Sundance may be better known for its serious indie dramas than its bloodsoaked genre fare, but a surprising number of well-known horror films got their start at the annual festival – and we've rounded up a few of the most notable highlights from years past.
While the list is far from exhaustive – notable omissions include 2003's “Open Water” and 2005's “Hardy Candy” – it's nevertheless representative of the fest's commitment to spotlighting left-of-center visions, from shockingly smart limb-spewers (Peter Jackson's “Braindead”) to verite-style spookfests (“The Blair Witch Project”) to body-horror provocations (“Teeth”). Included are discussions of how each film performed with mainstream audiences, whose tastes don't always align with the Park City hype machine.
The 2015 Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 22-Feb.1.