Horror screen writing the nature of fear

Takingseriouslyamuch-malignedgenre,DevinWatsondoesn’tjustteachthereader,he
collaborateswiththereader.Hewalksusthrougheverystepofwhatmakesgreathorror,
fromitscinematichistorytothenatureofthebeast,andhedoessoinsuchanengaging,
conversationalstylethatit’seasytoforgethealsoknowsfartoomanywaystokillaman.
—RobertGrant,SCI-FI-LONDON
With a style that is personal and engaging, and with first-rate content, Watson leads the
aspiringhorrorwriterthroughastep-by-stepprocessofcreatingascreenplaythatspeaks
to all that is great, resonant, and desired in the horror genre. Watson makes fine use of
examplesandanalysisofknownworkswhilechallengingthereadertocreateanoriginal
script,andoncethatscriptisdone,hegivestipsonhowtogetitintothemarketplace!For
thosewritinginthehorrorgenre,thisbookisindispensable.
— Jule Selbo is an Associate Professor, Screenwriting, in the Radio-TV-Film
Department at California State University, Fullerton. Professional writing credits
include feature films and television series: Hard Promises, Hunchback of Notre
DamePartDeux,YoungIndianaJonesChronicles,MelrosePlace,andMayaand
Miguel.HerrecentbooksincludeScreenplay:IdeatoSuccessfulScript(2007)and
thecompanionvolumeTheRewrite:FirstDrafttoMarketplace(2008).
HorrorScreenwritingjustbecameoneofmyfavoritewritingbooks.DevinWatsondeftly
explains why creepy is cool and how you can scare people for fun and profit. Fear was
neversomuchfun!
—PaulaBerinstein,producerandhost,“TheWritingShow”
www.writingshow.com
DevinWatson’sHorrorScreenwriting:TheNatureofFearisunequivocallythegreatest
bookaboutwritinghorrorthatexists...Devincoverseverything:thehistoryofhorror,
theetiologyoffear,horrorgenres,styles...Fromtherehegoesontotalkaboutpacing,
avoiding talking heads, keeping the “stakes” up (particularly valuable if you’re writing
aboutvampires),howtogetthemostoutofdialogueinhorror,andalloftheotherbasic

ghouls(sorry)ofthetrade.
Thisisjustagreatbookwhetherornotyourgenreishorror.It’ssomeonespeaking—
not preaching — from experience about how to write a truly dramatic, original,
commercialscreenplaywhich,lasttimeIchecked,screenwritingissupposedtobeabout.
—JeffreyM.Freedman,Screenwriter,Vivaldi,BadNumbers
www.jeffreymfreedman.com/vivaldi.htm
DevinWatsondoesanexcellentjob:takingapopularfilmgenreandturningitinsideout
toexposealltheelements.Ifyou’veeverwantedtowriteahorrorfilm,orevenifyou’re
justafanofhorrorfilms,thisbookwillnotdisappoint.
—MatthewTerry,Filmmaker,Screenwriter,Teacher,andColumnistfor
www.hollywoodlitsales.com


I’vealwaysrecommendedtomyfilmstudentsthatthehorrorgenreisoneofthebestfor
making a calling card feature film. Devin Watson’s Horror Screenwriting provides the
structure,blueprint,tricks,andtipsthatwillmakethatstarterfeatureigniteonthescreen!
—RobGoald,FilmDepartment,UniversityofNevada,LasVegas
This book may very well be the difference between writing horror and writing great
horror.
— Eric Henninger, Technical Review/Screenwriter, MicroFilmmaker Magazine,
www.microfilmmaker.com


HORROR
SCREENWRITING



TheNatureofFear
DEVINWATSON

MICHAELWIESEPRODUCTIONS




PublishedbyMichaelWieseProductions
12400VenturaBlvd.#1111
StudioCity,CA91604
(818)379-8799,(818)986-3408(FAX)

www.mwp.com
CoverdesignbyMWP
InteriordesignbyWilliamMorosi
CopyeditingbyMWP
PrintedbyMcNaughton&Gunn
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Copyright2009DevinWatson
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans
withoutpermissioninwritingfromtheauthor,exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotations
inareview.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Watson,Devin,1978–
Horrorscreenwriting:thenatureoffear/byDevinWatson.
p.cm.
Includesindex.

ISBN978-1-932907-60-5
1.Horrorfilms—Authorship.2.Motionpictureplays—Technique.I.Title.
PN1995.9.H6W322009
808’.066791—dc22
200901335
PrintedonRecycledStock


TABLEOFCONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONBYSPECIALEFFECTSARTISTGENEWITHAM
PREFACE:THEEDUCATIONOFTHEHORRORSCREENWRITER(ANDWHATYOUCANEXPECT
FROMTHISBOOK)

1.AGUIDEDTOUROFHELL
BeforeJigsaw,Leatherface,Freddy,andJason,therewasDr.Frankenstein,Dracula,and
theWolfman.EarlyhorrorfilmmasterssuchasJamesWhaleandWilliamCastlepaved
the way for Monsters, Atomic Monsters, and the Monster Next Door. Then came Satan,
Slashers,andSequelsGalore.
Getacrashcourseinthehistoryofhorrorfilmsfromthedaysof
Edisonuptothetwenty-firstcentury.
Learnhowtrendsinsocietyandcultureshapedfilmsthat,inturn,influencedother
horrorfilmsaroundtheworld.
2.THENATUREOFFEAR
BesidesdeathandtaxesthereareafewotheruniversalthingsinlifeFearisoneofthose
otheronesthatnobodymentions,likethecousininprisonInordertoscarepeople,you
havetoknowwhatcreatesfear
Learnwhereallfearcomesfromandwhatitmeanstoyouasawriter.
Discoverwhatscaresyouandhowtouseitinyourownstories.
We’llstartformingourideasforastoryandbegintheprocessofputtingittopaper.

3.PREPARINGYOURZOMBIE–FIGHTINGARSENAL
Guns, knives, flamethrowers — all those are well and good But if you don’t have your
trustywritingimplement,youcan’twritehomeabouthowyoufinishedoffthosehordesof
zombies
Aquickrun-downofthetypesofhorrorthatareoutthere.
Wenaildownwhatkindofhorrorstoryoursis.
Thetoolsofthescreenwritingtrade.
4.LAYINGDOWNYOURSCENES
Horror,suspense,thrillsandchillsYou’llneedthemalltomakeyourscenesengagingand
keepthestorymoving
Learnaboutpacingandhowtokeepthetensionandscaresgoingallthewaytothe
end.


Avoidingthe“talkingheads”problem.
Wecontinuewithourstorybydevelopingthefirstfifteenpagesofthescript.
5.WRITINGEFFECTIVESCREAMS
Dialogue in any kind of film is worth having Find out how you can make it better and
make your characters more believable, even while being chased by an axe-wielding
maniacthroughthewoods
Whatdialogueisandisn’tinascreenplayandhowtouseitproperly.
Howtosaymorewithless.
Knowwhentolistentoyourcharactersspeak.
Examplesof“beforeandafter”dialoguetweakingthatmakethestoryflowbetter.
6.THELIFEOFAHORRORCHARACTER
Creatingacharacterinahorrorscriptcanbeaschallengingasitisinanyothergenre—
orevenmoresoHerewegothroughtheprocessofcharacterizationinahorrorstory
Plottingoutacharacter’slifelinethroughoutthestory.
Knowingyourcharacters’placesandwhyhorrorhasdisposableones.
Understandhowplotpointsarecreatedbyorareaffectedbycharacters’actions.

7.COMPLETINGTHEFIRSTDRAFT
Most screenplays don’t make it because the writer simply stops Here we discuss how to
keep the story alive and fresh, and ways you can adapt these techniques into your own
routines
Avoidingsomeofthemorecommonpitfallsinscreenwriting.
Addingextratwistsandturns.
Ratchetinguptensionandsuspense.
Whygettingthefirstdraftdoneismoreimportantthanbeingcorrect.
8.EVERYTHINGELSE:TIPSANDTRICKS
Allofthegeneraltipsandwisdomonscreenwritingthatcanhelpyouintheprocess
Copyrightingyourwork.
Gettinganagentormanager.
Knowwhatyou’regettingintowithscreenwriting.
Howtomeasureyourstory’svelocityinaquantifiablemanner.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
FILMOGRAPHY
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR


INTRODUCTION

I first met Devin several years ago on the pages of a script he had written entitled
Tenebrous.Havingreadmanyscriptsinmyforty-plusyearsasaMake-UpDirector/Artist,
I was intrigued by this man and his concepts. I had never read a script with as much
enthusiasmandinterest.ItflowedsoseamlesslyandevenlythatIjustcouldn’tputitdown
untilIhadcompletelyreadit.ThenallthatIcouldsaywasaresounding“Wow!”
He has mastered an art form that is often maligned by people who don’t have the
slightestinterestinstudyingthebasicpointsofscreenwriting.Makenomistake,thereisa
structure and template that should be learned in order to produce a screenplay that will

readwellinthemind’seye.
However, I must admit, most printed matter that delves into this arena is stilted and
boring. Devin, however, has managed to develop a teaching style that is laid back and
relaxed and anything but pretentious. He makes it fun to learn and fun to practice this
enjoyable form. He manages to help you get to where you want to go, before you even
realizeyouwanttobethere.Andwithaminimumofhassles.Ihavelearnedmorefrom
this man in a short period of time than I had learned in several years of formal college
studies.
Screenwritingisachallenge,aswellasanartform.Thisworkcapturesthehistoryof
thegenreandhowithasinfluencedmoviemakingthroughouttheworld.
The facts are considerable, the history immense, and the learning experience is
magnificent.
Myhatisofftoyou,Devin...kudostoyou,myBrother.
—GeneWitham
2008

Gene Witham is an actor, stuntman, producer, and artist of special make-up effects who
hasworkedonfilmssuchasBabyBlues,SideSho,TheCursed,Manhunter,Grizzly,and
PlanetoftheApes.


PREFACE


THEEDUCATIONOFAHORRORSCREENWRITER

My love affair with horror began when I was a small child. I was often sick with one
illness or another. Pneumonia, bronchitis, and tonsillitis visited me annually, like family
memberscomingtovisitfromoutofstate.Eachnewboutofillnesswouldputmedown
onthecouchinthelivingroomorbackinmyownbedroomforweeksonend.Playing

withotherkidswasoutofthequestion.AndsoIdiscoveredbooks,movies—andmy
ownimagination.
It’shardtosayexactlywhenIbecamefascinatedwithhorrorstories.Mybrother,who
wastwelveyearsolderthanI,oftenshowedmescarybooksandmoviesfromthetimeI
wasveryyoung.OneoftheearliesthorrorfilmsIsawwasPoltergeist,whichwasreleased
whenIwasonlyfour.Itscaredthepantsoffme—butIlovedit.
Inthebeginning,though,ImostlylivedinaworldofstoriesIgotfromprintedbooks,
not from the screen. Strange as it may sound, many of the ones that frightened me the
most were from the Bible. Some of these tales I read in children’s versions of Bible
stories,eachboundinabookletofabouttenorfifteenpages,thatmyparentsboughtme.
Other stories I heard at the private Christian elementary school I attended. I was wideeyedatthefantasticaspectsofsomeoftheBiblestories:Jonahbeingswallowedbythe
whale,Lot’swifeturningintoapillarofsalt.Iwouldimaginetheparticulardetailsofeach
tale.ThedestructionofLot’swifeconjuredupnotonlythestrangenessofahumanbody
turningintoarigidfigure,butalsoimagesofSodomandGomorrah,offireandbrimstone.
IwasalsotakenbythestoryofMosesandthetenplagues,eachofwhichwasworse
than the one before, the last of which was God’s killing the firstborn of the Egyptians,
because they had enslaved the Jews, who were saved from this final plague by marking
thedoorsoftheirhouseswiththebloodofalamb.Couldtherebestorieswithmorehorror
than these? The teachers and the principal at my school were dead set against showing
violence on television, yet in class we were reading stories of death and destruction in
graphicdetail!
Later I also read some of the apocryphal books of the Bible, which left me full of
questionsaboutwhatmighthavebeenleftoutoftheofficialcanonoftheBible.Whatelse
couldhavehappened?
Like many other kids, I was a voracious reader of mythology, which started when I
foundacopyofEdithHamilton’sbookthatbelongedtomybrother.Iwasintriguedbythe
pantheonofGreekandRomangods,andforthefirsttimeIunderstoodthattherewasa
worldofideasandbeliefsotherthantheonesI’dgrownupwith.Iwasalsofascinatedby

storiesofthebattlesbetweenGoodandEvil,whichareattheheartofhorrorstoriesand
films.FromRomanmythology,IlearnedaboutEvilintheformoftheFatesandtheother
dark obsta cles thrown in the path of man by the ever-interfering gods of Olympus.
Sometimes creatures were created by the gods to keep man from getting too close to
knowledge,thepreciousprize,possessedonlybythegods.Toliveagoodlife,oratleast
thewaythegodswantedmantolive,meantgoingtotheElysianFields,andenjoyingthe
winesandfruitsofOlympus,whiletheevildoerswhodidnotfollowthewayofthegods
endedupwiththegodHadesinTartarusforeternity.
Ofcourse,talesofGoodandEvilgobacktothebeginningsofhuman-kind,evenbefore
the Greek and Roman cultures and mythologies, as I learned from further reading. Our
earlieststoriesoffearcomedowntousinourmythsandlegends,passedfromcultureto
culture.TheearliesthumanwritinghasbeenfoundinMesopotamia,datingbackoverfive
thousandyears,andthestoryofGilgameshistheoldeststoryofcivilizedman.Wealso
havemythsofthistimeaboutabattlebetweentheforcesofGood—describedaswinged
beings, the very first references to Angels — and the forces of Evil, called Demons. In
fact,theDevilorSatanisfirstdescribedinthestoriesbytheSumeriansofMesopotamia,
whocreatedapantheonofgodsnumberinginthehundreds.Gods(referredtoasdingir)
suchasAn,Enlil,Enki,andInannawerejustafewofthemyriadomnipotentbeingsthat
eitherbroughtlightandhealth,orraineddowndiseasesandterroronthehelplesshumans.
ThesestoriesofDemonsterrorizingmanwithtemptationanddamnationwereadopted
by the Hebrews into their Bible during the time of the Babylonian imprisonment. The
storyoftheGreatFloodisalsopartoftheseancientMesopotamianlegends.
When I wasn’t reading stories of mythology or religion, I was reading about some of
themanyhistoricaleventsthatfurtherfedpeople’sviewsofevilandhorror:Thebarbarian
conquestoftheWesternRomanEmpire,theearlymartyrsoftheChristianchurch,andthe
church battling paganism (or any other belief that wasn’t Christian). As a way for the
Christianchurchtokeepcontrolofitsconverts,churchleaderscameupwiththeideaof
turning the people’s former pagan gods into Demons and part of the Devil’s army. The
spiritsoftheforestbecamethesoulsofthelost,searchingforabodytotakeover.People
who were experts in herbal remedies and healing were cast as witches in league with

Demons.PeopleweretoldtobecarefuloftheforestforthedarknessiswheretheDevil
andhisDemonslived.
Beforemanybehaviorswerecodifiedintolaws,suchbeliefsmadepeopleafraidtodo
certainthings.Soonsomeofthesestories,designedtoscarethenewlymintedChristians,
tookonalifeoftheirownandwerepassedfromvillagetovillage.Someofthembecame
old wives’ tales, handed down by word of mouth. Others were written down. The night
was not friendly. Only those that believed in the power and faith of the church would
survive to see the day. Soon, the creatures of the night were given names: werewolves,
ogres,vampires,ghosts.Fearofthesecreaturesmadepeoplestayinatnightfortheirown
safety.
During the Middle Ages, the Pope called for an army of the faithful to go and save
Jerusalem for Christianity from the Moslems. Thus we entered into the first of several
Crusades, which lasted for hundreds of years. The Islamic leaders decided that the only
security they could have was to counter and attack the Christians’ land of Europe. The


Turkish(Islamic)armywentallthewaytotheGatesofPraguebeforetheyweredriven
back.
OneoftheChristianPrinceswhowaskeyindrivingtheTurksoutofEasternEurope
wasfromasmallSlaviccountryknownasTransylvania.Hekilledandthenimpaledover
forty thousand Islamic soldiers. Now, impaling is not any fun if you’re still alive while
they’re doing it, which they were. His name was Vlad Dracula and his reputation for
havingathirstforbloodhasgrownoverthecenturiesthroughourliterature.
Inspiredbythesetalesandotherlikethem,Ibeganwritingmyownstoriesatanearly
age,thoughnotallofthemhorrorstories.ThesummerIwassix,mybabysittergavemea
powder blue manual typewriter, and I would type out one- or two-page stories,
misspellingsandall,thatmydadwouldtaketotheofficeandhissecretarywouldposton
thebulletinboardthere.BythetimeIwastwelve,Ihadstartedgettingmoreseriousabout
writing.
WhenIwasinninthgrade,wereadinschoolabouttheSpanishInquisition.Witchcraft

and non-Christian beliefs were put to the fires of torture in the name of God. So-called
“enlightened” minds created mechanical means of torture and slow death. Although the
witches and demons they purported to fight were imagined, the man-made horror of
torturewasrealenough.
An even greater real horror arrived in Europe with the fleas and rats from ships that
wentacrossoceanscarryingthePlague,whichbecameknownastheBlackDeath.
And around the same time, books came into mass production thanks to the printing
press and with them came the “true accounts” of people who had run directly into the
horrorsofthedarkness.
IntheAmericas,legendsofElDoradodrovementosearchandexploreunknownlands.
But soon other legends and stories arose of unknown creatures that inhabited the inland
forest, creatures that supposedly walked on two legs yet called out with strange neverheard-ofanimalsounds.(Infact,theseaccountsweredescribingsomeIndians,whowore
animalfurbothforcamouflageandoutofthespiritualbeliefthattheybecamepartofthe
animal).
DuringtheFrenchandIndianWar,anewformofterrorwasintroducedtothefrontier.
InorderfortheBritishtoknowhowmanyoftheFrenchandtheirIndianallieswerebeing
killedbytheIndiansloyaltotheBritish,theystartedaformofbounty;Indianswouldtake
their victim’s scalp. What worked for the British-allied Indians also worked for the
French-alliedIndians.SoontheEnglishcolonistswarnedtheirchildrenofthenightanda
new“bogeyman”thatawaitedthem,onewhowouldtaketheirscalps.
InearlyAmericatheinfluenceofAfricandeitiesalsocrossedovertotheEuropeans.A
new form of witchcraft and Demons reached the shore with the African slaves that had
beentornfromtheirhomeland.Storiesofthe“EvilEye”andthedeadwalkingtheland
weretoldatnighttomakesureeveryyoungboyandgirlstayedintheirbedsanddidn’tgo
wanderingoffthroughthehouseandoutdoors.
StoriesoftheAmericaswouldtravelthroughEurope,becometwisted,andthenbesent
back to the Americas to be twisted all over again. Thus was the communication of the


trans-Atlantictrade.SomeshipsthatlefttheAmericasfullofgoldandsilverwerenever

heardofagain,andwerebelievedtohavebeendevouredbytheunknownleviathansofthe
deep.SomeshipsthatleftEuropetostartcoloniesintheAmericasneverarrivedandwere
believed eaten by the same monsters, while others started colonies that were wiped out
withinayear,leavingonlymysteriesandquestionsthatcontinuedtoeatatthepsycheof
bothEuropeansandtheirAmericancolonists.
The earliest history of the Western Colonies also brought with it tales of witchcraft.
Muchliketheperiodofthe“redscare”ofthe1950s,everybodywasseeingwitchesunder
theirbedsandhidinginplainsightastheirneighbors.Trialswereheld,andmanyinnocent
young women met their deaths after being accused of consorting with the Devil and
conducting witchcraft. There was even a manual written about the proper method for
detectinganddisposingofawitch:TheMalleusMaleficarum1orWitchesHammer.
OneofmyteacherstoldusabouttheMalleusMaleficarum,butIwasfrustratedbythe
factthattheteacherneitherhadacopytoshowusnorcould(would?)telluswheretoget
one.OnlywhenIwasincollegedidIfinallyseeacopyinalibrary.Now,ofcourse,you
can easily find these things online, but when I was younger I had to scrounge for
informationtofeedmycuriosityabouthorror.
EvenwhenIwasn’tsickasachild,Iwaslefttomyownamusements.Ourfamilylived
inthemiddleofnowhere.Thenearesttownwasthirtymilesaway.Atriptothelibraryor
bookstore was a rare and wondrous event, which I looked forward to eagerly. There I
discoveredEdgarAllanPoe(whenIwasnine),MaryShelley’sFrankenstein,Prometheus
Unbound, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (After which I did some research about Vlad
Drakulandsawforthefirsttimethatthestorywastoldindifferentways.)
Many things I read about as a kid — about the early Christian Church, the so-called
“Dark Ages,” the Crusades — I had no historical context for until I was an adult. But
everythingIstumbleduponandreadbecamepartofafrightening,yetevermoreenticing,
bodyofhorrorstories.
Later I also discovered the early science fiction of Jules Verne (science fiction and
fantasybeingfirstcousinsofthehorrorgenre).Ialsobecameawareofthetwopioneering
American writers of horror, H. P. Lovecraft, author of the CthulhuMythos, and August
Derleth,whonotonlypublishedLovecraftandcontributedtohisCthulhuMythosseries,

butalsowrotehundredsofstoriesofhisown.
I was ten or eleven years old when I saw TheShining, and in my early teens, I also
beganreadingStephenKing,startingwithTheTommyknockers.
I wrote stories all through high school (about ten to twelve pages each). I already
enjoyedwritinghorrormorethananythingelse,thoughIprobablycouldn’thavetoldyou
soatthetime.
By then, horror movies, in particular, were the forbidden fruit that I craved. They
shocked and scared me, and had a mystical hold on me that to this day has never left.
Thoseofuswhoarehard-corehorrorfanscan’tgetenoughofit.It’snotjustamatterof
taste, but a fascination with evil, horror, destruction, gore, and the rush of feeling fear
itself.Horrorhadbecomemydrugofchoice.


AtfirstIdidn’tmaketheconnectionbetweenmyinterestinwritingstories(evenwhen
theywerehorrorstories)andmyloveofhorrorfilms.Itwasn’tuntilmuchlater,afterIhad
seen literally a few thousand movies, that I considered writing my own screenplays.
Armedonlywithmyimaginationandafewsparsebooksonthesubject,Ibeganmyown
questtolearnhowtotellastoryforthescreen.
The first few were, to say the least, absolutely awful. Writers may very well be the
harshest critics of their own work, but these scripts truly were terrible. It took
determination, time, and writing quite a number of scripts before I felt even remotely
comfortablewithastylethatIcouldcallmyown.
One of my first influences as a horror screenwriter was Stephen King. Since I didn’t
haveanideaofmyownvoiceorhowtowrite,hegavemeastartingpoint.Ilearnedthatif
youwritenaturally,anddon’tforceit,yourownvoiceeventuallywillcomeout.
Ihavebeenastudentofscreenwritingforfifteenyears.Itismybeliefthatyounever
fullymasteranartsuchasthis.(Istillre-readStephenKing’sTheStandeveryfewyears.)
Ifyoukeepyourmindopentonewideasaboutit,you’llfindthatthere’snotrulycorrect
waytowriteascript.

WHATYOUCANEXPECTFROMTHISBOOK

And that’s where this book comes in. Every bit of information here is based on the
difficultlessonsIlearnedoverthelastfifteenyears.Itishard-earnedinformationgleaned
from books, other screenwrit ers, my own experiences, and from filmmakers I watched
whileworkingonset.
Idon’twantyoutotakethisbookasabe-all,end-all,guideeithertotheartofwritinga
screenplayortowritinghorror.Itcanserve,however,asagoodfoundationforyouasyou
beginorcontinueyourownjourneythroughthisfascinatingandoftenchallengingfield.
Idonotespouseoneparticular“method”or“system”foryoutoachievesuccess.Inmy
opinion,methodsandsystemsonlyservetoconstrainandconfineapersonwhowantsto
write,whomaynottaketothem.Howtofindyourownway,though,issomethingthat
canbelearned,andthisbookwillhelpyoudojustthat.
Successinthisbusinessisbasedonpersistenceinthefaceofoverwhelmingodds,much
like the odds the characters in your stories face or will face. There are no magical
shortcuts to take you to wealth and fame in this business. Do it because you love it;
otherwiseyou’llbeverydisappointed.
Therearereallyonlyafewhardandfastrulesforwritingascreenplayyouneedtokeep
inmind,andwe’llgetintoallofthem.Beyondthat,though,Idon’tbelieveit’shelpfulto
havealengthychecklistofthingsyoumustormustnotdo.Ifyourmindisclutteredwith
tryingtosatisfythatmanyrequirements,you’llforgetyou’rewritingastoryandmayend
upwritingsomethingthatreadsmorelikeamanual.
During the course of this book, we’re going to write a horror script together. I’m not
goingtofinishit,though.Itwillbeuptoyoutocompletethejourneythatwewillbegin


together. But this is not just an exercise for you, dear reader. This is where the training
wheelscomeoffandyouwillbetravellingunderyourownpowers.
Solet’sstartthescriptincollaboration.I’llhelpyououtalongtheway,butyou’llhave
to put in the work, too, in order to go the distance. As a famous professional baseball

coachsaid:“Icangetyoutotheball,butthenyougottadance.”Andintheend,you’ll
havesomethingfrighteningthatyoucanbeproudof.
There’s more. You’ll have a chance to submit your version of the ending of this
screenplaytoprofessionals.Itmaybeyourchancetogetdiscovered.

1YoucanfindacompletecopyoftheWitchesHammeronlineatmalleusmaleficarum.org




BEFOREJIGSAW, THERE WEREFREDDYKRUEGER ANDJASONVOORHEES.Beforethosetwo
were slicing and dicing up teenagers, there were Michael Myers and Leatherface. And
longbeforeeitherofthem,therewereDracula,theWolfman,DoctorFrankenstein,andhis
monster.Andbeforeallofthem,therewasNergal,LordofDeath.
Horrorhas,amongallofthegenresinfilmandwrittenworks,oneofthelongest,most
distinguished, and often misunderstood bloodlines in history. It is often overlooked by
criticswhodon’tseeanythingmorethanbloodandgutsonthescreen,oracollectionof
cheap scares. But what is most often missed is its commentary on society and life in
general.
This genre also has a unique ability to show, in a frank, explicit manner, the ills of
societyandbeawarningtousifwedon’tdosomethingaboutit.Thisiswherewecanget
away with showing some of the ugliest, most disgusting things. We can explore that
shadowysideofhumannaturethatmanypeoplewouldratherhavesweptundertherug.
Andpeoplewillpaymoneytoseeit!
Before films were invented, the horror genre already had a long history in myth,
folklore, short stories, novels, dime novels and just about anything else that could be
written,printed,ortoldonadarknightinfrontofafire.Buthowdidanyoneeverthinkof
makingahorrormovie?
The invention of movies by Thomas Edison was seen at first as just a passing fad,
nothingthatwasgoingtobeofimportance.Afterall,picturesandfilmhadbeenaround

foralongtime.AlthoughEdisonhadfiguredoutawaytomakepicturesmove—andat
first,itwasexcitingtoseeapersonwalkabout,doadance,flexsomemuscles—those
clips became boring really quickly. But soon early filmmakers had the idea to make
moving pictures tell a story, and Edison created one of the earliest film stories in The
GreatTrainRobbery(1903),thefirstWestern,shotinNewJersey.
TheFrenchfellinlovewiththeinventionofthemoviecameraandalmostinstantlysaw
thepotentialofthemachinemixedwiththearts.In1896,thefirsthorrorfilmwasshot.It
wasonlythreeminuteslongbutitprovedthatfearcouldbecontainedandretoldcountless
times.TheDevil’sCastlescareditsaudienceandgavethematasteofwhathorrorfilms


wouldbeinthefuture.
Theartoffilmprogressed,andalongwithit,horrorfilmswereoneofthegenresthat
progressedatagoodpace.
GermanExpressionismwasanimportantartmovementoftheearlytwentiethcentury
that had a great influence on all film, but especially on the beginnings of horror.
Expressionismwasanartisticstylethatdepictedsubjectiveemotionsratherthanobjective
reality — “through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and fantasy and through the
vivid,jarring,violent,ordynamic”wayusingformalelements.1
One of the most memorable and influential films was the 1920 German silent movie
TheCabinetofDrCaligari
FromWikipedia,onTheCabinetofDrCaligari2—
“The film tells the story of the deranged Dr. Caligari and his faithful sleepwalking
Cesare and their connection to a string of murders in a German mountain village,
Holstenwall. Caligari presents one of the earliest examples of a motion picture ‘frame
story’inwhichthebodyoftheplotispresentedasaflashback,astoldbyFrancis.
Thenarrator,Francis,andhisfriendAlanvisitacarnivalinthevillagewheretheysee
Dr.CaligariandCesare,whomthedoctorisdisplayingasanattraction.Caligaribragsthat
Cesarecanansweranyquestionheisasked.WhenAlanasksCesarehowlonghehasto
live,CesaretellsAlanthathewilldietomorrowatdawn—aprophecythatturnsouttobe

fulfilled.
Francis, along with his girlfriend Jane, investigates Caligari and Cesare, which
eventuallyleadstoJane’skidnappingbyCesare.CaligariordersCesaretokillJane,but
the hypnotized slave relents after her beauty captivates him. He carries Jane out of her
house, leading the townsfolk on a lengthy chase. Francis discovers that ‘Caligari’ is
actuallytheheadofthelocalinsaneasylum,andwiththehelpofhiscolleaguesdiscovers
thatheisobsessedwiththestoryofamedievalDr.Caligari,whousedasomnambulistto
murderpeopleasatravelingact.



MaxSchreckasGrafOrlokinNosferatu(1922).


CesarefallstohisdeathduringthepursuitandthetownsfolkdiscoverthatCaligarihad
created a dummy of Cesare to distract Francis. After being confronted with the dead
Cesare,Caligaribreaksdownandrevealshismaniaandisimprisonedinhisasylum.”The
pivotaltwistendingrevealsthatFrancis’flashbackisinsteadhisfantasy,andthemanhe
claimsisCaligariisinfacthisasylumdoctor,who,afterthisrevelationofthesourceof
hispatient’sdelusion,claimstobeabletocurehim.
SoonafterDrCaligari,othergreatEuropeanhorrorfilmswerereleased,cementingthe
structure of the genre. In 1921 a Hungarian film called The Death of Dracula, the first
vampiremovie,wasmade,thefirstofmanyadaptationsofBramStoker’snovel.
In 1922 Nosferatu was produced from an unauthorized film adaptation of Stoker’s
novel.Itwasshotonlocationandbecauseofcopyrightproblems,thevampirewasnamed
NosferaturatherthanDraculaandthelocationwaschangedfromTransylvaniatoBremen.
In2000,afilmcalledShadowoftheVampirewasmadethatexploredthequestionofwhat
wouldhappenifthecentralcharacter,playedbyMaxSchreck,werearealvampire.
Ofcourse,thelegendofFaustwasbroughtintoplayasamoviein1913withStudentof
Prague. A student makes a pact with the devil for wealth and women. (It sounds like a

pact made every week before final exams at any college or university in the United
States.)
TheJewishstoryoftheGolemwasalsousedinearlymonstermovies,suchasinThe
MonsterofFate(1914)andtheremakein1917,TheGolemandtheDancer.Thesewere
interestingstoriesofaman-likecreaturemadeofclay,boughttolifebyasecretHebrew
prayerplacedintoitsmouth,basedontheideathatGod,orratherthesecretprayer,can
createlifewheretherewasnone.Theversionof1920,TheGolem,wasanexpressionistic
filmthathadmanyofthesamestorycomponentsweseelaterinamorerecognizableform
intheFrankensteinfilms.
Okay, now that we’re talking about monsters, in this case the man-made kind: Many
people don’t know that the first Frankenstein monster movie was made in the United
Statesin1910by,ofallpeople,Edison,inhisEdisonStudios.Itwasa16-minuteone-reel
film,andthereweresomedifferencesfromtheelementsofthestoryasweknowit,most
notably that the monster was not created from body parts but inside a cauldron of
chemicals.
DuringtheearlytwentieswhileHollywoodwasstilllearninghowtowalkbutdidnot
talkyet,thereweresomehorrorfilmsmadewiththefirstAmericanhorrorfilmstar,Lon
Chaney.Chaneyhadbeenastageactorknownnotjustforhisperformancesbutalsofor
thetransformationsofgrotesquemakeupthatheusedforhischaracters.Hewasknownas
the“ManofaThousandFaces.”His1923versionofTheHunchbackofNotreDamewas
considered a classic until the Charles Laughton version. Chaney’s ultimate performance
was as the disfigured, deranged Erik in The Phantom of the Opera in 1925. It was the
dark, expressionistic tones that helped set the standard for horror films in the ’30s. The


unmaskingsceneisstillapivotalmomentinthegenre.
In the U.S., the 1930s were the years where horror films in Hollywood came to the
forefrontandenteredintotheirClassicAge.Dracula,withBelaLugosi,andFrankenstein
with Boris Karloff arrived in American theaters in 1931. These films marked the
beginningofarushofdifferenthorrorfilms.

Draculawasbasedonthestageplayofthesamename,inwhichBelaLugosihadwon
greatreviewsastheCountfromTransylvania.Universalboughttherightstoitandwanted
to cast a known actor as Dracula. The actor everyone wanted was Lon Chaney, but,
unfortunately,hehadpassedawayin1930,forcingHollywoodtodosomethingitnever
reallylikestodo:hirethestageactorforthefilm.
Universalhaddecidedtodotwofilmsatthesametime.Soundwasgettingpopularin
the U.S., but most theaters still hadn’t been turned over to sound. However in most of
Latin America the theaters were newer and had already been converted, so the studio
decided to shoot the English version during the day and the Spanish version at night to
savemoney.DirectorGeorgeMelfordwashiredtodirecttheSpanishversion,whileTod
BrowningdidtheEnglishversionwithLugosi.
Melfordrealizedthiswasanopportunityforhim.WithhisDirectorofPhotographyat
hisside,MelfordwouldwatchthedailiesshotbytheEnglishversionunitandtrytooutdo
them with better camera movement, lighting, and so forth. To this day many critics
considertheSpanishversionmoreimpressivevisuallythantheEnglishversion.
Nowwecometothe1931versionofFrankenstein.ThiswasthefamousJamesWhale
adaptationfromMaryShelley’snovel.Itbecametheclassichorrorfilmthatallmonster
horrorfilmsweremeasuredagainstforalmostfiftyyears.

JAMESWHALE:EARLYHORRORFILMMASTER3

JamesWhalewasbornintoaworkingclassfamilyinDudley,England,probablyonJuly
22,1889.Anexactdateofbirthcannotbedetermined.Growinguppoordeeplyaffected
him,asdidthefactthathefoundlittlesupportwithinhisfamilyforhisartisticleanings
andambitions.Laterinhislifehewouldsometimesgivetheimpressionthathewasofthe
Britishupperclassoraristocracy,butheneverforgothishumblebeginnings.
Hefirstpursuedacareerasanewspapercartoonist,butwasdraftedforserviceinWorld
WarI.DuringthewarWhaleearnedacommissionasSecondLieutenantandwascaptured
bytheGermans.Whileaprisonerofwar,helearnedtostageplays.
Afterthewarhepursuedacareerinthetheater,firstasanactor,thenasasetdesigner,

and,finally,asadirector.In1929,WhalewonnoticeforhisdirectionoftheR.C.Sheriff
playJourney’sEnd.HewaspromptlyimportedtoHollywoodin1930todirectthescreen
version.EnthralledbyHollywoodandtheopportunitiesitrepresented,heneverleft.
In addition to his horror classics, Whale also directed refined and intelligent films in
othergenres,usuallyadaptationsfromliteratureorthestage.Hisfilmsaremarkedbyfluid
cameramovement,leisurelypace,emphasisondetail,anddiscriminatingrestraint.Among


his films are the highly regarded Show Boat (1936), perhaps the best version of the
musical;apairofhighlysophisticatedcomedies,RememberLastNight?(1935)andThe
GreatGarrick(1937);andseveralsharply-craftedmelodramas,includingWaterlooBridge
(1931)andTheManintheIronMask(1939).
Coming on the heels of Show Boat, The Road Back (1937), his film of Erich
Remarque’ssequeltoAllQuietontheWesternFront,wasexpectedtosecurehisgrowing
reputationasoneofHollywood’smostimportantdirectors.
But the Laemmle family, who controlled Universal and previously had given Whale
carteblanche,hadlostcontrolofthestudiobythetimeproductionbegan.WhentheNazi
government objected to the film’s supposedly anti-German elements, the studio’s new
owners took Whale off the project, and “comic relief” scenes shot by another director
wereinsertedtotonedowntheelementstheNazisfoundobjectionable.Theresultwasa
criticalandcommercialdisaster.
WhaleworkedouthisUniversalcontractwithsecond-ratematerial,eventuallywalked
off the set of his last contracted Universal film, and never directed again. Wise
investmentsallowedWhaletoretireincomfort.Relievedofthenecessitytoearnaliving,
he returned to his first love, painting, occasionally directed plays, and often entertained
youngmenatswimmingparties.
In 1929, Whale and David Lewis, a young story editor and later a producer, began a
relationshipthatlastedmorethantwodecades.Althoughtheirsexualrelationshipwasan
opensecret,theylivedrathercircumspectlivesamongtheEnglishcolonyinHollywood.
The sexual component of their relationship ended in the early 1950s, but they remained

friends until Whale’s death. In the early 1950s, Whale began a relationship with Pierre
Foegel,aFrenchmanworkingashischauffeur.
After a series of strokes left Whale physically and spiritually depleted, he committed
suicidebythrowinghimselfintohisswimmingpoolonMay29,1957.Becausehissuicide
notewaswithhelduntilafterLewis’sdeath(andfirstpublishedinJamesCurtis’biography
ofthedirector),Whale’sdeathwasshroudedinmysteryformanyyears.Hisnotebasically
said,“Thefutureisjustoldageandillnessandpain...Imusthavepeaceandthisisthe
onlyway.”

1945:THEMONSTERISREBORN

Due to the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent involvement of major filmproducing countries in it, the horror genre was not revisited until the latter half of the
1940s.TheHollywoodfilmmakingmachinehaditshandsfullwithmakingwarpictures
anddocumentaries.
Thelate1940sgavebirthtotwointerestingforcesinworldhistorythatshapedhorror
filmmakingduringitstime.ThelatterhalfofthedecademarkedthebeginningoftheCold
WarbetweentwoformerAlliesthathadbeatenNaziGermany,andtheriseofcommunism
asthenewenemyoftheUnitedStates.
ThesecondhappenedafteranincidentinthenorthwesternU.S.,whereaveteranpilot,


while flying his private plane, noticed several unfamiliar flying objects in the same sky
spacehewasin.Hegavethemaname,whichhasstuckeversince,becauseitdescribedso
wellwhathesaw.Theterm“flyingsaucers”enteredintoourvocabularyandhasn’tleft
since. This began a new form of horror film, which fit in perfectly with the Cold War
mentality. The thought that some unknown entity was visiting our planet (without our
permission,noless)andflyingaroundalmostunstoppable,evenbyoursuperiormilitary
that had won the war and beaten both the Nazis and the Japanese, was enough to send
peopleforcover.
We had jets. We had atomic bombs. We were the most powerful nation that had ever

existedonthefaceofEarthsincethebeginningoftime.Wehadbrokenthesoundbarrier
in1947,andnowwewereontheedgeofouterspace.Howcouldweletunknownbeings
come here? What were they planning? It couldn’t be any good if they were sneaking
around without contacting the authorities of our planet. Paranoia grabbed the nation.
Maybe they weren’t really from another planet but from another country here on Earth.
Whowouldhavethetechnology?ThiswasprobablysomethingthatonlyNaziscientists
couldcomeupwith.WhohadjustasmanyNaziscientistsaswedid?TheRussians.Was
this the communist plot of world domination that Senator Joe McCarthy was talking
about?
Peopleweregoingcrazytryingtofigureitout.Paranoiawasrunningdeepinthelate
’40s and early ’50s, and Hollywood, as always, was ready to cash in. Soon movies
appeared like The Thing from Another World (1951), War Of The Worlds (1953), When
WorldsCollide(1951),andthetruemasterpiece,TheDayTheEarthStoodStill(1951).
Icallthatonemasterful,notjustbecauseitwasoneofthebestofitstimebutbecauseit
wasdirectedbyamasterdirector,thelastofhisbreed,RobertWise.Healsodirectedone
ofthebest(atleastinmyopinion)horrorfilmsin1963calledTheHaunting.Herewas
brilliance.Hetookallthethingsthatgobumpinthenightandputtheminafilmthathad
nospecialeffectsofanykind,noblood(notevenadrop),yetscaredthehelloutofyouby
usingsoundandcameraangles.
Hollywoodsawgoldinthemthar’UFOs.
And it still sees gold in them, as evidenced by Steven Spielberg’s E.T.(1982), Close
EncountersoftheThirdKind(1977),andtherecentremakeofWaroftheWorldsin2005.
Maybethespacealienswerethinkingoftakingoverourplanetanddestroyingus,but
thankfullywehadthoseatomicweapons.Ifwedidn’ttakegoodcareofthem,theycould
turnlittlegardenlizardsintogiganticmonstersoranormal-sizedmanintoagargantuanor
anordinarywomanintoonefiftyfeettall.
Thisleadsusintoanotherhorrorfavoriteofthe’50sandintothe’60s.

THEATOMICMONSTERFILMS

Okay,nowwe’vegotallthosecoolatomicweapons,whatiftheyweretoturnonus?
Whatisallthisstuffaboutradiation?Howdoyouspellmutation?


What,meworryaboutatomicweapons?
We’vegotthemilitaryhandlingit,andtheyarethebest.
TheywouldneverputthousandsofAmericansoldiersatriskoutinthemiddleofthe
desertinafoxholeanddropanatomicbombinordertoshowoffhowthemilitaryhandles
anatomicexplosion.TheyevencreatedanatomiccannonsotheArmyandMarineswould
feel good at having their hands on nuclear weapons instead of the Air Force and Navy
alwayshandlingthatstuff.Themilitaryknewwhattodoandwetrustedthem.
Mutation?Radiation?What’sthatstuff?
Oh,it’shownaturegoesandcreatesmonsters.
It is nature that takes the radiation released by the atomic weapons that have been
droppedoffinthedesertsince1945andturnsnicelittlepicnic-sizeblackantsintogiants
thatthreatentheLosAngelessewagesystemandthosenicetwolittleboyswholoveto
playinthesewerslikeinThem!(1954).Itisnatureagainthatturnsatinyspiderintoa
monster in Tarantula (1955). And it is nature also that turns a full-grown man into a
shrinking man for whom everything in our world becomes a danger in The Incredible
ShrinkingMan(1957).Allwedidwasjustmakethebomb.Weweren’tresponsibleforthe
sideeffects,asfrighteningastheywere.
Hollywoodwasmakingthisandthatgiganticthingormutatingit.Whateverbreathedor
walked, could be made to mutate. Even if it lived in a Black Lagoon, it could still be a
mutatedintoacreaturethatwashalfman,halffish.Justmutateitandputitonthescreen
asquicklyaspossible.
ItwasalsoatthistimethatJapansawthebirthofitsownlong-livedatomicmonsterin
Godzilla(1954).Thereal-lifehorroroftheAmericans’droppingthebombnotonce,but
twice,onthelittleislandnationwouldnowcometohaunttheJapaneseanewintheaters,
asthemonsterravagedTokyoagainandagainfordecadestocome.

WILLIAMCASTLE4

I can’t leave this period of horror filmmaking without giving a nod to another of its
masters,WilliamCastle.Castlewasnotonlyabrilliantfilmmakerandtelevisionproducer,
buthewasoneofthemostbrilliantmarketerswhoeverworkedinthebusiness.Wemay
lookbackathisfilmsandcallthemschlockoranyotherthingwewant,butthetruthis,he
understoodandknewhisaudience.Andhegavethemwhattheywanted.
People came to his movies to be scared and no one was ever disappointed. At some
screeningofhismovies,peopledressedasnurseswerehiredtobeinthehallwayofthe
theaterincaseyoufaintedfromfright.Castleevenmadesuresomepeoplewouldjump
out of their seats: he had electric wires run to random seats. Then, at the right dramatic
moment,thespectatorsinthewiredseatswerezappedintojumpingup,andeveryoneelse
wouldfollow.
Castle’sTheHouseonHauntedHill(1959)isaclassicandhasevenbeenremadefor


modern audiences. Ahead of the crowd, Castle understood marketing and knew how to
capitalize on it. With the changes that were going on in the business, Mr. Castle would
become a film-maker emulated in the future. He was also the basis for the character of
LawrenceWoolseyinMatinee(1993),anhomagenotonlytoMr.Castlebutalsotothe
movieshemade.

THELOOSENINGOFCENSORSHIP’SGRIP

The 1950s also marked two key events, both coming from the publishing world, which
wouldeventuallyopenthedoorformoreexplicitandgraphichorrorfilms.
In1955,thefirstissueofPlayboyhitthenewsstands.Itseemedthenationwasheading
into a new direction that was more tolerant. Nudity was no longer a taboo to be hidden
awayinshame.Itwouldnotbeuntilthe1960sthatHughHefner’spublicationwouldbe
more commonly accepted, though, and not without fighting much of the establishment

alongtheway.
The other major landmark event was the first printing, publishing, and subsequent
obscenity trial for Henry Miller’s TropicofCancer in 1961. This particular fight would
notendwithadefinitivejudgmentuntil1964.
Uptothispointintime,therewereextremelyrigidcensorshiprulesinplace,notjust
forfilmbutfortelevision,also.Todepictevenarealisticgunshotwoundoneitherthebig
orsmallscreenwasanathema.Today,obviously,thisisnolongerthecase,butinthatera
it was considered not just objectionable material, but even obscene and something that
shouldneverbeshowntothepublic.
Theendofthe1950sandbeginningofthe1960sopenedupaproverbialPandora’sbox
of ideas that could finally be shown. Many of these ideas would not be realized on
celluloiduntillater,however.

THE1960S:ANEWMONSTER

Thenithappened.In1960wefoundanewmonster.Oneofthescariestmonsterstoever
have existed, one that we were familiar with and understood better than any other, was
made.Thiswasanewhorror.Thiswaseverydayhorrorthatcouldexistrightnextdoorto
you,mowingthelawn,comingoverfordinnerparties,andsmilingpolitely.
In that year Alfred Hitchcock created his film Psycho, which opened the door to this
newmonsterknowntoeveryoneas—man.Thiswasthefilmthatintroducedtheworldto
anewhorror,thekillernextdoor.Itwas,inreality,thefirstpsychologicalkillerfilm.The
very term “psycho” called to mind a medical term, and it was haunting, whenever you
thoughtaboutit.Akillerwhokilledbecausehelikedit(orhismothermadehimdoit)and
mostfrighteningofall,henotonlylikedit,heenjoyedit.Therehavebeenotherfilmsto
follow in Psycho’s footsteps, most of which were merely poor copies. There have also
beenafewexcellentexamplesthatcamedecadeslatersuchasHenry:PortraitofaSerial


Killer (1986), AmericanPsycho (2000), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Monster

(2003)
These are films that are disturbing and they should be. Not just for the subject of
murder,butbecauseofthebeliefthatthere,butforabrieflineofconscienceandremorse,
goI.Couldanyoneofusbecomeapsychopathickiller?Perhapsweweren’tquitesure.
Wedidknow,though,thatwecouldbetrainedtokill,asordinarysoldiersaretrainedtodo
inthemilitary.
Oneoftheurbanmythsofthe1960swasthatreturningVietnamveteranswerestillin
thekillingmodeandpeopleneededtobecarefularoundthem.Aquiet,glad-to-be-home
vetcouldjustwakeupinthemiddleofthenightandslaughterhiswholeneighborhoodor
takearifleandclimbatowerandshoottwentyormorepeoplewithoutasecondthought.
Inreallife,itdidn’tworkthatway.True,thedecompressionperiodfromthewarzone
tothehomefrontwasjusthours,comparedtothatofpreviouswars,whereithadtaken
weeks, even months, for soldiers to return home from the front. Of course, no one
seriously considered holding the Vietnam vets for several months, which would have
causedmoreharmthangood.Evenso,oncebackintheU.S.,formanyvetstherewasa
feelingoffailure,ofnotbeingwantedbythepeoplethattheyhaddreamedforyearsof
cominghometo,andotherstressesthatledtoPost-TraumaticStressDisorder.
Naturally,HollywoodjumpedonthebandwagontomakefilmsoftheVietnamvetgone
wild, some of which were more action/thriller, like Rolling Thunder (1977). Let’s also
bringintheultimatefilmoftheVietnamvetgonehalf-crazed,FirstBlood(1982),which
kicked off the Rambo series. George Fernandez even made a film about the subject in
1984,CeaseFire.
HitchcockhadhitonsomethingwithPsycho.Itwassoeasilyaccepted,andifhehadn’t
beenconsideredamasterfilmmakerbefore,hewasafterPsycho.Itopenedthedoorfor
manymorecopiestocomeoutofthewoodwork.Eventodayweacceptthepsychopathic
killerasatruemonsterineverysenseoftheword.Why?BecausewhenweseetheJeffrey
DahmersandtheJohnWayneGacys,werealizethateveninourseeminglyquietworld,
monstersdoexist,andtheycanbreakallthetaboosthatoursocietyhas,frommurderto
cannibalism.
One of the greatest literary and film characters created in recent years was that of

HannibalLecter.WesmirkandcheeratthecharactersobrilliantlyplayedbySirAnthony
Hopkins.Someaudiencemembershaveeventhoughthowmuchfunwoulditbetoinvite
Hannibaloverfordinner,aslongasyouweren’tthemaincourseordidn’thaveyourbrain
friedasanappetizerwhileyouwatched.
Even before Psycho had opened the gates to the new monster, modern man, the real
worldhadalreadyseenampleevidenceoftheinhumanityofmodernman,whentheAllies
hadopenedthegatesoftheNaziconcentrationcampsattheendofWorldWarII.Wehad
beenforcedtoaskourselveshowhumanbeingscouldhavecommittedthesehorrificacts
tootherhumanbeingsandstillconsideredthemselvescivilized.
Anotherfactorinthegrowingnumberofstoriesofordinaryhumansbecomingmonsters
isthewaymediahadshrunktheworldwelivedin.Therehadbeenactsofcannibalism
before,butwithlimitedexposure.(Therewas,forexample,thefamousAlbertFishofthe


1930s—wholovedtokillyoungchildrenandthenservethemfordinner.Hewasthrilled
whentheygavehimtheelectricchair.Helovedthethoughtofcookinghimselfonelast
time.)
Asourelectronicmediahasgrown,televisionhasbroughtustotheveryplaceswhere
wecouldseethekillers’faceswhentheywerebeingledofffortheircrimes.Hitchcock
hadalreadyseenallthis,hadunderstoodthemonsterwithin,andhadbroughthimoutfor
alltoobserveandinsomewayshudderatthethoughtofhowwecouldbesohorrible.
Recently,reportingthenewsaboutHurricaneKatrinainNewOrleans,acommentator
saidsomethingthatIfoundveryinterestingandprobablyverytrueinoursociety:“Weare
onlythreemealsawayfromchaos.”
Thinkaboutit.You’rehungryrightnow,yougotothefridgeorthestoreordialfora
pizzatobedelivered,whatever.Nowthinkaboutthis,thereisnofoodinyourhouse,there
isnofoodinthesupermarket,thereisnofoodinthecityorthestateyoulivein.Whatdo
youdonow?Ifyouhaveafamily,whatareyougoingtogiveyourchildren?Howfarwill
yougotosurvive?
Firstyougothroughallthedrawers,yousearchoutwhateverandyouuseit.Howlong

before the cats and dogs go, then the neighbor’s animals? How soon before you start
foragingorhunting?Howsoonbeforecivilizationisjustawordyouknewfromthepast?
Howsoonbeforeyou’rewillingtodoanythingtosurviveortohaveyourfamilysurvive?
Howsoonbeforeyou’retheoneperformingbarbaricactsjusttogetby?
In 1962, the world was introduced to the first of a series of films with Mondo Cane
(Italianfor“Dog’sWorld.”)Mondo,asasubgenre,focusedprimarilyontheideathatthe
footage was real, showing realistic situations in everyday life in cultures spanning the
globe,hencethetermforthegenreofmondo,meaning“world.”
Whenitwasreleased,MondoCanecausedastir,bothnegativeandpositive.Itwonan
Academy Award for Best Song, as well as the Palme d’Or at Cannes. So why is a
documentaryinabookabouthorror?Becauseitwashorror,onlyitwastherealthing.
Thesetypesoffilmsnotonlyopenedtheaudience’seyes,itkeptthemgluedopen.The
documentary approach showed sensational, unaltered scenes of real cultures performing
actsthatwereconsideredbizarrebyWesternsensibilities,suchasdevouringliveinsectsor
intentionallymutilatingthefaceasamarkofhonor.
Oncethatdoorhadbeenopenedtothesekindsofsubjects,besidesdepictingritualistic
torture,ritesofpassage,andotherbloodletting,manyotherfilmmakerswouldjumponthe
bandwagonwiththeirowninterpretations.RussMeyer’sMondoTopless(1966)usedthe
subgenre as a vehicle for his continuing sexploitation cinema while giving audiences a
peekintothelivesofstrippersin1960sSanFrancisco.
Mondocouldbeconsideredthepredecessortomodernrealitytelevision,onlywithout
anycommercialbreaksandcensoring.Thefilmmakersofmondowouldcontinuetooutdo
themselvesuptopresentday,combiningasmuchraw,realfootageofaccidents,autopsies,
and so on with as little staged action as possible. Arguably the culmination of mondo
movies would be in the Faces of Death series, which started in 1978. By this point,
however, staged footage was mixed with real footage to heighten the shock to the