Horror and the horror film / Bruce F. Kawin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kawin, Bruce F., 1945-

Series:

New perspectives on world cinema

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Horror films--History and criticism.

Horror films.

Physical Description:

xv, 252 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Anthem Press, 2012.

Summary:

Horror films can be profound fables of human nature and important works of art, yet many people dismiss them out of hand. Horror and the Horror Film conveys a mature appreciation of horror films along with a comprehensive view of their narrative strategies, their relations to reality and fantasy, and their cinematic power. The volume covers the entire genre, considering every kind of monster in it - including the human.

After defining horror and thoroughly introducing the genre, the text offers a rich survey of all of the horror film's subgenres, before concluding with a look at the related genres of horror comedy and horror documentary. International in scope, its survey extends from the first horror films (1896) to the present, discussing more than 350 movies. Through its comprehensive and detailed investigation of the genre, Horror and the Horror Film offers a compelling, insightful look at how the horror film frightens and revolts the viewer, its reasons for doing so, and the art of portraying and evoking fear, and will be a great asset to film scholars, horror enthusiasts and readers yet to be convinced of the importance of the genre. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Approaching the Genre

1 Horror 2

Overview 2

Origins 3

Defining Horror 3

Taking It All In 5

Spectacle and Suggestion 7

Nightmares and Forbidden Texts 9

Real and Imagined Horror 10

Endings 11

Recurring Elements 13

Beauty 14

Reflexivity 15

Appeal 15

Frames and Windows 17

2 The Monster at the Bedroom Window 20

Tarantula 20

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 21

Nosferatu 23

Frankenstein 25

King Kong 26

Tie Mummy's Tomb and Others 28

Back to the Tarantula 30

3 Fear in a Frame 32

Dreams and Reflexivity in Vampyr 32

Narrative Structure in Dead of Night 38

The Unfilmable in Peeping Tom 40

The Mummy's Tale 44

Categories 45

Part II Subgenres: The Book of Monsters

4 Monsters 50

Transforming Monsters: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Thing 50

Constructed Monsters: Frankenstein 54

Composite Monsters: Island of Lost Souls and The Fly 62

Giants: King Kong and Them! 64

Little People: The Devil-Doll 67

Animals: Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Birds and Jurassic Park 68

Body Parts: The Beast with Five Fingers 72

Monsters from Outer Space: The Tiling From Another World and Alien 73

Monsters from the Lab: "You Made Us Things!" 79

Monsters from Underwater: It Came from Beneath the Sea 79

Plants: Invasion of the Body Snatchers 80

Minerals: The Monolith Monsters 81

Amorphous Monsters: The Blob 82

Child Monsters: It's Alive, The Brood and The Funhouse 84

Parasites: Shivers 87

Machines: The Car 88

Monsters from Underground: The Descent 89

5 Supernatural Monsters 91

Demons and the Devil: Faust and The Evil Dead 91

Doubles: The Student of Prague 94

Vampires: Nosferatu and Dracula 96

Witches: Häxan and Suspiria 105

Ghosts: Tie Uninvited and Ringu 110

Zombies: White Zombie and Night of the Living Dead 118

Mummies: The Mummy's Ghost 125

Others Back from the Dead: The Walking Dead 132

Werewolves and Other Shape-Shifters: The Wolf Man and Cat People 133

Legendary Figures: Candyman 140

Nameless Forces: Final Destination 141

Immortal Slashers: Michael, Jason and Freddy 141

6 Humans 152

Mad Scientists and Doctors: Caligari and Mad Love 153

Romantics: The Phantom of the Opera 156

Human Anomalies: Freaks 158

Artists: Mystery of the Wax Museum and In the Mouth of Madness 160

Believers: The Black Cat, Blood Feast and The Wicker Man 162

Sadists and Torturers: Tie Raven, Salò and Hostel 165

Ghouls: The Body Snatcher and Ed Gein 171

Mad Killers: Psycho and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 174

Families: The Last House on the Left and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 177

Psychics and Telekinetics: Carrie and Scanners 183

The Infected: Rabid and 28 Days Later 185

Cannibals: Eaten Alive! and Cannibal Holocaust 187

Slashers: Scream 192

Part III Related Genres

7 Horror Comedy 198

Monster Comedies: Young Frankenstein 198

Supernatural Comedies: The Return of the Living Dead 200

Human Comedies: Arsenic and Old Lace 201

8 Horror Documentary 204

Death on Camera 204

Autopsy: The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes 206

Looking at Horror 207.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references, filmography and index.

ISBN:

9780857284501

0857284509

9780857284495

0857284495

OCLC:

761852822