It's impossible to discuss the subject of queer horror films without reference to Benshoff's groundbreaking study. Beginning with the early Universal films of James Whale, the author tracks the evolution of queer sensibilities within the genre through four more key periods: the 40s psychological horror of Val Lewton; the teenage monsters of the rock 'n' roll era; Hammer horror throughout the 60s and 70s; and the complex monsters of the last two decades. Also providing a succinct and enlightening history of the gay movement in America, Benshoff's identifies and locates his key "monster queer" figures within a relevent framework, while his concluding chapter offers a balanced evaluation of the genre in general.
As well as loads of other great stuff, Gelder's comprehensive selection of essays has a decent chapter called "Queer Horror" (pages 187-224). Following a helpful introduction by the editor are three extracts from longer pieces: "Dr Jekyll's Closet" in which Elaine Showalter reads The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde as a story of gay paranoia; "Tracking The Vampire", Sue-Ellen Case's dense but illuminating history of the equation of queerness and bloodsucking; and Patricia White's interesting discussion of the 'homosexual haunted house', "Female Spectator, Lesbian Spectator: The Haunting".
Monsters In The Closet: Homosexuality And The Horror Film by Harry M. Benshoff (Manchester University
Press, 1997)
The Horror Reader edited by Ken Gelder (Routledge, 2000)
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