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The intriguing shared history of Horror and Punk

On the surface it should be pretty clear why these two have been fitting mates. Both have progressive themes and ideology, and both have a rebellious energy to them. The 1980s in particular saw a wave of anti-establishment acts like Black Flag, Minor Threat and was the era of Britain’s ‘video nasties’ on the horror side. Both horror and punk would have, and are considered outsider culture. In an interview with Revolver, Glenn Danzig (former singer of horrorcore pioneers, The Misfits) had this to say,

“I related more to those kinds of movies. Of course, there were movies I hated because you only get to see the monster in the last two minutes of the movie. But I saw the correlation between society and the monster and why there was a need for a monster.”1

The Misfits logo, inspired by 1940s film serial ‘The Crimson Ghost’

Danzig’s words here echo the sentiment expressed by many that punk and horror are adjacent to one another. Horror reflects the current society’s fears throughout the decade whether it be atomic bombs, teenage rebellion, sexual liberation, and so on. Punk, meanwhile notes society’s fears, and stands opposed to those in the way of progress. Both art-forms have been created and performed by outsiders. Directors like Sam Raimi or John Carpenter had to make their films independently outside of the ‘studio system’ and punks like the Sex Pistols who’ve never preformed ‘proper’ music with ‘proper’ backgrounds, similarly worked outside the typical systems. Both often had immediate and vital messaging about societal woes.

Halloween (1978) was made for just $300,000. A low budget film for the time, as a result, wardrobes and props had to be purchased second-hand or pulled from whatever they had already. The film went on to make $70 million.

Even towards the beginning of punk’s roots, there was the emergence of horror punk, a subgenre that meshed the themes of punk and aesthetics (and storytelling) of horror. Bands like The Misfits and The Damned were at the forefront of this wave. Artists like Ice Nine Kills have featured whole albums inspired by horror films and horror punk has spiraled into further deviations like psychobilly (a fusion genre of horror themes and rockabilly)

Alongside ‘The Misfits’, ‘The Damned’ were some of the first of the horror punk subgenre: “We got our name from two 1960s films: Luchino Visconti’s The Damned, about the Nazis, and the horror movie The Village of the Damned. It was perfect for us...Audiences hated us. Motorcycle gangs chased us. It seemed like half the country wanted to beat the shit out of us.” 2

In film meanwhile, there were stories like Return of the Living Dead, Green Room, and Uncle Peckerhead that feature punks or punk bands in their narrative or ones like Evil Dead 2 or Night of the Demons that exhibited more of a broad aesthetic ‘energy’ or punk ethos to them. Despite featuring a punk band as his protagonists, Jeremy Saulnier (director of Green Room) felt his movie was a follower of the latter philosophy saying:

“I know a lot of filmmakers who try to make quote-unquote ‘punk’ movies,” said Saulnier, stopping through Chicago on a publicity tour that also tends to confine him to one building, albeit under less stressful circumstances. “But most bog themselves down in ideology and punk references left and right. [‘Green Room’] is about taking the energy, aesthetic and propulsive qualities of the music and using them in support of a genre siege thriller.”3

Even books and graphic novels like Robert Brockway’s Vicious Circuit series or Dan Watters Home Sick Pilots chronicle the ongoing history of the two meshing cultures.

A lot of these same films feature punk artists like Pet Semetary’s song of the same name by The Ramones. Stephen King himself was a noted Ramones fan, and they come up in discussion in the book proper. Connections like this tie both communities even further.

Home Sick Pilots by Dan Watters stars the titular fictional band, and meshes punk rock with genre fare like haunted houses and kaiju cinema

Both sub-cultures experienced a golden age of sorts in the broader counter-culture of the 1980s as this was the era of Reagan, Thatcher and the previously mentioned ‘video nasties’. Conservative governments were the norm in the west, and moral policing had reached a zeitgeist. Games like Dungeons & Dragons were treated as scapegoats for societal issues. Artists of all kinds were displaying their anti-authority messages.

While a sillier take than Night of The Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead begins with poorly stored toxic waste and ends with the military calling in a nuclear warhead. Environmentalism and anti-war messages have long been punk staples.

A film like Evil Dead 2 meanwhile displays its punk ethos not through it’s characters or its story but through its DIY approach. Sam Raimi made his original Evil Dead film for almost nothing with the help of family and friends. It also featured an absurd amount of fake blood and was subsequently banned in the UK for many years becoming one of the legendary Video Nasties. It’s this anti-establishment and DIY approach that has bonded many of these two genres creators and put them on a collision course with each other.

Ultimately, punk and horror are like two parallels in art, sound and film – both reflecting the swirling chaos of modern life, by its fear or by its failures. Its creators and their art, whether figures like Sam Raimi or bands like The Misfits, becoming folk heroes for the destitute, the downtrodden, and the oppressed in society.

1 Steve Appleford, and 2018 October 31. “Glenn Danzig on Horror Favorites, ‘Crazy’ New Verotik Film, Rob Zombie's Advice.” Revolver, 18 Oct. 2019, https://www.revolvermag.com/culture/glenn-danzig-horror-favorites-crazy-new-verotik-film-rob-zombies-advice.

2 Guardian News and Media. (2018, March 19). The damned: How we made new rose. The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/19/how-we-made-the-damned-new-rose

3 Tobias, Scott. “How D.C. Punk Influenced One of the Year's Most Anticipated Horror Movies.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 21 Apr. 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-dc-punk-influenced-one-of-the-years-most-anticipated-horror-movies/2016/04/21/21718f88-063a-11e6-a12f-ea5aed7958dc_story.html.

#horror #film #punk #punk rock #horror punk #movies #history

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aspenmissing · 1 year

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𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍 (𝙿𝚝 𝟸)

Back at the hospital, Sam, Dean, and Y/N come down a hallway, quickly ducking back when they see Dr. Hydecker.

"Good night, Dr. Hydecker," a nurse says.

"See you tomorrow, Betty."

"Try to get some sleep." Sam, Dean, and Y/N hide until Hydecker passes, then continue on to the old woman's room. They open the door and sneak in, Dean and Y/N taking the front, Sam hanging back with guns drawn. The woman is in her wheelchair facing toward the corner. She seems to be sleeping. Dean slowly leans in closer to her face.

"Dean? I don't think we should give her a heart attack," Y/N whispers. The old woman then turns her head.

"Who the hell are you?!" Dean freaks, leaping back against the wall cabinet, pulling Y/N back and raising his gun.

"I was wrong. I don't think she should give you a heart attack," Y/N says.

"Who's there? You trying to steal my stuff?" The old woman grumbles, "They're always stealing around here." Sam turns the light on, and they see she has cataracts.

"No! Ah, ma'am, we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping."

"Ahhh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open," she laughs, then gestures at the wall, "And fix that crucifix, would ya? I've asked four damn times already!" Dean, still slightly freaked out, adjusts the crucifix.

===

The Impala pulls up to the motel parking lot, and Sam, Dean, and Y/N get out.

"I was sleeping with my peepers open? Hahahaha," Sam laughs.

"I almost smoked that old girl, I swear. It's not funny!"

"Oh man, you shoulda seen your face," Sam says, snickering.

"Yeah, laugh it off. Now we're back to square one," Dean sees the owner's son sitting behind the office looking forlorn, "Hang on." The three go over to him, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"My brother's sick," the boy says.

"The little guy?" The boy nods.

"Pneumonia. He's in the hospital. It's my fault."

"Ah c’mom, how?" Dean asks.

"I shoulda made sure the window was latched. He wouldn't've got pneumonia if the window was latched." Dean looks away for a moment. Sam and Y/N watch him, both frowning thoughtfully.

"Listen to me. I can promise you that this is not your fault. Okay?"

"It's my job to look after him," Sam looks back and forth from Dean to the kid. The boy’s mother hurries out of the motel towards her car.

"Michael, I want you to turn on the no vacancy sign while I'm gone. I've got Denise covering room service, so don't bother with any of the rooms."

"I'm going with you."

"Not now, Michael."

"But I gotta see Asher!" Michael says.

"Hey Michael. Hey. I know how you feel -- I'm a big brother too -- but you gotta go easy on your mom right now, ok?" The mom drops her handbag in her haste.

"Dammit!"

"I got it," Sam says, picking it up for her.

"Thank you."

"Listen, you're in no condition to drive -- why don't you let me give you a lift to the hospital?" Dean says.

"No, I couldn't possibly..."

"No, it's no trouble. I insist," Dean takes her keys.

"Thanks." The mom looks at Michael and kisses his head, "Be good." Dean helps her into her seat then turns to Sam and Y/N.

"We're gonna kill this thing. I want it dead; you hear me?" Dean asks.

===

Sam and Y/N sit at a microfiche machine. Sam picks up her phone, and Y/N leans in to listen.

"Hey," Dean whispers.

Hey. How's the kid?" Sam asks.

"He's not good. Where you two at?"

"We're at the library. We've been trying to find out as much as we can about this Shtriga," Y/N says.

"Yeah, what have you got?"

"Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas around the time you said Dad was there?"

"Yeah?"

"Same deal. Before that, there was, uh, Odenville, before that North Haverbrook, and Brockway. Every 15 to 20 years it hits a new town. Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitzburgh. In all these other places it goes on for months. Dozens of kids before the shtriga finally moves on. The kids just ... languish in comas and then they die."

"How far back's this thing go?" Dean asks.

"Ah, I don't know. The earliest mention we could find is this place called 'Black River Falls' back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror show.... Whoa," Y/N says.

"Y/N?"

"Hold on.... I'm looking at a photograph right now of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the Doctors is Hydecker."

"And?"

"And this picture was taken in 1893."

"You two sure?" Dean asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, absolutely," Dean hangs up and turns to watch Hydecker sitting on Asher's bed.

"Don't worry. Your son's in good hands. I'm going to take care of him," Hydecker says to Asher's mom. Hydecker moves towards Dean, who is standing in the doorway. Dean looks ready to slit his throat, "So what's the CDC come up with so far?"

"Well. we're still working on a few theories. You'll know something as soon as we do."

"Well, nothing's more important to me than these kids. Just let me know if I can help."

"I'll do that."

===

"We should have thought of this before. A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing."

"That son of a bitch," Dean says, throwing off his jacket, pacing agitatedly.

"I'm surprised you didn't draw on him right there," Y/N says.

"Yeah well, first of all, I'm not going to open fire in a freakin' paediatrics ward."

"Good call."

"Second, wouldn't have done any good, because the bastard's bulletproof unless he's chowing down on something. And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing cause I probably would have just burned a clip in him on principle alone."

"You're getting wise in your old age Dean."

"Hey! I'm the same age as him," Sam gives her a sheepishly smile.

"You don't look a day over 20," He covers.

"Now I know how we're going to get it," Dean says.

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

"Shtriga, works through siblings, right?"

"Right."

"Well last night...."

"It went after Asher."

"So, I'm thinking tonight it's probably gonna come after Michael," Dean says.

"Well, we gotta get him outta here," Sam says.

"No. No, that would blow the whole deal."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"You wanna use the kid as bait? Are you nuts? No! Forget it. That's out of the question."

"It's not out of the question Sam it's the only way. If this thing disappears it could be years before we get another chance."

"Michael's a kid. And I'm not going to dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook."

"Dad did not send me here to walk away," Dean says.

"Send YOU here? He didn't send you here -- he sent us here."

"Guys," Y/N says, but she's ignored.

"This isn't about you, Sam. I'm the one who screwed up, alright. It's my fault. There's no telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me."

"It's not your fault, Dean. I should have been stronger," Y/N says.

"What are you saying, Dean? Y/N? How is it your faults?" There is a long pause. Sam sighs. "Dean, Y/N. You've been hiding something from the get-go. Since when does Dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away? Now talk to me, Guys. Tell me what's going on." Y/N and Dean look at each other, and she nods at him.

"Fort Douglas, Wisconsin. It was our third night in this crap room, and I was climbing the walls. Man, I needed to get some air."

==Flashback==

Young Dean sits watching TV. He turns it off and goes to the front door, looking back at Sammy cuddled into Y/N, both asleep in the other room before he leaves, locking the door behind him. He plays arcade games in reception.

"Kid. We're closing," the owner tells him. Returning to the room he sees a strange light coming from Sammy and Y/N's room. He moves closer and sees the shtriga leaning over Sammy and Y/N unconscious on the floor, her gun laid beside her. Dean reaches for the rifle by the door, but the shtriga hears him cock it and rears up, hissing. Dean hesitates, terrified. As he does, John bursts through the front door, gun raised.

"Get out of the way!" John shouts. Dean ducks, and John shoots the shtriga multiple times with his handgun. The shtriga jumps through the bedroom window, glass shattering. John rushes to Sam's bed and pulls him close, cradling him.

"Sammy. Sammy. Sammy. You, okay?"

"Yeah Dad, what's going on?" Sammy says, confused and sleepy.

"You all right?" John then gets off the bed and goes over to Y/N and checks her pulse. She's breathing. "Princess? Princess, wake up." She shifts and groans, and he picks her up and holds Sammy and Y/N close while turning to glare at Dean.

"What happened?" John asks. Dean is hesitant.

"I-I-I just went out."

"What!?"

"Just for a second. I'm sorry."

"I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let them out of your sight!" John feels a grip on his arm and sees Y/N looking up at him.

"It's not his fault, Dad. I should have been stronger and protected Sammy," she mumbles.

"It's not your fault, princess. Never blame yourself." Young Dean watches sadly as John cradles Sammy and Y/N.

==Flashback Ends==

"Dad just ... grabbed us and booked. Dropped us off at Pastor Jim's about three hours away, but by the time he got back to Fort Douglas, the shtriga had disappeared, it was just gone. It never surfaced until now. You know, Dad never spoke about it again, I didn't ask. But he...ah...he looked at me different, you know? Which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen, I almost got you and Y/N killed.

"You were just a kid," Sam says softly.

"Don't. Don't. Dad knew this was unfinished business for me. He sent me here to finish it."

"But using Michael -- I don't know Dean. I mean, how 'bout one of us hides under the covers, you know, we'll be the bait."

"No, it won't work. It's gotta get close enough to feed -- it'll see us. Believe me, I don't like it, but it's gotta be the kid," Dean says. Sam looks at Y/N with a begging face, but she looks away.

The three are in the motel reception talking to Michael.

"You're crazy! Just go away or I'm calling the cops," he says, holding the phone up.

"Hang on a second. Just listen to me. You have to believe me, ok? This thing came through the window and it attacked your brother. I've seen it. I know what it looks like. Cause it attacked my brother once too."

"This thing...is it...like...it has this long... black robe?" He says, slowly hanging up the phone.

"You saw it last night, didn't you?" Dean asks.

"I thought I was having a nightmare."

"I'd give anything not to tell you this, but sometimes nightmares are real."

"So, why are you telling me?" Michael asks.

"Because we need your help."

"My help?"

"We can kill it. Me and him, that's what we do. But we can't do it without you," Dean says.

"What? No!"

"Michael, listen to me. This thing hurt Asher. And it's gonna keep hurting kids unless we stop it, understand me?" Michael stares at Dean, horrified.

Dean heads back to their motel room.

"Well, that went crappy. Now what?"

"What did you expect? You can't ask an adult to do something like that, much less a kid," There's a knock at the door, and Y/N opens it.

"If you kill it, will Asher get better?" He asks, looking at Dean.

"Honestly? We don't know."

"You said you were a big brother," Dean nods.

"Yeah."

"You'd take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?"

"Yeah, I would."

"Me too. I'll help."

Dean completes hooking up a security camera in the corner of the room, staring into the Lense. Michael is behind him in bed, Y/N sitting beside him. Arm over his shoulders, comforting him. Sam is watching the security feed in the other room.

"This camera has night vision on it so we'll be able to see clear as day," Dean says to Michael, then turns to Sam. "Are we good?"

"A hair to the right," Dean adjusts the camera. "There, there."

"What do I do?" Michael asks, looking up at Y/N.

"Just stay under the covers," she says.

"And if it shows up?" Dean moves to sit on the bed.

"We'll be right in the next room. We're gonna come in with guns. So, as soon as we do you roll off this bed and you crawl under it."

"What if you shoot me?"

"We won't shoot you. We're good shots. We're not going to fire until you're clear, okay?" Y/N says. Michael nods tentatively. "Have you heard a gunshot before?"

"Like in the movies?"

"It's gonna be a lot louder than in the movies. So, I want you to stay under the bed, cover your ears, do not come out until we say so. You understand?" Y/N says. Michael nods slowly, looking scared.

"Michael, you sure you wanna do this?" Dean asks. Michael doesn't answer for a long moment. "You don't have to, it's okay, I won't be mad."

"No, I'm okay. Just don't shoot me."

"We're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise," Y/N says. She rubs his arm. The three then go outside the room and sit watching the security camera feed.

"What time is it?" Y/N asks.

"Three. You sure these iron rounds are gonna work?"

"Consecrated iron rounds, and yeah it's what Dad uses last time."

"Hey Dean, Y/N, I'm sorry."

"For what?" The twins say in unison.

"You know, I've really given you two a lot of crap, for always following Dad's orders. But I know why you two do it."

"Oh, god, kill me now," Dean says and Y/N smiles while Sam laughs softly. They sit in silence for a moment.

"Wait, look." There is movement outside the window. It slides open. Sam, Y/N, and Dean pick up their guns. The shtriga is inside MICHAEL's room.

"Now?" Sam asks.

"Not yet." The shtriga moves closer and leans over the bed, Michael is terrified but frozen, unable to move. The shtriga leans closer and opens his mouth, starting to draw Michael's energy. Dean, Sam, and Y/N burst in.

"Hey!"

"Michael, down!" Y/N shouts. Michael rolls off and under the bed, and Sam, Dean, and Y/N open fire, shooting the shtriga multiple times each. It falls to the ground.

"Mike, you alright?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," He replies from under the bed.

"Just sit tight." Dean approaches the shtriga, gun at the ready. There is no movement. He relaxes slightly and glances at Sam and Y/N. The shtriga suddenly rises, grabs Dean by the throat and throws him against the wall.

"Dean!" Sam and Y/N shout in unison. The shtriga moves and throws Y/N onto the floor. It then goes to Sam and throws him into the wall; he hits the ground, and the shtriga comes on him and forces his mouth open. Sam struggles to reach his gun. The shtriga begins drawing his energy and Sam stills and starts going grey.

"Hey!" The shtriga looks up and Y/N shoots it between the eyes. It falls backward, and Sam lies gasping.

"You okay, little brother?" She asks. Sam nods and unsteadily holds up two thumbs-up. They both pull themselves to their feet, and Y/N then goes over to Dean, helping him up. They then look to the shtriga. The energy the shtriga stole begins to escape from its mouth. Y/N raises her gun, shooting it three more times at point-blank range. More energy escapes. The shtriga falls in on itself, disintegrating. Michael peeks from the side of the bed.

"It's okay, Michael, you can come on out." Michael comes to stand beside them, smiling tentatively. Dean places his hand on Michael's shoulder and smiles. Y/N places her hand on his head and ruffles it, also smiling.

Dean, Y/N, and Sam are packing the Impala ready to head out. Michael's Mom comes out of the back of reception.

"Hey, Joanna. How's Asher doing?"

"Have you seen Michael?" She asks. Michael runs up.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Hey!" She says, hugging him.

"How's Ash?" Michael asks.

"Got some good news. Your brother's gonna be fine."

"Really?" Michael asks, grinning.

"Yeah. Really. No one can explain it -- it's a miracle. They're going to keep him in overnight for observation and then he's coming home."

"That's great," Y/N says.

"How are all the other kids doing?" Sam asks.

"Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days. Dr. Travis says the ward's going to be like a ghost town."

"Dr. Travis? What about Dr. Hydecker?"

"Oh, he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something."

"Yeah. Yeah, must have."

"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" Joanna asks Michael. He glances up at Dean.

"Nah, same old stuff."

"Okay. You can go see Ash."

"Now?" He says, excited. Michael looks to Y/N who nods slightly.

"Only if you want to." Michael runs to the car. Joanna laughs. "I, ah, I'd better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself." Smiling goodbye, she leaves, and Sam, Dean, and Y/N turn back to the Impala.

"It's too bad."

"Oh, they'll be fine."

"That's not what I meant. I meant Michael. He'll always know there are things out there in the dark -- he'll never be the same, you know?" There's a long pause "Sometimes I wish that...."

"What...?" Y/N asks.

"I wish I could have that kinda innocence." They watch Joanna and Michael drive away.

"If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could too." They exchange a look. Dean climbs in the car and starts the engine. Y/N follows then Sam, and they pull out of the motel car park and back onto the freeway.

#Supernatural #older sister winchester #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fandom #reader insert

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