When people hear the name of Vincent Price a lot of folks no doubt think of horror and the maniacal laugh that the legendary actor could produce from time to time. He was without any doubt one of the masters of horror, since the man could frighten just about anyone with a diabolical look that was enough to chill the blood. But this wasn’t his only skill since Mr. Price was a teacher at one point and was quite interested in the history of art. He did far more than horror during his time in show business, but as it happens with many individuals, one genre came to define him in a big way. Whether he resented this or simply leaned into it is hard to say, but the fact is that Price was without a doubt a master at his craft and became a name that many people would associate with terror at one point since, well, he was that good at it. Those of us that came to appreciate his work later on before he passed away either knew little to nothing about him either nodded our heads in mild deference, or decided to dig into what he was all about.
There are several titles to mention, and all of them showcase the greatness of this man since he knew how to make them terrifying just by talking. From one of his classics, House on Haunted Hill, to reading about witchcraft and demonology and works of Edgar Allen Poe so that people could listen, Price was an individual that people tended to listen to because of the haunting quality of his voice. From classic horror to other acting roles that made him a star, Price was the type of individual that might have been thought to be just another actor when he was younger, but as he made his way through the business it was proven that he had qualities that set him apart from many people and made it clear that he was bound to be someone who would be fondly remembered.
Througought the years there have been plenty of individuals that have contributed to the horror genre in their own way, and while some of them have stuck around and continued to be every bit as influential as Price, while others have dabbled in the genre before moving on. The honest truth is that all of those that have been a part of the horror genre have been helpful in implementing one aspect or another that has helped to change the landscape and shape the future by offering up elements that will scare us in different ways. But there have been gold standards that people have looked up for decades now, and these masters of horror have been those that have inspired and helped others to move forward, offering their guidance, their assistance, and in some case even offering up their secrets for those that are willing to further the cause. Horror is something that we can’t really live without no matter how much some people might think that it’s not important. This is kind of like saying that entertainment is not important, which is a debate that many people might gladly enter into.
Horror is, in a sense, a method of self-defense against the world, as well as form of entertainment. Not only does horror manage to deliver us an imaginative look into a world that is so much worse than our own, it also gives viewers something that can distract from the real horrors of the world we live in. There’s a huge debate over whether the horror we see on the screen would be worse than the horror that can be seen in real life, but the truth is that the horror on the screen is useful in that it allows us another method of escaping the world for just a short time, and it can strengthen us against the horrors in real life. That might sound like a nonsensical argument, but the act of desensitizing people to horror can be extremely useful. Some might call it dangerous, and that’s a valid argument, but at the end of the day, horror is meant to entertain, but it can also be useful.
It might sound a little dramatic, but we do owe individuals such a Vincent Price a bit since their contributions to show business and, in this case, to the horror genre, have helped to shape the entertainment that’s come along in the past few decades. Individuals such as Price don’t come along quite that often, and when they do appear it’s often seen that it takes a while for people to truly appreciate their talents. Thankfully, Price managed to see how he influenced one of the most loved genres the world over before he passed away
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