5 scary movies filmed in Western Pa.

No one can deny that more movies are being filmed in Pittsburgh. Think “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019),” starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020),” Chadwick Boseman’s final film.

But the recent boom has not generated the type of spooky movies that made George Romero a household name. After all, it’s been almost 50 years since zombies infested the Monroeville Mall.

As Halloween approaches, it’s the perfect time to go back in time and revisit some of the scary films produced in the region.

‘The Silence of the Lambs’

Year released: 1991

Why it’s memorable: This could well be one of the best horror movies ever made. From the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter to the tormented Buffalo Bill, “The Silence of the Lambs” gave us a psychological thriller for the ages. The film, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, became the third movie in history to win the “The Big Five” Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Famous scenes in Western Pa.: In a memorable sequence filmed at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Oakland, Lecter bites the face of an unsuspecting police officer and escapes his holding cell.

Where you can watch: HBO Max until Friday

‘Night of the Living Dead’

Year released: 1968

Why it’s memorable: The cult film introduced moviegoers to flesh-eating ghouls, now called zombies, which have become a staple of the horror film genre. And while zombies are the main attraction, the film offers a wealth of social and cultural commentary, featuring a Black man as its central character. The man, along with a group of strangers, is trapped in a farmhouse as they fend off a horde of ghouls. The movie is widely considered one of the most influential horror films of all time.

Famous scenes in Western Pa.: The Evans City Cemetery, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, is the site of the film’s opening scene. It’s where the famous line “They’re coming to get you, Barbara” is uttered by her brother Johnny.

Where you can watch: HBO Max, Prime Video, Netflix

‘Dawn of the Dead’

Year released: 1978

Why it’s memorable: It’s an iconic follow-up to the classic “Night of the Living Dead.” This time around, there’s an unstoppable epidemic of zombies, which prompts several memorable characters (including Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his girlfriend) to seek refuge in a shopping mall. The film critic Roger Ebert called “Dawn of the Dead” “one of the best horror films ever made.’’

Famous scene in Western Pa.: The soon-to-be-demolished Monroeville Mall is one of the movie’s scene stealers. Devoted movie buffs flock to the mall every year for its Living Dead Weekend, where this year they lamented the mall’s fate.

Where you can watch: Rent on Prime Video

‘Diabolique’

Year released: 1996

Why it’s memorable: The remake of a 1955 French film, this psychological thriller stars Sharon Stone, at the peak of her fame following 1992’s “Basic Instinct” and fresh off an Oscar nomination for “Casino.” Stone portrays the mistress of a cruel schoolmaster and plots his murder after growing tired of his abuse. The movie also stars Chazz Palminteri and Kathy Bates.

Famous scene in Western Pa.: Prep school scenes were filmed at the former St. Philomena School on Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill.

Where you can watch: Prime Video

‘The Mothman Prophecies’

Year released: 2002

Why it’s memorable: The supernatural horror-mystery film stars Richard Gere, who plays a reporter who researches the legend of a man-like creature known as Mothman as he looks to reconnect with his dead wife.

Famous scenes in Western Pa.: One scene captures Gere sitting on a bench on the snowy Cathedral of Learning lawn, while other scenes are being filmed Downtown, in Sewickley, Penn Hills and Kittanning, according to a write-up in Pitt’s University Times. The hospital scenes were filmed at St. Francis Medical Center in Lawrenceville before it closed to become UPMC Children’s Hospital, according to the Pittsburgh Film Office.

Where you can watch: Starz