First in fright: Triad has scared up its share of horror movies

Oct. 29—TRIAD — Rebecca Clark half-jokingly refers to the Piedmont Triad as "The Horror Film Capital of the World."

That may or may not be accurate (Spoiler: It's not), but horror movies have been bloody good to the Triad — including High Point — turning the region into a veritable Tinseltown of Terror, says Clark, executive director of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission, which recruits filmmakers to the Triad to shoot their movies here.

"At one point, it seemed like every year we were filming a horror movie here," she says. "I used to joke to filmmakers that we were 'The Horror Capital of the World,' or at least 'The Indie Capital of the Horror Film World.' "

The Triad's fright-flick filmography includes such titles as "Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth," "Cabin Fever" and "The Gravedancers" — all three of which were at least partially filmed in High Point — and "Children of the Corn 2: The Final Sacrifice," which was filmed in Randolph County and partially edited in High Point.

Those movies may not have been as commercially successful as other horror films shot in North Carolina — "The Conjuring," "Firestarter" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer," for example — but they're still feathers in the Triad's cap.

According to Clark, the Triad has a vast assortment of available filming locations that are desirable to horror filmmakers.

"A lot of times people are looking for big, empty buildings, and we have a lot of big, empty factory spaces and even basement portions and boiler rooms in buildings that aren't currently being used, and people will let film companies rent them," she says.

"We have a lot of spooky places to promote around here and gorgeous Victorian homes. A lot of times, we'll get requests for homes like that or something a little more Gothic-looking. And lots of woods and forests — a lot of these films have scenes in the forest."

If you're in the mood to watch a horror movie or two for Halloween this year, here are some of the reel terror that's been filmed in the Triad:

—"Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth." After the first two "Hellraiser" films were shot in London, this sequel brought the legendary horror character Pinhead to the Triad, where the movie was filmed largely in High Point and Greensboro in the fall of 1991. Some scenes were shot in The Boiler Room, a bar and grill at the Market Square complex in High Point, and many local residents were cast as extras.

—"Cabin Fever." The first feature film for actor/director Eli Roth, this movie tells the story of a group of teenagers confronted with a flesh-eating virus. While the cabin's exterior shots were filmed in Surry County, interior shots of the cabin were re-created and filmed at High Point's now-defunct Carolina Atlantic Studios.

—"The Gravedancers." A group of college students are haunted by malevolent spirits after they get drunk and dance on the spirits' graves. This 2006 horror flick was partially filmed at the old Presbyterian Home on Greensboro Road.

—"Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice." Filmed primarily in Liberty in the early 1990s, this sequel to the original Stephen King tale was largely edited at Carolina Atlantic. It features a young Christie Clark, best-known as Carrie Brady on "Days of Our Lives."

—"The Disappointments Room." Starring Kate Beckinsale, much of this 2016 thriller was filmed at the now-demolished Adamsleigh mansion in Sedgefield.

—"Fall Down Dead." This 2007 slasher film, starring Udo Kier and Dominique Swain, was filmed primarily in Winston-Salem.

—"Hellphone." This low-budget horror film released in 2010 was shot in Madison and Mayodan. It's about a demon that possesses a cellphone and wreaks havoc in a small North Carolina town.

—"Stomping Ground." A 2014 movie about a Bigfoot hunt that goes terribly wrong, this fright flick was filmed in the woods of Randolph and Montgomery counties.

—"Kill Giggles." This 2020 film tells the tale not of a serial killer who is a clown, but a serial killer who kills clowns. It was filmed throughout the Triad, including locations in High Point.

—"Where's Rose." Released last year, this horror film focuses on a young girl who is found after she'd gone missing, but she returns as something evil. The movie was shot largely in Winston-Salem, but one scene was shot at a private residence in High Point.

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579