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Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film
Monster in the closet is a history of the horrors film that explores the genre's relationship to the social and cultural history of homosexuality in America.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
41 people are currently reading
1593 people want to read
About the author
Harry M. Benshoff
15 books9 followersDr. Harry Benshoff's research interests include topics in film genres, film history, film theory, and multiculturalism. He has published essays on Dark Shadows fan cultures, blaxploitation horror films, Hollywood LSD films, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Brokeback Mountain. He is the author of Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film (Manchester University Press, 1997). With Sean Griffin he co-authored America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality at the Movies (Blackwell Publishers, 2004), and Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006). He was also the co-editor of Queer Cinema: The Film Reader (Routledge, 2004). His most recent books include Dark Shadows (Wayne State University Press, 2011), A Companion to the Horror Film (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014), and Film and Television Analysis: An Introduction to Theories, Methods, and Approaches (Routledge, 2015).
At UNT, Dr. Benshoff regularly teaches a wide array of film studies classes, including "Film and Television Analysis," "African American Film," "Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Film and Video," and "Gender and Sexuality in the Horror Film." He also teaches a graduate seminar in qualitative media theory every year, and a rotating series of "Film Authors" classes on such noted directors as David Cronenberg, Federico Fellini, Ken Russell, and Robert Altman.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Dr. Benshoff earned a BA in English from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., in 1985. He attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia for almost three years before he decided to follow his primary interest in life: film and media studies. He then earned an MA and a PhD in Critical Studies at the University of Southern California's prestigious School of Cinema-Television. He taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for three years before coming to UNT.
At UNT, Dr. Benshoff regularly teaches a wide array of film studies classes, including "Film and Television Analysis," "African American Film," "Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Film and Video," and "Gender and Sexuality in the Horror Film." He also teaches a graduate seminar in qualitative media theory every year, and a rotating series of "Film Authors" classes on such noted directors as David Cronenberg, Federico Fellini, Ken Russell, and Robert Altman.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Dr. Benshoff earned a BA in English from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., in 1985. He attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia for almost three years before he decided to follow his primary interest in life: film and media studies. He then earned an MA and a PhD in Critical Studies at the University of Southern California's prestigious School of Cinema-Television. He taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for three years before coming to UNT.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 25, 2020
I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to read a text on horror films that isnt overly reliant on freudian psychoanalysis or vaguely homophobic/transphobic even as it tries to to do a queer analysis of films
July 9, 2014
My professor wrote this book! He's brilliant.
October 25, 2014
This was a pretty good read and had some really great queer readings (like of The Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy) or accounts of "queerness" (like Hammer's lesbian vampire films). Of course iconic queer texts like Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Fright Night, and the films of Vincent Price are discussed in detail. I was unfamiliar with both Dracula's Daughter and How to Make a Monster, and both of those movies get compelling treatment here.
It's important to know that part of the author's object is to filter horror movies through the lens of gay & lesbian history, so there's lots of queer history in the book. I like that the author has a clear project in mind and sticks to it, but I can imagine some readers feeling overwhelmed by how much time is spent talking about the history of gay & lesbian identity/civil rights. There are significant stretches where horror movies aren't discussed at all, but Benshoff does a good job of making connections between the history and the horror films once he's made his historical/cultural points.
Again, the project of this book is to look at the shifting nature of queer identity and how that is reflected/refracted by horror cinema. In doing so, he calls a lot of these films out on the carpet for insisting over and over again that queerness is "monstrous."
The book ends with a mediation on where representations of queerness in media are headed, and by hoping that popular audiences might become willing to explicitly acknowledge queerness. I wonder if, in the era of True Blood and American Horror Story, Benshoff would posit that we've arrived there...
It's important to know that part of the author's object is to filter horror movies through the lens of gay & lesbian history, so there's lots of queer history in the book. I like that the author has a clear project in mind and sticks to it, but I can imagine some readers feeling overwhelmed by how much time is spent talking about the history of gay & lesbian identity/civil rights. There are significant stretches where horror movies aren't discussed at all, but Benshoff does a good job of making connections between the history and the horror films once he's made his historical/cultural points.
Again, the project of this book is to look at the shifting nature of queer identity and how that is reflected/refracted by horror cinema. In doing so, he calls a lot of these films out on the carpet for insisting over and over again that queerness is "monstrous."
The book ends with a mediation on where representations of queerness in media are headed, and by hoping that popular audiences might become willing to explicitly acknowledge queerness. I wonder if, in the era of True Blood and American Horror Story, Benshoff would posit that we've arrived there...
June 8, 2025
Queer horror! I love learning about the history and evolution of queer horror, and I’ve seen a lot of more recent writing on the topic that quotes Harry M. Benshoff and this book. So I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading it. The book is about the history of queer rights in the US and how depictions of monsters in horror films can be used to reflect what was happening in society at the time.
I had a blast reading this. It definitely is academic in tone, but the writing wasn’t the inscrutable kind where it’s so scholarly that you can’t understand what it’s trying to say. Reading the book inspired me to watch some older films that I’ve never heard of before or had just never been near the top of my watchlist.
I had a blast reading this. It definitely is academic in tone, but the writing wasn’t the inscrutable kind where it’s so scholarly that you can’t understand what it’s trying to say. Reading the book inspired me to watch some older films that I’ve never heard of before or had just never been near the top of my watchlist.
December 18, 2020
Oh wow.
February 3, 2019
4.5 stars.
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February 25, 2010"the queer, unlike the rather polite categories of gay and lesbian, revels in the discourse of the loathsome, the outcast, the idiomatically proscribed position of same-sex desire. Unlike petitions for civil rights, queer revels constitute a kind of activism that attacks the dominant notion of the natural. The queer is the taboo-breaker, the monstrous, the uncanny. Like the Phantom of the Opera, the queer dwells underground, below the operatic overtones of the dominant; frightening to look at, desiring, as it plays its own organ, producing its own music." "Tracking the Vampire" Sue Ellen Case.
November 26, 2019
Ah, expectations. I got an extremely academic and wry book, ideal for quoting in articles and thesis, but not really easily read, as the style is demanding and highbrow, not at all like the fun stuff I was hoping for.
What I mean, and I know the subject deserves to be treated seriously, is that a more user-friendly approach would have done wonders for a more general understanding of the topic, and it would have suited the horror motif beautifully too.
I have learned a lot, that's true. And thank you for the gay porn titles, Mr Benshoff, much appreciated.
What I mean, and I know the subject deserves to be treated seriously, is that a more user-friendly approach would have done wonders for a more general understanding of the topic, and it would have suited the horror motif beautifully too.
I have learned a lot, that's true. And thank you for the gay porn titles, Mr Benshoff, much appreciated.
January 19, 2017
A classic work of film scholarship and queer critical reading. It falls into the trap, at times, of reading bodily abnormality metaphorically as representing queerness, without considering the representation of disability and physical anomaly in its own right. However, it's exploration of historical and social contexts is really excellent, and richly rewarding.
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November 12, 2022 "since homosexuality cannot be spoken forthrightly, it must manifest itself through Dorian's monstrosity and clever connotative types . . . the "H" word itself cannot be spoken, and not even a 'queer' or a 'gay' is slyly bandied about. perforce, 'monster' stands in for 'homosexual.'"
benshoff's monsters in the closet details an extensive knowledge of the history of homosexuality and homosexual subtext within the specific subgenre of horror known as "monster horror" and its frequent conflation of homosexuality and monstrosity. benshoff explores both the impact these themes have had on the social understanding of homosexuality (in the u.s. specifically) and how, in turn, ideas about homosexuality informed the horror genre. this book covers all the major points of u.s. horror film history from the ambiguity that the hays code brought upon movies of its time conflating sexual desire and violence (both unable to be shown on-screen due to the code's regulation laws), to understanding homosexuality as a strictly european endeavor adopted by "confused" or "preyed upon" u.s. americans which resulted in depictions of nazis in u.s. american film as predatory in a flamboyantly gay sense (informed by news articles at the time that claimed homosexuals and nazis to be a one-in-the-same moral deviance, even claiming they consorted with one another), to modern depictions of more open gayness by outwardly gay film writers and directors.
i learned a lot from this book. not just about the history of the horror genre, but also the history of the u.s. things i never really knew, but things that ultimately didn't surprise me. sure, there's outdated-ness to this book (it was published in 1997), but ultimately what benshoff has to say is unfortunately still extremely relevant. a lot of the ways in which right-wing and/or christian people in the u.s. discuss their issues with anyone different than them have been informed a lot by narratives pushed in hollywood film. fiction affects and is affected by reality. while discussing the real life bigotry these themes in horror fuel, benshoff acknowledges that many gay and trans audience members will feel a connection to horror and these flawed (or usually downright hateful) depictions of their otherness: "identification can mean many different things to many different people, and is not necessarily always a negative thing for the individual spectators in question, even as some depictions of queer monsters undoubtedly conflate and reinforce certain sexist or homophobic fears within the public sphere." he doesn't condemn the spectator's interpretations of the subject, simply asserts that this is on an individual basis, and that while these individuals may feel this way, other spectators (ones entering these movies with preconceived negative notions of queerness) will utilize the film's conflation of homosexual and monster very differently. as someone in the camp of personally enjoying these types of depictions (with exceptions, of course), i appreciated the distinction.
even though it took me forever and a day to actually finish this book, i enjoyed it from beginning to end. i'm really glad i picked this up. i'll be referring back to it a lot in the future.
benshoff's monsters in the closet details an extensive knowledge of the history of homosexuality and homosexual subtext within the specific subgenre of horror known as "monster horror" and its frequent conflation of homosexuality and monstrosity. benshoff explores both the impact these themes have had on the social understanding of homosexuality (in the u.s. specifically) and how, in turn, ideas about homosexuality informed the horror genre. this book covers all the major points of u.s. horror film history from the ambiguity that the hays code brought upon movies of its time conflating sexual desire and violence (both unable to be shown on-screen due to the code's regulation laws), to understanding homosexuality as a strictly european endeavor adopted by "confused" or "preyed upon" u.s. americans which resulted in depictions of nazis in u.s. american film as predatory in a flamboyantly gay sense (informed by news articles at the time that claimed homosexuals and nazis to be a one-in-the-same moral deviance, even claiming they consorted with one another), to modern depictions of more open gayness by outwardly gay film writers and directors.
i learned a lot from this book. not just about the history of the horror genre, but also the history of the u.s. things i never really knew, but things that ultimately didn't surprise me. sure, there's outdated-ness to this book (it was published in 1997), but ultimately what benshoff has to say is unfortunately still extremely relevant. a lot of the ways in which right-wing and/or christian people in the u.s. discuss their issues with anyone different than them have been informed a lot by narratives pushed in hollywood film. fiction affects and is affected by reality. while discussing the real life bigotry these themes in horror fuel, benshoff acknowledges that many gay and trans audience members will feel a connection to horror and these flawed (or usually downright hateful) depictions of their otherness: "identification can mean many different things to many different people, and is not necessarily always a negative thing for the individual spectators in question, even as some depictions of queer monsters undoubtedly conflate and reinforce certain sexist or homophobic fears within the public sphere." he doesn't condemn the spectator's interpretations of the subject, simply asserts that this is on an individual basis, and that while these individuals may feel this way, other spectators (ones entering these movies with preconceived negative notions of queerness) will utilize the film's conflation of homosexual and monster very differently. as someone in the camp of personally enjoying these types of depictions (with exceptions, of course), i appreciated the distinction.
even though it took me forever and a day to actually finish this book, i enjoyed it from beginning to end. i'm really glad i picked this up. i'll be referring back to it a lot in the future.
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November 3, 2022Well worth the read for anyone interested in film history.
August 13, 2024
if I can make my dissertation half this good I’ll be happy
May 23, 2022
Harry M. Benshoff's ability to combine academia, queer history and film analysis and manage to keep things entertaining instead of dry or dense is legitimately amazing. Well written, interesting and enjoyable to read, MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET is possibly my favorite film analysis book I've cracked so far.
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January 1, 2015I *need* this book
July 27, 2012
Very academic, text book-like examination of homosexuality in the horror genre. Kind of dry for novices, but essential for horror film geeks that like discussing cinematic influences.
November 30, 2012
love this book.
November 2, 2015
Oh, this was so wonderdful...
January 26, 2017
Great book by a great professor. Dr. Harry M. Benshoff is THE expert.
February 10, 2022
Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film is an important work for older movies where the lens of monsters=homophobia was more valid. As homosexuality has become more accepted in society than it was in the 90s, it's important to look at some more modern horror movies with acceptance in mind, something this book doesn't really do, even if it's generally accepting and still ahead of its time in a lot of ways.
There's another element that can be harder to follow for a modern audience when it comes to the book: Its definitions are largely outdated. Benshoff does a decent job explaining what he means by putting a lot of things under the umbrella of the "queer," but I feel that Benshoff would, with a more modern understanding of these groups write a much better book than the one we have today.
Again, it's a good book to reference when talking about older horror movies, but if you're going beyond the classics it doesn't really hold up. While it's worth checking out if you're curious about older horror cinema, what I feel is actually needed is a new edition where it engages with these criticisms and tries to be broader and take more perspectives into account.
There's another element that can be harder to follow for a modern audience when it comes to the book: Its definitions are largely outdated. Benshoff does a decent job explaining what he means by putting a lot of things under the umbrella of the "queer," but I feel that Benshoff would, with a more modern understanding of these groups write a much better book than the one we have today.
Again, it's a good book to reference when talking about older horror movies, but if you're going beyond the classics it doesn't really hold up. While it's worth checking out if you're curious about older horror cinema, what I feel is actually needed is a new edition where it engages with these criticisms and tries to be broader and take more perspectives into account.
October 1, 2020
Some really interesting reading!
I was so captivated by the many different ways in which film makers side stepped censors in classic film, it's so gratifying to know that all the symbolism I pick up on (as a gay woman) is not just me reading too deeply into the text but is in fact validated by the film makers and queer theory of the time.
Definitely worth a read if you're like me and enjoy analysing old films !
I would ask people to keep in mind that the book was published in 1997 and so some of a language and terminology used is indicative of the 90s culture and wouldn't necessarily 'swing' by today's standards, also the author is purposefully using provocative language to further cement the mutually inclusive connotations of "monster" and "queer" (as suggested by the title).
It was a great read and very enlightening!
I was so captivated by the many different ways in which film makers side stepped censors in classic film, it's so gratifying to know that all the symbolism I pick up on (as a gay woman) is not just me reading too deeply into the text but is in fact validated by the film makers and queer theory of the time.
Definitely worth a read if you're like me and enjoy analysing old films !
I would ask people to keep in mind that the book was published in 1997 and so some of a language and terminology used is indicative of the 90s culture and wouldn't necessarily 'swing' by today's standards, also the author is purposefully using provocative language to further cement the mutually inclusive connotations of "monster" and "queer" (as suggested by the title).
It was a great read and very enlightening!
January 30, 2025
Benshoff’s charting of queerness in horror film is pretty great, primarily due to his attention to queer history and even film history itself. He litters each chapter with insightful and compelling queer readings of various kinds of films, positing repeatedly that the lesser-known, poorly regarded films are just as crucial to understanding the often overshadowed history of queerness and its function in society as are highly regarded films (for example, his final chapter includes readings of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 as well as Edward Scissorhands). It’s not encyclopedic in scope, but the book does offer some strong readings and interpretations while it spits facts, and though it was published before the millennium (and Benshoff makes many claims that are now quite dated), it provides solid grounding for further application in the twenty-first century.
July 31, 2024
Harry M. Benshoff's analysis and sample of queer monster films is quite good, but in much need of an update. Reading a book published in 1997 from the vantage point of 2024, the speculations in the final chapter and epilogue are interesting, but bittersweet, because you may (like me) know what happens next in the quest for LGBTQIA2S+ equity and how much a film media depictions of them have evolved and varied. Plus, the book closes before Wes Craven's Scream brought a postmodern punch with ample queerness to the horror film genre. Like reading "We Don't Go Back" and realizing it was published before "Midsommer" came out, it's frustrating to not hear the author's take on this key work. Luckily, other works have followed. I can seek my queer evaluation of Scream there.
June 19, 2019
first theory book that ive completed - loooong to get into, but once i got into maybe the 50s i was having the time of my life.
it feels longwinded in making its points, but i feel like this kind of immersion on queer analysis is really helpful in spotting it elsewhere. ive never felt so queer and its a LOT of fun.
that said, some of the analysis, when actually watching the films, is a bit of a reach. i was incredibly disappointed with how straight the lost boys actually is.
it feels longwinded in making its points, but i feel like this kind of immersion on queer analysis is really helpful in spotting it elsewhere. ive never felt so queer and its a LOT of fun.
that said, some of the analysis, when actually watching the films, is a bit of a reach. i was incredibly disappointed with how straight the lost boys actually is.
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April 27, 2022I enjoyed this!! It was fascinating to read, gives what I think is a good overview of the changing climate of homophobia in the United States decade-by-decade, provides a vast watchlist of old horror movies to look around for. I’d say I enjoyed this reading experience more than I did with the Celluloid Closet, and I think Benschoff has a writing style that shines through the prerequisite Academia Style!
December 16, 2020
non solo di mostri e omosessuali, ma una pietra miliare dei gay and lesbian studies che ripercorre tutte le intersezioni tra cinema horror e queerness mentre restituisce la parte più recente (quella del Novecento) della storia della comunità LGBTQ attraverso uno studio culturologico che considera contesti, paradossi e ambiguità
November 9, 2023
truly one of the best nonfic i've ever read. i was pretty sure i would enjoy it from the get-go (i am gay, i love horror) but this was even more interesting than i thought. funny how a book written in the 90s gets it better than a lot of queers today. anyway. now i have a shitload of films to watch and new books to read ! fucking ideal
May 23, 2019
It's a crying shame that this was published too early to cover Scream, but the good news is that the book teaches you how to read these movies so well that I don't even need to know Benshoff's thoughts on it
April 7, 2025
4.5 really good overview of covert and not-so-covert homosexual depiction in old hollywood films. found it too laborious at times and would have enjoyed a more straightforward approach, but i wouldn’t say the details were gratuitous
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July 20, 2025Only let down by the fact that because it had to exist in a point in time to exist at all, it obviously stops at a certain point in cinema history. Other than that it’s ace and never feels like it’s reaching.
May 20, 2019
hell yeah...gimme that gay shit
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews