The best way for you to learn about Horror Films is to read and listen to The Scariest Things. The next best thing to do is to watch a Horror Documentary. You will find a documentary that aligns with your favorite horror tropes. Giallo? Check! Grindhouse? Check! Classic Universal Monsters? That too. In Episode 125, the Scariest Things team reveals nine movies that will increase your knowledge and love of the genre.
It’s time to get serious about movies with colons: The Horror Documentaries. Too dry you think? Not enough dramatic tension? Not enough character development? Nonsense! Documentaries are endlessly entertaining, and when it’s about what you love to watch, it’s a REALLY easy watch and deepens your love of the genre that much more.
The Horror genre offers a lot of wonderful behind-the-scenes stories. People have a fascination with the creation of films, the insider Hollywood secrets that give you a peek behind the curtain. And with Horror films, because they are filled with such odd characters and have to operate on shoestring budgets, the stories of these films and the people who make them become compelling central figures for a documentary film.
Alfred Hitchcock, George Romero, Roger Corman, William Friedkin, Stanley Kubrick, Larry Cohen, Al Adamson, Jack Pierce… these are all people worthy of extra analysis. But so are some of the forgotten cult films like Monster Squad (Wolfman’s Got Nards) and Troll 2 (Best Worst Movie) both of which were initially considered box office and artistic failures, only to find their audiences as underdog cult films decades later.
We mention this when we talk about horror film festivals, but the fan base that supports a horror film festival will also desire documentary information about the films they love. We’re wired differently. It is the genre that has legions of fans who will support and defend the outrageous, the daring, and the controversial.
For additional Horror Documentary reference, please check out our 20 Great Horror Documentaries Dead List which describes some of the films in discussion in the Podcast Episode 125, but includes many others worth your attention.
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