‘Night of the Living Dead’ helped me process the Tree of Life massacre and other real-world horrors

Horror films teach us to confront real-life trauma and atrocities, not escape from them.

By: Adam Lowenstein, University of Pittsburgh, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 30, 2025

Words: 1,134

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

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By Adam Lowenstein, University of Pittsburgh

The Halloween season has always been special for me. It’s the time when it seems the entire country shares the fascination with the dark side of human experience that has inspired me from my youth as a fan of horror movies to my current career as a professor of English and film studies focused on the horror genre.

I’m a member of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, and the Halloween season …

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