Biggest Slasher Movie Gambles Filmed in New Jersey

“Many of horror's most famous slasher movies started out as risky gambles by film production companies in the 70's and 80's. A surprising amount of which, were filmed in the great state of New Jersey. Ironically the state known for its legalized online gambling was the testing ground for many of the genre's most iconic movies. This article will discuss each in length.

Friday the 13th

Let's hit it off with perhaps the best known and most profitable slasher film that came out of New Jersey – Friday the 13th (1980). The film was shot in a few New Jersey locations – Hardwick, Hope, Blairstown, and Freehold.

Initially though, nobody could predict its success. The director, Sean S. Cunningham, had previously made the somewhat-successful exploitation horror The Last House on the Left (1972), while the screenwriter, Victor Miller, only had comedy writing credits.

Yet, Cunningham and Miller managed to subvert everyone's expectations with the reveal of the killer, and in the meantime, they turned the $550,000 budget into a $59,754,601 box office sensation.

Friday the 13th created one of the most memorable slasher characters, Jason Voorhees, and we still get debates about whether he or Leatherface could win in a fight. However, both Cunningham and Miller dislike the sequels of their movie precisely because they turned Jason into a killer; Jason, in their eyes, has always been the victim.

Jaws

The movie that shot Steven Spielberg into stardom and made everyone unnecessarily afraid of sharks, Jaws (1975), was actually based on real events that occurred on Amity Island, NJ back in 1916. Unfortunately though, Spielberg didn't film his slasher masterpiece in the Garden State, instead opting out for Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Still, if anyone were to laid claim on the man versus nature film it's the people of New Jersey who suffered a series of shark attacks in July of 1916. There was an unprecedent heatwave that month, so everyone headed off to the Jersey Shore. Tragically, four of these people never came back home. The Jersey attacks created a nationwide panic and any subsequent shark hunts.

Jaws created the same panic when it came out and some criticize it for unnecessarily igniting fear, because these incidents rarely occur. For example, the 2020's have seen only four shark attacks in the US.

A few years ago, you could experience the excitement of Jaws in a safe environment, but unfortunately, Universal Studios retired the attraction.

Amityville Horror

Another cult classic that was filmed in New Jersey (Point Pleasant, Toms River, and Scotch Plains) is Amityville Horror (1979). The action is supposed to take place in Amityville, NY, but we guess director Stuart Rosenberg found a creepier and more suitable house in New Jersey.

Amityville Horror details the true story of the Lutz family who purchased a house in Amityville, NY, a year after a mass murder had taken place there. You might think this is an overused trope in horror films, but apparently families that enthusiastically buy such houses exist and they inspire even more horror films.

The successful film, which bagged $86.4 million on the backdrop of its modest $4.7 million budget, was actually based on the book written by the Lutz family themselves. The book has garnered a lot of controversy as various neighbors and even experts have disproven most of the events. Yet, George and Kathy Lutz successfully passed a polygraph test, so there's a chance they experienced some paranormal activity.

Nevertheless, the movie has forever sealed its place as one of the best horror movies ever made in New Jersey (and honestly the United States). We highly recommend it to anyone who has the guts to watch it.

Don’t Go in the House

Filmed in the iconic Strauss Mansion in Atlantic Heights, NJ, Don't Go in the House (1980) has become a cult classic that any slasher horror fan must watch before they die. The film tells the story of Donny Kohler, a man who's suffered a lot of abuse in his childhood and is keen to inflict it upon others.

Perhaps inspired by the true story of American serial killer Ed Gein, Don't Go in the House doesn't spare you the grizzly details that come with each murder. The movie is hard to stomach and even the experienced movie-goers have shrieked in horror. That's why the picture was censored in countries like the United Kingdom.

Still, if you want to watch a sophisticated psychological slasher filmed in a beautiful location, Don't Go in the House is right for you.

The Prowler

The Prowler (1981) is an often-forgotten slasher movie that was primarily filmed in the Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May, NJ. The film is the brainchild of director Joseph Zito, who's also responsible for other cult classics like Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) and Bloodrage (1979).

The Prowler has a fascinating plot that you've probably never encountered before. It has the traditional slasher structure of teens being killed left and right, but the perpetrator is very surprising. Although the movie barely made its budget when it came out, it's now considered one of the best slashers ever made, alongside classics like My Bloody Valentine.