A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss

I had this boyfriend a few years back who used to collect beermats and other beer related memorabilia. I remember he offered to show me some of his collection and I expected a muddled box full of bottle tops, beer mats and labels but to my surprise he took out a sleek black folder neatly displaying his collection and I thought this was fantastic. While I didn’t share his enthusiasm for all things beery, I shared his general enthusiasm; it’s always been something I’ve been drawn to. I suppose basically what I’m saying is that I love nerds and I use the word nerd in the most affectionate way, which brings me neatly to my bit of telly blogging for today…sort of….

I’ve always quite liked Mark Gatiss. When I was young my brother and I were morbidly fascinated by the League of Gentlemen, he’s written some great TV, Sherlock and the brilliant Doctor Who, and he’s always seemed like an amiable chap so when I saw that he had a program coming on BBC4, A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss, I thought I’d give it a go.

I’ve never really been a horror fan as I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat. I tend to avoid the heebie-jeebies if I can but I found this series so engaging, even more so because, as stated from the outset, it’s such a personal journey for Mark Gatiss. The connections with his childhood fascinations and his fervour for the horror genre growing up swept me along.

His journey begins in the very early era of horror cinema, from Lon Chaney in the silent Phantom of the Opera, and throughout he picks out his favourite horror moments and actors. Spattered through the series are interviews with actors and directors who he clearly has great affection for and they in turn seem to warm to him and his intelligent observations of the films he has loved and studied so much. In these interviews he makes great little observations like how much more gruesome Lon Chaney’s glass eye looked in its own little box.

My favourite tribute of them all has to be to Peter Cushing in the second episode. One of the most iconic faces of Hammer Horror, Cushing starred in numerous horror films before his death in 1994. Gatiss bases his tribute in Whitstable where Cushing lived for many years, up until he died. We’re shown his house complete with blue plaque, ‘Cushing’s View’ on the seafront and the museum display dedicated to him. Gatiss describes how Cushing always brought a sense of commitment and authenticity to the roles he played, carrying around the trappings of his characters in his pockets. It’s these little nuggets of detail that really convey his genuine love for Cushing and other big names in horror such as Boris Karloff, George Romero and John Carpenter.

I think I could directly relate to the third program most of all as it looked at films I’ve seen and know very well like Psycho, Hallowe’en or The Exorcist. It’s also a canon of films that are widely revered in mainstream horror but I was intrigued by the films Gatiss offers up as personal favourites that wouldn’t necessarily make that list such as George Romero’s Martin, about a lonely teenage boy who thinks he’s a vampire. Thanks to Mark Gatiss I now feel like I need to watch all of these films and have in fact made a list for me to check off as I go, with Martin at the top. After all, I’m just a big nerd too.

A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss is only on the iplayer for a few more days so watch it while you can. Seriously, do it. You will thank me. Don’t have nightmares.