Horror is one of the most enduring and controversial of all cinematic genres. Horror films range from the subtle and the poetic to the graphic and the gory but what links them all is their ability to frighten, disturb, shock, provoke, delight, irritate, amuse, and bemuse audiences. Horror's capacity to serve as an outlet to capture the changing patterns of our fears and anxieties has ensured not only its notoriety but also its long-term survival and its international popularity. Above all, however, it is the audience's continual desire to experience new frights and evermore-horrifying sights that continue to make films like The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Ringu, and The Shining captivate viewers. The A to Z of Horror Cinema traces the development of horror cinema from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. Entries cover all the major movie villains, including Frankenstein and his monster, the vampire, the werewolf, the mummy, the zombie, the ghost, and the serial killer; the film directors, producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, make-up artists, special effects technicians, and composers who have helped to shape horror history; significant production companies and the major films that have come to stand as milestones in the development of the horror genre; and the different national traditions in horror cinema as well as horror's most popular themes, formats, conventions, and cycles.

This is the most complete single-volume guide to the horror movie, from its beginning in the early years of cinema to the big-budget movies of the present day. The book covers the major studies, & also gives information on less-familiar film makers.

(FAQ). Horror Films FAQ explores a century of ghoulish and grand horror cinema, gazing at the different characters, situations, settings, and themes featured in the horror film, from final girls, monstrous bogeymen, giant monsters and vampires to the recent torture porn and found footage formats. The book remembers the J-Horror remake trend of the 2000s, and examines the oft-repeated slasher format popularized by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). After an introduction positioning the horror film as an important and moral voice in the national dialogue, the book explores the history of horror decade by decade, remembering the women's liberation horrors of the 1970s, the rubber reality films of the late 1980s, the serial killers of the 1990s, and the xenophobic terrors of the 9/11 age. Horror Films FAQ also asks what it means when animals attack in such films as The Birds (1963) or Jaws (1975), and considers the moral underpinnings of rape-and-revenge movies, such as I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and Irreversible (2002). The book features numerous photographs from the author's extensive personal archive, and also catalogs the genre's most prominent directors.

Join your horror host Killian H. Gore on a hellish road trip through the dark landscape of horror movies! Taking in much-loved horror film characters, places, monsters, props, killers, locations. Everything you did and didn't know! All chronicled and explained with a dash of Mr. Gore's zany graveside humor. BEER - The favorite drink of most teens in slasher movies. Drinking it usually leads to imminent death. CASTLE ROCK - The name of a fictional town featured in many Stephen King books and film adaptations. Not an ideal place to live. ROADKILL - A dead animal on the road, often seen at the beginning of a horror movie to let you know that bad things are about to happen. Also features the terrifying short story, The Demon of Heritage, presented in its fully uncut form. Praise for Killian H. Gore: "Books for the obsessive horror fan. You are doing an excellent job. Keep writing!" JOHN LANDIS PLEASE NOTE - THIS BOOK WAS FIRST PUBLISHED AS THE HORROR MOVIE DICTIONARY IN 2019

This is an exploration of the tradition of horror, from its earliest origins - as far back as the biblical victim Job - to the monsters, slashers, satanic children and serial killers who represent our anxieties today. Each letter of the alphabet is used as a starting point for an aspect, element or ingredient of horror. It may be a scene in a film, such as the shower scene in Psycho, or a character such as Freddie in Nightmare on Elm Street. Or it may be idea such as evil, violence or darkness, which is explored to reveal hidden meanings. Other themes examined include the psychological impact of horror, the role of women as heroines and victims, and the incarnation of the film monster.

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This A-Z of science fiction films includes entries on individual films, actors, directors, screenwriters and studios, as well as information on national traits and themes, and the novels and stories that have formed the basis of the genre. As well as dealing with blockbusters such as Independence Day and Mars Attacks, the text also looks at early big budget productions such as When Worlds Collide and 2001, the inept classics of Ed Wood, Hammer films and the early work of John Carpenter.