Horror films hold a special place in American popular culture. The genre preys on the real-life fears and anxieties that horror films can elicit within viewers. Like a classic zombie chase scene, the genre forces the viewer to confront their most inner monsters with a mixture of repugnance and fascination. Horror films present a spectacle of terror that is simultaneously desired and dreaded, and is often based in real world anxieties that can be rooted in everyday lived experiences. As director Alfred Hitchcock observed, “A glimpse into the world proves that horror is nothing other than reality.”
Sarah Lawrence College welcomes director Kevin Greutert (Saw 3D, Saw IV, Saw X) via Zoom for a conversation on this topic. Using Saw as a point of departure, this talk will explore the horror film genre and its relationship to contemporary culture and society. In conversation with Matthew Rosza, staff writer at Salon, and Ryan Purcell, professor of U.S. Cultural and Intellectual History at Sarah Lawrence, this talk will dissect some of the real-life motivations behind the Saw films that have made this billion-dollar franchise an indelible fixture in American popular culture.
A screening of Saw VI (2009) will precede the talk.
REGISTER HERE to attend the post-screening talk via Zoom.