It’s one of the most controversial, influential and groundbreaking horror satires of the 1980s. Brian Yuzna’s SOCIETY told a terrifying, surreal story about what the rich were doing to the poor in shocking, sexual detail. But did you know it was based on truth and took inspiration from the satanic ritual abuse carried out by the Beverly Hills elite Keith family? Or that son Woody Keith changed his name to Zeph E. Daniel and co-scripted SOCIETY to exorcize the demons from his violent youth? This is the full, appalling story of how Daniel’s autobiography became a classic chiller for the ages.
Writing
Zeph E. Daniel's raw, unsparing testimony.
Direction
Carrell lets horror legends speak, doesn't interrupt.
Production
Archival Society footage hits different now.
Director
Larry Wade Carrell
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Woody Keith legally changed his name to Zeph E. Daniel after a biblical prophet and refused to participate in Society's original press tour, calling the film 'too close to the bone.' Only decades later would he discuss its autobiographical elements publicly.
The 'satanic panic' of the 1980s is often dismissed as moral hysteria, but Daniel's account—whether fully verifiable or not—complicates that narrative by suggesting some artists were processing genuine abuse through exploitation cinema.
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