The Horror Film

Published by Rutgers University Press 2004

The Horror Film

Edited by: Stephen Prince

In the series Rutgers Depth of Field Series

https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813542577

Overview
Contents

About this book

In this volume, Stephen Prince has collected essays reviewing the history of the horror film and the psychological reasons for its persistent appeal, as well as discussions of the developmental responses of young adult viewers and children to the genre. The book focuses on recent postmodern examples such as The Blair Witch Project. In a daring move, the volume also examines Holocaust films in relation to horror.

Part One features essays on the silent and classical Hollywood eras. Part Two covers the postWorld War II era and discusses the historical, aesthetic, and psychological characteristics of contemporary horror films. In contrast to horror during the classical Hollywood period, contemporary horror features more graphic and prolonged visualizations of disturbing and horrific imagery, as well as other distinguishing characteristics. Princes introduction provides an overview of the genre, contextualizing the readings that follow.

Stephen Prince is professor of communications at Virginia Tech. He has written many film books, including Classical Film Violence: Designing and Regulating Brutality in Hollywood Cinema, 19301968, and has edited Screening Violence, also in the Depth of Field Series.

Author / Editor information

STEPHEN PRINCE is professor of communications at Virginia Tech. He has written many film books, including Classical Film Violence: Designing and Regulating Brutality in Hollywood Cinema, 1930-1968, and has edited Screening Violence, also in the Depth of Field Series.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Introduction: The Dark Genre and Its Paradoxes Stephen Prince Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
The Silent and Classical Hollywood Eras
Shadow-Souls and Strange Adventures: Horror and the Supernatural in European Silent Film Casper Tybjerg Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
Before Sound: Universal, Silent Cinema, and the Last of the Horror-Spectaculars Ian Conrich Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	40
Children of the Night Carlos Clarens Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	58
The Horrors of War David J. Skal Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	70
The Modern Era
Postmodern Elements of the Contemporary Horror Film Isabel Cristina Pinedo Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	85
Dread, Taboo, and The Thing: Toward a Social Theory of the Horror Film Stephen Prince Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	118
Toward an Aesthetics of Cinematic Horror Steven Jay Schneider Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	131
Scraping Bottom: Splatter and the Herschell Gordon Lewis Oeuvre Jonathan Crane Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	150
Mondo Horror: Carnivalizing the Taboo Mikita Brottman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
Horror and Art-Dread Cynthia Freeland Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
Horror and the Holocaust: Genre Elements in Schindler’s List and Psycho Caroline J. S. Picart and David A. Frank Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	206
Developmental Differences in Responses to Horror Joanne Cantor and Mary Beth Oliver Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	224
The Appeal of Horror and Suspense Mary Beth Oliver and Meghan Sanders Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	242
Contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	265