There’s always a Michigan connection.
There’s a long list of TV shows, movies and books with Michigan ties. Many of the most famous writers had some connection to the Great Lakes state. Heck, Ernest Hemingway’s family had a cottage Up North.
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Since it's October, we decided to take a look at some horror movies with Michigan connections.
The Evil Dead - 1981
The 1981 cult classic horror film, written and directed by Royal Oak native Sam Raimi, is based around the story of four Michigan State University students taking a trip together.
The movie was originally supposed to be set in Michigan, but eventually moved to rural Tennessee.
The film premiered at the Redford Theatre, because the movie's lead actor, Bruce Campbell, used to see movies there as a kid. Campbell is also from Royal Oak and attended Western Michigan University.
The sequel, "Evil Dead 2," shot some of the film in the Detroit-area.
Where to watch it: The Evil Dead is on Amazon Prime, AMC+ or VUDU
Scream 4 - 2011
The fourth installment of the "Scream" series, directed by Wes Craven, was released in 2011 and was filmed in Michigan.
The film, starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Emma Roberts, Alison Brie and Courteney Cox), centered around the 15th anniversary of the original massacre.
Filming for the movie took place in Plymouth, Livonia, Ann Arbor and Dearborn. The former 16th District Court in Livonia was used as the town's police station.
If you're familiar with Downtown Plymouth -- the film features several wide shots showing the main square near the Penn Theater.
Where to watch it: “Scream 4” is available Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Starz
It Follows - 2014
This lower-budget horror flick made waves with an unknown cast and original storyline.
"It Follows" had a $2 million budget and made more than $20 million at the box office. The movie was directed by David Robert Mitchell, a Clawson native.
The film follows the story of a group of students being pursued by a supernatural creature after a sexual encounter.
It was shot around the Detroit-area, including scenes at the Packard Plant, the old Northville Psychiatric Hospital, the Redford Theatre and Clawson High School.
Where to watch it: “It Follows” is available on Netflix, Hulu and Paramount+
---> Bonus: Did 1990 Michigan murder inspire ‘Jeepers Creepers’ film?
Don't Breathe - 2016
This 2016 horror flick starring Jane Levy is set in Detroit, although it was shot in Hungary. With Sam Raimi on the producer list, there was sure to be some type of Michigan connection.
The film follows three Detroit friends who get trapped inside a blind man's house after breaking in.
There were some views of Detroit filmed for the movie, but none of the scenes were shot in the city.
The film was well-received and made more than $150 million at the box office.
Where to watch it: It’s available right now on AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ and Roku Premium Channel.
Barbarian - 2022
The most recent of the group, Barbarian is probably one of the weirdest horror movies I’ve ever seen. To this day, I’m not sure if it was good or not.
Barbarian is the story of a young woman who rents a home in Detroit -- she’s in town for business, it appears. She finds the rental is already occupied.
“Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the night but soon discovers there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.”
The film features a lot of Detroit stereotype shots -- ruin porn, the idea that everything and everyone in the city is bad news -- but it has some interesting plot twists.
Most of the film was shot in Bulgaria, but exterior neighborhood shots beyond the house’s block were filmed in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit
Where to watch it: Max