The Horror Film

In The Horror Film, Stephen Prince has collected essays reviewing the history of the horror film and the psychological reasons for its persistent appeal, as well as discussions of the developmental responses of children and young adult viewers to the genre. The book focuses on recent post-modern examples such as The Blair Witch Project. In a daring move, the volume also includes a discussion of Holocaust films in relation to horror. Part One features essays on the silent and classical Hollywood eras. Part Two focuses on the post World War II era and examines the historical, aesthetic, and psychological characteristics of contemporary horror films. In contrast to horror during the classical Hollywood period, contemporary horror features more graphic and prolonged visualizations of disturbing and horrific imagery, as well as other distinguishing characteristics. Prince's introduction provides an overview of the genre, contextualizing the readings that follow. A volume in the Depth of Field Series, edited by Charles Affron, Mirella Jona Affron, and Robert Lyons

Stephen Prince is professor of communications at Virginia Tech