The Horror Film

The horror genre has proved to be one of the most consistently popular and the most disreputable of all the mainstream film genres. Since the early 1930s there has never been a time when horror films were not being produced in substantial numbers somewhere in the world and never a time when they were not being criticised, censored or banned. The Horror Film explores the key issues raised by this most contentious of genres. It considers the reasons for horror's disreputability and seeks to explain why horror has been so successful. Where does the appeal of horror lie? Also discussed is the historical development of horror cinema, the relation of horror films to the national contexts of their production, and the critical methods developed to make sense of horror. This book throws new light on some well-known horror films and will introduces the reader to examples of noteworthy but more obscure horror work. The overall aim of the book is to provide an informed and lively account of its subject, which both clarifies and contributes to debates about the nature and worth of horror cinema.