Greatly expanded and updated from the 1977 original, this new edition explores the evolution of the modern horror film, particularly as it reflects anxieties associated with the atomic bomb, the Cold War, 1960s violence, sexual liberation, the Reagan revolution, 9/11 and the Iraq War. It divides modern horror into three varieties (psychological, demonic and apocalyptic) and demonstrates how horror cinema represents the popular expression of everyday fears while revealing the forces that influence American ideological and political values. Directors given a close reading include Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, David Cronenberg, Guillermo Del Toro, Michael Haneke, Robert Aldrich, Mel Gibson and George A. Romero. Additional material discusses postmodern remakes, horror franchises and Asian millennial horror. This book also contains more than 950 frame grabs and a very extensive filmography.

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Review

"An insightful study...a good choice for film students and researchers" --Library Journal

"Everything about this volume is first rate... This is a book that offers a refreshing approach to a well-worn genre. It is sure to please, delight, and excite a wide audience. Highly recommended." --Cinema Booklist

"This really an excellent book on the psychological reasons we go to horror films, what they mean to us, what the metaphors of various manifestations mean, and how our fears reflect in the films that are made." --Film World

About the Author

Charles Derry is professor emeritus of motion picture studies at Wright State University. He has written widely on a variety of popular culture topics, including film, television and ideology.