Review: Mark Gatiss' A History of Horror

BBC4, the digital TV channel, recently showed the three hour long instalments of Mark Gatiss’ A History of Horror. The ‘A’ in the title is important. As Gatiss says in the first, it’s his history, based on what he likes and how he viewed it. It is personal. I thought that approach was key in making the series such a lovely and enjoyable little trip through three main eras of horror in the cinema: the silent era films and the very first exploration of sound and film; the British post-war reconnection with gothic traditions; and the 1970s American and Canadian obsession with ultra-violence and demonic possession culminating in the “slasher” and "splatter" films. Gatiss concludes his history with the observations that there hasn’t been anything new since, and that the established fan base ironically means there is no need for anything new.

When I was at university as an undergraduate I kept being mistaken for being things I was not. My two favourites were being a Law student (more amusingly that was always with the observation that it was because I wear glasses, only I don’t and never have) and being a horror fan.

The latter came from me liking TV series Doctor Who (yes, really) and V, and the films Alien and Aliens.

Age is important here, I think. Horror appeals most to teenagers because that’s when you’re most able to, in Gatiss’ words, “lap up” the gore. He says he’s finding his appreciation of his own mortality affecting his desire to watch new horror films, which do seem to be humourless scenes of in-your-face torture and dismemberment. I’m thinking of the Saw series, and the Hostel films. Not all modern horror is quite like that, of course. The Descent (2005) had its moments, as did Severance (2006), the latter of which is probably just over the boundary into comedy along the lines of Shaun of the Dead.

I was slightly too young to get hooked by Halloween, the Omen, the Exorcist, Friday the Thirteenth. I was aware of them; all were popular culture juggernauts in the 1970s. The films that continued those traditions when I was of the target age were Poltergeist and the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. I remember seeing the Howling on video with school friends: I loved it, they didn’t. I knew it was a spoof, they didn’t.

I remember seeing the first Frankenstein film, which is a classic, and then catching up with many other classics only a few years ago. If people thought I was a horror buff, I might as well find out more about the genre. The Omen films are fascinating: the first is the best, but the sequels are perhaps more interesting than most sequels to horror films. The Exorcist deserves its place, although perhaps it has dated, and I would add Carrie to that. Of Cronenberg’s oeuvre, I have only seen Scanners. From the clips in Gatiss’ history, I have no desire to see Shivers. I couldn’t get into Halloween despite having a thing for Jamie Lee Curtis. The Shining, not mentioned in Gatiss’ history, I was pleased to have seen, but once you know what’s going on there’s no point watching it again. Romero’s Zombies are really interesting, and I found the first two of his films very difficult watching. Not because of the gore, oddly enough as that is extreme, but the film-making style. Of the earlier British films explored by Gatiss, both the Witch Finder General and the Wicker Man are fascinatingly disturbing. I’m not in love with the Hammer films, but I have seen some pretty good ones from that house.

Horror intrigues me, but I am not what I would call a fan. Of all the different types of horror, I think I prefer the films and stories that concentrate on psychological terror and manages to explore humanity. I’m not really into the gore and splatterfests of some films, less so now. Unless there's a sense of humour, or something else going on, frankly, in-your-face gore for the sake of it I find just a bit boring. Personal choice, of course.

I've not had the pleasure of meeting Mark, but I do have some mutual friends. On the strength of this excursion into what he likes in his horror films, I'd quite like to meet him to have a chat. And that neatly summarises this series: an interesting little chat about something Mark enjoys. I'm glad to have found the time to watch it.