Horror on the Road

Whether you’re planning a weekend road trip or an extensive cross-country vacation, arranging your getaway requires advanced preparation. In addition to making hotel reservations and organizing your route, it can help to review a few travel-based movies. These horror films (some based on true events) will remind you to bring first aid supplies, two-way radios, and something for self-defense!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Of course, Tobe Hooper’s classic must go on any list about travelers finding more than they bargain for while traveling America’s rural highways. In this case, a group of teens visit their family’s graves as concern over grave robbers strikes their community. They soon meet up with a family of cannibals in one of Texas’ most desolate regions.

Is the story true? Tobe Hooper helped write the screenplay in addition to directing the film. He cited multiple sources of inspiration for the plot, including political strife of the time and local news reports of violent crimes.

Primarily, Hooper based Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) on real-life murderer and cannibal, Ed Gein. Also known as The Butcher of Plainfield, Gein killed at least two women. He also robbed graves to collect body parts. The investigation revealed that Ed skinned his victims and used the skin to make belts, lamp shades, and other mementos.

American Gothic (1987)

Things go from bad to worse for a group of 20-something travelers when their seaplane suffers a malfunction. Traveling across the pacific northwest, the group are forced to land the plane on a secluded island to make repairs. At first, the young adults are happy to find Ma (Yvonne de Carlo) and Pa (Rod Steiger) on the island and accept their hospitality. As the group meet the rest of the family, they soon discover that the “family” isn’t quite as normal as they seem.

While American Gothic isn’t based on true events, it’s not difficult to imagine this scenario playing out in real life. Who’s to say what could happen on a remote island far from civilization? In this environment, a case of the crazies could run rampant and lead to all sorts of bloody mayhem.

Fans of The Munsters will enjoy seeing Yvonne de Carlo in a different type of role. Although both characters have her playing a mother, she gives a more chilling performance in this movie.

Joy Ride (2001)

Here’s another film that puts Paul Walker behind the wheel during the same year as his debut in The Fast and the Furious. In this film, he plays Lewis. Eager to pursue a romance with Venna (LeeLee Sobieski), Lewis agrees to drive her from her college campus to her home. The interstate route becomes more complicated than planned when Lewis’ newly paroled brother (Steve Zahn) tags along for the ride.

Joy Ride demonstrates why it’s never a good idea to give into the temptation to mess with people on the open road. In this case, a mysterious trucker, going by the CB handle of Rusty Nail, discovers the brothers’ ruse and decides to seek revenge on them. They don’t know who to trust or how to escape, leading to a 60-minute chase that culminates with a deadly confrontation. Although played by different voice actors, Rusty Nail reappears in two sequels.

Wrong Turn (2003)

When you’re on the go and need a spooky fix, YouTube horror shorts can satisfy your creepy craving . Just don’t take your eyes off the road or you’ll end up like Chris Flynn (Desmond Harrington) in Wrong Turn. Along with a charismatic cast that includes Jessie Burlingame (Eliza Dushku), Scott (Jeremy Sisto), Francine (Lindy Booth), Carly (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and Evan (Kevin Zegers), Chris finds himself stranded in the backwoods of West Virginia.

Two wrecked vehicles start the drama for this group of travelers, but things get considerably worse when a gang of inbred cannibals finds them. Of course, the group makes matters worse for themselves when they walk into the home of the cannibals without an invite. That’s never a good idea. A hunt through one of America’s few remaining forests ensues, promising that some may not make it back to civilization in one piece.

House of 1,000 Corpses (2003)

Aside from his involvement in music videos, House of 1,000 Corpses was Rob Zombie’s first venture into the filmmaking side of things. He wrote and directed this film about a group of four traveling the country in search of unusual attractions for their book. While there are far more evil books in horror cinema, this one is the perfect MacGuffin for Zombie’s story. They eventually find something more unusual and darker than they could have imagined when they ruin into the Firefly family, courtesy of Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig).

Contrary to some online rumors, House of 1,000 Corpses was not based on true events. Instead, Zombie wrote the film to pay homage to horror films of the 1970s. Although not inspired by true events, Rob has revealed that serial killer John Wayne Gacy inspired the character of Captain Spaulding.

Over the years, House of 1,000 Corpses has generated a massive cult following, and it inspired two sequels. Cosplayers dressing as Captain Spaulding (Haig), Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley), and Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) aren’t hard to come by on Halloween or at horror conventions. Just be careful if you see them as you travel on a long stretch of road – they might take the act a little too far!

The Hills Have Eyes (1977/2006)

There’s a common misconception that Wes Craven was directly involved in both versions of the film. That’s not entirely accurate. While Craven wrote and directed the 1977 film, he only served as a producer for the 2006 remake. Alexandre Aja wrote and directed the newer version. Even so, both versions tell a similar story. A family traveling cross-country happen into an abandoned/restricted part of the desert. There, they run into inbred mutants living uncivilized lives in hills. The residents of the hills hunt, assault, and murder the family one by one.

The events in both films are graphic and shocking, but is it a true story? Yes, but the true story may be even more gruesome. Wes Craven based the original concept on Sawney Bean and his Scottish clan. The “family” of 45 members attacked and robbed more than 5,593 people. Included in those victims are over 1,000 people who the Bean clan killed and cannibalized.

While these events took place during the 16th century in Scotland, their descendants may still survive to this day. Early in his life, Sawney married a witch named Black Agnes Douglas. Together, the couple produced six daughters and eight sons. This led to 14 granddaughters and 18 grandsons born through incestuous relations. Upon discovery of his clan’s activity, local townsfolk captured Sawney and other leaders of the clan. Sawney’s execution involved dismembering him and severing his limbs. As the crowd let him bleed to his death, Sawney declared that his death accomplished nothing.

“It isn’t over. It will never be over!” – Sawney Bean

He might have been right. Keep this in mind if you ever find yourself driving the Scottish countryside.

What Are Your Picks?

Would you add some other travel-related horror movies to this list? What are your favorite films in this special niche of thrillers? List them in the comments!