chuckyskn1fe

[chuckyskn1fe]

[chuckyskn1fe]

Are you scared? | Jennifer’s Body (2009)

[chuckyskn1fe]

Appalachia vs Horror

Being someone who was born and raised in Appalachia, I have always been very drawn to movies that mention or draw inspiration from Appalachian folklore, the setting, or the general aesthetic grit that Appalachia can provide. We’ve seen Appalachia be woven into movies, typically horror, for decades now, growing mostly in the 1970s— the most notable movies being The Decent (2005) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977). But what does that mean for not only Hollywood, but for Appalachia?

The unfortunate truth in this is that there are many movies in the Appalachian Horror subgenre that are very blatant with the cruel depictions and stereotypes of Appalachian folk. There are many offenders of this, the most blatant and obvious being… The entire Wrong Turn franchise.

The most common depictions include people from Appalachia and surrounding areas being rude, creepy and strange— typically with ill intentions. We also see the extremely harmful and ignorant implication of inbreeding and lack of intelligence in people from here. I feel like it isn’t extremely necessary for me to dive into why this is a bad thing to imply because it’s obvious— but this (inbreeding and lack of intelligence stereotype) stems from geographical isolation and economic class. Transportation to and from school was typically much harder for children in Appalachia, especially in decades past, due to their location in the hills. It was also often deemed unnecessary for children to have schooling due to familial farms and trade schools that children went to when they reached a certain age. Not to mention that Appalachian people are typically more kind than your typical person, and we value community more than most— always reaching out a hand to anyone, even a stranger.

Covering all of the unfortunate representation feels sad and heavy, but it’s easy to overlook these things when diving deeper into a niche topic, so I find it almost necessary. Now that we’ve gone over some of the darker sides of this conversation, I can really get into the amazing things that have come from Appalachia in horror movies and writing!

Appalachia has endless beauty that can also feel very eerie and terrifying at the same time. This can be seen in The Blair Witch Project (1999), where a group of college students are lost in the woods in Maryland. The terrifying, labyrinth-esque setting of the movie being centered around a beautiful expense of woods is what I’m drawn to— truly encompassing just how beautiful Appalachia is, all while also highlighting how this area is naturally scary and ominous. This movie is exactly what a late night in rural Appalachia feels like; sitting on your porch and staring into the woods, feeling like something is definitely watching you as you hear the wildlife move around. As someone who has always lived in here in these woods, a movie encapsulating the beauty of the local wilderness here is one of the most important things one could do— shedding a light on how beautiful this stretch of area truly is.

There are countless films that have taken inspiration from Appalachia/are set in Appalachia, all while not even being filmed there; some of the most notable being Silent Hill (2006) and The Descent (2005). Both of these movies working to encapsulate the energy and aesthetic grit of rural Appalachia from places in different parts of the world; for Silent Hill that being Canada, and The Descent being the UK. As a media consumer, it feels really amazing to watch directors and producers choose to take inspiration from Appalachia— all while doing so gracefully. Knowing that there are people who aren’t from this area even care about it in any capacity is enough for me.

Appalachia has been misrepresented in horror for decades upon decades now; I think it’s time to start telling some actual Appalachian stories and hiding those stereotypical, hateful stories away in the trash where they belong. Appalachian horror is an entire subgenre inside of horror and in the year 2025, there is some amazing Appalachian representation that doesn’t toss around ignorance with outdated stereotypes— you just have to find them. I’ll leave this with a list of some of the most famous Appalachian horror movies, even some that I haven’t even seen; Deliverence (1972), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Night of The Living Dead (1968), The Mothman Prophecies (2004), and Mama (2013).

[chuckyskn1fe]

Seed of Chucky (2004)

[chuckyskn1fe]

this page from my school's english textbook reminded me of something 😭😭

[chuckyskn1fe]

Okay well sorry i died in ur bathroom get over it

[chuckyskn1fe]

“I know a place” and I take you to Lowe’s self check out to watch Saw (2004)

[chuckyskn1fe]

“I have been in love with no one, and never shall,” she whispered, “unless it should be with you.”

[chuckyskn1fe]

[chuckyskn1fe]

[chuckyskn1fe]

depths of darkness

a painful desire,

the ache of lustful hatred burning bright within the caves of being

pouring out deep red and angry,

the chalky iron taste of touch between your teeth

bruise your knuckles against me

my ribcage wearing thin from the feast

for you to be full, i must be empty

[chuckyskn1fe]

[chuckyskn1fe]

Blaze Cyan, 2023

[chuckyskn1fe]

Fan art by Ami Thompson

[chuckyskn1fe]

Art by Sergius Hruby, 1935

[chuckyskn1fe]

heavy on jennifer tilly omg my beloved

Found this on Pinterest

[chuckyskn1fe]