'Horror and the Horror Film' is a vivid, compelling, insightful and well-written study of the horror film and its subgenres from 1896 to the present, concentrating on the nature of horror in reality and on film.

Examining the popularity of low-budget cinema, particularly slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films, the author argues that, while such films have been traditionally understood as offering only sadistic pleasure to their mostly male audiences, in actuality they align spectators not with the male tormentor but with the females being tormented--particularly the slasher movie's "final girls"--Who endure fear and degradation before rising to save themselves.--Adapted...

Thacker suggests that we look to the genre of horror as offering a way of thinking about the unthinkable world, a world of planetary disasters, emerging pandemics, and the looming threat of extinction. To confront this idea, he argues, is to confront the limit of our ability to understand the world in which we live - a central motif of the horror genre. In this volume, Thacker explores these relationships between philosophy and horror. In Thacker's...

"Provocative and compulsively readable, on the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the landmark blockbuster The Exorcist comes the definitive, fascinating story of its lasting impact as one of the most shocking, influential, and successful adventures in the history of film"--Jacket. On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist was released. Moviegoers braved hours-long lines in winter weather to see it. Half a century later, the movie that both inspired...

"From the author of the definitive heavy metal history, Bang Your Head, a behind-the-scenes look a century of horror films Reel Terror is a love letter to the wildly popular yet still misunderstood genre that churns out blockbusters and cult classics year after year. From The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Paranormal Activity, Konow explores its all-time highs and lows, why the genre has been overlooked, and how horror films just might help us overcome...

"A five-part documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood's notoriously 'cursed' horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen to the rumored use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary among film fans and filmmakers alike. Were these films really cursed, as many believe, or just the victims of bad luck and bizarre circumstances?"--Container....

Illuminating the dark side of the American century, this book uncovers the surprising links between horror entertainment and the great social crises of our time, as well as horror's function as a pop analogue to surrealism and other artistic movements. With penetrating analyses and revealing anecdotes, David J. Skal chronicles one of our most popular and pervasive modes of cultural expression. He explores the disguised form in which Hollywood's classic...

"Whether through a movie, television show, novel, or even myth, horror as a genre has always spoken to our deepest human fears and anxieties: fear of death, of the unknown, of knowing too much. Whether you're looking at classic narratives like Frankenstein, which shows us the consequences of stretching knowledge farther than it's safe to go, or contemporary films like Get Out, which explores racism and white guilt, horror provides a window into our...

Horror isn't just for the boys. Gothic media moguls Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence present a guide to the feminist horror movies, TV shows, and characters we all know and love. Through interviews, film analysis, and bone-chilling discoveries, this book uncovers the theories behind women's most iconic roles of the genre. Explore age-old tropes such as "The Innocent" like Lydia in Beetlejuice, "The Gorgon" like Pamela Voorhees in Friday the 13th, and...