History/Horror Research Ideas...

[Ghostface]

Hi. First off let me say that I hope I have placed this in the correct forum. I know people can get very sensitive about that.

I am a history teacher and a huge fan of all things horror. This duel interest has led me to an idea...a book (or maybe just an article or something) that looks at how horror reflects on history. Such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers having links to communism or the survivors in Dawn of the Dead (original) not immediately recognizing an "indoor shopping center" or even in Night of the Living Dead when African-Americans were not fully accpected and one of the characters suffers because of the bias against blacks during that time.

These types of connections are found all over the place in horror films. Personally, I think it is really amazing and interesting. Do any of you know of any published works on this subject? I would be interested in reading it. Or more importantly, does anyone have any similiar types of examples that would like to mention?

Thanks in advance!! :D

[urgeok]

hmmm ... not exactly the same thing - maybe a related tangent - but most foriegn (especially european) films always include a political slant.. that does not exclude horror .

The Devil's Backbone for example ..



the closest thing i can think of in your origional question is something like Hellboy which played around with Hitlers supposed interest in the supernatural (there are other films with this theme)

there are other films that concern themselves with the Salem witchhunts


i think you're looking for more symbolic references though..
although you already stated the obvious ones i think you'll find
that listening to commentaries on horror films that directors are ofttimes attempt to justify themselves and their work by desperately tying to draw lines to social significance in their work..

some of it might be valid and premeditated .. more often than not it just looks like its added on after the fact because if you screw up your eyes just so the pieces kind of fit ..