# Paintings or photos that play a major part in horror movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274 "2015-10-02T16:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/1 "2015-10-02T16:43:22Z")
As an adjunct to a thread I started in IMHO asking for Halloween tips, I’m now looking for suggestions of iconic movie images I might be able to use. I’m not talking about just displaying a picture of something scary from a movie, but an actual photo or painting that is featured. So for instance, I don’t mean something like the twins from The Shining (creepy as they are) but the actual [photo](http://s3.drafthousefilms.com/_uploads/galleries/26618/shiningprequel __span__ span__full.jpeg) they show at the end. So far I’m using [Carlotta Valdes](http://crimsonkimono.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carlotta2wip-121.jpg) , [Dorian Gray](http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebLarge/WebImg_000251/182675_2987474.jpg) and the disturbing picture from [Repulsion](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gQDEyjeilKQ/VIeLsNLiGII/AAAAAAAAAkU/ur7rZnHrRPA/s1600/One_Scene_Repulsion_Still_video_still.jpeg). They don’t have to be universally well known - I’ll be interested in seeing who recognizes the Repulsion one - but if they’re too obscure nobody will “get it”. Also, it would need to be reasonably possible for me to print a picture of it, so if it’s too large or will just look stupid miniaturized, that won’t work. I mean, feel free to \*mention \*your favorite scary images; I just wanted to give the parameters for the images I’ll be able to use. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/2 "2015-10-02T16:49:40Z")
The family portrait paintings that Roderick Usher (Vincent Price) shows his guest in the 1960 **Fall of the House of Usher**. Creepy as fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/3 "2015-10-02T16:49:42Z")
There are the photos in The Ring, showing the dead kids’ faces all blurry. Sorry, best I can come up with! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/4 "2015-10-02T16:52:26Z")
I was going to suggest **Repulsion** , but I guess that one’s obvious. I doubt if you can consider **Blow-up** a real “horror” movie, but the scene where David Hemmings is in the darkroom, enlarging photo after photo, while you hear wind blowing on the soundtrack, never fails to spook me. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/5 "2015-10-02T17:01:38Z")
I don’t know if you consider _Ghostbusters_ a scary movie but I always thought the [painting of Vigo](https://www.google.com/search?q=ghostbusters+painting&espv=2&biw=1493&bih=1006&tbm=isch&imgil=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%253A%253BDWTE6IcH6Z2mFM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.thisiswhyimbroke.com%25252Fghostbusters-vigo-replica-painting&source=iu&pf=m&fir=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%253A%252CDWTE6IcH6Z2mFM%252C_&usg= __fC_Xb_oYHhy9ypLBMdyAHfuZZRs%3D&ved=0CCgQyjdqFQoTCPnHzMOhpMgCFUrTgAodo_MNgw&ei=FrgOVvnkFcqmgwSj57eYCA#imgrc=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%3A&usg=__ fC_Xb_oYHhy9ypLBMdyAHfuZZRs%3D) was pretty creepy. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/6 "2015-10-02T17:04:31Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > The family portrait paintings that Roderick Usher (Vincent Price) shows his guest in the 1960 **Fall of the House of Usher**. Creepy as fuck. Can you tell me / link to the one(s) you mean? When I google it so much seemingly unrelated stuff comes up I can’t tell which is from the movie. I think I will use the portait of Vincent Price though :o [QUOTE=Nonsuch] There are the photos in The Ring, showing the dead kids’ faces all blurry. Sorry, best I can come up with! [/QUOTE] This occurred to me; I just have to think of a way to display them. Also, whenever I try to google and image from that movie, I end up regretting it :(😛 ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/7 "2015-10-02T17:10:58Z")
Hell, just google the phrase, “Night Gallery Paintings.” _Night Gallery_ was a sorta wannabe _Twilight Zone_, hosted by Rod Serling, but without quite the old magic; executive meddling didn’t help, nor did more of a steer towards outright horror. But most of the paintings were amazing, and many episodes were quite good. You want creepy pictures, you can’t do better than some of those. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/8 "2015-10-02T17:48:41Z")
Three badly-cropped images. [![](http://glasstire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/HouseOfUsher1960-600x255.jpg) ](http://glasstire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/HouseOfUsher1960-600x255.jpg) [![](https://thegirlwhoknewtoomuch.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/usher-painting03.jpg?w=560) ](https://thegirlwhoknewtoomuch.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/usher-painting03.jpg?w=560) [![](http://www.burtshonberg.com/Shonberg_House%20of%20Usher_4.jpg) ](http://www.burtshonberg.com/Shonberg_House%20of%20Usher_4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/9 "2015-10-02T17:52:31Z")
Here’s a clip which includes the portrait gallery scene; starts at 1:30. Five portraits in total. “Susie Q. Usher! Blackmailer…HARLOT! Died in the MADHOUSE.” Don’t get too close to those drapes Price is chewing on. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/10 "2015-10-02T17:55:52Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Three badly-cropped images. > > [http://glasstire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/HouseOfUsher1960-600x255.jpg](http://glasstire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/HouseOfUsher1960-600x255.jpg) > > [https://thegirlwhoknewtoomuch.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/usher-painting03.jpg?w=560](https://thegirlwhoknewtoomuch.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/usher-painting03.jpg?w=560) > > [Web.com | Scheduled Maintenance](http://www.burtshonberg.com/Shonberg_House%20of%20Usher_4.jpg) Thanks, **Uke**. I did see those and thought they were from the _Night Gallery_ show that **Master Wang-Ka** mentioned. Seriously, that first one looks like an extra terrestrial. I’ll try some of these and see what kind of image I can get. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/11 "2015-10-02T18:00:54Z")
Whoops, sorry. Clip here. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PqgLS6TMPnk/maxresdefault.jpg "A Plague of Evil - The Fall of the House of Usher (Vincent Price)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqgLS6TMPnk) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/12 "2015-10-02T18:15:38Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Whoops, sorry. Clip here. > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PqgLS6TMPnk](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PqgLS6TMPnk) Holy cow. I am sooooooo watching that this Halloween season! I read the Poe story years ago but can’t recall any of the details. Anyway, I do have one of those frames that you put multiple pictures in so that will be probably work well. It will be fun to see how many people recognize them. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/13 "2015-10-02T18:25:00Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Here’s a clip which includes the portrait gallery scene; starts at 1:30. Five portraits in total. > > “Susie Q. Usher! Blackmailer…HARLOT! Died in the MADHOUSE.” Don’t get too close to those drapes Price is chewing on. I actually didn’t like the Corman House of Usher at all, and this scene is one of the reasons. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/14 "2015-10-02T18:28:49Z")
A camera producing photos provides the whole plot for Stephen King’s novella “The Sun Dog,” but I don’t think it’s ever been adapted for the screen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/15 "2015-10-02T18:59:28Z")
Well, if you’re going to go literary, you have to consider **Pickman’s Model** by H.P. Lovecraft. They did an adaptation of it for _Night Gallery_, which wasn’t particularly faithful, and which sort of combined it with _A Shadow Over Innsmouth_\*. The pictures they ended using in it weren’t all that horrific, unfortunately. Another _Night Gallery_ episode prominently featured two paintings – “Escape Route” One was idyllic, the other a crucifiction scene. \*_Night Gallery_ seemed to _want_ to do Lovecraft, but either they couldn’t bring themselves to do it, or their sponsors held them back, or something. Two Lovecraftian pieces turned into jokes, the Pickman’s Model one came off halfway decent, and the others failed. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/16 "2015-10-02T19:06:25Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I actually didn’t like the Corman House of Usher at all, and this scene is one of the reasons. It tries hard to be atmospheric but there’s no question that it is dull, dull, dull. And Mark Damon is SO wrong for it that you want to slap him. I’m a sucker for Vincent Price, though, even in the roles he serves up on rye with Swiss cheese and a dab of mustard. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/17 "2015-10-02T19:09:14Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I don’t know if you consider _Ghostbusters_ a scary movie but I always thought the [painting of Vigo](https://www.google.com/search?q=ghostbusters+painting&espv=2&biw=1493&bih=1006&tbm=isch&imgil=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%253A%253BDWTE6IcH6Z2mFM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.thisiswhyimbroke.com%25252Fghostbusters-vigo-replica-painting&source=iu&pf=m&fir=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%253A%252CDWTE6IcH6Z2mFM%252C_&usg= __fC_Xb_oYHhy9ypLBMdyAHfuZZRs%3D&ved=0CCgQyjdqFQoTCPnHzMOhpMgCFUrTgAodo_MNgw&ei=FrgOVvnkFcqmgwSj57eYCA#imgrc=1izkOWa-kaTEDM%3A&usg=__ fC_Xb_oYHhy9ypLBMdyAHfuZZRs%3D) was pretty creepy. Don’t forget the photo of it showing the River of Slime. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/18 "2015-10-02T19:19:44Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > A camera producing photos provides the whole plot for Stephen King’s novella “The Sun Dog,” but I don’t think it’s ever been adapted for the screen. [This](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/2/22/The_Sun_Dog.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130630212024) should work quite nicely. Another story I read years ago and cannot remember a thing about it. Good thing I still have the book. I also don’t recall shit about _Ghost Busters_ save the marshmellow man, but I bet a lot of people who do will recognize creepy ass Vigo. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/19 "2015-10-02T19:27:31Z")
Stephen King’s _1408_ had some painting-related shenanigans, though I think the movie only briefly touched on them, while the book went into more detail. The dime-store hotel paintings change from mundane to disturbing. Did anyone ever do a talkie version of another short story from the same collection, _The Road Virus Goes North_? That prominently features a spooky painting. Might be too obscure though. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274/20 "2015-10-02T19:40:58Z")
It’s not particularly scary, but what about [The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Red_Dragon_Paintings) from _Red Dragon/Hannibal_? It’s the painting that the serial killer “The Tooth Fairy” had issues with/inspiration from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintings-or-photos-that-play-a-major-part-in-horror-movies/733274.md?page=2)