Beyond Hammer British Horror Cinema Since 1971

by Rose, James

• ISBN13: 9781903663974
• ISBN10: 1903663970
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-28
• Publisher: Auteur Publishing in partnership with Liverpool University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Though they are often critically neglected, British horror films make upa significant and steadily growing body of genre works within a nationally groundedcinema. Deeply rooted within the Gothic tradition, these post-Hammer Studio filmsplace their antagonistic threats within contemporary Britain, allowing werewolves toroam the Moors and isolated islanders to practice Pagan sacrifice, hiding a familyof cannibals behind the white tiled walls of the Underground, or unleashing avirulent plague that causes zombies to stumble through middle class suburbia. Thejuxtaposition between these unreal elements and the vivid Britishness of charactersand locations has led to a collaborative body of work that examines the modern fearsof contemporary Britain. Accessible to the students, tutors, and the general reader,Beyond Hammer provides new critical readings of classic,contemporary, and lesser known films of the post-Hammer British horror canon.Chronologically ordered, these chapters feature new and engaging readings ofThe Wicker Man, Death Line, AnAmerican Werewolf in London, Mary Shelley'sFrankenstein, Hellraiser, 28 DaysLater, The Last Horror Movie, Shaun of theDead, and The Descent.