David J. Skal Movies

From myths to monsters to Twilight. Where did 'Vampire' come from? Where is it today? And where is it going next?

A documentary from Universal about the movie "Dracula" (1931) starring Bela Lugosi.

Narrator Rudy Behlmer guides a look through Universal's place in film history as a source of alien visitation, extraterrestrial life, and other...

Documentary about the real life inspiration behind the film, serial killer Ed Gein. Produced for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" DVD. Screened at the...

This documentary short explores the origins of the monster movie and how Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" (1963) fits in the genre.

Born Creighton Chaney, this is a biographical documentary on Lon Chaney Jr, the only star to play all four of the classic monsters: the Mummy, the...

Video essay about the 1927 film 'The Cat and the Canary'.

A documentary from Universal about the movie "The Invisible Man" (1933) directed by James Whale.

Documentary recounting the making of Tod Browning's Freaks. Featuring interviews with experts and actual sideshow performers, this film gives a...

A tribute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock, featuring contemporary filmmakers, writers, performers, and cultural critics.

Actress and neice of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle, Carla Laemmle recounts the events that occured while filming Phantom of the Opera, The...

Nudism. Esperanto. KING KONG. Sci-Fi. What do all of these things have in common? Simple: Forrest J Ackerman! Who's that? Glad you asked... Forrest...