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?

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...

The story of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, living on the very edge of show business, and her rise to celluloid cultdom 50 years later. Her big break came...

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

Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story takes a deeper look at the life and career of Boris Karloff, from 1931 to 1969, exploring films such as 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...

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...

As a famous man lies dying, his family—including both his wife and his mistress—gathers inside, while members of the media converge...

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

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