The Machinery of Horror

Copyright 2011 by Gary L. Pullman

Every horror story needs something to generate its action. Sometimes, this element is mentioned in the story’s title (especially, it seems, in horror movies, as opposed to novels). Some of the tried-and-true (and trite) include the activities of particular types of characters, the application of supernatural or paranormal powers, the methods of madness, twisted retellings of traditional tales, and the murder and mayhem of traditional monsters:

• Alien visitation (Signs)
• Curses (Curse of the Mayans)
• Demonic possession (The Exorcist)
• Final Girl (Final Girl)
• Full moon (causing werewolf activity) (Underworld)
• Haunting of a house (or some other location), usually by ghosts but also, occasionally, by demons (The Shining)
• Incestuous relationships and their consequences (We Are the Flesh)
• Madmen (and women) (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)
• Motherly love gone awry (Psycho)
• Natural disasters (The Happening [so bad it's terrible!])
• Psychic abilities (Carrie)
• Psychotic roommates (Single White Female [more of a thriller than a horror movie, perhaps])
• Religious cults and their rites and rituals (Children of the Corn)
• Retold fairy tales (Freeway)
• Sadists (Wolf Creek)
• Serial killers (Halloween)
• Stalkers (One-Hour Photo)
• Vampires’ need to feed (Living Among Us)
• Voyeurs (13 Cameras) 
• Witchcraft (7 Witches)
• Zombies (The Girl with All the Gifts)