Monsters and Mad Scientists

A study of horror movies, which discusses individual movies in detail and seeks to identify the main traditions of the genre, such as the mad scientist, the monster and the psychotic killer, and to show the various strategies and techniques behind their creation.

Preface vii

1 Introduction: Horror-Movie Histories 1

Part I Genre History

2 Facts, Figures and Frightful Fiends 17

3 Genre History I: 1931 - 1960 27

4 Genre History II: 1961 - 1984 48

Part II Narrative Resources

5 Narratives 81

6 Events - Characters - Settings 106

Part III Science, Supernature, Psyche

7 Mad Science 133

8 Lurkers at the Threshold 158

9 The Sleep of Reason 185

10 Conclusion: Security and Paranoia 211

Subject/Name Index 225

Index of Film Titles 231

Andrew Tudor is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of York. He was film critic for New Society from 1975 to 1982 and has been chairman of York Film Theatre for more than ten years. In this book the author provides a systematic history of the horror movie genre, discussing individual movies in detail, while also drawing out the more general patterns in the development of the genre. It is based on an analysis of almost 1000 films.