The Art of Fear: Woody Bess on the Evolution of Horror [Podcast]

This Halloween, Meara sits down with filmmaker and horror devotee Woody Bess for a decade-by-decade deep dive into the genre that refuses to die. From the eerie colonial ghosts of I Walked with a Zombie to the teenage terror of Talk to Me, they trace how horror has mirrored our fears, adapted to each era, and evolved from folklore to internet folklore. Along the way, they debate Alien vs. The Thing, revisit cult gems like Peeping Tom and Ginger Snaps, and unpack what makes a story truly unsettling.

If you love dissecting horror through its screenplays, this episode is your guided tour through 80 years of the genre’s beating (and bleeding) heart.

Full Transcript: Kinolime Podcast Episode 23: The Art of Fear: Woody Bess on the Evolution of Horror

Participants

• Meara Owen-Griffiths - Creative Executive, Kinolime

• Woody Bess - Filmmaker, Writer (Portal to Hell), DP, Horror Superfan

Meara: Welcome, everyone. I’m joined by filmmaker and horror superfan Woody Bess, calling in from California. Woody, quick intro?
Woody: I’m a filmmaker, writer/DP, huge horror fan. I just finished my first feature, Portal to Hell, aiming for release next year.
Meara: We recently worked together, and I can vouch he’s a phenomenal horror screenwriter. Since it’s Halloween, we’re walking through horror history decade by decade, trading our favorite films, screenplays, and why they matter.

1940s - Folk Horror Roots

Meara: Pick: I Walked with a Zombie (1943) - writers Curt Siodmak & Ardel Wray (RKO).
Why it matters: early, influential blend of folk horror and colonial commentary; Brontë-style Gothic transplanted to the Caribbean. Short, precise, eerily respectful and immersive; much of it non-English and unsubtitled, putting the audience “out of place.” Great poster (Criterion release worth hunting down).
Woody: I’m intrigued, so it’s largely set and cast locally in the Caribbean?
Meara: Yes. After the opening, it fully immerses you there. Fish-out-of-water dread done right.

1950s - Metaphor Takes Center Stage

Woody: Pick: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).
Cold-War anxiety distilled into pod-people conformity versus American individualism. Each remake reflects its era; the metaphor stays razor-sharp. Hays Code constraints nudged horror toward subversion and allegory, and horror often got away with more than straight drama.

Meara: Counter-pick: House of Wax (1953) - Crane Wilbur, starring Vincent Price.
Garish Technicolor 3D on the surface, but a surprisingly layered “mimicry of life” tale, Frankenstein-adjacent obsession with imitation rather than creation. Still, I concede the decade to Body Snatchers for sheer influence.
Woody: Ever see the 2005 remake?
Meara: Not yet. I’ve heard it’s very early-2000s: glossy, grimy, occasionally effective.

1960s - Confinement & Voyeurism

Woody: Pick: Night of the Living Dead (1968).
Micro-budget Pittsburgh miracle; box-office phenomenon; the template for “people trapped in a house” siege horror. Minimal means, maximal suspense.

Meara: Counter-pick: Peeping Tom (1960) - Michael Powell.
Psychological horror about voyeurism turning murderous; chilling empathy with the “monster.” Incredibly influential on films like Zodiac and Nightcrawler.
Woody: Peeping Tom or Rear Window?
Meara: Peeping Tom is more invasive and skin-crawling; Rear Window keeps a playful mystery. Different beasts, I’d love to do a side-by-side someday.

1970s - World-Building Terror

Meara: Pick: Alien (1979) - written by Dan O’Bannon (after a hard-won WGA credit).
Perfect fusion of sci-fi and horror; protagonist identity withheld; the xenomorph as a force of nature. The unseen corporate world and “space jockey” hint at vast lore that later films and shows mined for decades.
Woody: Exactly. The universe feels deep beyond the frame, that’s why it endures.
Meara: Also, shout-out to The Wicker Man (1973) for quintessential folk dread.

1980s - Paranoia & the Dreamscape

Woody: Pick: The Thing (1982) - directed by John Carpenter, screenplay by Bill Lancaster.
Practical-effects masterclass; hermetic paranoia; initially panned as “violence porn,” later canonized. I rewatch it constantly.

Meara: Counter-pick: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Wes Craven.
Slasher rules go metaphysical: dreams kill you back. Iconic antagonist, terrific Final Girl (Nancy), indelible sound design.
Verdict: We give the ’80s crown to The Thing (snowy, sealed-room terror at its peak).

1990s - From Folk Tales to Urban Legends

Meara: The ’90s pivot hard from folk horror to urban legend, stories that feel like they happened “to a friend of a friend.” Global connectivity makes horror feel next door.

Meara: Pick: Candyman (1992) - written and directed by Bernard Rose.
Quintessential urban legend (say his name five times). Scary, socially conscious, grounded in real spaces, campuses and housing projects, while exploring race and myth.

Woody: Pick: Event Horizon (1997).
Sam Neill goes gloriously unhinged; a batty, high-concept descent that resists neat loglines.
Verdict: We hand the ’90s to Candyman for its archetypal urban-legend power (and Tony Todd!).

2000s - Torture-Gore, Twists & Indies

Meara: Pick: Ginger Snaps (2000) - written by Karen Walton.
Werewolf as metaphor for menstruation, adolescence, and female rage. The ’98 draft is a great “kill your darlings” lesson; film’s effects are dated, but the script sings.

Woody: Pick: Saw (2004).
Defines the era’s “locked-room puzzle” brutality; a legitimately tight mystery before the franchise bloat.
Verdict: Saw better encapsulates the decade’s trends (alongside The Ring, Paranormal Activity, Final Destination).

2010s - A New Golden Age

Woody: Pick: It Follows (2014).
A sexually transmitted haunting that just… walks. You’re never safe, any background figure could be it. Minimal rules, maximal dread.

Meara: I agree. The film is a 5/5; the screenplay, maybe a 3.5/5, but the execution, score, and timeless Detroit vibe are unmatched.
Shout-outs: Hereditary, Get Out, Cabin in the Woods, and especially Midsommar -daylight dread, economical writing, massive cultural influence.
Verdict: It Follows takes it for its singular mood and concept.

2020s - Teenage Decisions & Internet Dread

Meara: Pick: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2022) - written by Jane Schoenbrun.
Creepypasta-adjacent, intimate, internet-age unease. Critic/audience split, but it nails the feeling of pushing too far online.

Woody: Pick: Talk to Me (2022).
Teens pass around a ceramic hand to commune with the dead - 50 seconds max or it stays. A clean premise executed with relentless escalation and sharp practical effects.
Meara: Also love Barbarian for structural swings.
Verdict: Edge to Talk to Me for airtight design and crowd-gripping suspense.

Closing Thoughts & Resources

Meara: That’s our whirlwind history of horror. I’ve compiled 13 downloadable screenplays tied to what we mentioned (from 1943 to recent titles -The Fly, The Wicker Man, etc.). The best way to grow as a writer is to read widely.
Woody: This was a blast, now I’ve got a fat watchlist.
Meara: Same. We’ll have Woody back soon, maybe next Halloween. Thanks for listening!