National Network for Equitable Library Service

The horror film reveals as much, if not more, about the British psyche as the heritage film or the social realist drama. But like a mad relative locked in the attic, British horror cinema has been ignored and maligned. Even when it has been celebrated, neglect is not far behind and what studies there have been have been have concentrated largely on the output of Hammer, the best-known producers of British horror. But that is only part of the story. It's a tradition that encompasses work by both celebrated auteurs such as Hitchcock and Polanski, as well as a series of opportunistic, often-unashamed hacks. Frightmares is an in-depth analysis of the home-grown horror film, each chapter anchored by a close study of two or more key titles, consisting of textual analysis, production history, marketing and reception. Although broadly chronological, attention is also be paid to the thematic links, emphasising both the wide-range of the genre and highlighting some of the less-explored avenues. Chapters focus on the origins of British horror and its foreign influences, Hammer (of course), the influence of American International Pictures, notably their Vincent Price films, and other American filmmakers, the 'savage Seventies' and the new wave of twenty-first century British horror.