Companion to the Horror Film

by Harry M. Benshoff (Editor)

This cutting-edge collection features original essays by eminent scholars on one of cinema's most dynamic and enduringly popular genres, covering everything from the history of horror movies to the latest critical approaches.

Genres: Film, Horror, Nonfiction

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Dr. Harry Benshoff's research interests include topics in film genres, film history, film theory, and multiculturalism. He has published essays on Dark Shadows fan cultures, blaxploitation horror films, Hollywood LSD films, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Brokeback Mountain. He is the author of Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film (Manchester University Press, 1997). With Sean Griffin he co-authored America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality at the Movies (Blackwell Publishers, 2004), and Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006). He was also the co-editor of Queer Cinema: The Film Reader (Routledge, 2004). His most recent books include Dark Shadows (Wayne State University Press, 2011), A Companion to the Horror Film (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014), and Film and Television Analysis: An Introduction to Theories, Methods, and Approaches (Routledge, 2015).

At UNT, Dr. Benshoff regularly teaches a wide array of film studies classes, including "Film and Television Analysis," "African American Film," "Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Film and Video," and "Gender and Sexuality in the Horror Film." He also teaches a graduate seminar in qualitative media theory every year, and a rotating series of "Film Authors" classes on such noted directors as David Cronenberg, Federico Fellini, Ken Russell, and Robert Altman.

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Dr. Benshoff earned a BA in English from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., in 1985. He attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia for almost three years before he decided to follow his primary interest in life: film and media studies. He then earned an MA and a PhD in Critical Studies at the University of Southern California's prestigious School of Cinema-Television. He taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for three years before coming to UNT.

Reviews

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a textbook, this one is a complex, rather heavy-handed example. The chapters in here are somewhat foundational, and there are some that give you a nice understanding of the history and development of the horror genre, but others are clearly scholarship all on their own, and as such feel a bit much for an otherwise simple volume. As a book on horror films, however, this one clearly shines - the articles here are innovative and engaging in their approach to the topics that are so critical in understanding and appreciating the horror genre, and as such are essential reading for any fan or critic trying to get more out of their horror films. There are obviously some that are a slog to get through, but on the whole this is an engaging volume that shows what genre-based scholarship can do. Definitely not for everyone, but if you think you'd appreciate it its insights I'd heartily recommend checking it out.

[Chelsea Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an assigned text book for a film class about the history of horror films. Sometimes this book shines and other times it was so boring and difficult to read. The book is a compilation of essays written about numerous aspects/theories of horror movies. It covers everything from music, what is scary, why people watch horror movies, trash horror, bad horror films, and more.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent anthology for teaching. It puts the genre, rightfully, in an international perspective, but also dives deep into specific moments and regional themes (e.g. giallo and Italian rural/urban divide).

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read a few of the essays here that seemed most relevant to the research I'm doing, but this is a pretty solid collection examining numerous aspects of horror criticism.

[Julie Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is important to remember, we don't fear horror movies. We are just afraid of our thoughts.