Were things really that horrific? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the horror movies that don’t quite nail the history of their time period.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00 "You know, they used to burn men like you alive."
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the horror movies that
00:06 don't quite nail the history of their time period.
00:10 "Don't be frightened.
00:12 I want this opportunity."
00:14 Number 10.
00:15 Time-travelling whaling unit, Alien vs. Predator
00:18 Unsurprisingly, Alien vs. Predator isn't all that interested in getting history correct.
00:28 The central team travels to Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic, where they investigate
00:32 an old whaling station.
00:34 A flashback says that it was abandoned in the early 1900s, but it was only in the early
00:38 20th century that these kinds of facilities were established in this part of the world.
00:44 For example, a similar type of station on South Georgia Island was only created in 1904.
00:49 This doesn't even count the fact that Antarctica, and its surrounding islands, were only in
00:54 the midst of being explored by European nations.
00:57 Oh, and did we also mention that there aren't any records of xenomorphs or predators on
01:03 Earth?
01:10 Number 9.
01:11 Costumes from the wrong period, Bram Stoker's Dracula
01:14 Set in the late 19th century, this adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel takes artistic liberties
01:20 with the time period.
01:21 "Welcome to my home."
01:23 The costume design in particular doesn't exactly follow the Victorian era's dress code.
01:28 Lucy and Mina both have a wardrobe that flies in the face of late 1890s conventions and
01:34 designs.
01:35 Researchers found that these characters were actually wearing clothes that were much more
01:38 common in previous decades.
01:40 These include dresses with bustle cages, worn by both women in the film.
01:44 "I love him, I love him!
01:47 Oh, Mina!
01:48 It's so wonderful, I've decided.
01:51 I love him and I've said yes!"
01:55 Lucy also wears a nightgown that's much more for show than it is historically sound.
02:00 While the movie's costume designer won a much-deserved Oscar, they definitely aimed for style over
02:06 accuracy.
02:07 "I have offended you with my ignorance, Count.
02:11 Forgive me."
02:12 Number 8.
02:13 Tuberculosis outbreak, The Others
02:15 Set in the 1940s, this horror movie follows a woman and her children as they encounter
02:20 some spooky events on Jersey Island.
02:22 "What if we see a ghost?"
02:25 "Has your sister been telling you one of her stories?"
02:27 "I haven't told him anything!"
02:28 "Well, if you see a ghost, you say 'hello' and you continue on studying."
02:32 The plot references an apparent tuberculosis outbreak that occurred on the island in the
02:36 late 1800s.
02:37 "Why did you leave?"
02:38 "Oh, it was on account of the tuberculosis.
02:41 The whole area was evacuated."
02:43 It's ultimately unclear whether or not there was a large-scale transmission of the disease
02:48 at that particular time.
02:50 Through the 19th and the earlier 20th centuries, the European continent and the United Kingdom
02:55 lost millions as a result of TB.
02:58 "Tuberculosis finished us off more than half a century ago."
03:02 While it's not certain if the terrible event happened decades earlier, it does inspire
03:07 one potential cause for all of the dead haunting the area in The Others.
03:11 "The intruders are leaving, but others will come.
03:15 Now, sometimes we'll sense them, other times we won't.
03:21 But that's the way it's always been."
03:24 7.
03:25 Canada stands in for New England - The Witch
03:28 Director Robert Eggers has gone to many lengths to create his period horror films.
03:33 The Witch takes viewers into colonial New England for a story about a rural family dealing
03:38 with dark forces.
03:39 "What dost thou want?"
03:43 Eggers originally intended to shoot in New Hampshire to capture the unique topography
03:47 and visual accuracy of the area.
03:50 The production decided instead to move to Canada, receiving tax incentives for filming
03:54 north of the border.
03:56 Luckily, the director was able to use the Canadian locations to their fullest potential.
04:00 He also had great production design and costuming to make up for the inaccurate location.
04:07 "Kill him!"
04:11 6.
04:15 Vlad's true victims - Dracula Untold
04:19 Trying to blend the legend of the iconic vampire with his real-life inspiration, Dracula
04:23 Untold had some fun with history.
04:25 "From among these boys, one grew into a warrior so fierce that entire armies would
04:33 retreat in terror with the mention of his name."
04:36 The main character, Vlad III, appears to be a fearsome military leader that's given the
04:41 nickname "The Impaler."
04:43 While the actual man did impale his victims, he didn't earn the moniker for his work in
04:47 the Turkish army.
04:49 Many Turks were actually on the receiving end of his brutal punishments, as he battled
04:53 invaders on present-day Romania.
04:56 Along with altering these facts, the movie portrays him as being made to fight for the
05:00 Ottomans against his will.
05:02 "I just want peace.
05:04 That's all."
05:05 In reality, he was considered to be a hostage of higher status.
05:09 Ultimately, the plot shies away from the broader implications of his campaigns.
05:14 5.
05:15 Abraham Lincoln and William Johnson - Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
05:19 Okay, so nobody comes to this movie with historical accuracy top of mind, but this crazy take
05:26 on the 16th President does feature a few curious references to real people and events.
05:31 "I'm Abraham.
05:33 Uh, Lincoln."
05:35 "Mary Todd."
05:37 The relationship between Abraham Lincoln and William Johnson ends up becoming a central
05:42 part of the film.
05:43 "Will Johnson?
05:45 How did you?"
05:47 "I was back home."
05:49 The fictional Johnson is a childhood friend that becomes Lincoln's closest ally on his
05:54 vampire hunting journey.
05:56 But in reality, Johnson was a valet to the Commander-in-Chief, who previously had a working
06:01 relationship with the Lincoln family.
06:03 It's fascinating that Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, even includes this historical figure.
06:09 Too bad the writers decided to create a new background for the man.
06:12 "This is what we need.
06:15 A fork.
06:17 Silver."
06:18 4.
06:19 Blood Transfusions - The Last Voyage of the Demeter
06:23 "Evil is on board.
06:26 Powerful evil."
06:27 After finding a stowaway on the ship, the resident Dr. Clemens of the Demeter tries
06:31 to help the unauthorized passenger by giving her his blood.
06:35 With some rudimentary equipment, the medic manages to revive her and later lets the captain
06:40 do the same for his son.
06:42 "You will be fine, my boy.
06:45 Everything will be fine."
06:48 The thought of doing such procedures on board a ship in the 19th century seems unsafe and
06:53 historically questionable.
06:54 Meanwhile, the crew keeps getting picked off by Dracula before a violent finale.
07:00 "Ahhhhhh!"
07:05 Arguments could be made for its legitimacy during the era, but the working conditions
07:09 and sterilization of the open seas raises some red flags.
07:14 Many advances were made in the 20th century that would have been a great help to them,
07:18 such as the understanding of blood groups.
07:21 3.
07:22 Integrated Units - Overlord
07:25 Taking a twisted look at the events surrounding D-Day, Overlord follows the exploits of a
07:29 paratrooper unit on a special mission.
07:32 "So what do you have to do?"
07:34 "Our goddamn job, Sergeant!"
07:36 "That's right!"
07:37 The group of American soldiers includes a multiracial lineup of soldiers.
07:41 In this version of history, the U.S. military is disintegrated several years before it happened
07:46 in real life.
07:47 The groundbreaking decision, known as Executive Order 9981, was actually issued by President
07:53 Harry S. Truman after World War II.
07:56 This banned the armed forces from discriminating by race in 1948.
08:01 While meant to be an entertaining war movie, the plot does feature an interesting and thought-provoking
08:06 spin on racial policies of the time.
08:09 "Good job, soldier.
08:10 You and your squad."
08:11 "Thank you, sir."
08:12 6.
08:13 Bubonic Plague - Hadn't Reached America Yet - Interview with the Vampire
08:17 Anne Rice's gothic novel inspired this popular adaptation in 1994.
08:22 Originally set in the 18th and 19th century New Orleans, the movie depicts the city dealing
08:27 with the plague.
08:28 "You don't got that witness, you.
08:29 It's the plague."
08:30 Rice's vampires aren't the only things fictional about this film, though.
08:34 The first recorded case of the disease came in the early 20th century in the U.S., making
08:39 this particular outbreak another invention of the plot.
08:42 It took until 1900 for ships to carry deadly and verified cases of the illness to American
08:47 shores.
08:48 While it provides a visceral and alarming backdrop for this tale, the filmmakers used
08:52 the plague outside of its historical context.
08:55 "Who will care for me, my love?
08:58 My dark angel, when you are gone?"
09:01 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
09:05 about our latest videos.
09:07 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:11 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:16 1.
09:18 Inaccurate Casting - From Hell - Interview with the Vampire
09:20 Dramatizing the Jack the Ripper case, From Hell, stars Johnny Depp as the central character,
09:26 Inspector Frederick Abberline.
09:28 "Butchery is irrational, yet meticulous and deliberate.
09:33 Altogether, a different breed of killer."
09:37 His real-life counterpart was several years older, larger, and not considered to have
09:42 the same movie-star good looks.
09:45 Abberline works with the older Sergeant Godley, but the actor playing the latter has even
09:49 more of an age difference with the actual person.
09:51 "From Hell.
09:52 Well, at least they got the address right."
09:56 Robbie Coltrane is middle-aged while playing Godley, whilst the officer was a decade younger
10:01 than his co-worker.
10:02 Heather Graham's turn as Mary Kelly also calls into question making the character skinnier
10:07 and potentially altering her hair colour.
10:10 While some of these details can be disputed, it's more than a bit of a stretch to see these
10:14 performers in their respective roles.
10:16 "I'll remember these words for as long as I live."
10:19 Did we forget a less-than-historical horror movie?
10:21 Let us know in the comments below.
10:23 "I narrowly saved her life."
10:24 "From Mrs. Featherston?"
10:26 "From an undead, Mrs. Featherston."
10:29 Did you enjoy this video?
10:30 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
10:34 to be notified about our latest videos.
10:36 [music]