Last Updated on 10/30/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
In “Horror Vacui,” photographer Federico Chiesa tries to answer the question: What if the scariest horror movie villains were still alive today?
Horror cinema may have had golden moments scattered here and there since the inception of film, but you can’t deny that the ‘70s and ‘80s are its most defining decades. After all, it gave us classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, Poltergeist, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and many others that still send some of us leaving the night light on.
Even if you didn’t know what the story of each film was, you’d most likely know the villains that gave many of us countless sleepless nights; Freddy Krueger. Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers, just to name a few.
But what if these villains were just like us normal people in the sense that they, too, age? Never mind what their actual fates in the movies were – horror fans will surely be thrilled when they see Horror Vacui. It’s a photo series conceived by New York City-based photographer Federico Chiesa in which he attempts to paint a picture of some of horror cinema’s major villains from the ‘70s and ‘80s past their prime.
Specifically, Federico featured Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Michael Myers (Halloween), and Grady’s Daughters (The Shining). The infamous Darth Vader (Star Wars) even earned himself a spot in this series, too!
About 30 to 40 years since they first terrorized viewers, Freddy, Jason, Michael, and company may have fallen into bad habits, gone homeless and reduced to begging for spare change, or been confined to nursing homes. Still, they look just as menacing as when they first terrorized viewers decades ago.
Horror Vacui was made possible with the help of Carolina Trotta, who was in charge of makeup, special effects, and styling.
Visit Federico Chiesa’s Behance portfolio to see more of his work!
All images by Federico Chiesa. Used with Creative Commons permission.