Projected Fears: Horror Films and American Culture

by Kendall R. Phillips

Movie audiences seem drawn, almost compelled, toward tales of the horrific and the repulsive. Partly because horror continues to evolve radically every time the genre is deemed dead, it seems to come up with another twist it has been one of the most often-dissected genres. Here, author Kendall Phillips selects ten of the most popular and influential horror films including Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream, each of which has become a film landmark and spawned countless imitators, and all having implications that transcend their cinematic influence and achievement. By tracing the production history, contemporary audience response, and lasting cultural influence of each picture, Phillips offers a unique new approach to thinking about the popular attraction to horror films, and the ways in which they reflect both cultural and individual fears. Though stylistically and thematically very different, all of these movies have scared millions of eager moviegoers. This book tries to figure out why.--

Genres: Horror, Film, Nonfiction, History, Gothic

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Phillips repeats himself a lot and spouts embarrassing American Cold War propaganda as if it were fact, along with saying that Dr Martin Luther King's assassination by governmental agencies is a conspiracy theory, when it was proven in court.
Most of his analysis, however, is perfectly sound, although he seems unable to interpret anything that is not heterosexual.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I enjoyed this book but as it went on, the less clear the authors arguments got along with lower quality of arguments too. I found the interpretation of Silence of the Lambs lacking because the author skims over the transgender identity of Buffalo Bill. If you know the film you know that’s why it’s come under fire, but all of sudden the author talks about how some of the LGBT+ community didn’t enjoy the film and if you don’t have that context it’s confusing! The author also skips over the same aspect of dressed to kill, which is sad because these are major plot points and it could have been a great area of analysis. Contrapoints does a great analysis of these two movies and psycho in her video entitled ‘J.K. Rowling’ so check that out of this topic interests you! Also as a HUGE scream fan I found the analysis of scream to be boring and lack luster. There’s A LOT to work with and it was very eh it’s postmodern whatever. However nostalgia can be a huge selling point for companies and is an important aspect of horror! Also the additional context introductions to the films were LONG. They could have easily been more succinct.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent criticism of popular horror films by an damn good film scholar. What makes this book special is not only that it is talking about cool movies, but also that it remarkably accessibly to a wide variety of audience. You don't have to get a Ph.D from Penn State in Rhetorical Studies to understand how Phillips shows that these films resonate with particular cultural circumstances in the times of their release.

[Zachary Doiron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phillips’s socio-historical take on horror analysis uncovers just how influential film (especially horror) can be to a given society. While bogged down by some historical inaccuracies, Projected Fears is nevertheless of the better horror studies book.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format is a bit repetitive and there are some spelling errors that kind of distracted me, but this is overall a well-thought out book with excellent commentary on both the horror films being discussed and their broader relevance.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love the subject, I love the clear, concise writing and organization, and I love 8 of the 10 films discussed.

I would like to highly recommend this book especially to anyone who has ever asked me "how can you watch that crap" or "why would anyone WANT to be frightened?" Just like the creatures and killers that haunt their celluloid - horror films are not always what they seem.

And as much as a horror movie aficionado and fan I may be, I still learned a lot from this excellent book - about the films I loved, about American culture at the times these movies were popular, and ultimately - about humanity and my place in it.

What an excellent, succinct, well-done book. I can see why it is used to teach a class on just this subject.

READ IT! (and then - if you haven't already - watch the movies!!)

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may seem like horror movies have been around forever, but they have a surprisingly short history. While Phillips does not pretend to be comprehensive (he chooses ten films on which to focus) he covers the history surprisingly well. Some would, of course, suggest substitutes for his choices of movies, but each is, in its own way, a classic of cinema in the field. I am glad to see that academics are coming to the point that they can address "low brow" culture seriously. Horror films are frequently profound and can even be fun. This book certainly was.

I wrote more thoughts on this book on my blog, for those who are interested: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

[Lyric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating revelation of the fears that haunt American society. I have a better understanding of myself, my parents, my grandparents and American culture. Every film history class should read this book.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

More analytical than i wanted to read. If i was doing an essay though i would highly recommend it.

[Jacqueline Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fascinating read! I'm now watching each movie as I move through the chapters and I highly recommend it. Interesting to watch how the horror genre evolved.