[Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 in a four-part series on disability and horror.]
“Watching horror films is a disabling experience,” Angela M. Smith, Associate Professor of English and Gender Studies for the University of Utah and author of the book “Hideous Progeny: Disability, Eugenics, and Classic Horror Cinema,” said. “It’s a controlled encounter with discomfort, with the vulnerability of our minds and bodies to images and suggestions that opens us to unwilled transformations.”
The horror film revels in the world of deformity and grotesqueness and, to a disabled viewer, that can be confusing in how relatable it is. For many, to be disabled is also to look different, so how does a person with a disability approach the horror genre when the presented thing to fear is themselves?
Smith said people weren’t ready for “Freaks” in the 1930s, and she’s absolutely correct. “Freaks,” for better and worse, remains one of the only U.S. features to have a predominately disabled...
“Watching horror films is a disabling experience,” Angela M. Smith, Associate Professor of English and Gender Studies for the University of Utah and author of the book “Hideous Progeny: Disability, Eugenics, and Classic Horror Cinema,” said. “It’s a controlled encounter with discomfort, with the vulnerability of our minds and bodies to images and suggestions that opens us to unwilled transformations.”
The horror film revels in the world of deformity and grotesqueness and, to a disabled viewer, that can be confusing in how relatable it is. For many, to be disabled is also to look different, so how does a person with a disability approach the horror genre when the presented thing to fear is themselves?
Smith said people weren’t ready for “Freaks” in the 1930s, and she’s absolutely correct. “Freaks,” for better and worse, remains one of the only U.S. features to have a predominately disabled...
- 10/6/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Similar News
“It was not at all what I signed up for”: Quiet on Set Survivors Slam Docuseries for Profiteering on Their Trauma as ‘True Crime’ Series Gets Many Facts Wrong
- 4/18/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
‘Trap’ Trailer: M. Night Shyamalan Sets a Serial Killer Loose at a Blockbuster Pop Concert
- 4/18/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
‘Flipside’ Trailer: Documentarian Chris Wilcha Rewinds His Own Filmography to Revisit Shelved Projects
- 4/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
‘The Babadook’ Gave Rise to a New Wave of Introspective Horror Ten Years Ago
- 1/19/2024
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Film Stage’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
- 11/20/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Scary Good Discs: 13 Blu-rays Worth Trick-or-Treating For
- 10/21/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Peter Bart: Bob Iger’s Proxy War Victory Recalls Corporate Skirmishes Of Hollywood Past
- 4/4/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Bart: Dream Job? Netflix’s Next Picture Picker Faces Daunting Challenges As Streamer Confronts Tectonic Shifts
- 2/16/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Bart: Could Return Of Monroe Stahr, The Last Tycoon, Pull Hollywood Out Of Its Leadership Malaise?
- 1/4/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
‘The Witcher’ Renewed For 5th & Final Season At Netflix
- 4/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Henry Cavill Says ‘Maybe I’m Too Old Now’ to Play James Bond as Fake Movie Trailer With Him as 007 Goes Viral With 2.5 Million Views
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’
- 4/17/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Martin Scorsese’s Long-Gestating ‘Sinatra’ Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Adds Jennifer Lawrence
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Director Steven Spielberg Is Quietly Planning Another Movie About Aliens
- 4/17/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Henry Cavill Says ‘Maybe I’m Too Old Now’ to Play James Bond as Fake Movie Trailer With Him as 007 Goes Viral With 2.5 Million Views
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor to Star on Broadway in ‘Romeo and Juliet’
- 4/16/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Selena Quintanilla Deserves to Be Celebrated This Year - Not Exploited
- 4/16/2024
- by Lucas Villa
- Popsugar.com
Bad Bunny's First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First
- 4/12/2024
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts" Tour Made Me Feel Like a Teen Again
- 4/8/2024
- by Yerin Kim
- Popsugar.com
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Title ‘Eephus’ Picked Up by Film Constellation (Exclusive)
- 4/18/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
‘Trap’ Trailer: M. Night Shyamalan Sets a Serial Killer Loose at a Blockbuster Pop Concert
- 4/18/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
‘Flipside’ Trailer: Documentarian Chris Wilcha Rewinds His Own Filmography to Revisit Shelved Projects
- 4/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Love ‘The Beast’? Bertrand Bonello’s Vlogger Nightmare ‘Coma’ Finally Hits Theaters — Watch the Trailer
- 4/18/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
‘Dune: Part Three’: Denis Villeneuve Calls Chani His “Secret Weapon,” Hints He Knows “Exactly What To Do” For Third Film
- 4/18/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’
- 4/17/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Martin Scorsese’s Long-Gestating ‘Sinatra’ Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Adds Jennifer Lawrence
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Director Steven Spielberg Is Quietly Planning Another Movie About Aliens
- 4/17/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Sundance Film Festival Courting New Host City for 2027 and Beyond
- 4/17/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
‘The Witcher’ Renewed For 5th & Final Season At Netflix
- 4/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
‘For All Mankind’ Renewed for Season 5, Soviet Space Program Spinoff in the Works at Apple TV+
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
‘Oldboy’ English-Language TV Series in the Works From Park Chan-wook, Lionsgate
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Colbert Tells Trump to Keep Jimmy Kimmel’s Name ‘Out of Your Weird Little Wet Mouth’ After Oscars Outburst; Kimmel Says: ‘This Was Five Weeks Ago!’
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - TV News
‘The View’ Cohosts Slam Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Salary: ‘Times Have Changed’
- 4/18/2024
- TV Insider