Horror-of-demonic
Encyclopedia
The horror-of-the-demonic film is one of three sub-genres of the horror film
that grew out of mid- and late-20th-Century American culture.
(Nicolas Roeg
, 1973), or they could take the guise of witches, demons, or devils. ...Films about witchcraft and ghosts have always been with us. Indeed, the idea of an evil incarnate has a long American tradition. ... The themes of repression and evil forces have long been a staple of American literature, from Nathaniel Hawthorne
’s The House of Seven Gables and Washington Irving
’s "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
" to Edgar Allan Poe
’s “The Raven
” and Henry James
’ The Turn of the Screw
Derry cites two films as "the most important forerunners in this genre": Day of Wrath
(Carl Dreyer, Denmark, 1943) and The Devil’s Wanton (Ingmar Bergman
, Sweden, 1948), although Derry qualifies the second film as "not a horror film."
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
that grew out of mid- and late-20th-Century American culture.
Characteristics
As described by the film aesthetician Charles Derry, the horror-of-the-demonic film suggested that the world was horrible because evil forces existed that were constantly undermining the quality of existence. The evil forces could remain mere spiritual presences, as in Don't Look NowDon't Look Now
Don't Look Now is a 1973 thriller film directed by Nicolas Roeg. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland star as a married couple whose lives become complicated after meeting two elderly sisters in Venice, one of whom claims to be clairvoyant and informs them that their recently deceased daughter is...
(Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
, 1973), or they could take the guise of witches, demons, or devils. ...Films about witchcraft and ghosts have always been with us. Indeed, the idea of an evil incarnate has a long American tradition. ... The themes of repression and evil forces have long been a staple of American literature, from Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
’s The House of Seven Gables and Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
’s "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
" to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
’s “The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
” and Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
’ The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story.Due to its ambiguous content, it became a favourite text of academics who subscribe to New Criticism. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive...
Derry cites two films as "the most important forerunners in this genre": Day of Wrath
Day of Wrath
Day of Wrath is a black-and-white film, made in 1943, by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film is an adaptation of Anne Pedersdotter by the Norwegian playwright Hans Wiers-Jenssen, based on an actual Norwegian case in the sixteenth century.-Plot:Day of Wrath is set in a Danish village in...
(Carl Dreyer, Denmark, 1943) and The Devil’s Wanton (Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
, Sweden, 1948), although Derry qualifies the second film as "not a horror film."
Themes
Four themes that are common to these films lend a consistency to this genre.- the idea of vengeance, noted especially in The Haunted PalaceThe Haunted PalaceThe Haunted Palace is a 1963 horror film released by American International Pictures, starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr., and Debra Paget in a story about a village held in the grip of a cult. The film was directed by Roger Corman, and is usually listed as one in his series of eight films...
(Roger CormanRoger CormanRoger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, 1963), Horror Hotel (John Moxey, 1960), and The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
(William FriedkinWilliam FriedkinWilliam Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
, 1973)
- the corruption of innocence, noted in The OtherThe OtherThe Other is a 1972 psychological horror film directed by Robert Mulligan, adapted for film by Tom Tryon, from his bestselling novel. It stars Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, and Chris & Martin Udvarnoky.-Plot:...
(Robert MulliganRobert MulliganRobert Mulligan was an American film and television director best known as the director of humanistic American dramas, including To Kill A Mockingbird , Summer of '42 , The Other , Same Time, Next Year and The Man in the Moon...
, 1972), Rosemary's BabyRosemary's Baby (film)Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin...
(Roman PolanskiRoman PolanskiRoman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
, 1968), The Exorcist, The Devil's OwnThe Devil's OwnThe Devil's Own is a 1997 action thriller movie starring Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles and Treat Williams. It was the final film directed by Alan J...
(Cyril FrankelCyril FrankelCyril Frankel is a British film and television director, now retired. His career in television began in 1953 and he directed for over 30 TV programmes until 1990....
, 1966), Don't Look NowDon't Look NowDon't Look Now is a 1973 thriller film directed by Nicolas Roeg. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland star as a married couple whose lives become complicated after meeting two elderly sisters in Venice, one of whom claims to be clairvoyant and informs them that their recently deceased daughter is...
(Nicolas RoegNicolas RoegNicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
, 1973), and The Mephisto Waltz (Paul WendkosPaul WendkosPaul Wendkos was an American television and film director....
, 1971)
- mystic phenomena, especially possession, noted in The Mephisto Waltz, Burn, Witch, Burn (Sidney HayersSidney HayersSidney Hayers was a British film and television director, writer and producer.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, among his most acclaimed films were Circus of Horrors , The Trap and the occult thriller Night of the Eagle .In British TV, his credits included The Persuaders! and The New Avengers; he...
, 1962), The Other, Rosemary's Baby, The Possession of Joel DelaneyThe Possession of Joel DelaneyThe Possession of Joel Delaney is a 1972 horror film starring Shirley MacLaine and Perry King, and directed by Waris Hussein. It is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Ramona Stewart....
(Waris HusseinWaris HusseinWaris Hussein is a British-Indian television director and film director best known for his many productions for British television....
, 1972), The Innocents (Jack ClaytonJack ClaytonJack Clayton was a British film director who specialised in bringing literary works to the screen.-Career:A native of East Sussex, Clayton started his career as a child actor on the 1929 film Dark Red Roses...
, 1961), and The Exorcist.
- the emphasis on Christian symbology, noted in Horror Hotel, Rosemary's Baby, The Other, Don't Look Now, The Exorcist, Burn, Witch, Burn, The Haunted Palace (Roger CormanRoger CormanRoger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, 1963), WitchcraftWitchcraftWitchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
(William J. Hole Jr, 1962), Diary of a MadmanDiary of a Madman (film)Diary of a Madman is a 1963 horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Vincent Price, Nancy Kovack, and Chris Warfield.The screenplay, written by producer Robert Kent, is an adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's short story "Le Horla" , written in 1887...
(Reginald Le BorgReginald Le BorgReginald Le Borg was an Austrian film director. He directed 68 films between 1936 and 1974. He was born in Vienna, Austria as Reginald Grobel and died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack....
, 1963), and the “Morella” segment of Tales of TerrorTales of TerrorTales of Terror is an American International Pictures horror film starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone; it is the fourth in a series of adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories directed by Roger Corman and released by AIP.-Plot:...
(Roger CormanRoger CormanRoger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, 1962).