Ten Reasons Why Horror Movies Always Take Place on "Vacation".

Horror films are intended to thrill and shock audiences. But there is one common thread amongst many of them that usually sets the tone for their predictability: the movie's location. Because horror movie directors simply aren't satisfied unless their chilling scenes take place in dense woods, the subjects in these movies often find themselves either relocating to, or vacationing in a faraway place. This has often lead me to wonder what path of logic was employed in setting these frightening films. What is it about remote wooded areas (besides the obvious) that makes them staples in scary movies?

#1 - Cars never break down within walking distance of a gas station.

Don't you find it amazing that despite technological contraptions like GPS units and OnStar service, vacationers always seem to find a way to break down hundreds of miles away from the nearest service station? Perhaps gasoline prices are so high that mutant killers know their victims will inevitably run out of fuel.

#2 - Cell phones never work in remote woody areas at night time.

Speaking of technology, there is yet another fascinating occurrence in many horror films: lack of cell phone service. Most of the time, the vacation spot chosen is so distant that cellular signals have become virtual mush. However, the lovely couple on their way to make camp usually is able to use their cell phones during the first twenty minutes of the movie. But suddenly, at night time, they're shocked to discover that their phones don't work when they need them most. (Did they even bother to charge those things on their 6-hour drive through the mountains?)

#3 - The hitchhikers are much more attractive in the boondocks.