The Inspiring World of Horror

Caillou Pettis

The Inspiring World of Horror

First published by Falcon Publishing 2022

Copyright © 2022 by Caillou Pettis

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Contents

I. DEDICATION

II. PART TWO

Introduction

1925 - Phantom of the Opera

1931-1954 - The Universal Classic Horror Films

1931 - Frankenstein

1941 - The Wolf Man

1942 - Cat People

1951 - The Thing From Another World

1959 - Plan 9 From Outer Space

1960 - Eyes Without a Face

1960 - The Housemaid

1962 - Carnival of Souls

1966 - Seconds

1967 - The Fearless Vampire Killers

1972 - Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things

1973 - The Legend of Hell House

1975 - Jaws

1976 - Carrie

1978 - Halloween

1978 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1980 - Cannibal Holocaust

1981 - Possession

1982 - The Thing

1983 - The Keep

1984 - A Nightmare on Elm Street

1984 - Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

1985 - Return to Oz

1986 - House

1986 - The Fly

1986 - Blue Velvet

1987 - Predator

1988 - Pathos: Segreta Inquietudine

1990 - It

1992 - Candyman

1994 - In the Mouth of Madness

1996 - Scream

1997 - Funny Games

1997 - Lost Highway

1998 - Ringu

1999 - The Sixth Sense

2001 - Pulse

2001 - The Others

2006 - Pan’s Labyrinth

2007 - REC

2007 - The Orphanage

2008 - Let The Right One In

2008 - Cloverfield

2008 - Lake Mungo

2009 - Drag Me to Hell

2009 - Orphan

2009 - Coraline

2011 - Red State

2012 - Sinister

2013 - Under the Skin

2014 - It Follows

2015 - Baskin

2016 - Don’t Breathe

2017 - Happy Death Day

2017 - Get Out

2018 - Annihilation

2018 - Hereditary

2018 - Suspiria

2019 - Glass

2019 - Happy Death Day 2U

2019 - Midsommar

2019 - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

2019 - It Chapter Two

2019 - The Lighthouse

2019 - Doctor Sleep

2020 - The Invisible Man

2020 - The Empty Man

2020 - Run

2020 - Freaky

2020 - I’m Thinking of Ending Things

2021 - A Quiet Place Part II

2021 - Fear Street Trilogy

2021 - Saint Maud

2021 - Spiral: From the Book of Saw

2021 - Candyman

2021 - Malignant

2021 - The Night House

2021 - Halloween Kills

2021 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife

2021 - Last Night in Soho

2022 - Scream

2022 - Fresh

2022 - We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

2022 - Men

2022 - The Black Phone

III. AUTHOR’S NOTE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Author’s Note & Acknowledgements

I

Dedication

For Korynn. I love you to the moon and to Saturn.

II

Part Two

Introduction

Horror is practically everywhere you look in the entertainment industry. You might not think so, but if you look hard enough, you, too, will come to the same realization. And it’s not just in film either, but also in video games, novels, television programs, and even sometimes comic books.

Ever since I was a little kid - probably around the age of six (I know, way too young to be enamored with horror) - I fell in love with the genre and it all stemmed from when I first watched the 2006 remake of Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes. In my household, every Saturday, we would do a family movie night where myself and my parents would go to the local Blockbuster Video store (oh, the nostalgia) that was about five minutes from our house and pick out a movie that we all agreed looked like it would be good.

Usually, my parents ended up picking drama films - which I didn’t always mind because some of them I was surprisingly entertained by even as a little boy - but every once in a while, they, too, had that horror itch and I vividly remember the first horror movie I had ever seen with them was The Hills Have Eyes.

As a matter of fact, it’s the first horror movie I ever remember watching in its entirety and boy was it ever one rollercoaster of an experience. Right from the opening scene which showcases the extremely bleak and desolate locale that the rest of the film will take place in, I knew I was in for an experience unlike anything my innocent eyes had witnessed up until that point.

It is worth mentioning that my parents had no idea just how brutal and unrelenting the film was going to be before we all sat down and watched it, but they had just spent money on it and so they weren’t just going to pop the DVD out of the player and take it back. What I do remember is when a scene was far too violent for me to be watching, my mother would put her hand over my eyes shielding me from being traumatized for the rest of my life.

And as much as I tried to crane my head around to see the television screen, my mom’s hand was right there to readjust, making sure I wasn’t seeing any of the brutal violence unfold.

Even still to this day, I remember watching The Hills Have Eyes and being frightened by it for weeks afterward. But as much as I was scared of it, I loved it more. From there, I started to watch more horror films such as the Child’s Play series of films as well as John Carpenter’s original Halloween from 1978 which was my favorite horror film of all time up until a movie came out in 2018 that changed my life forever - which you will learn more about later on in this novel.

And I miss the days when I was staying home sick from school and ended up watching a marathon of horror films because it genuinely did fuel my love for the genre and if it wasn’t for me watching so much horror as a kid, I am not sure how much affection I would have for it today.

I would like to believe that I would still love horror more than any other genre, but really, the deepest, most affectionate loves for horror usually stem from people who watched them at a young age. Were they too young to be watching films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Probably. Yes. But they watched them anyway and found a whole new area of film they never knew existed before.

When I was a kid growing up with horror, I thought monster and slasher films were the only ones to exist, but boy was I wrong and I am glad that I was wrong. Up until I was about thirteen years old or so, I had watched an onslaught of films featuring jumpscares that seemed impressive to me back then, but lame to me now.

Eventually, I found a sub-genre of horror that blew me away - psychological horror. The kind of movie that does feature some genuinely messed up stuff, but also has a brilliant way of toying with your head. Making you question what you know and keep you on edge for the remainder of the movie.

Now, chances are if you are holding this book in your hands right now, or reading it on an e-book platform, you probably like horror films, otherwise, you more than likely wouldn’t have bought it. Unless you just wanted something fun to read which is great too!

But I am just going to assume that you, reader, are a horror fan. I have a question for you - have you ever thought about what influenced your favorite horror author, screenwriter, or director’s lives and careers? Or maybe a film critic you read that loves horror? They watch plenty of films all year, but that one horror movie certainly would stand out to them and change the way they viewed the genre.

Obviously one of these people wouldn’t have made a piece of horror entertainment had horror not been something that they were truly passionate about. I spend so much time thinking about this because oftentimes I will watch an insanely intense and thought-provoking horror film and wonder what exactly inspired the director or writer to get into horror in the first place.

It got me thinking so much so that I thought it would be an absolutely amazing experience to gather horror novelists, directors, writers, and film critics to discuss a couple of horror films they watched - ranging from the 1950s-2021 - that genuinely inspired them and changed the way they see horror.

As you will see throughout this entire book from the various different, highly talented individuals, horror has shaped them in unforgettable ways and each writer in this book has a deeply interesting story as to why their favorite horror film has inspired them.

To this day, the Academy Awards and various other ceremonies such as the Golden Globes do not recognize or honor the horror genre and it baffles me because horror is without a doubt one of the most important, if not the, most important genre of fiction out there. Not only is it the one that evokes the most reactions out of people, but it is also, in my opinion, and the authors in this book, the most diverse and rich.

There is so much you can do with a horror story if you tell it right and strike the right chord with the right people. And as you will discover in this book, these horror films certainly struck the right chord with the writers, directors, and critics you are about to read stories from.

I didn’t want to write this novel and discuss a bunch of horror films that I love and why I love them because I really don’t know who would be interested in reading that. But I figured if I wrote about why they’re so influential as well as bring on dozens of well-known individuals that have worked in the horror and entertainment industry, it would provide readers with fascinating tidbits on how horror has shaped them.

My goal with this book is to give readers a well-rounded view of how the horror genre has impacted the film industry as a whole, as well as authors, film critics, writers, directors, producers, and more. You’ll learn about some films that have impacted my life and how they are revolutionary, as well as the same for other writers.

So - I ask you again - have you ever thought about what films have influenced people in the horror field as well as the film community and the world as a whole? If the answer is yes, then this novel is absolutely for you. Sit down, get a snack and light some candles, and enjoy the stories.

— Caillou Pettis

Note: The rest of the novel to come contains spoilers for various different films mentioned in order to fully bring out a well-rounded discussion. You have been warned.

1925 - Phantom of the Opera

JED BRIAN

As a kid growing up in the 90’s I was very much so a monster kid. I still remember playing with my Hasbro monster face toy, enjoying the swamp thing cartoon and watching House II The 2nd Story . Even thinking House II was called Jesse and the Mummy since my mom had that written on our VHS copy that was recorded from the TV. Although I had grown up with having all these amazing horror-themed things, I still had a longing to see where it all begin with the Universal Monsters. As a young kid I would see them parodied as mascots for cereal or in different cartoons, but to see the original source material was hard to find on a TV with only 20 channels.

Growing up in the ’90s and early 2000’s it was hard for a kid to be able to find certain films. The internet wasn’t as advanced as it is today to have movies at your fingertips, if the local video store didn’t have it or it wasn’t on TV you weren’t going to see it. Which was my case with the Universal Monsters. But that intrigue and mystery of what these classic films were only helped build all this anticipation in me. The United States postal service released stamps in 1996 of Classic Movie Monsters. I believe this more than anything helped drive me to love horror as much as I did. Being able to see the actors before and after makeup was stunning to me, never in my life had I seen before and after photos from makeup applications. Seeing these images helped me find which Universal Monster film would be the first on my list to see and that film was 1925’s The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney.

Lon Chaney’s Phantom makeup truly blew me away, it was so real and in your face from his nose to his hollow skull-like eyes. I wanted to see this face move and show emotion, I wanted to see the story surrounding this Phantom of the opera house. It took some time see it but when finally saw it, I was completely memorized by it. Chaney’s performance was key to its success. The way in which Chaney became this character is truly remarkable and inspiring, inventing modern-day movie makeup effects and techniques to make his character as scary as possible still rings through today. Chaney was a pioneer in the art of changing his looks to portray his character on screen to make himself as believable as possible. By Chaney doing this, it greatly increased the realism of the picture, helping audiences become fully immersed in it.

The sequence where Christine played by Mary Philbin is in the Phantoms layer and sneaks up behind The Phantom playing the organ is one of the most suspenseful scenes in film history. If you think back to the time this film was released all promotional photos of Chaney as the Phantom had been altered not to show his face. It really showcases how important marketing is to get people to see your work. Universal knew what they had in Chaney being the man of 1000 faces. From this is learned to know your audience and appeal to what would make them want to see your film. People back then were dying to see what look Chaney would give to this character and were more than willing to pay to see it. At the point when Christine removes the mask of the Phantom, it reveals the true element of suspense and horror that still rings true today.

The setup of and anticipation is truly remarkable and the payoff couldn’t have been any better. Chaney’s ability to portray both sides of this character really shows how important it is to have an actor that can take on the heavy role of playing a torn character. Also letting the audience question and want to see more like in this case Chaney’s face helps keep your audience in the movie without looking away.

Phantom of the Opera also helped drive home the importance of your supporting cast, especially the comic relief. Snitz Edwards playing the role of Florine Papillon provided comic relief that really added to the entertainment of the story. A scene of his that has always stuck with me is when his character sees a shadow of the Phantom causing him and the dancers with his to flee. Florine takes a shortcut up a lift that comes out of a trap door. He scares the new owners and the stagehands one which steps on the trap door which activates causing the door to open and him to go down. This scene always stuck out to me as an important sequence in film history. This part helped show that even though a film is supposed to horrify you that if the comedy in the scene is done right it can help make the picture stronger and more entertaining.

With that being said timing and the right gag are key to the success of the scene in the film. Mary Philbin as the leading love interest of both the Phantom Erik and Raoul was a stunning performance. In her role, she portrayed every emotion possible without the aid of sound. Her look of shock and horror when she removed Lon Chaney’s Phantom mask is still regarded as one of the most horrifying scenes in cinema to date! Her patrial of Christine really reinforces how important the right person for the right role is. Her performance for that time period especially is truly gripping leaving the viewer feel as torn as she is. Her role really helped me realize how important it is to make sure the person who will be playing your lead role is the right fit.

To me, Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera is a film every filmmaker, not just a horror fan, should see. Not only is this film a horror classic but it is also a cinematic masterpiece that has truly stood the test of time. Even with its multiple versions from the 1925 version, 1929 version, and the 1930 sound version, you can’t go wrong with what was created in cinema’s infancy. Lon Chaney’s work ethic as an actor and makeup artist brings the full real-life horror of this film to life.

As a filmmaker, I still watch this film several times a year and seem to learn new things each time. The hidden gems that lurk in these classic films are enough to get anyone started down the deep dive that is classic cinema. I feel like we as artists have a lot to learn by looking at classic films such as Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera. From the technical aspect to the story, to the makeup effects, and the acting, there is so much for all of us to learn and enjoy.

* * *

Jed Brian is an actor, writer, and director, responsible for films such as 13 Slays Till X-Mas, Gift Wrapped, and Terror Trail. He is also known for writing the scripts for the Smiling Woman horror short series.

1931-1954 - The Universal Classic Horror Films

ZAKI HASAN

Given how familiar and, dare we say, cute and cuddly the images of Universal’s Dracula , Frankenstein , The Wolf Man , The Mummy , and friends have become to the generations of viewers who’ve known and loved them since their first theatrical runs—who’ve bought the action figures and worn the costumes and cuddled with the stuffed dolls—it’s easy to forget the initial intent behind these denizens of the darkness was actually to scare the pants off unsuspecting audiences.

Of course, that was long ago, during a simpler time when the bar for cinematic scares was significantly lower than it is now. But in an age when the horror genre has come to be almost exclusively defined by how many bucketloads of gore and viscera can be doled out, there’s something appealingly nostalgic about the gothic fright flicks that Universal made its stock in trade for the better part of two decades—thereby birthing not only Hollywood’s original horror franchise but also moviedom’s very first shared universe.

That’s right: The Universal Monsters helped pave the way for everything from King Kong vs. Godzilla to Alien vs. Predator to Batman v. Superman. And while it’s easy to see these films from a jaundiced modern perspective as antiquated or even inelegant, they’re clearly also responsible for our collective cultural memories of the monsters themselves. That speaks to the remarkable foresight with which they were brought to fruition.

Director Tod Browning’s Dracula, which got the whole thing started in 1931, arguably has aged the most poorly of the bunch, thanks to its lack of dynamism and general air of staginess—understandable, since it was in fact based on the popular stage play more than on the original Bram Stoker novel. But there’s no denying the selection of stage star Béla Lugosi for the title role was so spot-on that the actor has cast a bat-shaped shadow over every other screen iteration of the character, even though he himself played the role only twice.

This was followed by an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, also released in 1931. This one was directed by James Whale, and it gifted the world with not only the eerie, unforgettable presence of horror icon Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster but also the equally iconic makeup created by Universal’s in-house effects guru Jack Pierce. After Frankenstein, Karloff would play the title role in Karl Freund’s The Mummy in 1932, and Whale would direct Claude Rains as The Invisible Man the following year.

It’s worth mentioning that these early offerings weren’t merely quicky exploitation flicks the studio was cranking out. Rather, they were prestige pictures based on beloved books and afforded every expense—and it showed in both the critical and popular acclaim greeting their releases. The first Universal horror sequel, 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein, re-teaming Whale and Karloff (and most memorable for introducing Elsa Lanchester as the titular creature, a mate for Karloff’s monster), was rightly treated as a big deal; even today it’s regarded by many as superior to its predecessor.

Really, it was only in the wake of Bride’s release that the studio began to realize the profit potential in sequelizing this menagerie of monsters into franchise heaven. Four years later, with 1939’s Son of Frankenstein, the Universal Monsters assembly line truly was jolted to undead life. That picture carried forward the story of Mary Shelley’s creature where Bride had left it, this time with stripped-down production values and minus original director Whale (this would also be Karloff’s final turn in his career-defining role).

In 1941, the last of Universal’s original batch of monsters debuted in The Wolf Man, which introduced the world to Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), the tormented everyman with a very hairy problem. The studio had already cranked out another Mummy and two more Invisible Man movies, with the next Frankenstein in the pipeline. With the exception of the aforementioned Karloff and Lugosi, Chaney is the actor most identified with the classic monsters, holding the unique distinction of starring in 1942’s Ghost of Frankenstein, 1943’s Son of Dracula, and three Mummy entries between 1942 and 1944.

The Wolf Man was Chaney’s signature creature, whom he had the opportunity to reprise in 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. With Lugosi as the Frankenstein monster, this entry was notable for being the first monster crossover, with which the franchise traded scares for spectacle. Despite some very heavy (and very obvious) editing to remove Lugosi’s Hungarian-accented monologuing as the creature, the film’s inarguable success led the studio to throw even more monsters in the mix via 1944’s House of Frankenstein and 1945’s House of Dracula.

Featuring Chaney as Talbot, Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein monster, and John Carradine as Dracula, both House pictures were directed by Erle C. Kenton, and engineered around wildly absurd scenarios to place the monsters on a collision course with each other. By this time the eeriness, artistic flare, and creeping dread James Whale brought to his monster entries had long since given way to an efficient, workmanlike approach—short on genuine scares, but long on a gonzo, anything goes attitude that proved quite profitable to the studio, and quite memorable to the younger audiences they were aiming for.

In fact, this very profitability led to the final incarnation of the Universal Monsters in their original forms: as foils to another of Universal’s biggest franchises, comedians Bud Abbot and Lou Costello. Thus was born a series of horror-comedies, starting with 1948’s Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, which featured Glenn Strange again as the creature, along with Chaney’s fifth and final Wolf Man turn, and the return of Bela Lugosi to Dracula after an interim of seventeen years.

Now, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein is kind of an interesting litmus test when it comes to this franchise, in that it’s beloved by some aficionados of the genre and reviled by others. While there are plenty of belly laughs to be had, at no point does the movie make light of or mock its coterie of creatures. Instead, it earns its laughs honestly, and still allows the monsters’ final onscreen appearance—or lack of appearance in the case of the Invisible Man cameo—to be dignified.

And then, just like that, it was over. Sure, Universal would continue to crank out creature features throughout the fifties, with the Gill-man, introduced in 1954’s Creature From the Black Lagoon, probably the most memorable. But this decade also brought a bent towards mutations, space aliens, and science-fiction, signaling an end to the era of the classical gothic horrors in which the studio had specialized for two solid decades. By the close of that run, the original Universal Monsters had gone from being agents of fear to cherished friends who audiences enjoyed visiting and re-visiting. Which isn’t such a bad thing either.

The studio has tried numerous times in the decades since its heyday to once again shine a spotlight on the classic monster roster, and in our current blockbuster-dominated cinematic moment, the success of Disney and Marvel Studios’ shared superhero universe has Universal once again licking its chops to unleash a fresh onslaught of classic monsters. But while the jury’s still out as to whether such an attempt will take –– and for how long –– it’s safe to say any revival will have a rough time recapturing the madcap glory of the Universal Monsters during their prime.

* * *

Born and raised in Chicago — with a decade-long detour in Saudi Arabia — before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zaki Hasan has been a media scholar and critic for more than twenty years. He is a member of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, and his film reviews and analyses have appeared at HuffPost, Philly Weekly, Fandor, Sequart, and more. He is also co-host of the MovieFilm and Nostalgia Theater Podcasts, and co-author of Quirk Books’ Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture, as well as a contributor to books on the Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, and Blade Runner franchises. Additionally, he has appeared as a panelist on Al Jazeera America’s The Stream and HuffPost Live.

1931 - Frankenstein

MARIO ZERMENO

The Adam of your labors is a self-reference and only semblance of an identity used by Victor Frankenstein’s Monster. Theories abound about Mary Shelley’s inspiration for Frankenstein. Was it the loss of Shelley’s child? Could it be a cautionary tale about the unbridled growth of 19th Century science? There is even an idea that Frankenstein was based on Founding Father and scientist, Benjamin Franklin: Creator of the Monster that represented a new America built by a diverse people considered the dregs of other nations. I continue to contemplate these theories and more, but I was originally drawn to Frankenstein by how much I related to the Monster.

As an eight-year-old kid, we lived on a sparse hilltop overlooking the University. There were no other kids on the block. It was not an affluent neighborhood, but it was the best choice in this depressed suburb of Los Angeles. I watched television and portrayed every character in my imaginative plays. At this time, my parents were going through a painful divorce, which I was able to emotionally escape by engulfing myself in my neighbor’s lives.

Our neighbors were young, mostly single professors whose leisure activities included rebuilding a 1929 Ford Roadster, cocktail parties, pets, contemplating the meaning of life, and always making time to read. Johan and Sara would invite me to swim at the University. I had a part in rebuilding the Roadster by being in charge of tools and reaching my child’s grasp into tight engine spots where Jim’s arms were too big to reach. Rosemarie taught me to make Chocolate Fondue. Robert and I listened to Classical on his TEAC reel to reel player, and I read every Twain, Stevenson, Orwell, Steinbeck suggested to me. This little enclave was my safe castle. Things were different for me once I wandered from our hilltop.

I yearned to be accepted by my peers, but the kids on the other blocks were territorial. I was the ‘brown kid’ on a ‘sissy bike’ that ‘didn’t belong’. All inconsequential to me, but reason enough for them to fight. Sometimes I was able to talk my way out of it, but not always. In defending myself, I learned I could take a punch and I could kick ass. Unfortunately, that didn’t get me respect in the neighborhood; I was labeled a trouble-maker by many parents. These lessons in fighting became valuable because kids got tougher further down the hill.

To get to school, I had to make my way to the back bottom-side of the hill to catch a bus. The streets were packed with dilapidated Sears Catalog homes, built around a train yard and sprinkled with industry that perfumed the air with the scent of used motor oil. Stray dogs made the streets dangerous, and often enough, their road-kill-corpses added to the overall stench. The most frightening part of this neighborhood was that there was no time for leisure. Every moment was merely an opportunity to elongate a struggled survival.

There was no extracurricular activity, people worked on cars because it was their only way to get to work. Many didn’t have television or the relaxed mind for books. Parents didn’t have time for their kids. The kids would wake up and wander out onto the streets on empty stomachs, looking for food or money. I had to fight to keep my lunch: No talking my way out of these fights, just fists. I would often board the bus disheveled. The driver once remarked, You’re always fighting. At school, I was the strange kid whose clothes were a mess, never went to church, listened to weird music, and read books. Winnie, whose family escaped the war in Vietnam, befriended me and loved when I would tell her about the stories from my books. Eventually, she started reading them on her own and we would discuss them for days on end. We gave each other hope. She moved away at the end of the year, but her hope remains with me to this day.

My mom was coming to terms with the end of her ‘Happily Ever After’, and got to working double time. My dad was a ghost of a blip. I had no one to talk to. I didn’t want to ruin the few moments of joy I shared with my neighbors by talking about my hardships; if I could just sit on my little hilltop forever.

It was a Sunday. Mom was working. The television was on all day. The black and white, 1931 version of Frankenstein came on and stopped me in my tracks as the narrator ominously introduced the film. Actors Boris Karloff plays the Monster and Colin Clive, Doctor Frankenstein. My lost and lonely feelings were a movie! I was the mad scientist who wanted to bring things to life. I was a misunderstood Monster: an innocent mind forced to learn on its own. I would play-pretend as the Monster discovering life. In my mind, Winnie was the little girl by the pond. Instead of throwing her in to float like a flower (where she