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Description of  Historical Dictionary of Horror Cinema

From Booklist This twenty-fifth book in the Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts series is by a scholar of the horror film who has written and contributed to several books, including The Horror Film (2004). The dictionary goes into much more depth and breadth but is still written in a very accessible style. Coverage kicks off with a chronology covering the period from 1764, when Horace Walpole authored what is thought of as the first major gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, through the major horror-film releases in 2007. The introduction provides information on the birth, location, and meaning of horror. Following 347 pages of dictionary entries is an extremely in-depth bibliography that groups books under such categories as “Anthologies of Criticism,” “National Horror Cinemas,” and “Personnel,” including actors, directors, and writers. In addition to entries for Abbott and Costello’s comedy-horrors, the actor George Zucco (who appeared in several horror films in the 1930s and 1940s), and films from Alien through classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the dictionary provides entries on the various horror themes, for example, Children,The mad scientist, and Zombies. Hollywood studios such as Universal are also covered, as are the horror films of several countries. This is a must-purchase for academic libraries supporting a film-studies curriculum. It would also be useful for public libraries whose patrons are interested in horror-film history. --Christy Donaldson Product Description This Historical Dictionary of Horror Films traces the development of horror cinema from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. Entries cover all the major movie villains, including Frankenstein and his monster, the vampire, the werewolf, the mummy, the zombie, the ghost, and the serial killer; the film directors, producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, make-up artists, special effects technicians, and composers who have helped to shape horror history; significant production companies and the major films that have come to stand as milestones in the development of the horror genre; and the different national traditions in horror cinema as well as horror's most popular themes, formats, conventions, and cycles.