The Infamous Cannibal Horror Movie Inspired By A Beloved Musical
Horror films have drawn from a wide variety of inspirations. Every imaginable source from classic novels like Dracula and Frankenstein to true-life events that were adapted into such films as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre have been used to generate the terror fans love to see on the screen. However, only one, the 1964 film Two Thousand Maniacs, can say a hit Broadway musical directly inspired it: in this case, 1947’s Brigadoon.
Based On A 1947 Musical
Two Thousand Maniacs drew inspiration from the 1947 musical Brigadoon, written by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Lowe. Like the low-budget horror film that it influenced, the Broadway musical centered around travelers who wind up stuck in a strange place after being lured there. But unlike the Hicksploitation movie, Brigadoon didn’t have its protagonists stalked and killed by the vengeful ghosts of Confederates.
A False Sense Of Security
Two Thousand Maniacs follows a group of travelers from the northern United States into rural Georgia, where they suffer at the hands of bloodthirsty locals out for revenge. Two bumpkins from the town of Pleasant Valley put out phony detour signs to lure the tourists into their small town where, at first, they are well received and given a homey welcome. The Mayor arrives and tells them that they are invited to be the guests of honor at Pleasant Valley’s centennial celebration and puts them up for free in a local hotel.
The South Will Kill Again
But two of the tourists, Tom White (William Kerwin) and Terry Adams (Connie Mason), stumble across a marker in the woods nearby that commemorates the massacre of Pleasant Valley residents 100 years prior by a group of Union soldiers during the final days of the Civil War. Tom and Terry come to the realization that their little group is about to be “honored” by being tortured and killed by the Pleasant Valley townsfolk out of revenge.
A Bloody Horror
Two Thousand Maniacs is an early horror film foray into graphic violence, making it a must-see for any splatter movie aficionado. A woman is hacked up with an ax, another woman is crushed under a large rock while seated in a booth that’s a brutal twist on a dunking booth, and a man is savagely drawn and quartered. The movie is hokey but fun and deserves a spot in the streaming queue of any horror movie fan.
Two Thousand Maniacs was one of the first in a line of what is referred to as Southern Gore, most of which follow the trope of outsiders being attacked and killed by backwoodsy, inbred types. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes kept this subgenre going strong in the following decade.
A Part Of Horror History On Tubi
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Two Thousand Maniacs was later reimagined for the big screen under the name 2001 Maniacs in 2005, this time with A Nightmare on Elm Street alum Robert Englund in the starring role. The Tim Sullivan-directed film was produced by horror icon Eli Roth and spawned a sequel in 2010 titled 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, starring Bill Mosely.
You can stream Two Thousand Maniacs for free with Tubi.
