TL;DR
Get art and craft supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is presenting The Horror Show, an exhibition about horror cinema’s history and creative power. Built around Bela Lugosi’s Dracula cape, it brings together costumes, props, artwork, posters and scripts from films across the genre; the exhibition asks how horror gives shape to fears about life, death and the unknown.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is presenting The Horror Show, an exhibition tracing horror cinema through costumes, props and archival materials while examining the genre’s enduring appeal. The show frames scary films as a way to confront fears about life, death and the unknown, rather than treating them only as entertainment built around fright.
The exhibition began with a signature object: the Dracula cape worn by Bela Lugosi in the 1931 film directed by Todd Browning. The Academy Museum acquired the cape from the Lugosi family in 2019. Senior curator Jessica Niebel told Hyperallergic that the garment had been a family heirloom for several generations and that museum staff wanted to present it in a special way.
From that starting point, curators assembled a wider selection of costumes, props, concept art, posters and scripts. The materials represent films including The Shining and Psycho, contemporary titles such as Midsommar and Get Out, and less widely recognized works including Tales From the Hood and The Stuff. The museum drew on its own collection and borrowed objects and archival material from dozens of lenders.
Hyperallergic’s report describes the exhibition as a survey of both horror’s visual craft and its storytelling. The objects offer a material record of how filmmakers create the images and narratives that make the genre recognizable, while the exhibition’s central question concerns why audiences continue to respond to horror’s treatment of fear and the unknown.
Horror’s Place in Film History
The exhibition addresses a longstanding tension in how horror is treated: the genre has often been dismissed by some critics as low-status or merely sensational, even as it attracts audiences and supports distinctive visual and narrative experimentation. By placing objects from horror films in a major film museum, The Horror Show presents the genre as part of cinema’s broader artistic history.
That framing matters to viewers because horror’s appeal is not limited to its scares. As the exhibition presents it, the genre gives audiences stories and images through which to encounter mortality, danger and uncertainty. The museum’s collection also makes the work behind those effects visible, from costume design to props and concept art.
Popular right now
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Onyx Black
De'Longhi 15-Bar Pump Espresso Machine with Milk Frother & Temperature Control
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Lugosi’s Cape to a Survey
The show’s starting point was a specific piece of film history: Lugosi’s cape from the 1931 Dracula. The Academy Museum acquired it from his family in 2019, and curators used it as the foundation for a larger exhibition. Niebel’s comments to Hyperallergic connect the cape’s personal history as a family heirloom with the museum’s decision to give it a prominent role.
The resulting survey reaches across different eras and kinds of horror film, combining established titles with contemporary works and films the report calls underrated. Rather than focusing on one director or period, the exhibition uses objects and archival records to show the range of the genre. It is on view at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles through July, though the source report does not state the year for that end date.
“It’s been a family heirloom for several generations.”
— Jessica Niebel, senior curator at the Academy Museum, speaking to Hyperallergic
Exhibition Dates and Scope
The source report says the exhibition is on view through July but does not give the year, so its current availability cannot be determined from that account alone. The report also does not provide a complete object list, attendance figures or visitor-response data. Its explanation of horror’s hold on audiences is the exhibition’s curatorial framing, not evidence that all viewers respond to the genre in the same way.
The Exhibition’s Remaining Run
The immediate next milestone is the end of the exhibition’s stated run in July. The source does not specify the year or report any planned extension, related programming or future venue. Readers seeking current visit details will need to check the Academy Museum’s latest schedule; the report itself does not establish whether the exhibition remains open now.
Key Questions
What is The Horror Show?
The Horror Show is an exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles examining horror cinema through costumes, props, concept art, posters and scripts.
What object inspired the exhibition?
The starting point was the cape worn by Bela Lugosi in the 1931 film Dracula. The Academy Museum acquired it from the Lugosi family in 2019.
Which films are represented?
The report names The Shining, Psycho, Midsommar, Get Out, Tales From the Hood and The Stuff, among other works.
Why does the exhibition say horror holds audiences’ attention?
The exhibition explores how horror gives visual and narrative form to fears about life, death and the unknown. That is its central curatorial question, rather than a claim that every audience member experiences the genre in the same way.
How long is the exhibition open?
The source report says it is on view through July, but does not identify the year. Check the museum’s current schedule for up-to-date visitor information.
Source: hyperallergic.com
