There is a monster standing in front of you, what do you do? Do you grab what's closest to you, maybe turn it into a weapon and try to defend yourself? Do you try to run, maybe jump out the nearest window and hope for the best? In any of these instances, no matter the outcome, the hypothetical monster has power over you. Fear is a base human impulse, yes, but in this example, it's failed you. Sheer terror, the idea of being scared of this other, will not help you find a solution nor will it help you vanquish the beast. Even if you get away you're essentially defenseless because you never know how far it can follow you, there's no way to tell. However, when fear is taken out of the equation, when this monster is no longer a subject of your torment, the power dynamic has shifted in your favor.

Horror filmmakers try their best to avoid this outcome; even if the monster is defeated by the story's conclusion the audience is often still left with some entity to fear. In "Nosferatu The Vampyr," for example, the film's "monster" is transferred from one personality to another. Once the vampire is killed the audience is still left to witness the end of Jonathan's transition into a vampire himself. Even though the source of the horror has been vanquished the horror still exists regardless. Slasher films like "Halloween" or "Friday The 13th" still present the possibility that the killer (Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees) is still on the loose and able to commit new acts of terror on the unsuspecting. Even experimental thrillers like "Funny Games" and "Silence of the Lambs" follow this trope. In the case of "Funny Games" the film ends as the killers seep into another family home, death and madness not far behind them. In "Silence of the Lambs" the film provides two monsters, one who's caged and one who poses a threat to the protagonist. By the end, one has been defeated while the other is set free.

Films like "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Shaun of the Dead" play with these expectations by providing and commentary on the horror genre through camp and parody while still being horror films at their core. As a result these films allow the audience to invest themselves in the characters, the subjects of the horror, rather than the horror itself. This contrast between comedy and tragedy serves as an alternate form of horror. In "Bride of Frankenstein" we don't fear the Monster we fear the world around him. Even though there are monsters in "Shaun of the Dead" through the form of zombies the audience finds themselves fearful for the characters rather than the zombies themselves. In fact, zombies are often used for comedy and the human characters as somewhat tragic figures. Whale and Wright use camp and parody to create a heightened version of reality, through which, they are able to provide a commentary on the horror genre and create horror films with emotionally realistic stakes despite aesthetics. Juxtaposing scenes of humor next to scenes of tragic violence make these acts all the more tragic. Although camp is considered to be inherently homosexual (Horn) both filmmakers use different methods of campiness to portray two different stories of love and acceptance.

Camp is defined as, "consciously artificial, exaggerated," or, "self-parodying," (Dictionary.com). This definition rings true in both of these films' opening sequences as the campy tone is practically from the start. In "Bride," James Whale recaps the previous "Frankenstein" through Mary Shelley, the author of the original "Modern Prometheus" novel. This serves two purposes; one, to provide the audience with context, and, two, to show the audience how artificial the story they're watching actually is. Whale isn't trying to build a realistic world for his story a la "It Comes At Night" or even horror films of the time like "Dracula; instead, he's trying to make a statement on how artificial and pointless world-building is within these films. In fact, James Whale would likely agree with the sentiment of Rick Worland, "A major component of the horror film is its star, the monster," (Worland Location 23). That's exactly what Whale does in "Bride;" instead of allowing the world to build around the Monster he instead starts the movie by setting up what the Monster had been doing prior to the events of this movie. In this film, the Monster becomes the central focus as opposed to the dual-focus seen in the first "Frankenstein" between the Monster and the Doctor. The film's campy opening provides us with a monster that shouldn't be feared even if he commits a double murder during his introduction. Mise-en-scene, music, and shot composition when the Monster is introduced plays with public perception around the monster whereas the film's narrative aesthetic choices help us understand the reality of his situation. When the Monster is seen, sitting in the depths of a dank cave beneath the windmill, he is terrifying to the two villagers he kills and sympathetic to us. The costume design shows a damaged monster, one who's been affected by the world around him. His clothes are burnt, patches of skin and hair are missing, bolts and braces are in clear view (Worland). This design, in any other horror film of its time, would be laughable by today's standards. In some ways, the performance by Boris Karloff, as good as it is, doesn't hold up when compared to a Hannibal Lecter or Reagan type character. Whale geniously uses camp in the film's opening to go against audience expectations while simultaneously creating new ones.

Edgar Wright, on the other hand, opens "Shaun of the Dead" with a close-up of the lead character staring empty at the camera. As he takes a sip from his beer, cigarette in hand, the audience comes to realize that they're in a pub. This reality is hammered in as the bartender calls out for the last round of drinks for the night. Clever camera tricks and dialogue slowly introduce each character and within two minutes the audience is able to understand the precarious position Liz and Shaun's relationship is in. At the same time, Edgar Wright also uses dialogue and quick camera cuts to set a comedic tone, thereby giving the audience some understanding of what the rest of the film will be like. While this scene doesn't necessarily fit the mold of a typical horror movie, especially one within the zombie sub-genre, it helps set the tone and introduce the rules of camp and parody within the film, as is the same in "Bride of Frankenstein." The opening credits scene in "Shaun" that follows its brief opening scene is a perfect blend of camp, parody, and commentary as Londoners shuffle through the daily grind, each of them embodying the qualities a viewer might find in a zombie. Aimlessly walking around in a pack, staring off into the distance, vacant expressions; all of these traits are seen among the crowd. Wright uses this opening sequence as a means to provide commentary on the genre and society in general. While we may fear the zombie we ultimately fail to realize that the zombie is in fact us. As individuals make their way, slowly working through each new activity and arbitrary task they themselves become that which they fear most. In a sense, one can argue that Edgar Wright makes the zombie even more uncanny by arguing that many people already are zombified without realizing it. Zombies are, after all, the living dead and if society forces us to go against what makes us feel alive then how are we different to that which we fear?

This same principle can be applied to "Bride" as the Monster becomes a subject of sympathy because of the uncanny. The Monster is symbolic of what the world can turn one into in the same way that the "zombies" in the opening of "Shaun" are. Frankenstein's Monster is shot through, "visual comparisons of the Monster with the persecuted Christ," (Worland). Following the scene with the blind man, in particular, the Monster finds himself in a cemetery, Christ imagery placed all around him. Earlier in "Bride" the Monster is captured by the villagers and locked away, in a position resembling that of the imprisoned Christ. In this respect, the Monster doesn't necessarily embody Jesus but the Christian imagery reminds the audience of the contradiction between religion and savage humanity. Whale uses this symbolism as a way to expose Christian hypocrisy, both within this film and a larger social context. "The Monster, like the cultural stereotype of the homosexual man, is an 'unnatural creation'" (Young 316); the Monster is a persecuted figure much like Whale and other homosexuals had been by Christians and other groups. Christianity, as a religion, is a means of spreading love, compassion, and forgiveness. In a sense, Whale shows a perverted, uglier side of the religion where individuals punish the unnatural while reinforcing that which they find natural. Ironically, the only man to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as it is meant to be followed is the blind man who doesn't seem to have much of any Christian imagery within his home. There is, of course, the symbolic resonance between the Monster's dinner and the last supper but for the most part the blind man is used as a juxtaposition between those who practice religion and those who deeply believe in it. "There is good and there is bad," he explains to the Monster. Christianity, as a concept, isn't a means to perpetuate hatred and bigotry. Instead, different actions and reactions come from subjective interpretations. In any other film this imagery might not convey this same topic but in a campy film like "Bride," especially given Whale's politics and values, this symbolism has deeper meaning. As Worland states, "As such, another significant dimension of the horror tale is its affinity for the lesson, often metaphysical, implicitly social," (Worland). The campy setting within "Bride" allows Whale to insert his views without compromising the core experience. These allusions, stuck deep in the background of a given frame or scene, serve as commentary on the horror film and society in general.

Similarly, "Shaun of the Dead" uses its sense of humor in order to convey a human message, one of self-acceptance and self-actualization. While the zombies are emphasized for the sake of comedy they are still merely symbolic more than anything else. It's not a story about survivors looking for a place to hide from the undead horde it's a story of interpersonal dissolution and repair. Shaun fights his worst qualities by fighting the zombies and in turn balances the life he wants with the life he needs. His frequent visits to the Winchester Pub, where Shaun and his girlfriend Liz spend every night out together with Shaun's roommate Ed, drive Liz out of his life. In the same vain, Shaun's quest to take shelter within the Winchester throughout the film slowly rebuilds his relationship with Liz. By embracing his most "monstrous" qualities going against the group collective (in this case being a zombie) Shaun is able to find happiness within his life. When the film ends, the audience is left uncertain of where Shaun works or how much money he makes but unlike the film's opening none of that matters. He's able to find happiness within himself first and as a result the audience is able to assume that Shaun is able to find a stable job to support himself, Liz, and Ed, who lives in Shaun's shed as a zombie. What's interesting about the zombies in these films is that, like the Monster in "Bride," the makeup on the undead are meant to look somewhat human.

Other zombie films, even the Romero "Dead" films, make zombies look otherworldly to a certain extent. Instead, Edgar Wright chose to make them, "symbolic of postmodernity's global identity crisis, the literal specters of identity," (Stokes 76). When Shaun and Ed encounter the first of many undead in their backyard the creature doesn't look dead. "Oh my God," Shaun exclaims, leading the audience to believe that he notices the woman's condition, "She's so drunk". This line is done for comedic effect but at the same time it's used to highlight how human the zombies look. In this sense, Shaun confusing the zombie for a hungover/drunk vagrant is more of a commentary on society in general than any analysis can provide. An "other" being is obvious to the audience but in the context of this film the creature is another member of the status quo until Shaun and Ed are able to see otherwise. Similar jokes are used throughout the movie especially the morning after Liz breaks up with Shaun where, "Shaun walks out of his flat in the morning to a local deli for a morning snack, yet fails to notice that everyone around him is a ravenous, drooling zombie," (Dixon 182). Mise-en-scene shows the audience how much the world around Shaun has changed as the deli is covered in blood and bodies are strewn across the floor. Despite this Shaun walks in, nonchalant, and walks out with the nearest thing he can find, leaving change for the zombified shopkeeper on his way out. In this film, the zombies are not a subject to be feared but a, "representation of the protagonist's psychological state, rather than a universal symbol of social anxieties," (Stokes 75). Shaun's post-hangover trip to the deli makes him zombified to a certain extent; this not only refers to the feeling of being hungover which many find comparable to zombification but to the weight of his mistakes thus far. His constant drinking and emotional distance from Liz has driven her away from Shaun and at this point in the film he has hit his lowest point. As the film progresses he slowly gains new-found confidence and is able to start anew with a balanced lifestyle. One where he can stay with Liz and maintain a relationship with Ed. Wright uses parody and camp to effectively create a world in which the character's fear is his own journey rather than the monsters around him. In a sense, this makes the film more effective as it's able to transcend genres other than horror to create a more well-rounded experience that both pays homage to film while adding new tropes.

Furthermore, James Whale performed the same feat with "Bride of Frankenstein," albeit in a much more flamboyant and campy fashion than Wright. "Bride" is one of the few horror films that's essentially genre-less. Even the first "Frankenstein" film had deeper roots in the horror genre than "Bride" did. The mise-en-scene within the first film is very dark and brooding thereby creating the feel one could find in a typical horror film. In many ways Whale's first film invented the mise-en-scene tropes that can be seen in other horror films. Mise-en-scene within "Bride" follows the same as its predecessor, particularly within the film's opening and closing, but almost everything in between is different. Simply put, no two scenes or locations look or feel exactly alike to the viewer. Every scene feels like it takes place in a designated area and every angle we see is memorable. Praetorius' meeting with Doctor Frankenstein has similar scenery to the Victorian scenery in the film's prologue with Mary Shelley.

Everything within the Doctor's bedroom looks well-lit and elegant. On the other hand, the blind man's house is shown as a dark, isolated shack but this environment never feels cold, barren, or even slightly frightening. Instead, it feels like a place of refuge. Ironically, Doctor Frankenstein's room almost feels slightly colder by comparison. Some may agree that the warmth found in this scene is conveyed mainly through the performances but the quaint peacefully simple atmosphere speaks to both the audience and the Monster. An important motif to note is that this is the only location in the entire film that is simplistic in its design. It's really just a bed and a stove with different decorations spread throughout. This, in turn, reflects the Monster's simplistic, almost primitive nature; it makes sense that he would be drawn to a place like this as compared to the bells and whistles of the outside world he's grown accustomed to.