Reappraising Cult Horror Films - by Lee Broughton (Paperback)

About the Book

"Reappraising Cult Horror Films identities key cult horror films from around the world and reappraises them by approaching and interrogating them in new ways. The contributors look beyond their selected horror film's cult movie status to critically analyze, assess and pass comment on previously overlooked aspects through myriad theoretical and analytical approaches. Covering cult horror classics such as The Shining and Plan 9 From Outer Space to more obscure films like Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Dream Home, Broughton curates an international selection of case studies to show the prevalence of the cult horror subgenre"--

Book Synopsis

Identifies key - and in some cases previously overlooked - cult horror films from around the world and reappraises them by approaching and interrogating them in new ways.

New productions in the horror genre occupy a prominent space within the cinematic landscape of the 21st century, but the genre's back catalogue of older films refuses to be consigned to the motion picture graveyard just yet. Interest in older horror films remains high, and an ever-increasing number of these films have enjoyed an afterlife as cult movies thanks to regular film festival screenings, television broadcasts and home video releases. Similarly, academic interest in the horror genre has remained high.

The frameworks applied by contributors to the collection include genre studies, narrative theory, socio-political readings, aspects of cultural studies, gendered readings, archival research, fan culture work, interviews with filmmakers, aspects of film historiography, spatial theory and cult film theory. Covering a corpus of films that ranges from recognised cult horror classics such as The Wicker Man, The Shining and Candyman to more obscure films like Daughters of Darkness, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, Shivers, Howling III: The Marsupials and Inside, Broughton has curated an international selection of case studies that show the diverse nature of the cult horror subgenre. Be they star-laden, stylish, violent, bizarre or simply little heard-of obscurities, this book offers a multitude of new critical insights into a truly eclectic selection of cult horror films.

Review Quotes

"Within these chapters readers will be introduced to new films, or in some cases reintroduced to films they have seen a dozen times, but somehow missed the message for the body count ... The chapters within this collection will give horror fans new insight into their favorite cult horror films. For the scholar of independent film, the chapters provide important reappraisals that uncover the context that is hiding beneath the buckets of blood and other body parts." --The Independent

"An excellent addition to the field of cult film studies which features a broad range of rigorously researched, informative, and insightful chapters. Well-known examples of cult film and filmmakers, such as Carnival of Souls and Herk Harvey, are discussed in fascinating detail. Notably, there is equal time devoted to films/filmmakers not previously considered under the banner of cult cinema such as The Hunt and, for example, an appraisal of a selection of work by director Ken Russell. A must have book for cult completists!" --Shelley O'Brien, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

"Moving from analysis of specific cult classics (old and new), to studies of horror auteurs, and discussions of cycles and trends from around the world, Reappraising Cult Horror Films provides a wide range of fresh perspectives on the cult appeal of horror films. The variety of different approaches taken within this volume demonstrates the many ways these films can be considered, highlighting new emerging forms of cult fandom and appreciation." --Lindsay Hallam, Senior Lecturer, University of East London, UK

"Lee Broughton masterfully curated the collective volume Reappraising Cult Horror Films: From Carnival of Souls to Last Night in Soho, prompting the film lovers and more particularly the horror film lovers to both discover and reappraise fascinating horror movies. These range from iconic ones like Kubrick's The Shining to relatively lesser-known ones like the British Hammer Studio and Hong Kong Shaw Brothers Studio co-production The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. Broughton also offers a gendered reading in the second chapter. British and other European film specialists provide novel and specific insights into an eclectic corpus through the prism of a variety of approaches, from conventional narrative theory to more unexpected spatial theory. The way in which these films acquired cult movie status is also keenly discussed. The whole volume truly makes for a riveting reading for the aficionados of the genre and others as well." --Anne-Marie Paquet-Deyris, Professor of Film Studies, University Paris Nanterre, France

About the Author

Lee Broughtonis a Lecturer in Film and Media in the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds, UK. He also teaches on the Arts and Humanities programme that is offered by the University's Lifelong Learning Centre. Lee is the author of The Euro-Western: Reframing Gender, Race and the 'Other' in Film (Bloomsbury, 2016) and the editor of Critical Perspectives on the Western: From A Fistful of Dollars to Django Unchained (2016) and Reframing Cult Westerns: From The Magnificent Seven to The Hateful Eight (Bloomsbury, 2020).