256 Pages
    by Routledge

    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    British Horror Cinema investigates a wealth of horror filmmaking in Britain, from early chillers like The Ghoul and Dark Eyes of London to acknowledged classics such as Peeping Tom and The Wicker Man.

    Contributors explore the contexts in which British horror films have been censored and classified, judged by their critics and consumed by their fans. Uncovering neglected modern classics like Deathline, and addressing issues such as the representation of family and women, they consider the Britishness of British horror and examine sub-genres such as the psycho-thriller and witchcraftmovies, the work of the Amicus studio, and key filmmakers including Peter Walker.

    Chapters include:

    • the 'Psycho Thriller'
    • the British censors and horror cinema
    • femininity and horror film fandom
    • witchcraft and the occult in British horror
    • Horrific films and 1930s British Cinema
    • Peter Walker and Gothic revisionism.

    Also featuring a comprehensive filmography and interviews with key directors Clive Barker and Doug Bradley, this is one resource film studies students should not be without.

    List of illustrations. Notes on contributors. Acknowledgements. 1. The Return of the repressed? British Horror's heritage and future Steve Chibnall and Julian Petley 2. The British censors and horror cinema Mark Kermode 3. 'A crude sort of entertainment for a crude sort of audience': the British critics and horror cinema Julian Petley 4. Screaming for release: Femininity and horror film fandom in Britain Brigid Cherry 5. Horrific films and 1930s British Cinema Ian Conrich 6. Psycho Thriller, qu'est que c'est? Kim Newman 7. Necromancy in the UK: Witchcraft and the occult in British horror Leon Hunt 8. Barbara, Julia, Carol, Myra and Nell: Diagnosing female madness in British horror cinema Steven Jay Schneider 10. The Amicus house of horror Peter Hutchings 11. A descent into the underworld: Deathline Marcelle Perks 12. A heritage of evil: Peter Walker and the politics of Gothic revisionism Steve Chibnall 13. On the side of the demons: Clive Barker's pleasures and pains. Interviews with Clive Barker and Doug Bradley Paul Wells 14. Dying light: an obituary for the Great British Horror Movie Richard Stanley. Filmography of British horror films in the sound era L. S. Smith

    Biography

    Steve Chibnall is Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at DeMontfort University, Leicester. He is the co-editor of British Crime Cinema (Routledge 1999). Julian Petley is Senior Lecturer in Communication and Information Studies at Brunel University. He is co-editor of Ill Effects: The Media Violence Debate: Second Edition (Routledge 2001).

    'Featuring contributions from such genre stalwarts as Kim Newman, Mark Kermode and Peter Hutchings, the book contains enough intriguing insights to keep even jaded devotees flicking through its pages.' - Film Review

    'A very good reference point for anyone interested in the British horror film through the generations.' - Journal of European Area Studies