The Rural Horror Picture Show

Series produced by Center for Rural Strategies

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Image by: Art by Nhatt Nichols 

The Rural Horror Picture Show is a five-part series that explores the often-flawed, but always interesting, depiction of rural people and places in horror movies.

Where do horror movies happen? Small towns, dark forests, cornfields, and farmhouses have each been the locations for iconic scary films. But why are rural settings so popular, and how do these choices affect the areas represented? The Rural Horror Picture Show is a five-part series that explores the often-flawed, but always interesting, depiction of rural people and places in horror movies.

Whether you love scary movies or can’t bear to watch, you’ll find something to enjoy in this examination of horror history — from Texas Chainsaw and Deliverance to the Blair Witch and Children of the Corn.


6 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Bonus: Christmas
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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We talk about Christmas horror movies, and how this gleefully perverse genre represents the darker side of the holiday season.

  • Added: Dec 15, 2023
  • Length: 37:12
Episode 5: Legacy
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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We zoom out to examine the real-world impact of rural horror movies. From economic boosts to persistently harmful stereotypes, these films have lef...

  • Added: Dec 15, 2023
  • Length: 41:33
Episode 4: Supernatural
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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We talk about folk horror, and how the genre uses rural places to illustrate modern tensions between science and the supernatural.

  • Added: Dec 15, 2023
  • Length: 37:01
Episode 3: Isolated
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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We talk about the fear of isolation–both physical and emotional–and how it’s connected to portrayals of grief in rural horror movies.

  • Added: Dec 15, 2023
  • Length: 35:35
Episode 2: Killbillies
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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We talk about some iconic movies from the 1970s, and their infamous villains–the killer hillbilly and his degenerate rural family.

  • Added: Dec 15, 2023
  • Length: 37:16
Episode 1: Urbanoia
From: Center for Rural Strategies
Series: The Rural Horror Picture Show
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In this episode we talk about who the instigators of terror are in horror movies, and why it matters whether they are from urban or rural areas

  • Added: Dec 13, 2023
  • Length: 36:38