Crypticon Seattle, the great Pacific Northwest horror convention, has once again come and gone, but the memories linger. The panels are what make the convention feel like a class reunion. The panels are produced entirely by volunteer experts from across the region and are the ultimate in fan interaction. This is what it feels like to create a horror community, sharing our ideas and experiences with each other. This year, I decided to record some of the panels I participated in and attended to give you a sense of what happens at these events. This Pets in Horror panel was hosted by Brien Gorham, and I participated in it along with Kathy Fennesy and Todd Johnstson.
If you are a long-time reader of our website or a listener of our podcast, you will know that I have a big ol’ soft spot for pets in horror. Whether they are the MacGuffins, the heroes, or the villains of the story, pets provide strong emotional connective tissue within horror constructs. The use of pets also sparks some great debates regarding the narrative use of animals. Because we have such a natural affinity for critters, horror movies tend to exploit those feelings by putting the animals in peril. Fair, or not? We will talk about that in this discussion.
Brien was inspired by the success of last year’s remarkable film Good Boy which we have been a huge proponent for. You can use that link to listen to an interview with director Ben Leonberg, who discusses how he coaxed an award-winning performance from his pet dog, Indy. That movie, however, is just the tip of a very big trope iceberg. Thank you to Jason and Jasen for putting me on this panel, as it is something near and dear to me, and to many attending Crypticon.
Brien Gorham outlined his panel discussion topics for this panel:
“Indy the Dog from Good Boy has become the latest in a line of cinematic pets to steal our hearts, but domestic animals have a long history in horror movies. Whether that be as a witness, antagonist, or, as in the case of Indy, a protagonist. Let’s discuss how our collective best friends have been represented in horror films.”
Introductions
- Opening question: If you could choose one pet from a horror movie to have in your home, who would you choose and why?
Some larger questions that can be applied to any category:
- How do our personal relationships with pets affect how we see them in stories? (Please feel free to include personal stories where appropriate)
- How does the motivation of a pet differ from human motivation? Altruism?
- How do we recognize animal performances? (Indy’s acting win)
- What resources are available for those who are sensitive to animal violence?Â
Part 1: Pets as Witnesses
Possible Movies: Cat’s Eye, Poltergeist, The Hills Have Eyes I and II
Let’s start with movies where a family pet serves as a witness or bystander to an individual or family crisis.
- In these cases, what purpose does the inclusion of the pet serve?
- How much do we hate it when pets are introduced just to be killed off for sympathy?
Part 2: Pets as Heroes
Possible Movies: Good Boy, Cat’s Eye, Phenomena, The Hills Have Eyes
Next, let’s explore pets that go above and beyond, playing an active role in saving the day.
- Which movie pets do you most admire?
- How do certain traits of specific animals play into this heroism?
- How much do we hate it when animals sacrifice themselves for humans?
Part 3: Pets as AntagonistsÂ
Possible Movies: Cujo, Lake Placid, The Uncanny, Uninvited, Pet Sematary, The Black Cat (any version)
What happens when man’s best friend turns violent, and our furry friends rebel against us?
- The most terrifying pets in horror?
- The most heartbreaking transformations?
Closing
- What beloved pets have we not seen represented in horror movies?
PET HORROR RESOURCES
You can check out our Favorite Horror Movie Dogs Dead List for our updated list of horror hounds for your reference. Kathy Fennessy is a former president of the Seattle Film Critics Society and runs the Seattle Film Blog. She has a blog post titled “Good Boy and Other House Pets in Horror: Purrs, barks, Growls, and Deadly Attacks.“ I find that Kathy is the unofficial research librarian for Crypticon Seattle and has a deep and thorough knowledge of the genre.
For those of you who get triggered by animal harm or death in movies, please visit “Does the Dog Die?“ It’s a great resource for people who need to filter their movies for moments that will trigger anxiety, with the primary trope being that of harm to dogs. It also covers things like harm to children and rape, which are non-starter elements for many people.
A Recording of Brien Gohram’s Good Boy: Pets in Horror Panel
Panelists:
Brien Gorham – Host
Kathy Fennesy
Eric Li
Todd Johnston
Please note: I was using a compressor microphone on the table, so the audio isn’t as clean as it would be with our dynamic podcasting microphones. Todd Johnston, in particular, is a bit faint, though I did boost the audio when he is speaking. Don’t over-adjust your volume, though, because when the conversation turns back to the rest of the panelists, it picks up.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Our Discussed Films:
Plus… a couple more
