Halloween is as good a time as any to huddle under the duvet and revisit your favourite scary films. To celebrate creepy new back-from-the-dead horror The Lazarus Effect, director David Gelb shares his personal favourites from one of the best loved genres of all time…
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
“We really thought about this film with regards to Zoe’s (Olivia Wilde) character in The Lazarus Effect. In our story she starts losing control of her body but can’t understand what is happening. This was a strong part of the horror they achieved in Roman Polanski’s classic and we really appreciated how they managed to create a sense of terror.”
The Shining (1980)
“My absolute favourite scary movie? I would have to say The Shining really affected me as a child. I was pretty young when I saw it, maybe nine or ten years old. It completely freaked me out. I’ve never looked at hallways the same way after that! I also love the film for its cinematography, composition and atmosphere. It’s been hugely influential.”
Akira (1988)
“I’m a huge fan of this classic Japanese animated film. It’s a real gem from the 80’s. The film is based around someone who gets the power of God and doesn’t know what to do with it. They end up going insane because of it and there’s a lot of psychological complexity to what happens. It’s a pretty scary concept.”
Pet Cemetery (1989)
“I saw it when I was very young and still love it now, particularly for the morality questions it raises. It poses the question whether you should be brought back after dying, or if it’s better to be dead? When I look back now especially, this really inspired me when I made The Lazarus Effect.”
Flatliners (1990)
“I was pretty young but I saw it on home video and thought it was so much fun. There are obviously elements of comedy but it was really freaky and scary and made the audience question what happens if you come back to life. Will you need to face up to mistakes of the past? It’s something that really resonated with me, even at a young age.”
The Witch (2015)
“I was fortunate to see this new film very early and I found it incredibly freaky. It’s set in the Puritan times and feels so authentic, it’s even based on texts from the time. I found it so unsettling, with incredible music, and it showed me that incredible work is still being achieved within horror. It’s a great time to be a horror fan.”
Lionsgate UK presents The Lazarus Effect out now on DVD, Blu-ray & Digital HD
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