Cult Films Taboo and Transgression

by Havis, Allan

• ISBN13: 9780761839675
• ISBN10: 0761839674
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-14
• Publisher: UPA

Summary

Cult Films: Taboo and Transgression looks at nine decades of cult films history within American culture. By highlighting three films per decade including a brief summary of the decade's identity and sensibility, the book investigates the quality, ironies, and spirit of cult film evolution. The twenty-seven films selected for this study are analyzed for story content and in their respective transgressions regarding social, aesthetic, and political codes. Characteristic of this book is the notion that many exciting genres make up cult films-including horror, sci-fi, fantasy, film noir, and black comedy. Further, the book reaches out to several foreign film directors over the decades in order to view cult films as an intentional art form. Political and ideological controversies are covered; arresting back-story details that lend perspective on a film fill out the analysis and the historic framework for many film titles. The book, by emphasizing the condensed survey over decades and by choosing outstanding titles, differs from other general studies on cult films.

Author Biography

Allan Havis has taught theatre and film for over three decades at University of California, San Diego.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Films from the 1920s: Phantom of the Opera, Metropolis and Un Chien Andalou	p. 5
Films from the 1930s: Freaks, King Kong and Reefer Madness	p. 15
Films from the 1940s: I Walked with a Zombie, Dead of Night and Beauty and the Beast	p. 25
Films from the 1950s: Glen or Glenda, Invaders from Mars and The Incredible Shrinking Man	p. 35
Films from the 1960s: Psycho, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Rosemary's Baby	p. 45
Films from the 1970s: El Topo, Harold and Maude and The Wicker Man	p. 57
Films from the 1980s: Road Warrior, Blade Runner and Blue Velvet	p. 69
Films from the 1990s: Delicatessen, Naked Lunch and Run Lola Run	p. 81
Films from the 2000s: Hedwig & the Angry Inch, The Ring and Sin City	p. 91
Conclusion	p. 103
Bibliography	p. 107
Index	p. 111
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