Horror Film History

Ever since horror leapt from popular fiction to the silver screen in the late 1890s, viewers have experienced fear and pleasure in exquisite combination. Wheeler Winston Dixon's A History of Horror is the only book to offer a comprehensive survey of this ever-popular film genre. Arranged by decades, with outliers and franchise films overlapping some years, this one-stop sourcebook unearths the historical origins of characters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman and their various incarnations in film from the silent era to comedic sequels.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The ultimate story of the Scream movie franchise, featuring interviews from more than eighty key players and an in-depth exploration of the creation and legacy of the films that revived a dying genre In Your Favorite Scary Movie, entertainment journalist Ashley...

Step into the shadowy corridors of Gothic castles, moonlit graveyards, and fog-shrouded streets with Hammer Horror: The Complete History of Britain’s Legendary House of Horror Films. This definitive guide explores the rise, glory, decline, and remarkable rebirth of Hammer Film Productions — the iconic British studio that redefined horror cinema from the 1950s through the 1970s and continues to influence the genre today. From the blood-soaked brilliance of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein to the atmospheric ghost story The Woman in Black, this book takes you behind the scenes to ...

Film historian David Thomson, leads us into this very delicate subject. While unpacking classics such as Seven, Strangers on a Train, The Conformist, The Godfather, and The Shining, he offers a disconcerting sense of how the form of movies makes us accomplices in this sinister narrative process. Murder and the Movies admits us into what Thomson calls "a warped triangle": the creator working out a compelling death; the killer doing his and her best; and the entranced spectator trying to cling to life and a proper sense of decency.

The History of Body Horror Films: From Grotesque Origins to Modern Mutation is the ultimate guide for horror lovers, film students, and pop culture enthusiasts who want to dive deep into one of cinema’s most disturbing and thought-provoking subgenres. This comprehensive, 6000-word book explores the evolution of body horror movies from their eerie beginnings in early cinema to their grotesque peaks during the golden age of gore, all the way to their reemergence in today’s era of prestige horror. Discover how visionary directors like David Cronenberg, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Julia Ducournau...

The History of Slasher Films: From Cult Classics to Modern Horror Icons is your ultimate guide to one of cinema’s most enduring—and thrilling—genres. Whether you're a longtime horror fan or just discovering the thrill of the Final Girl, this engaging and in-depth book traces the evolution of the slasher film from its early roots in the 1930s to its 21st-century reinvention. Packed with fascinating film history, cultural analysis, iconic characters, and must-watch movie recommendations, this book explores how slasher movies reflect our fears, challenge social norms, and continue to ...

Essential 1970s Horror Movies: A Complete Guide to the Decade’s Scariest and Most Influential Films is your ultimate journey into the golden age of horror cinema. From groundbreaking psychological thrillers to terrifying tales of possession, monstrous mutations, and the bloody birth of the modern slasher film, this comprehensive guide explores the films that redefined the genre and left a permanent scar on pop culture. With in-depth chapters on iconic trends such as Italian Giallo, body horror, cult classics, and the rise of feminist themes in horror, this book highlights how the 1970s ...

Grindhouse Cinema History: A Complete Guide to the Rise, Fall, and Legacy of Exploitation Films takes you deep into the world of sleazy theaters, outrageous double features, and the shocking movies that changed cinema forever. From the early exploitation films of the 1930s, through the neon-soaked heyday of Times Square in the 1970s, to the grindhouse revival led by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, this book explores every corner of grindhouse culture. Discover how grindhouse theaters became the home for taboo-breaking films filled with sex, gore, and rebellion. Explore the rise of ...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The most famous true crime novel of all time "chills the blood and exercises the intelligence" (The New York Review of Books)—and haunted its author long after he finished writing it. On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the...

50 Years of Hammer Horror by John L. Flynn, Ph.D. is the follow-up book to his popular 75 Years of Universal Monsters. Hammer Film Productions was the most successful independent film company in the world. Between 1935 and 1983, the company produced more than 250 motion pictures and television shows, and their signature productions headlined theater marquees all around the globe. Those productions included thrillers, comedies, historical dramas, and science fiction. The company was best known for its series of gothic horror films.

In this “riveting, atmospheric thriller that messes with your mind in the best way” (Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author), three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune investigate the disappearances of two outsiders. Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating...

For the first time, the complete history of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks—from the landmark, original cult series that changed the course of television to its 25-years-in-the-making sequel—is told through fascinatingly detailed reporting and exclusive interviews with the show's...

From its first publication in 1992, Men, Women, and Chain Saws has offered a groundbreaking perspective on the creativity and influence of horror cinema since the mid-1970s. Investigating the popularity of the low-budget tradition, Carol Clover looks in particular at slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Although such movies have been traditionally understood as offering only sadistic pleasures to their mostly male audiences, Clover demonstrates that they align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the females tormented.

From the acclaimed author of American Comics and Jewish Comedy comes a highly entertaining book that examines the American obsession with horror—and what it tells us about ourselves. In American Scary, noted cultural historian and Columbia professor Jeremy Dauber takes the reader to the...

One of the more remarkable sub-genres in Mexican cinema is the horror western. Frequently lensed on limited budgets and tied to a number of genre cliches, these productions occasionally overcame their budgetary limitations to provide distinctly unique images and memorable action. Many infused their suspense with mysterious heroes, improbable creatures, and occasional unexpected musical numbers. Yet, they remain entertaining despite budgetary constraints and the liberal use of cliches and improbabilities. This is an overview of the development of the sub-genre, including reference to many of...

From the singular mind of horror maestro Rob Zombie comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood. Heidi Hawthorne is a thirty-seven-year-old FM radio DJ and a recovering drug addict. Struggling with her newfound sobriety and creeping depression, Heidi suddenly...

From King Kong to Candyman, the boundary-pushing genre of horror film has always been a site for provocative explorations of race in American popular culture. This book offers a comprehensive chronological survey of Black horror from the 1890s to present day. In this second edition, Robin R. Means Coleman expands upon the history of notable characterizations of Blackness in horror cinema, with new chapters spanning the 1960s, 2000s, and 2010s to the present, and examines key levels of Black participation on screen and behind the camera. The book addresses a full range of Black horror films.

George A. Romero redefined horror forever. Known as the father of the modern zombie, Romero transformed low-budget independent cinema into a global cultural phenomenon. From his groundbreaking debut Night of the Living Dead to later classics like Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, and beyond, his films combined shocking imagery with profound social commentary. This book explores his life, his films, and his lasting legacy, showing how Romero turned monsters into mirrors of society’s deepest fears. Inside you’ll discover a comprehensive guide to Romero’s career, including in-depth ...

In the early 20th century, World War I was the most devastating event humanity had yet experienced. New machines of war left tens of millions killed or wounded in the most grotesque of ways. The Great War remade the world's map, created new global powers, and brought forth some of the biggest problems still facing us today. But it also birthed a new art form: the horror film, made from the fears of a generation ruined by war. From Nosferatu to Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man, the touchstones of horror can all trace their roots to the bloodshed of the First World War.

The Birth of Modern Zombies Long before zombies ruled television, streaming platforms, and blockbuster films, a small group of independent filmmakers in Pittsburgh unknowingly created a cultural revolution. At the center of that revolution was John A. Russo. In How I Gave Birth to The Return of the Living Dead, Russo tells the extraordinary true story of how a simple horror idea, dead people returning to devour the living, became one of the most influential concepts in movie history. From the groundbreaking creation of Night of the Living Dead to the long and unpredictable journey that led ...