So You Find Yourself in a Horror Film... Quiz

Answer: Carrie

Directed by Brian de Palma and starring Sissy Spacek in the title role, 'Carrie' was released in 1976, just two years after the Stephen King book of the same name. It tells the story of a high school girl who is out of touch with the other people in her year, largely due to her overbearing mother Margaret (played by Piper Laurie).

In the second half of the film, a trick is played on Carrie at the school prom, and she is covered in pig's blood, hence the blood orange picture.

Answer: 28 Days Later

Firmly within the genre of 'post apocalypse' films, Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later' is set, you guessed it, 28 days after the accidental release of a virus that makes people very angry. The protagonist is a courier named Jim (played by Cilian Murphy) who wakes up in London to find the city deserted.

The script was written by Alex Garland, who later went on to direct 'Ex Machina' and 'Annihilation'.

Answer: The Wicker Man

Set on the remote Scottish island of Summerisle, 'The Wicker Man' is the story of a mainland police officer who travels to the island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Whilst many horror films are snubbed by critics, 'The Wicker Man' is typically very well regarded, with veteran actor Christopher Lee saying in 2005 that he considered it his best film.

Wicker is also a technique of interweaving wood to make baskets and other containers, hence the chest in the photo clue.

Answer: Audition

The Japanese mystery horror 'Audition' has gained some notoriety with audiences worldwide for the scenes of extreme violence and disgust that it contains. I will save you the details here, but will warn you that it is not for the faint hearted should you decide to watch it. Telling the story of a widower in search of a new wife (hence the 'audition'), the film is based on the novel of the same name by the acclaimed Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami.

The picture shows an empty stage with two spotlights, a classic setup for a theatre audition.

Answer: The Shining

Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' is the horrifying tale of a man (Jack Nicholson) who gradually goes insane whilst caretaking in an isolated hotel during the winter, putting his family at risk. As the son of the family was played by a young actor (Danny Lloyd), the production was careful not to let on that he was in a horror film so as not to upset or scar him. Lloyd only watched the film in its entirety some 11 years after acting in it.

In a memorable scene near the end of the film, Jack has typed "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over again on a typewriter, hence the picture clue.

Answer: A Quiet Place

'A Quiet Place' was only the third feature film directed by American actor and filmmaker John Krasinski, best known for his role as Jim Halpert on the US TV series 'The Office'. Incredibly clever with its use of sound, 'A Quiet Place' is a concept horror in which humans are being pursued by aliens that cannot see but have a very acute sense of hearing. As a result, the film is not very dialogue heavy, relying on the actors of the central family (Emily Blunt as the mother, Krasinski as the father) to act their socks off and tell us what's happening with their faces alone.

Amusingly, 'A Quiet Place' was co-produced by Michael Bay, a director whose own films are known for being extremely loud (think 'Armageddon', 'Pearl Harbor' and the 'Transformers' franchise).

Answer: Psycho

Certainly one of the most famous scenes in a horror film, perhaps one of the most famous scenes full stop, the 'shower scene' from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' still has the power to chill. Although the film is based on a book, Hitchcock went to great lengths to ensure that people didn't find out the ending before they had seen the film. Such measures included buying up many copies of the source novel, and forcing those working on the film to take an oath that they wouldn't divulge the plot to anyone not working on the film.

Answer: Paranormal Activity

Set within a suburban home, 'Paranormal Activity' is a found footage film in which a couple are besieged by a mysterious demon. 'Paranormal Activity' is known for being one of the most successful films of all time in terms of return on investment, having taken around $200 million at the global box office and been produced for a mere $15,000. It was the first feature from the production company Blumhouse Productions, whose other successful ventures include 'Insidious', 'Whiplash' and 'Get Out', the latter two of which were nominated for Academy Awards.

The picture clue is a bed as much of the film is footage of the couple in bed sleeping, prime time for the demon to attack.

Answer: Creep

Certainly living up to its name, 'Creep' is a low-budget (but not low quality!) horror in which a cameraman answers an ad for a 'cameraman for a day' on Craigslist, and goes to meet a second man in a cabin with little idea what the day will involve. The cameraman, Aaron, is played by the director of the film, Patrick Brice. The other man, Josef, is played by the very smiley and very creepy Mark Duplass.

The photo clue shows a vine creeping over a piece of wood.

Answer: The Thing

Set in an Antarctic research base (perhaps the most cabin fever inducing setting of all time), 'The Thing' tells the story of a group of researchers who are attacked by an alien life form ("the thing") that is able to assume the form of any other life form that it touches (hence the picture clue), typically after it has killed them.

The film was directed by veteran horror director John Carpenter, also known for his work on 'The Fog', 'Christine' and 'Halloween'.