Horror Movie Survival 101: Never Go Upstairs!

You may be familiar with the horror movie rules in Scream, or perhaps you took that quiz on Facebook that told you’d almost certainly survive a zombie invasion, but would you really know where to hide if you were the hero/heroine in a horror movie?
Horror films often feature houses, so if the police are on their way, where would you hide to wait for them? If you’d be more likely to run up the stairs than run out the front door, you need to read this.

Stay Away from the Stairs

Nosferatu (1922). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We’ve seen it a hundred times before in horror films – in a sheer blind panic, would-be heroes and heroines make a beeline for the stairs, which normally either lead to a dark, dank basement with no other exit – yeah, ‘cause that’s a good idea  – or to the upper floors of a house or building. This option isn’t much better than the basement, since you could get thrown back down them, or remain trapped like a sitting duck upstairs. Unless you’re not on the ground floor, avoid the stairs!

Raise the Roof
If you’re already trapped upstairs, try to get out of the window and onto the roof. If you’re only one storey high, you should be able to jump off and run to freedom without doing yourself too much of a mischief, and if not then shut the window quietly behind you, then lie down on the roof under the window frame, so that Ghostface/Jason/Freddy won’t see you when they enter the room.

To the Conservatory!
A manic killer may ransack your living room or check under the bed, and they’ll most definitely chase you down into the dark basement, but have you ever seen a lead character get killed while in a conservatory? Heck no, since most films don’t even feature conservatories, making them a great hiding spot. Just make sure you hide behind a piece of furniture and not right by a glass window.

Get in the Garden

(Photo credit: Urban Combing (Ultrastar175g))

The front door may be blocked, the building may be on fire, and the killer might be right behind you, but the garden is your best bet, as from here you may just be able to get help, save the day and get the girl. Note that this option only works if you live in a suburban or city area – running five miles through rugged countryside to get to the nearest neighbour (who could even be a crazed killer themselves) is not a good idea.
Apply these rules to your horror movie experience and your place in the sequel is guaranteed. Do you have the perfect horror movie hiding spot that hasn’t been mentioned on this list? Tell us by commenting below.

Guest Author Bio: Louise Blake is a mum to be and animal lover who enjoys curling up on the sofa with her pet pup, Harley, and watching TV. She loves to write and blogs for David Salisbury in her spare time. When it comes to horror films, Louise can be found cowering behind the cushions and wondering why she ever agreed to watch Psycho Killer Butcher 3 in the first place...