LOS GATOS, Calif. — Producers of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things surprised have revealed that they filmed most of the show’s third season at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as an economical but realistic simulation of Hell on Earth.

Set in the mid-1980s, the series depicts a gruesome underworld known as “The Upside Down” populated by demonic creatures. To cut costs, producers sought a location with the atmosphere of a dank, dilapidated pit of despair with no escape, preferably with 1980s styling. Location manager Naomi Cole explained, “Camp Lejeune was our first choice but wasn’t available because they were already filming ‘Sharknado 7: Alien Teeth’ there. But Fort Bragg fits the bill!”

Bragg required little to no modifications as a Hell stand-in. For scenes requiring terrifying dark basements, crews used Bragg areas with flood damage dating to the post’s founding during World War I. The architectural design and most of the products available at the North Post Main Exchange also made it an easy location for suburban mall scenes.

“Plenty of retired NCOs who have been selling prints and tchotchkes since the 80s are still there,” Cole said, “so we needed very few props to get a realistic Max Headroom-sort-of vibe.”