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The Gothic Bloodline, Murnau to Del Toro

A run through horror's gothic family tree, from the silent vampires and Universal's stitched-together monster to the 1990s films that brought back the undead, the devil's bargain and the folk demon. Watched together, they show the same few myths about immortality, forbidden knowledge and the outsider monster being passed from hand to hand.

Half of this is film-school canon and the other half is well-loved 80s and 90s horror. The silents and Vampyr ask for patience and a dark room, while the Burton, Jordan and Barker films are easy Friday-night picks. Together they make a satisfying October run for anyone who wants to know where modern horror came from.