Introduction; Part One: The Horror Film, 1930-1960; 1. Figures in a Gothic Landscape; 2. Variations on a Theme; 3. The Contribution of Val Lewton; 4. Nuclear and other Horrors; Part Two: The Horror Film, 1960-2000; 5. The Changing Face of Horror; 6. Directions and Directors; 7. The 'Slasher' Movie and the 'Final Girl'; 8. David Cronenberg and Special Effects; Conclusion; Bibliography.
Reynold Humphries is a former Professor of Film Studies at the University of Lille and author of 'Fritz Lang: Genre and Representation in his American Films' (1989).
Humphries' chapter in Part II on Slashers, Serial Killers and the 'Final Girl' is invaluable as an introduction to horror. It not only presents the author's major themes in a concise manner, it illustrates point of view as an integral part of a film's meaning. Other discussions that seem particularly rewarding are those on Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and on Cronenberg's films. Humphries encourages readers to delve further into issues important to horror by providing a useful filmography and bibliography. The author's passion and respect for the horror film contributes to the energy and force of this study ! Humphries' extensive knowledge of the horror film and his fleeting allusions to hybrid genres, whets one's appetite for a slightly longer discussion of the subject, especially in light of the current emphasis on border crossings [!] by including a discussion of contemporary genre mixing in the concluding chapter, he might help readers to explore more fully whether there is anything beyond Shayamalan's Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense to enlighten an otherwise dimming screen. Humphries' chapter in Part II on Slashers, Serial Killers and the 'Final Girl' is invaluable as an introduction to horror. It not only presents the author's major themes in a concise manner, it illustrates point of view as an integral part of a film's meaning. Other discussions that seem particularly rewarding are those on Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and on Cronenberg's films. Humphries encourages readers to delve further into issues important to horror by providing a useful filmography and bibliography. The author's passion and respect for the horror film contributes to the energy and force of this study ! Humphries' extensive knowledge of the horror film and his fleeting allusions to hybrid genres, whets one's appetite for a slightly longer discussion of the subject, especially in light of the current emphasis on border crossings [!] by including a discussion of contemporary genre mixing in the concluding chapter, he might help readers to explore more fully whether there is anything beyond Shayamalan's Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense to enlighten an otherwise dimming screen.
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