A History Lesson in Horror: The Terrifying Trio

Geez! It has been a long time coming for me to post a blog. I apologize for my written absence, but I’ve dedicated most of my time to the audio portion of this podcast. Nonetheless! I sit here now to dish out my new blog segment called: Horror History.

Each blog post will center on a time period in film Horror History. The plan is to work chronologically from the inception of the horror film until the present day. Please don’t hold me to that because I may end up skipping around due to me interests at the time. For today, I will journey back to the wee beginnings of the horror genre. I wish to touch on the ever-present Terrible Trio in most modern horror cinema.

Let us begin.

Three cultural antecedents of the horror film emerged from Gothic literature in nineteenth-century English novels. These three key components found more than contemporary fame. They have formed the fundamental groundwork for most of the horror genre’s development in the following century’s mass culture.

I call these three elements: The Terrifying Trio

The trio derive origins in the works of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” These works established iconic characters in modern context from ancient myths. As well, they have proved to be highly adaptable to historical context of the time. I would argue, as would many critics, these three figures represent the three major archetypes of the horror genre. To take a step further, I would suggest most modern horror is in one form or another a variation of these three archetypes.

Steven King himself has said, “The Vampire, The Werewolf, and the Thing Without a Name (Frankenstein) stand at the foundation of the huge skyscraper of books and films we have come to know as the modern horror story.”

In order to fully illustrate and defend my stance, I will talk individually about each archetype and its thematic relevance to modern horror. We will begin with Frankenstein. Let us all remember, the scientist in “Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus” is named Dr. Frankenstein. The monster has no name. The title of Frankenstein has only been colloquially utilized. The Frankenstein monster will still fall under the category of The Thing Without a Name.

The Frankenstein figure represents the moral, philosophical, and ultimately social implications of increasing human mastery over the natural world. If I may extrapolate on this notion, these stories are the speculation on the consequences of man usurping the powers of God or nature in the creation of life itself. Hence the title of “The Modern Prometheus.” The Titan Prometheus steals fire from the Gods on Mount Olympus and delivers it to mankind. Zeus punishes Prometheus with endless torture for his misdeed. The impact of a story about a scientist who creates an artificial being which wreaks havoc was bound to increase in the nineteenth and twentieth century. At this time, society was contemplating the responsibilities, limits, and potential costs of advancing scientific and industrial technology.

A few films reflecting the “Frankenstein” story are “Blade Runner,” “Terminator,” “Ex Machina,” and every iteration of the “Frankenstein” movie you can think of including “Blackenstein.”

The next point of focus will be the Wolfman or Doppelganger. A persistent theme in horror literature and film is the concept of the double. The most famous version of this term is, of course, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” This figure represents the Doppelganger or the dark alter ego. A character will embrace all of the qualities they wish to exemplify to society in their super-ego persona, but lurking deep within the subconscious is our double or id. These are suppressed urges we wish to contain because we know they are unacceptable. With Mr. Hyde, these are the lustful, violent, and cruel attributes of Dr. Jekyll.

The portrayal of the divided self which also predates Stevenson’s work can simply be described as the battle for our own mortality; the struggle for good vs. evil. This is the conflict between our human and animal natures, though invested in premodern times with supernatural fear. This is the conflict most of twentieth century horror films reveled in by increasingly psychological, Freudianized conceptions. A few films with the double theme include “Black Swan” and “Secret Window” or “The Shining.”

Finally, we must talk about the Vampire. If you have kept up with the podcast, you will know the vampire is my favorite sub-genre of the horror films. I would also contend that the vampire film is the most frequently used and ubiquitous horror archetypes still currently used in modern horror (I would debate ghost stories, especially with the rise of “The Conjuring” series and “Paranormal Activity.”) The vampire is the most sexual charged of the archetypes (hubba hubba). The sexual advances and elements are not hollow, but instead are important psychosexual implications.

Dracula is not just the murderous fiend, but a seducer who appears in the bedroom of young virgins at midnight, embraces them, and sucks their blood. They are left limp, weak, but eager for his return. The vampire’s kiss is a source of pleasure and fear. It has its focus in oral eroticism and has led to many sexual interpretations. The vampire is the most unabashedly supernatural of the three. He/she has no qualms with the mystical realm they tittering on with the land of the living. At the core, vampire’s represent the collision of archaic and moral belief. The constant struggle to progress in society and not fall prey (no pun intended) to the wicked ways of regressive and historical thought. The vampire’s bite is toxic and contagious and could spread like the plague. It is up to our protagonist to push forward and defeat this ancient monster, usually with the aid of science.

There you have it. I hope I did not run on too long. I could have written another 1,000 words on the topic, but I try to keep it within that range. I posit all modern horror films are a variation of one of these three archetypes. Although they maybe be ancient myths, The Terrifying Trio still remain relevant and juicy material to sink your teeth into (Ok, that pun was intended).

Tune in to the next blog post on Nickelodeon Nightmares.