Why the ‘exotic and strange’ world of childhood is ripe for horror
‘It’s a secret world that exists by its own rules and lives in its own culture.’
Using archival audio excerpted from a 1989 interview with Stephen King, this instalment of PBS’s animated Blank on Blank series features the horror fiction master discussing why his work combines the fantastical universe of childhood with the macabre realities of adulthood, and how effective horror preys on the practical fears ‘just outside the spotlight’ of reality.
Animator: Patrick Smith
Producer: Amy Drozdowska, David Gerlach
videoChildhood and adolescence
A neglected Dominican sugar town, as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old local
11 minutes
videoDemography and migration
The volunteers who offer a last line of care for migrants at a contentious border
30 minutes
videoLove and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes
videoLife stages
Grief, healing and laughter coexist at a unique retreat for widows and widowers
15 minutes
videoConsciousness and altered states
What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?
12 minutes
videoFamily life
A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait
11 minutes
videoChildhood and adolescence
‘Do worms cry?’ – and other questions collected from the mind of a curious child
4 minutes
videoWar and peace
Two Ukrainian boys’ summer unfolds just miles from the frontlines
22 minutes
videoStories and literature
Two variants of a Hindu myth come alive in an animated ode to Indian storytelling
14 minutes