The Pleasure and Pain of Cult Horror Films: An Historical Survey

by Bartłomiej Paszylk

The horror genre harbors a number of films too bold or bizarre to succeed with mainstream audiences, but offering unique, startling and often groundbreaking qualities that have won them an enduring following. Beginning with Victor Sjostrom's The Phantom Carriage in 1921, this book tracks the evolution and influence of underground cult horror over the ensuing decades, closing with William Winckler's Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove in 2005. It discusses the features that define a cult film, trends and recurring symbols, and changing iconography within the genre through insightful analysis of 88 movies. Included are works by popular directors who got their start with cult horror films, including Oliver Stone, David Cronenberg and Peter Jackson.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Horror, History, Media Tie In

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put this down for about two and a half months right in the middle of it, but not because it wasn't any good. This book is incredibly informative, presenting profiles of numerous cult horror films throughout the years. Each profile is a combination of summary and analysis and they are nearly all very fascinating even if the movies didn't interest me. Very well-done.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

uma interessante introdução a filmes de terror de culto, dos mais clássicos aos mais obscuros.