As director and writer, Eli Roth is controversial and divides the audience. As a guide to the rich history of horror cinema, it is irreplaceable, as evidenced by the next, third season of the documentary series Eli Roth: History of Horror.
Everyone according to their needs
Source: AMC
It is impossible to capture the vastness, richness and diversity of the world’s genre cinema in one approach. From the very beginning, Roth proposes a light formula of the author’s review, of which he is both the presenter and the curator. The episodes are divided thematically – each is devoted to a different theme, sub-genre or element of horror film poetics. So far we have had the opportunity to listen to, among others about zombies, vampires, witches, scary children or horror movies using the frames of the genre in an unusual way. In the latest season, we are awaiting both apocalyptic visions, mad scientists and heroes endowed with psychic abilities, as well as – just in time for the upcoming Christmas – Christmas themes.
Source: AMC
According to the principle not to fix what is not broken, the form of the program also remained unchanged. Therefore, we are still dealing with a loose overview of individual titles related to the main topic of the episode. Roth talks with invited guests: creators, actors, but also film experts, critics and culture researchers. A lot of familiar faces appear: Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, Greg Nicotero, Tori Spelling, Jennifer Tilly, Geena Davis, Rob Zombie, Brian Fuller, Bill Hader, Margaret Cho and the original Queen of Scream – Jamie Lee Curtis. Although these interviews are reminiscent of a casual conversation between good friends over a glass of their favorite beer, they are not devoid of substance. On the contrary – the participants (and Roth himself) make sure that each title is provided with a short analysis and a historical context, pick out the most important topics and motives. Guests are also happy to share their personal preferences and private stories related to the presented productions. The informal atmosphere and the lack of didactic bloat work invitingly and open up the field for dialogue – both horror players and novice players are welcome. Everyone will find something for himself!
Postcard from the Nightmare Dreams Factory
Source: AMC
The only thing that can be faulted in Historia Horror is its American-centricity. The presented titles are almost exclusively Hollywood and English-language productions. Writing these words, she dreams of an episode entirely devoted to the cinema of horror from distant corners of the world – Asia, South America, Africa (yes!) – because the proposals from outside the USA that appear in discussions are usually well-known and well-described titles, often even iconic . Roth cares about giving a second life to less known or slightly dusty, forgotten Hollywood horror classics, often reaching for hidden gems of independent creators or those from a bygone era. One thing is for sure – your list of movies to watch will surely increase by at least a dozen or so positions!
Watch the episodes every Thursday at 22:00, only on AMC!
