Courses
An in-depth, self-guided, 7-part exploration of the fascinating and chilling world of horror films. Designed for adult learners, this course traces the evolution of horror cinema, from its origins to modern-day classics. Through a combination of lectures, clips, discussions, and analysis, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical, cultural, and artistic aspects of horror films. Emphasizing critical thinking and contextualization, this curriculum aims to engage and educate adult learners with a passion for the macabre.
$300 or 2 payments of $150
Get anytime access to my growing collection of classes, workshops, and exclusive content. New items added regularly.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Trace the historical development of horror as a cultural form across three centuries
Analyze horror texts as primary sources that reveal the anxieties of their historical moments
Apply theoretical frameworks (psychoanalytic, Jungian, feminist, Marxist, postcolonial) to cultural artifacts
Construct evidence-based historical arguments in clear academic prose
Critically evaluate how fear is manufactured, marketed, and weaponized in popular culture
Get anytime access to my growing collection of classes, workshops, and exclusive content. New items added regularly.
Getting Started
Please begin by reading the full syllabus, posted in the course shell. Then introduce yourself on the Week 1 discussion board — tell us who you are, why you're here, and what scared you most as a child. (I'll go first. For me, it was the basement stairs, and the certainty that something was coming up behind me.)
I'm genuinely excited to take this journey with you. Horror has a bad reputation as a low art, a guilty pleasure, a carnival ride. But the genre has always been smarter than its critics. It knows things about us — about our history, our psyches, our societies — that we'd rather not look at directly. Our job this semester is to look directly.
Some of what we'll read and watch is disturbing. That is rather the point. Horror engages with violence, trauma, bodily violation, and social taboo, and we will not shy away from analyzing those themes critically. You will encounter depictions of violence, gore, sexual content, and psychological terror. If you have concerns about specific content, please contact me early in the term so we can discuss accommodations. There is no shame in this — I'd rather you talk to me in Week 1 than drop the course in Week 6.
What I ask is not that you be unshockable, but that you be thoughtful. We are not here to consume horror passively. We are here to interrogate it: Who made this? For whom? Against whom? What was happening in the world when it was made, and what does it want us to feel?
Meet the Instructor
Isabella Von Ghoul is the nom de plum of Isabella L. Price
(she/her)
A renowned artist and curator with a decade of expertise in film, costume design, and media lectures via Cinemancy. Her background includes roles at MoPOP, SIFF, Northwest Film Forum, and managing the Seattle Black Film Festival.
Instagram & tiktok: izzyvonghoul