By Jordyn E Pimental
Picture of Professor Berry (Jordyn E Pimental)
Happy Halloween season, readers! In honor of the upcoming spooky holiday, I sat down with Bill Berry, 4C’s “Masters of Horror” professor, and we explored a variety of eerie subjects.
Q: You’ve previously taught the class “Masters of Horror.” What initially attracted you to horror as a genre?
A: My father took me to horror movies at a wildly inappropriate young age, so I kind of cut my teeth on horror movies, and as I grew up…I sort of came back to it. I was really intrigued by horror’s ability to explore themes and ideas that mainstream movies couldn’t… because horror was a forgotten genre… it was sort of under the radar.
And then, of course, reading as well. I cut my teeth on Ramona The Pest and Judy Blume but as an early adult I moved into horror fairly quickly, and I always loved reading horror short stories.
Q: What was your favorite part about teaching that class?
A: I loved the idea that, aside from me being able to share what I know about the material I teach, the fact that people bring with them a knowledge and understanding of things I’m completely clueless about, that I don’t even know. So people doing what I call “the independent projects,” these creative projects, where they get to really express themselves and show their creative sides and explore ideas that we may not have touched on in class… that’s really what I like about it.
Q: What are the oldest and newest pieces read in the class?
A: So in the “Masters of Horror” class, we talk about “Frankenstein”, we talk about “Dracula”, we talk about “The Invisible Man”. They’re mentioned as context, but I think the oldest piece is H.P Lovecraft. We go back to about the 1930s and we look at his style. Of course, it has to be compared to Edgar Allan Poe because they’re both that sort of high-goth style. I think the most modern piece would probably be a film… I think we did four last time, because we did Get Out, Hereditary, Friday the 13th, and Deliverance. So short story-wise, I don’t think we go any later than the 90s but film-wise we come into this century and we go back a few years.
Q: Do you have a personal favorite read from this class?
A: That’s really super hard. I start the class, which is usually taught in the fall, with a story, “Summer People” by Shirley Jackson. I love that piece because it’s so ambiguous and so foreboding and it talks about people visiting a New England town for the summer season and they want to stay off-season. And somehow they may or may not be punished for their decision to stay after they’re no longer welcome. I love that because it always reminds me of Cape Cod, and I like to start that fall class with that because, you know, we start after Labor Day so it’s that sense of summer people hanging out on the Cape when maybe they shouldn’t be… I really, really like that piece.
Q: With Halloween approaching, what do you think it is about this time of year specifically that attracts others to the horror genre?
A: There’s something about fear. One of the questions we talk about in the class is: Why do we like horror? What is it? And then, what do we like about fear that is titillating and thrilling? (We discuss) the different kinds of fear that there are. We read a short story, “Dread,” by Clive Barker. Again, one of the more modern, more recent pieces, although it’s 30 years old now. So what is dread, in relation to a jump scare versus other kinds of fear? So, I think what draws people to horror this time of year is the vicarious experience of safely experiencing a situation that is otherwise dangerous, so that people can safely, among the community of people at a movie theater or at home with friends, be frightened. I think there’s something cathartic about being afraid and then not being afraid, which is the thrill of a jump scare, right? It builds and builds and builds and then… boo! It’s an endorphin rush; it feels good to people, like a rollercoaster.
Q: What are some of your personal favorite horror movies?
A: Oh my gosh, “Get Out,” “Hereditary.” I’m a big “Friday the 13th” fan; I do love “Halloween,” “Black Christmas,” “Zombie” by Lucio Fulci, which is Italian horror, (it’s) really super gory, (and) I liked Zach Snyder’s “Dawn of The Dead” remake a lot, that was a long time ago. I loved “It Follows”; I loved “The Witch”; I loved “Midsommar”.
Q: OK, we’ll end on a fun one: Do you have a Halloween costume planned this year? If not, do you have a favorite?
A: I do not have a Halloween costume this year. My town (Provincetown) really celebrates Halloween, so I just enjoy sitting outside and watching people walk around in all of their fabulous Halloween costumes going to different parties and stuff because, boy, they really dress up, it’s really fantastic.
“Master’s of Horror” is anticipated to delve more into dread again next Fall.
