LA Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies Presents I DREAM OF DEEP WATER

This October, the Miskatonic Institute Horror Studies – LA will explore the depths of underwater horror with I DREAM OF DEEP WATER. From JAWS to Lovecraft, and from the screens to the real-life seas. Miskatonic LA co-director Rebekah McKendry uses cinema, lore, visual arts, and psychology to bring our fascination and fear with the unknown that lurks beneath the waves to the surface.

The summer of 1975 completed changed movie history. Not only did the release of JAWS set the standard for the “summer blockbuster”, it also ignited society’s communal anxiety, fear, and fascination with what could be lurking just the below the surface of the water. The success of JAWS not only led to a slate of rip-off films soon to be dubbed as “sharkploitation”, but also had real life repercussions of pure terror leading to deserted beaches and massive shark culls. However, JAWS was by no means the first or last aquatic horror media to pique our interest in the deep blue. Our fascination for monsters of the abyss goes back to the dawn of man and has traveled with us throughout time, from Jonah’s Whale, to ancient sea monsters depicted in early cartography, to Moby Dick, to the upcoming MEG film.

From unknown ghosts of the deep; sharks, mermaids, gators; and the Great Old Ones of Lovecraftian lore, McKendry’s lecture will examine not only the history of aquatic horror focusing on film, but also will touch on earlier texts and visual arts. McKendry will also explore the psychology behind our fascination with unknown fathoms, exploring the mental intersections of fear and fascination, the symbolism of submergence, and the subconscious primordial elements of the deep.