With a self-explanatory title and Lance Henriksen’s evocative voiceover narration, this superbly edited and intelligent documentary consists of eloquent talking heads and extremely well chosen film clips. The heads (aside from a handful of writers like John Kenneth Muir) are largely those of prominent horror filmmakers like Larry Cohen, John Carpenter, George Romero, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Brian Yuzna, Mick Garris, Darren Lynn Bousman and the less legendary Tom McLoughlin. The quality levels are high enough to ensure this makes a favorable addition to an already impressive year for horror movie documentaries.
The feature traces horror right back to the violence in early cinema, through to the trend-setting imagery and narratives of the Lon Chaney era and German Expressionism. Recurring themes are highlighted (External Evil vs. Internal Evil ; The Other and ourselves ; liberal v conservative, gimmicks) and key world events are linked to the horror movies of their time, albeit with an acknowledgement that any “statements” in at least some of these movies would have been unconscious. The impact of the Wall Street Crash, the Holocaust and World War II (during which Val Lewton’s relentlessly dark movies were in contrast to the light touch of Universal’s 40’s monster movies), the Atomic era and Vietnam are discussed as is the descent into savagery in the 70’s.
There are a lot of terrific clips, including shout-outs to underrated or often neglected films like ONE DARK NIGHT, THE LEOPARD MAN (rightly hailed as containing one of cinema history’s scariest moments), THE BLACK CAT, THE SEVENTH VICTIM and DEATHDREAM. Sexuality (via HALLOWEEN and ALIEN) is considered, as is horror’s emergence into the blockbuster mainstream through JAWS. Time is rightly devoted to the rise to fame of Stephen King – premier author of shattering middle class America’s dreams – and there is a wonderful montage of all the best nudity and gore moments of the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise that might be the best thing you’ve ever seen if you’re a 9 year old boy.
When the movie reaches the 80’s there’s a nice parallel between that decade’s indulgence in (gore) spectacle and the FX-laden creature features of the 50’s, though Muir in particular goes way overboard in defining the parallels between Freddy Krueger and Ronald Reagan (they both had the same policy, building up outrageous “debts” for America’s future generations, apparently). Similarly, you may question the likening of Leatherface with Bin Laden (!) during the inevitable insight into brutal, xenophobic post-9/11 American horror, but most of the movie is totally compelling and it was a nice touch to fade out with a clip from the awesome THE MIST. Consider it an essential purchase.
-Steven West
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
