Acid flashbacks: The psychedelic horror film post-1979
Horror Studies April 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1386/host_00080_1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the 'psychedelic horror film' remains an undefined category and that its recurring examples reflect the national mood and the histories of countercultural and conspiratorial movements. Contends that even the most conservative, paranoiac films in this category also function as an anti-establishment lament for the failure of countercultural movements to cause social change. |
Abstract
While the term ‘psychedelic horror film’ may seem simple on its surface, the category it describes has never been thoroughly examined and defined. This article, using Harry M. Benshoff’s ‘The short-lived life of the Hollywood LSD film’, as an entry point, will analyse recurrent examples of psychedelic horror film, focusing on the nature of their recurring appeal. Given the lack of scholarship on this category, this analysis aims to begin filling in a notable gap in the history of the horror film. I also hope to provide insight into the histories of countercultural and conspiratorial movements past and present, using these films as a sociohistorical bellwether for the national mood. While many of the films in this category may appear reactionary, even their most genuinely conservative, paranoiac iterations also seem to function as a form of anti-establishment lament for the failure of countercultural movements to effectively cause social change.