SHOW NOTES

Ghosts, spirits of the dead, hauntings, the occult, mind control—all have become established themes in the genre of horror. But during the Victorian era, which saw the beginnings of cinema, a very real belief in spiritualism had taken hold of the western public—first in the United States and then crossing over to Britain. In the Georgian and Victorian eras, serious scientific studies were being conducted to research such paranormal happenings, inspiring a new level of awarene

It seems like it should be easy to identify films that fall into the genre of horror. But at the beginning of cinema, beyond obviously having no sound, there were no editing techniques. Méliès’ Le Manoir du Diable , which we discussed in the previous episode, was produced a few years prior to even closeups being first utilized. And as I stated in the previous episode, artificial lights for motion picture production were not introduced until 1903. Yet horror was already a popu

The public has always had an interest in horror and the macabre, and film horror, like a lot of film beginnings, has its roots in theatre and public spectacle. From Greek tragedy employing elements of horror to the spectacle of public executions to the oral traditions of legends and folklore involving monsters, we have always liked to be frightened and, perhaps, dance with death, but from the safety of the audience. Throughout history there have been many examples of how we h

On the first episode of this podcast, we discussed the etymology of horror, its meaning, and the science behind the genre, including who is its vast and varied audience and why. In this episode, we’re going to examine, not only the various tropes of horror films, but also the techniques behind this genre of film, and how it is distinctive from other similar genres. But as horror films, by their nature, create suspense and thrills, how do we differentiate them from genres of a

Horror is reflective of the dark side of human nature. It has reflected the darkness of our times, such as the violence of revolution and war being reflected in Madame Tussaud’s wax likenesses of the victims of the French Revolution. It has reflected the darkness of our talent for scientific progress and ability to play with nature, as illustrated by Mary Shelly in her literary masterpiece, Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. Horror further reflects the darkness of our po