The DC Universe fully embraces the body horror subgenre with upcoming horror movie Clayface, and the Rated R comic book movie will be unleashed in theaters on October 23.
James Gunn is of course co-running the DC cinematic universe these days, and Gunn has taken to social media this week to recommend some of his personal favorite body horror movies.
Gunn explains, “As many of you know I love a list and here’s one I just posted on Threads in preparation for Clayface. Not all of these are classically great movies (although many of them are), but they’re all movies I’ve had a profound love for many years. #BodyHorror.”
As you might expect, the list is loaded with David Cronenberg movies, including the body horror master’s 1986 version of The Fly along with Videodrome, Shivers, and The Brood.
The list also includes Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ken Russell’s Altered States, Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case, Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator, and John Carpenter’s The Thing. And yes, Gunn did cheekily include his own horror-comedy, Slither.
Here’s the full list of body horror movies James Gunn wants you to watch before Clayface…
- Shivers (Cronenberg, 1975)
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kaufman, 1978)
- The Brood (Cronenberg, 1979)
- Altered States (Russell, 1980)
- The Thing (Carpenter, 1982)
- Basket Case (Henenlotter, 1982)
- Videodrome (Cronenberg, 1983)
- Re-Animator (Gordon, 1985)
- The Fly (Cronenberg, 1986)
- The Blob (Russell, 1988)
- Cronos (del Toro, 1993)
- Oh yeah and Slither (me, 2006)
Described as DC Studios’ first-ever foray into the genre, Clayface unravels one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster in a story that explores the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
Tom Rhys Harries stars in the title role of the cult favorite villain from Gotham’s rogues gallery.
James Watkins (The Woman in Black, Speak No Evil) directs from a script by Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” Doctor Sleep) and Hossein Amini (Drive).
James Gunn’s DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran previously called Clayface “an incredible body horror film that reveals a compelling origin of a classic Batman villain.”
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