Monsters in the Closet by Harry M. Benshoff

A history of the horror film and its relationship to the social and cultural history of homosexuality in America. Drawing on films and primary sources including censorship files, reviews, promotional materials, fanzines and magazines, Benshoff examines the movie monster in relation to medical, psychological, religious and social models of homosexuality, and traces how the figure of the 'monster queer' has changed from era to era, from the gay and lesbian sensibilities encoded in classical Hollywood horror to films playing on AIDS-related fears.