Evolution of Modern American Horror

     When I think of horror, of what truly makes a good scary movie, the only thing that comes to mind is the Disney classic Fantasia, specifically the Night on Bald Mountain. The monstrous demon that emerged from that mountaintop was, bar none, the most terrifying creature I had ever seen in my life at the time. As I’ve grown older, and seen more things, I still remember that evil figure and the terror he instilled in me that, to this day, I strive to feel once again. What can compare to this literal archetypal figure, modeled after centuries of contrived thoughts of how demons could behave?

Prologue: Doll's Eyes

A single candle burned bright against the swallowing darkness, illuminating an old sunken tomb that had been liberated by an old woman, swathed in black. She moved with ethereal grace as she pulled a stool up to a large stone coffin, wiping away the dust with a dirty rag, before laying out a partially built doll on the clammy stone surface.

Of Angelic Dreams

Christopher watched on with cold disdain as the serum was injected into the twelfth soldier, their name and rank taken down by a short man in a lab coat. The glass separating them allowed Christopher a chance to look over the nervous looking cadets, who had all been told this was to prevent an outbreak of Spanish Flu from spreading through the Nazi ranks. He gave a half smile as a shirtless shoulder smacked one of his comrades on the shoulder, pulling himself up to a top bunk where he laid himself out.

Haunting of the Bell House, Chapter One

Eve danced up and down like a maniac, screaming at the top of her lungs as she clutched the letter and envelope in her hand to her chest. With her clunky Doc Martens and black tights, topped off by a pleated skirt and corset, she made for one interesting sight by the time William and Bradley came up to see what the fuss was about.

Guillermo Del Toro: A True Horror Artist

Guillermo Del Toro is a rare crafter of horror and fantasy that has touched upon multiple forms of media, from cinema to novels, and just this year to television. Well known for his work on the fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth, he was also instrumental in the Hellboy movie series, as well as the recent science fiction film Pacific Rim which grossed some $410 million in the box offices worldwide. Quoted as having said his latest film to be his most immodest work and that it was just him “being a big kid,” one can only wonder what his upcoming work will be like, when compared to his earlier career in horror.