The British Horror Film: From the Silents to the Multiplex

by Ian Fryer

When Hammer Films broke box office records in 1957 with The Curse of Frankenstein, the company not only resurrected the gothic horror film, but also created a particularly British-flavored form of horror that swept the world.

The British Horror Film from the Silents to the Multiplex is your guide to the films, actors, and filmmakers who have thrilled and terrified generations of movie fans. In just one book, you will find the literary and cinematic roots of the genre to the British films made by film legends such as Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, Hammer’s accomplishments starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and the post-Hammer horrors such as Peter Walker’s Frightmare and huge British-made successes such as Alien and the zombie craze of the twenty-first century.

Featuring the history, the films, the stars, the directors, and the studios in one fascinating, fun, and fact-filled volume, whether you are an absolute beginner or a seasoned gore-hound, this volume covers everything you ever wanted to know about the British horror movie, but were too bone-chillingly afraid to ask.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published December 14, 2017

Reviews

[Lauren Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good basic introduction to horror film in Britain. It's more academic as horror film books go, so Fryer makes arguments for different themes appearing across decades in British horror. It's a strong overall picture, but it can be a bit heavy at times, and glosses over a lot of examples to make it's argument clear. If you are into more subtle aspects of British horror or in cult classics, this isn't where you will find it, but if you want an introduction to British horror history this offers a strong timeline and good themes that can be a springboard for further reading.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately the author is fixated on the history of Hammer films,notwithstanding the fact that this has been reprised in many other books.If you have read any of these it makes much of this book redundant.Village of The Damned gets a lobby still in the photo section but no mention in the text.The same goes for Children of the Damned.Most egregious of all is his failure to mention that classic horror film of the fifties,Might Of The Demon.The book is well written but superfluous.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, if surface level accounting of British horror. As other reviews have stated, this is basically a primer on Hammer. However, my biggest complaint is that there were at least two misspelled words per chapter, along with other grammatical errors. At one point the author even had the title of a film wrong, "Captain Kronos: Vampire Daughter." It should be "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter." It makes me question the accuracy of the rest of the book if film titles aren't even correct.