Horrid
Horrid is a biweekly podcast about the history of horror in film. Each episode explores a different topic, celebrating in the dark and gory details from the past of the horror genre. Researched and hosted by a long-time horror movie fan, Doc Manson.
Episodes
The final episode of season one of Horrid is about the spiritual successor to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, namely Robert Weine's follow up film, Genuine. First released at the end of 1920, Genuine continues and escalated the expressionist art aesthetic from the earlier film. The titular role of Genuine is played by Fern Andra, an American actress that found great success in the German film industry. A summary of the film is given, ...
The quintessential cinematic work of German Expressionism, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), is explored. Doc Manson recounts the history of the company that made the film in post-war Germany, and gives a thorough summary of the movie’s story. Film theories about the socio-political themes of Caligari are considered, and an original interpretation of the film’s twist ending is offered. Along the way, Doc debunks some common onlin...
The development of the horror movie genre continues with the history of German expressionism. This artistic movement affected all of the arts, but especially cinema where its use of shadows and physical distortion to convey mood and atmosphere was particularly effective. Doc discusses The Student of Prague and The Golem: How He Came into the World, two surviving films from one of the forefathers of modern horror, Paul Wegener.
The very first full-length feature films are discussed, including The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), and Les Miserables (1909). Then, it is on to the topic of the first feature length horror movies. The first in the world is the Italian film L'Inferno (1911), and a full summary is given. Doc talks about the first example of nudity in a horror movie, and then moves on to discuss the first American horror movie, The Avenging Conscie...
In the early 1910s, the film medium began its expansion into feature length films. Doc Manson explores this transition by comparing the 1912 adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (first discussed on episode seven of Horrid) to a version from the following year that is twice as long in runtime. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) was directed by Herbert Brenon and starred King Baggot. Also discussed is luminary film producer Carl Laemmle...
William Brodie was a cabinetmaker and the deacon of the wrights in Edinburgh during the later 18th century. He is also the real life inspiration for one of horror's all-time great villains, first brought to life in Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Doc Manson recounts the history of the first movie adaptation, which is a lost film from 1908. Also presented here is the the first sur...
The first film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was produced by Edison Studios and released in 1910. Doc Manson provides background on the director and actors, and narrates a scene by scene summary of the movie. Although the film is widely known to alter the original story, Doc gives his own interpretation of the final scenes of the film, and comments on the methods by which Frankenstein gives life to his creation.
The career of Georges Melies comes to an end, as new terrors begin to arise in the world of film. In this first part of a two part episode, Doc Manson delves into the life and history of Mary Wollstonecroft Godwin, or Mary Shelley as she would come to be known. Also discussed is the German ghost story The Family Portraits, by Johann August Apel. Is this the story which prompted the writing of Frankenstein?
This episode explores the history of horror movies with an overview of the first collection of films about haunted houses. Or, more specifically, haunted hotels. Doc Manson covers some of the real world inspiration for films of this type, namely the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century. A deep dive is performed of James Stuart Blackton’s special effects masterpiece, The Haunted Hotel. Other filmmakers mentioned include Ge...
The first trend in horror cinema emerged in the late 19th century. The Faustian tale was a long celebrated staple of literature and theater, so it is of little surprise that it translated so quickly to the medium of film. Doc Manson researches the historical origins of the German legend of Faustus, reviews scholarly interpretations of records from the 16th century, and investigates some of the earliest lost Faustian films, includin...
The history of horror movies continues with this second episode of Horrid. In this companion piece to episode one, Doc Manson further explores the works of Georges Méliès, the creator of the first horror film, The House of the Devil (Le Manoir du Diable). Synopses are provided for The Haunted Castle (Le Château Hanté) and A Terrible Night (Une Nuit Terrible). Doc dives deep into these films, correcting common misconceptions and mis...
The first episode of Horrid is dedicated to the very beginnings of horror in film. Doc Manson discusses the very origins of the film medium in the context of the first filmmaker to direct a horror movie, Georges Méliès. A brief biography of Melies is presented, as is a summary of the first horror movie, The House of the Devil (Le Manoir du Diable), from 1896. You can watch Méliès' historic film by visiting the transcript page for t...
Welcome to this introduction to Horrid, a podcast about the history of horror in film. Doc Manson is a long time horror fan and the host of Horrid. With a background in research, Doc aims to put his skills to use in creating a well-sourced history of horror movies. Come back for season 1 and we can learn about horror, together.
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