The American Horror Film An Introduction

by Humphries, Reynold

• ISBN13: 9780748614165
• ISBN10: 0748614168
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-29
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Summary

The American Horror Filmmoves from Draculain 1931 to contemporary films such as Screamand The Sixth Sense. The various characters that recur in horror films -- Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, the Mummy, the Werewolf -- are discussed, as are repeated themes such as the mad scientist, nuclear anxiety, psychological "monsters," the living dead, and "slasher" movies. Key directors including Jacques Tourneur, David Cronenberg, Roger Corman and Joe Dante are covered. The emphasis is on accessibility: while theory is included through reference to gender and politics, women's studies and psychoanalysis, it is introduced carefully and in direct relation to the films being discussed. No prior knowledge of the subject area is assumed. The book also features an extensive filmography, numerous references to the most pertinent writing on horror, and ten film stills augment the text.

Author Biography

Reynold Humphries is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Lille III.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Introduction	p. 1
Figures in a Gothic Landscape	p. 9
Variations on a Theme	p. 25
Val Lewton Productions	p. 40
Nuclear and other Horrors	p. 56
The Changing Face of Horror	p. 85
Directors and Directions	p. 113
Slashers, Serial Killers and the 'Final Girl'	p. 139
David Cronenberg and Special Effects	p. 168
Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?	p. 189
Filmography	p. 196
Bibliography	p. 207
Index	p. 212
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