Where famous horror movies like ‘Haunting in Connecticut,’ ‘Orphan’ take place in CT

From the stalking grounds of horror icon Jason to a seaside community terrorized by a radioactive monster, Connecticut has been central to the popularization of the horror movie genre.

The state has played host to a number of film productions that have gone on to become staples in the genre including “The Stepford Wives,” “I Spit on Your Grave,” “The Last House on the Left” and “Friday the 13th Part 2.” While some of the movies filmed here whisk viewers to far-off places in fictional worlds, some bring the action right back to the Nutmeg State.

With its reputation as a spooky state with a litany of urban legends and “ghost stories,” Connecticut has had its fair share of roles as the setting for some of horror’s most notable works.

The “Orphan” movies bring sinister adoptee “Esther” (and the viewer) on a trek to Hamden and Darien, while local production “Candlewood” brings to life the legends of Lover’s Leap and Candlewood Lake.

Meanwhile, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” chronicles the real life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who was convicted of killing his landlord Alan Bono in Brookfield.

Though some of the aforementioned movies detail exact settings within the state, some horror movies move the microscope back – only offering clues and brief mentions of Connecticut. Movies like Stephen King’s “Thinner,” “The Other” and “The Curse of the Living Corpse” all take place in Connecticut, with the latter even being filmed in Stamford and featured the acting debut of future “Jaws” star Roy Scheider.

Movies set in Connecticut that do not list a specific town

“The Curse of the Living Corpse” (1964)

“The Other” (1972)

“The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction” (1989)

“Thinner” (1996)

“The Battery” (2012)

“Kiss of the Damned” (2012)

“Stoker” (2013)

“#Horror” (2015)

Perhaps some of the most famous movies with Connecticut as a background are those that take place in fictional towns within the state. Both “Beetlejuice” and its sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” take place in the fictional town of Winter River, Conn.

“Gothika,” which featured Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr., brings the viewer inside the Woodward Penitentiary in western Connecticut. “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death,” which was filmed in the towns of Chester, East Haddam, Essex and Old Saybrook, features a number of local landmarks – ushering in a sense of familiarity to viewers who recognize the sites near the banks of the Connecticut River.

Perhaps the most famous of these fictional Connecticut towns is Stepford, which plays host to “The Stepford Wives” series of films. The original 1975 movie, which focuses on a picturesque town that is harboring secrets, spawned a 2004 remake as well as three made-for-television sequels. In addition to taking place in Connecticut, both the original “The Stepford Wives” and the remake were shot in Connecticut.

This article originally published at Map: Where famous horror movies like ‘Haunting in Connecticut,’ ‘Orphan’ take place in CT.