Would You Like Extra Cheese with That?: What We Can Learn and Gain from Cheesy Horror Films

For some, cheesy horror films elicit eyerolls if not derision. For others, these films hold a campy, or even nostalgic, appeal. Few, however, see these films as critically brilliant or as culturally important works of art. With attention to films such as Dracula’s Daughter (1936), Satan’s School for Girls (1973), VelociPastor (2017), and Amityville in Space (2022), this talk proposes that in cheesy horror films we actually encounter substance and significance. This talk thus encourages broader ways of both enjoying and appreciating and otherwise approaching these films. Phillip Serrato (B.A.,…