My thoughts on this tended towards a series of essays and articles talking about play styles, ideas and themes involved in running different styles of horror film. Tending towards the fairly in-depth analysis of what each style requires from players/GM, etc.

Things I was thinking of were:

Psychological horror (Session 9, Jacobs Ladder, etc)
SF Horror (The Thing)
50s B Horror (Night of the Demon)
Hammer Horror/60s, 70s British Horror (Blood on Satans Claw, Lady Dracula, etc)
Period Horror (Brotherhood of the Wolf)

As a few suggestions for varying themes and styles. I think all of the above offer opportunities for a variety of play styles. Hammer has a feel very distinct from American horror of the same period, which has a distinct feel compared to a Period film like Brotherhood of the Wolf and so on.

Cheers
Malcolm

Contested Ground Studios

Hmm, you might be onto something there, especially if I combine each essay with a setting or scenario, and advice on how to tweak the game mechanics as necessary.

Also, after watching Jonathan Ross' Japanarama on friday night, I feel the need to add Japanese Horror to the list too.

I think such things would be valuable in terms of running the games in different styles. I'm not sure how useful and actual 'scenario' would be. I'd be more interested in well researched advice backed up by experience from actual play. A sprinkling of adventure 'seeds' or 'nuggets' would be more valuable to me that a created scenario or setting.

Cheers
Malcolm

Contested Ground Studios

I quite like chucking scenarios in, simply because it helps reinforce the "instant game" that is Dead of Night.

But noted, seeds would also be very useful.

Now, where to begin? Whilst I'm intimately familiar with many horror genres, my knowledge is lacking in other areas. Any good places to start, book or film-wise?

The list of genres and films I gave above might prove to be a useful starting point.

As far as British horror/Hammer goes, there's a pretty wide range: Witchfinder General is a top choice.

For SF Horror, I'd strongly recommend the Quatermass films and series (with Quatermass and the Pit being a personal favourite).

Cheers
Malcolm

Contested Ground Studios

How about Invasion films, War of the worlds etc. that have a horror element but are not overtly horror.

Cheers
Iain

Lead Developer Mob Justice RPG

Check out my home brew games like 'Reel Adventures'

See I was considering them part of SF horror/b-movie horror, but do you see them as a separate genre?

I would be hesitant to cast the net too wide. I don't see invasion films (Invaders from Mars and War of the Worlds being two obvious examples) as being germane* to a discussion of horror films. To me, they are a bit tangential. Yes, they do contain lements which are horrific, but they are not 'horror' in and of themselves.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Cheers
Malcolm

*Look at me and my use of fancy words!

Contested Ground Studios

Could you maybe look at other genres like alien films but use the dead of night rules, basically producing an attachment to dead of night rather than a supplement.

Cheers
Iain

Lead Developer Mob Justice RPG

Check out my home brew games like 'Reel Adventures'

Kinda like a spin-off into a new game, but with the same rules? I have considered it, and in fact that was what I was originally going to do with the alien b-movie idea.

Merwin also suggested using the rules for spy movies, which I could see working well.