Horror! My journey from frightened child to hardened gorehound

Patrick Vogt

30.10.2025

Translation: Katherine Martin

I adore horror films of all stripes. It doesn’t matter whether it’s psycho thrillers, slashers, splatters or zombie flicks – I’ll lap them up. In retrospect, this is pretty astonishing. My first – far too early – forays into the genre should really have sent me in another direction.

The time around Halloween is typically peak horror season. Just ask my colleague Anika, who takes great delight in surrounding herself with all things creepy during spooky season.

I’m not one to turn up my nose at horror films and series either. The question is, why do I like them so much? And does my enjoyment of horror mean there’s something wrong with me? This is something I’ve often asked myself. In my search for answers, I came across a potentially scientific explanation in an article by National Geographic (in German):

I can attest wholeheartedly to that. Looking back, however, there were a couple of memorable experiences with horror films that should’ve sent me in a different direction.

It wasn’t until later that I realised I’d witnessed a piece of music and film history. In fact, in 2009, Thriller was the first music video ever to be included in the US National Library’s directory – a catalogue of works considered particularly worthy of preservation.

The video was directed by John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Coming to America), who’d recently caused a sensation with horror comedy An American Werewolf in London. Make-up artist Rick Baker, who’d won his first Oscar for Best Make-Up on the same film, worked on Thriller too.

On German TV, the long version of the video could only be broadcast after 10 p.m. (article in German). Of course, loads of kids stayed up to watch it anyway so they could chat about it on the playground the following day. The TV bosses soon received a complaint from angry parents, whose son was so scared of the Thriller zombies that he’d wet his pants. In light of that story, I’d say my own reaction to the video was reasonably calm.

Alongside Dario Argento (Suspiria) and Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), Lucio Fulci is a true legend among Italian horror film directors. Zombi 2 was marketed as a prequel to George A. Romero’s Zombie – Dawn of the Dead, whose success made Fulci’s film possible in the first place. Today, it’s considered one of the best Italian-made zombie films.

Its commercial success went on to trigger a whole wave of zombie films made in Italy. Fulci also repeatedly returned to the genre, with works such as City of the Living Dead (Original: «Paura nella città dei morti viventi») and The Beyond (Original: «E tu vivrai nel terrore – L’aldilà»).

Because Zombi 2 was so brutal and explicit, its availability to minors was restricted in Germany for decades. Several versions and releases of the film were subsequently confiscated, with restrictions and confiscation rulings only lifted in 2023 (page in German).

I made my first acquaintance with Freddy when I was eleven or twelve. The circumstances around the encounter are a little fuzzy. However, I still vividly remember the scene that made me dread climbing into the bathtub for a long time to come. I was convinced I could’ve broken through the tub and been dragged down into an infinite pool of water like the character in the film.

With the idea of a supernatural serial killer who haunts his victims in their dreams, director Wes Craven (The Hills Have Eyes, Scream) proved he had the magic touch. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), in which Johnny Depp falls victim to Freddy Krueger in his first film role, redefined the slasher genre and was the prelude to a whole bunch of sequels.

In 2003, Hollywood unleashed Freddy Krueger on yet another cult villain from the world of horror: Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th. Freddy vs. Jason was more mediocre than magnificent in most people’s eyes, but at least it wasn’t as much of a disaster as the unspeakable 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. That film’s enough to make you wish horrific nightmares with the real Freddy on those responsible for it.

After seeing people singing the film’s praises in forums, I grab myself a copy and watch it with my best friend. And what can I say? Saw catches me off guard, making a lasting impression on me – even though I’ve seen far worse in terms of violence and gore.

It’s mostly down to the film having the best and most shocking twist since The Sixth Sense, set to the fantastic Hello Zepp by Charlie Clouser. The creative, utterly deadly traps that the villain sets for his potential victims are impressive too. Almost worse than the traps themselves, however, is the increasingly slim chance of escaping them – and the things needed to do so.

Saw was a surprise hit, raking in more than 100 million US dollars worldwide, a hundred times the production costs. So, it’s hardly surprising that it was followed by sequel after sequel. There are now a total of ten Saw films. Though an eleventh was announced, it’s since either been shelved or cancelled completely (article in German).

James Wan, director and screenwriter of the first and, in my opinion, by far the best Saw, has since created another horror film franchise. He’s the mind behind the Conjuring universe, acting sometimes as director, sometimes as producer.

A pregnant woman who survives a car accident that kills her husband is attacked in her own home shortly before the due date. Her assailant? Another woman who wants to cut the baby out of her womb. Sound like a tough watch? Well, it seriously is. For almost 80 minutes, Inside doesn’t simply keep you at arm’s length. Instead, it (almost) always keeps you in the middle of the action, exploring the limits of the brutality that can be shown.

It’s a tour de force that’s hard to beat in terms of intensity. I remember sitting in front of the TV as I watched it, my body completely tense, feeling like I could hardly breathe. Even so, I couldn’t look away. Partly because the film’s gruesomeness is so aesthetically staged. And partly because I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Strange, right?

Even if it’s not even the most violent horror film of its kind, Inside showed me where my limits were. It’s never enjoyable, not relaxing and doesn’t achieve anything. In fact, it does quite the opposite.

You might be wondering what could possibly follow this. Well, get ready for my true horror movie nemesis. The one that knocks me for six every time – and yet still manages to keep me in its grasp.

With his production of Stephen King’s The Shining, Stanley Kubrick created a masterpiece, based mostly on psychological horror, that’s second to none. King disagrees – and has his reasons why. Either way, everything – and I mean everything – about this film makes me uncomfortable. Everything from the interior design of the Overlook Hotel where the film’s set, the soundtrack, sound effects and cast screams «horror». And good horror at that.

Need an example? Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) looks into room 237 of the unoccupied hotel. A strange woman has supposedly strangled his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) there. You won’t find the scene’s climax on YouTube, nor do you need to. Everything that happens before that – every sound, every shot and every image makes my skin crawl.

The camera work in The Shining is fantastic too. It’s particularly evident in the scene where Danny’s riding through the hotel on his tricycle and meets the twins. The atmosphere’s constructed so minutely that the tension makes me break out in a sweat.

Books have been written about The Shining, and it’s probably still studied in film schools today. Kubrick’s film also plays the central role in the documentary Room 237, which explores people’s obsession with the idea that The Shining contains hidden messages and double meanings (article in German):

Although I’ve probably seen The Shining more than a dozen times, I’m not that obsessive. I don’t see any secret messages or all-encompassing truths in it, «just» an incredibly well-made film. One that still manages to scare me, even though I now know it inside out. At the same time, it’s one that allows me to relax after the credits have rolled.

Which brings us back to the National Geographic article I mentioned earlier. Yes, fear can definitely be enjoyable. Weapons, for example, is my favourite horror film of 2025 so far. Unlike my colleague Luca, I liked the ending because of how much relief it triggers. But hey, watch it for yourself and see what you think.

Which horror films make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Do you have any horror-related anecdotes from your early years? Let the Community and me know in the comments!

Patrick Vogt

Editor

Patrick.Vogt@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here. more

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