How Iowa’s Spirit Made It Into the Spooky Season with the Hawkeyes and Hollywood The spooky season begins in October, when horror movie marathons fill our screens, pumpkin spice takes center stage, and even the most courageous of us sleep with one eye open.
What you might not know, though, is that the Hawkeyes of the University of Iowa have subtly contributed to the production of some of your favorite scary (and not-so-scary) films. The Hawkeye spirit is more pervasive in Hollywood than you might imagine, from the imaginative minds who once roamed the streets of Iowa City to the distinctive midwestern gritty nature that characterizes so many horror heroes.
Let’s begin with Iowa’s writers, who are among its most significant creative exports. Literary legends have long flourished at the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, and yes, some of them have left their mark on suspense and horror. Consider John Irving, a screenwriter and novelist who attended the Workshop and went on to contribute his darkly humorous style to movies such as The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules. Irving’s work frequently teeters on the macabre—those silent, unnerving facets of human nature that make us squirm a little—despite not being conventional horror. That capacity to evoke feeling in the uncanny? That is the DNA of a Hawkeye.
Last but not least is the 2015 horror-comedy The Final Girls, a witty and self-aware film that both celebrates and dissects slasher clichés. Before moving to Hollywood, one of its authors, M.A. Fortin, attended the University of Iowa. Those long Iowa winters, when imagination is forced to run wild, must have given him the talent for striking a balance between humor and heart, making audiences laugh one minute and jump out of their seats the next.
However, horror isn’t the only aspect of Iowa’s connection to the big screen. From haunted houses to fields of dreams, the state has a rich cinematic heritage. You’ll see why so many filmmakers find Iowa to be the ideal location for the eerie and supernatural if you’ve ever driven by an old barn at dusk and felt a chill run down your spine. It’s almost like cinematic poetry, the contrast of emptiness and beauty, of endless sky and quiet cornfields.
Speaking of fields, let’s not overlook Field of Dreams, the most well-known Iowa movie ever. It’s a ghost story in and of itself, even though it’s not a horror movie. Are baseball players coming out of corn? That is both magical and eerie. Who can overlook the adage, “If you build it, he will come”? It’s both eerie and endearing, and it perfectly captures how Iowans view faith and creativity.
Hawkeye alumni have achieved success behind the camera in addition to the films themselves. Iowa is where many producers, editors, costume designers, and others got their start. Despite not being as ostentatious as USC or NYU, the state’s film program is known for encouraging unvarnished, real storytelling.
Students discover that timing, truth, and emotion are more important than special effects or multimillion-dollar budgets. Perhaps that’s why the Hawkeye influence is so potent. Every project has an air of sincerity and groundedness. You can sense that Midwestern soul pulsing beneath the surface of any movie, whether it’s a heartwarming sports drama that makes you cry or a slasher movie that keeps you up at night.
As you curl up with a blanket, some popcorn, and perhaps a flashlight this October, keep in mind that the scares you enjoy the most may be the result of a small bit of Hawkeye pride. The goosebumps, ghouls, and ghosts all have a hint of gold and black. Who says Hawkeye season and spooky season
can’t coexist?
