No horror icon came out of a filmmaker’s first draft fully formed. There were early drafts, wrong turns, experimentation. Once made flesh (or latex), there’s presentation, impact, audience response and legacy. Each of these steps that nudge a horror creation toward the annals of legend will be explored in Shudder’s BEHIND THE MONSTERS. Each episode examines a horror icon who has broken free of the confines of the film from which it was born and become the stuff of legend.
#1 | 10/27/2021Michael Myers3.5/5 (with 2 votes)
A cheap film shot in 21 days changed the landscape of horror, made several careers, and gave one actress an iconic role that she’s tweaking 42 years later.
#2 | 11/03/2021Candyman3.5/5 (with 2 votes)
The genre's first black slasher showed up in 1992, rich with subtext about racial tensions in American history. In 2021, he's coming back - and is perhaps the most relevant horror icon imaginable.
#3 | 11/10/2021Chucky3.5/5 (with 2 votes)
What started as a nasty spin on 80s consumerism flourished over three decades into an unlikely progressive horror property that refuses to get back on the shelf.
#4 | 11/17/2021Freddy3.5/5 (with 2 votes)
Perhaps the most recognizable horror icon, Freddy Krueger's one-liners and merchandise has proven to be enjoyed by horror and non-horror fans alike.
#5 | 11/24/2021Jason Voorhees3.5/5 (with 2 votes)
A look at the accidental creation of a machete-wielding avatar of conservative 1980s morality - one that, absent a new entry, a fiercely loyal fan base has taken to resurrecting on their own.
#6 | 12/01/2021Pinhead2.5/5 (with 2 votes)
Emerging from a low budget independent film, this character who was simply called "Lead Cenobite" would become the undeniable symbol of pleasure and pain and the icon of the "Hellraiser" franchise.