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Low Budget Horror Analysis

This document analyzes the budgets, box office numbers, distributors, and franchises of some of the highest grossing and most successful low budget horror films, including Psycho (1960), Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Saw (2004), Paranormal Activity (2007), The Purge (2013), and The Babadook (2014). Many of these films were able to be successful with extremely low budgets through the use of homemade props, relying on suspense over violence, viral marketing, and positive festival receptions leading to wider releases. Several also went on to become extremely profitable franchises, like Saw

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Laura Fagan
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345 views13 pages

Low Budget Horror Analysis

This document analyzes the budgets, box office numbers, distributors, and franchises of some of the highest grossing and most successful low budget horror films, including Psycho (1960), Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Saw (2004), Paranormal Activity (2007), The Purge (2013), and The Babadook (2014). Many of these films were able to be successful with extremely low budgets through the use of homemade props, relying on suspense over violence, viral marketing, and positive festival receptions leading to wider releases. Several also went on to become extremely profitable franchises, like Saw

Uploaded by

Laura Fagan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Comparisons To My Film:

Successful Low Budget Horror


Budget/Box Office/Distribution/Franchise Analysis
Highest Grossing Horror
Psycho, 1960
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Franchise:
Night of the Living Dead, 1968
Directed by: Sean Romero
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Continental Distributing
Franchise:

- "shoestring" budget, props


were homemade “blood” was
chocolate syrup/red ink, but
done effectively
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Bryanston Distributing Company
Franchise:
Halloween, 1978
Directed by: John Carpenter
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Compass International
Franchise:

- relying on terror and suspense


instead of violence (big budget
saver, more effective)
Friday the 13th, 1980
Directed by: Sean Cunningham
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros.
Franchise:
The Horror Resurgence
The Blair Witch Project, 1999
• Directed by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Summit Entertainment
Franchise: n/a
Saw, 2004
Directed by: James Wan
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Franchise:

-One of the highest grossing


franchises (over $1bn)
- originally meant to be a direct-
to-video feature, but after
positive response at the
Sundance it ran in theatres
Paranormal Activity, 2007
Directed by: Oren Peli
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Franchise:

- shot in seven days with only a


handheld camera and tripod
- viral marketing campaign that
gave moviegoers opportunity to
demand screenings
The Purge, 2013
Directed by: James Demonaco
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Franchise:

- Initially released at film


festival (Stanley FF) to see
audience reception
The Babadook, 2014
Directed by: Jennifer Kent
Budget:
Box Office:
Distributed by: Umbrella Entertainment
Franchise: n/a

- Flopped in
Australia ($258,000 BO)
- Picked up on American
streaming services and
grossed $10.2 million

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