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Dark Dreams 2.0
A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film from the 1950s to the 21st Century
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Book Presentation:
Greatly expanded and updated from the 1977 original, this new edition explores the evolution of the modern horror film, particularly as it reflects anxieties associated with the atomic bomb, the Cold War, 1960s violence, sexual liberation, the Reagan revolution, 9/11 and the Iraq War. It divides modern horror into three varieties (psychological, demonic and apocalyptic) and demonstrates how horror cinema represents the popular expression of everyday fears while revealing the forces that influence American ideological and political values. Directors given a close reading include Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, David Cronenberg, Guillermo Del Toro, Michael Haneke, Robert Aldrich, Mel Gibson and George A. Romero. Additional material discusses postmodern remakes, horror franchises and Asian millennial horror. This book also contains more than 950 frame grabs and a very extensive filmography.
About the Author:
Charles Derry is professor emeritus of motion picture studies at Wright State University. He has written widely on a variety of popular culture topics, including film, television and ideology.
Press Reviews:
"an insightful study...a good choice for film students and researchers"―Library Journal; "back and...it’s bigger and better than ever...highly recommend...essential addition to any serious library"―Scarlet; "a must read...highly recommended"―Choice; "everything about this volume is first rate... This is a book that offers a refreshing approach to a well-worn genre. It is sure to please, delight, and excite a wide audience. Highly recommended."―Cinema Booklist; "this is really an excellent book on the psychological reasons we go to horror films, what they mean to us, what the metaphors of various manifestations mean, and how our fears reflect in the films that are made"―Film World; "this refreshingly original, intelligent, and serious study...manages to cover a large number of titles with commendable fullness and lucidity...this is one of the most important specialized horror books to appear recently, and deserves closer examination than present space permits. Highly recommended"―Film Review Annual.
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
> From the same author:
The Suspense Thriller (2001)
Films in the Shadow of Alfred Hitchcock
> On a related topic:
The Psychodynamics of Trauma and Modern Horror Cinema (2025)
I Am What Haunts Me
The Cinematic Boogeyman (2024)
From the Fairytale to the Slasher Film
Monsters on the Couch (2023)
The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies
Affective Intensities and Evolving Horror Forms (2021)
From Found Footage to Virtual Reality
by Adam Daniel
Primal Roots of Horror Cinema (2019)
Evolutionary Psychology and Narratives of Fear
Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema (2017)
Sidesplitting sLaughter
Dir. John A. Dowell and Cynthia J. Miller
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