Bøger i Devil's Advocates serien

Directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer, The Omen (1976) is perhaps the best in the devil-child cycle of movies that followed in the wake of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist.

Co-written by Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan and British novelist Angela Carter, and based on several short stories from Carter's collection The Bloody Chamber, The Company of Wolves (1984) is a provocative reinvention of the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

Takashi Shimizu's Ju-on franchise was a principal instigator in the rise of contemporary Japanese horror and its international popularity at the turn of the millennium. Following the success of Hideo Nakata's Ringu (1998), the first cinematic release of Ju-on: The Grudge in 2002 crystallized Japanese horror's rise to prominence and outlined the new decade's thematic interest in supernatural technology and fear of contagions, while skillfully navigating domestic social concerns, such as Japan's growing elderly population and domestic violence. This Devil's Advocate explores the production roots of Ju-on The Grudge, followed by a critical reading of the film that highlights its essential themes and motifs, in addition to a section on cultural influences, before concluding with a section on Shimizu's continued involvement with the Ju-on franchise and its ongoing legacy. The book serves as an excellent primer for readers without prior knowledge of Japanese horror or the Ju-on film cycle, while providing fresh perspectives on the film that makes it equally appealing to J-horror aficionados.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964), the seventh collaboration between producer-director Roger Corman and horror icon Vincent Price, became the crowning achievement for both men, their masterpiece.

Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991) opens with a shot of water andclimaxes on a raging river. The director's love of fear cinema, his Catholicism and filmmaking techniques shift Cape Fear into terrifying psychological and psychosexual waters.

Since its release at the mid-point of the 1980s American horror boom, Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator (1985) has endured as one of the most beloved cult horror films of that era.

With new exclusive input from writer, director and star Alice Lowe, the text also looks at the production's inception and development, assesses its debts to cult British cinema, and inspects its umbilical connections to Rosemary's Baby, Alien, Village of the Damned and many other 'Monstrous Child' silver screen features.

Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1982) is one of the most inventive and energetic horror movies of the last 40 years. The book goes on to consider what character traits Ash Williams, The Evil Dead's 'macho' male hero, shares with Carol Clover's 'Final Girl' model and how effective he is as a 'Final Guy'.

In this Devil's Advocates, horror scholar Kevin Wetmore examines what elements in the film are truly terrifying, how the filmmakers' claims of being based on a true story hold up against the actual history of the haunting and the Warrens, and the relationship between The Conjuring and the many films in its universe.

The first full-length study dedicated to the film since its release, this book in the Devil's Advocate series provides a unique approach to the film situated within three theoretical coordinates: the vampire genre, psychoanalytic (film) theory and German Idealism.

Fritz Lang's M (1931), is one of the earliest serial killer films and laid the foundation for future horror movies and thrillers. Samm Deighan explores the way Lang uses horror and thriller tropes, particularly in terms of how M functions as a bridge between German Expressionism and Hollywood's growing fixation on sympathetic killers in the 40s.

Shivers (1975) was David Cronenberg's first commercial feature and his first horror film. Luke Aspell's analysis addresses shot composition, lighting, cinematographic texture, sound, the use of stock music, editing, costume, make-up, optical work, the screenplay, the casting, and the direction of the actors.

Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace (1964) is a legendary title, and is commonly considered as the archetypal giallo. This book explores its production history, putting it within the context of the Italian film industry of the period and includes plenty of previously unheard-of data.

Harry Kumel's cult classic Daughters of Darkness (1971) is a vampire film like no other. Kat Ellinger explores the film's association with fairy tales, the Gothic and fantastic tradition, as well as delving into aspects of the legend of Countess Bathory, traditional vampire lore, and much more. The book also contains new and exclusive interviews.

In the years since the release of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, there has begun to be a gradual wave of reappraisal and appreciation, resulting in this new Devil's Advocate.

Overlooked upon its release in 1995, In the Mouth of Madness has since developed a healthy reputation. While numerous books and essays have been written about John Carpenter's work, very little has focused exclusively on this film. This book redresses this, positioning this overlooked masterpiece as essential Carpenter.

This study of Roger Corman's House of Usher explores the film's narrative structure and imagery. Evert van Leeuwen shows how the use of specific techniques creates and sustains the atmosphere of gothic decay and situates horror icon Vincent Price's performance in the context of the Romantic misfit and the postwar countercultural antihero.

Jon Towlson considers how Candyman might be read both as a "return of the repressed" and as an example of nineties neoconservative horror. He traces the film's origins as a Clive Barker short story; discusses the importance of its real-life Cabrini-Green setting; and analyzes its appropriation and interrogation of urban myth.

Rarely does a remake outshine its original but David Cronenberg's reimagining of The Fly (1986) is one of those exceptions. This book teases out the intricate DNA of The Fly and how it represents the personalities of many authors, including Man-as-God tales stretching back to Frankenstein. Includes interviews with cast and crew.

Don't Look Now (1973), `a ghost story for adults', stands apart from the more explicitly violent horror films of the 1970s. Jessica Gildersleeve puts the film in the context of mid-century literary anxious narratives, arguing that it represents a crossover between 1970s literature and film and a cultural commentary on the modern family.

Taking a fresh look at The Shining (1980), this book situates the film within the history of the horror genre. It explores Stanley Kubrick's filmmaking style, use of dark humor, and ambiguous approach to supernatural storytelling and analyzes the choices made in adapting King's book.

Released in cinemas in 1982, Creepshow is typically regarded as a minor entry both in the film output of George A. Romero, and adaptations of the works of Stephen King. Creepshow is here reassessed by Simon Brown, who examines the making and release of the film and its legacy through a comic book adaptation and two sequels.

Undoubtedly the most notorious title in director Ken Russell s controversial filmography, this Devil s Advocate considers historical context of The Devils, its authorship and adaptation, its generic hybridity and its reception and censorship travails.

Amid a recent resurgence in horror films, It Follows stands out. David Robert Mitchell reinvents genre bromides while simultaneously embracing and challenging tropes that audiences and filmmakers rely on too heavily. Joshua Grimm shows how this film helped reinvent the rules of horror, particularly along the lines of genre, style, sex, and gender.