MovieChat Forums > Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Discussion > Eroticism in Horror Movies

Eroticism in Horror Movies

posted 18 years ago by HijodelCid
7 replies | jump to latest

The obvious eroticism of CFTBL was not unprecedented by any means; all the Dracula movies from before HORROR OF DRACULA consistently hinted that the vampire count was the ultimate seducer. The first Dracula of Christopher Lee, of course, was a sensation: definitely phallic in his height and slender built, and depicted in the garish colors that Hammer Productions favored, HORROR OF DRACULA made blatant the eroticism that previous movies only hinted at. Imagine if CFTBL had been a Hammer production: the sexual tension between Kay and the Creature would have been hot enough to start the R rating a decade ahead of its time! Ever noticed how, in spite of the fact that Mark and David show their bare chests quite often, 'tis the Creature who comes across as the most seductive male in this film? Methinks Kay screamed so much because she was scared of the torrid attraction she truly felt for the Gillman.

[–] Cujoholic 18 years ago

Same with King Kong.

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RIP Lee Remick

AIM: RandomnessAbsurd

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] HijodelCid 18 years ago

If you read my post correctly, you will see that I say that HORROR OF DRACULA made explicit the eroticism that previous Dracula movies only hinted at--the movies with Lugosi, Chaney and Carradine.

[–] gbennett5 17 years ago

There's a lot of erotic themes in this film. Besides beautiful Julia
Adams, the two male leads are shirtless constantly and boast hot bods.
I also find it funny that even when they're on the boat and "dressed",
Carlson ALWAYS has his shirt unbuttoned and his navel exposed (tame
today, but very rare then - men usually had their swim trunks pulled
all the way up to the middle of their torso. Even Barbara Eden on
"I Dream of Jeannie" had to hide her belly button - ten years later!).

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] deforest-1 10 years ago

But I noticed Christopher's Lee's head was not much like a phallic head at all.

Are Hammer Horrors as far back as you go? You should check out the eroticism of Zita Johann, who plays the young maiden possessed by Boris Karloff in The Mummy (1932-33). And I have no doubt that Lil Dagover and others in German expressionist film in silents were quite sexy too.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 10 years ago

I watched The Mummy the other night. That outfit that Zita wore near the end left VERY little to the imagination. If the film had been made a few years later, there's no way that the Hays Code would have allowed it.