The Horror Film

by Stephen Prince

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813533636
Publisher:	Rutgers University Press
Publication date:	01/26/2004
Series:	Rutgers Depth of Field Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Silent and Classical Hollywood Eras
The Modern Era
Contributors
Index

Editorial Reviews

Horror films have often been criticized for their graphic images and the effect they have on viewers. In this collection of scholarly essays, the focus is on the psychological, cultural, and emotional impact these films have had over the decades. Horror is defined and divided into many subgenres, with discussions ranging from the silent films to "Postmodern Elements in Contemporary Horror Films." Each writer offers his or her own theories on what makes people enjoy horror and how horror reflects the times. For example, Isabel Cristina Pinedo argues that Night of the Living Dead reflects the bloodshed in Vietnam and the cruelty of white supremacist groups, an interpretation director George Romero might find astonishing. Yet another surprising entry, written by Caroline J.S. Picart and David A. Frank, calls Schindler's List a psychological suspense thriller and compares its cinematic techniques to the famous shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho. In some of the essays, writers seem to struggle to make their point. Recommended only for academic libraries with sociology or psychology collections.-Rosalind Dayen, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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