Watch AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors

Name: AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors
Genre: Reality
Released: 2018-10-14

2018
3 Seasons

AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors is a docuseries that explores horror cinema and its cultural impact. Produced by acclaimed horror director Eli Roth and hosted by him, the series features interviews with some of the most influential names in horror filmmaking and explores the evolution of the genre from its early beginnings to modern times. The show is divided into six hour-long episodes, each focused on a different subgenre of horror. The first episode titled "Zombies" explores the evolution of the zombie trope in horror cinema, from the early days of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead to contemporary zombie franchises like The Walking Dead. The second episode, "Slashers," focuses on the rise of iconic horror villains like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, and their impact on popular culture. In the third episode, "Monsters," the show delves into the history and cultural significance of classic horror creatures like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the werewolf. Conversely, episode four, "Witches," explores the portrayal of witches in horror films, and how they have become powerful feminist symbols. The fifth episode, "Body Horror," examines the use of the human body as a canvas for horror storytelling, as seen in films like The Fly and The Thing. Lastly, the sixth episode, "Demons Inside," looks at how the horror genre has delved headfirst into exploring the idea of the demonic possession, often as a commentary on society's fears and anxieties. The interviews are co-hosted by Roth and a rotating cast of experts - from actors and writers to academics and cultural critics- providing their own insights on how each subgenre has impacted society over the years, both positively and negatively. The show is a collaborative affair, and each episode features a tailored score and eerie sound effects and features archival clips to illustrate the evolving horror trends and the cultural movements surrounding each subgenre. Throughout the series, Roth strikes a balance between horror-buff deep-dive analysis and more mainstream observations about the genre's impact. He brings forward an overarching narrative that connects the different subgenres and filmmakers, which underscores the elements that make horror films a unique storytelling medium. Roth has gone full nostalgia-overdrive, actively sharing his love for horror and the reason why it resonates with audiences. "For me, growing up, horror films were my babysitters. They kept me company, so they are like old friends," he says. The show's historical bent is perhaps its greatest strength, its visual storytelling of how each subgenre was popularised and evolved through the years prevent it from feeling like a mere horror movie analysis. Its focus on the creators and the audience that helped in the success or failure of a particular horror trope is what makes the series fascinating. AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors is a compelling watch for both cinephiles and casual horror fans. It offers a fresh, considered insight into the evolution of horror film that has become more than just a bite-sized source of fear in cinema; it's a genre with a cultural and social significance that deserves to be appreciated.

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Seasons

3 2 1

6. Mad Scientists

November 5, 2021

The pursuit of knowledge can lead us down dark paths. Our quest to understand the workings of the universe has taken us from caves to cities, from the desert to the Moon. But it has also sickened our bodies and the planet, given us weapons of mass destruction and the surveillance state, and, most recently, created the poison candy of the Internet, which has completely disrupted how we live and how we think.

5. Holiday Horror

October 29, 2021

It started with Black Christmas. Bob Clark's groundbreaking slasher film took the then-shocking notion of setting a sorority bloodbath at Christmastime, offering a dark contrast to the joy of the holiday season. Halloween came a few years later, and its success spawned a slew of holiday-themed horror movies. The idea still catches fire every decade or so, retooled for new generations of viewers.

4. Apocalyptic Horror

October 22, 2021

The bigger they come, the harder they fall. And when it comes to human civilizations, the modern world is as big and populous as it has ever been, so when the fall comes, it will be spectacular. The collapse of the Roman Empire was followed by roughly a thousand years of hard times for the human race. The collapse of the modern world will likely be even more traumatic. But as history tells us and horror movies confirm, humans can survive just about anything, including world wars, global plagues, mass famines, and, maybe, a zombie apocalypse. The ones who make it through may be the horror fans who have absorbed the lessons taught by end-of-the-world spectaculars like World War Z, Train to Busan, Zombieland, War of the Worlds, I Am Legend, The Omega Man, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The World's End and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

3. Psychics

October 15, 2021

What's the downside of having psychic powers? The idea of being able to read minds or manipulate objects without moving a muscle is an attractive fantasy. But what if those powers showed you things you wished you hadn't seen? What if people wanted to exploit your gift for their own sinister ends? Worse than that: what if someone with psychic abilities turned their powers against you? Movies about psychics play on the ego of our species - humans rose to the top thanks to their large, multilayered brains - but they also exploit our insecurities. We understand little about cognition and the nature of free will, and we know we're just a brain tumor away from radical personality shifts and psychotic behavior. The fear of psychic powers gone wrong is the fear of our own turbulent minds. This episode features a wide range of psychic films made by superstar creators, including David Cronenberg's Scanners and The Dead Zone, Mike Flanagan's thrilling adaptation of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, Brian DePalma's The Fury, Sam Raimi's The Gift, Peter Jackson's The Frighteners and Tim Burton's horror/comedy masterpiece Beetlejuice.

2. Infections

October 8, 2021

There were two kinds of people in 2020 and 2021: those who watched movies about infectious diseases, and those who did not. Horror fans tend to fall into the first category, because that's a major appeal of the genre: it is both a cathartic release for our worst fears (things are bad, but it could be worse - look what happened to Gwyneth Paltrow in Contagion) and a way of rehearsing for real-life nightmares. This episode covers the spectrum of frightening infection scenarios, ranging from reality-based films (Outbreak, Contagion and 12 Monkeys) to surreal plagues (Shivers, Rabid and The Masque of the Red Death), horrific zombie outbreaks ([REC] and Pontypool) to space-born pathogens (The Andromeda Strain and Color Out of Space). Our fear of infection runs deep. But as these films and real life show us, so does the human capacity for survival.

1. Sequels That Don't Suck

October 1, 2021

Everyone knows horror sequels suck. Or do they? Fans of films like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Psycho II, The First Purge, Bride of Chucky, Scream 2 and Gremlins 2: The New Batch say sometimes sequels are as good or even better than the originals.

Description

The show is divided into six hour-long episodes, each focused on a different subgenre of horror. The first episode titled "Zombies" explores the evolution of the zombie trope in horror cinema, from the early days of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead to contemporary zombie franchises like The Walking Dead. The second episode, "Slashers," focuses on the rise of iconic horror villains like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, and their impact on popular culture.

In the third episode, "Monsters," the show delves into the history and cultural significance of classic horror creatures like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the werewolf. Conversely, episode four, "Witches," explores the portrayal of witches in horror films, and how they have become powerful feminist symbols.

The fifth episode, "Body Horror," examines the use of the human body as a canvas for horror storytelling, as seen in films like The Fly and The Thing. Lastly, the sixth episode, "Demons Inside," looks at how the horror genre has delved headfirst into exploring the idea of the demonic possession, often as a commentary on society's fears and anxieties.

The interviews are co-hosted by Roth and a rotating cast of experts - from actors and writers to academics and cultural critics- providing their own insights on how each subgenre has impacted society over the years, both positively and negatively. The show is a collaborative affair, and each episode features a tailored score and eerie sound effects and features archival clips to illustrate the evolving horror trends and the cultural movements surrounding each subgenre.

Throughout the series, Roth strikes a balance between horror-buff deep-dive analysis and more mainstream observations about the genre's impact. He brings forward an overarching narrative that connects the different subgenres and filmmakers, which underscores the elements that make horror films a unique storytelling medium. Roth has gone full nostalgia-overdrive, actively sharing his love for horror and the reason why it resonates with audiences. "For me, growing up, horror films were my babysitters. They kept me company, so they are like old friends," he says.

The show's historical bent is perhaps its greatest strength, its visual storytelling of how each subgenre was popularised and evolved through the years prevent it from feeling like a mere horror movie analysis. Its focus on the creators and the audience that helped in the success or failure of a particular horror trope is what makes the series fascinating.

AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors is a compelling watch for both cinephiles and casual horror fans. It offers a fresh, considered insight into the evolution of horror film that has become more than just a bite-sized source of fear in cinema; it's a genre with a cultural and social significance that deserves to be appreciated.

AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors is a series that is currently running and has 3 seasons (20 episodes). The series first aired on October 14, 2018.

Where to Watch AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors

AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors is available for streaming on the AMC website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horrors on demand at Google Play and Apple TV.