes. While the filming doesn’t hold out as well today, it turns out that older horror hits are still the most popular.
The why is easy. They’re much more intense and less predictable.
There is also a survey of horror movie franchises. It’s done by the gambling site, CSGOLuck. The site took a look at Google statistics and listed the 10 most searched-for horror film franchises. Here they are:
1. Scream
- 20.6%
2, The Evil Dead
- 15.8%
3. Halloween
- 15.5%
4. Saw
- 13%
5. The Conjuring
- 12.6%
6. Friday the 13th
- 6.4%
7. Paranormal Activity
- 3.5%
8. The Purge
- 3.4%
9. Child’s Play
- 3%
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street
- 2.7%
The Google data also showed which states are most in love with horror movie franchises and horror movies in general. Here are the top 10. Four of them — Nevada, California, Arizona and New Mexico — are PIA Western Alliance states. Here’s the list:
- Texas
- Nevada
- California
- Illinois
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Colorado
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
Then there are those states that really aren’t that fond of horror. Surprisingly, Montana — which is a PIA Western Alliance state, and usually seen by outsiders as a very macho place to live — is the state most afraid of horror movies and turned up dead last in the CSGOLuck study.
Hawaii and Vermont were second and third.
Weekly Industry News Editor Gary Wolcott worked for 32 years in newspaper, television and radio as a movie critic. He isn’t that fond of any of the franchises but did find the original Saw movie to be — well — original, and predicted it would become a “chainsaw: and it did.
And since we’re pushing Halloween, these are a few of his recommended favorites:
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and The Shape of Water (2017)
- The aforementioned, The Shining, A Quiet Place and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
- The original Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1954) — skip the 1978 remake
As for the most picked movies in the PIA Western Alliance states, Wolcott loved Get Out and A Quiet Place but hated the Oregon and Washington picks of Trick R’ Treat and Friday the 13th.
He also didn’t think much of the top pick for Idaho, 1973’s, The Exorcist. ‘
The movie — he said — focuses too much of the head-spinning and foul language, and not enough on the battle of wills between the priest and the demon, and was more of the focus of William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel.
As for California’s love of Hannibal. Though he — like everyone else — was blown away by Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal had him playing the character more like a caricature than a three-dimensional villain.
If you’re looking for some fun and funny horror flicks, he also has a couple of favorites. Horror, he says, becomes way more believable when you add a touch of humor. Here are three:
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) — Loads of laughs and an outlandishly funny zombie flick.
- Zombieland (2009) — Also packed with really funny characters, zombies and a Bill Murray cameo that can’t be beat.
And if you can find it, 1963’s, Hammer Studios, The Comedy of Terrors. The movie stars Vincent Price as an unscrupulous undertaker. Business is bad and murder is a great way to generate new business. Peter Lorre plays his bumbling and mumbling assistant. The film also stars Boris Karloff as Price’s not-quite-all-there father-in-law.
Basil Rathbone is a landlord demanding money and his murder solves lots of problems. But will he stay dead?
Food for thought and fun this Halloween season. Happy Halloween.
