The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film [Hardcover]

Dr. David Soren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

The history of the horror film has been the subject of many books, many of them unfortunately picture books. Where more serious efforts have been made, the genre has been explored primarily from a chronological/factual or socio-economic point of view. Studies by sub-genre (vampires, wolf men, etc.) also may be cited. In an effort to begin to fill that gap and to try to explain why such films are generally so poor today, Dr. David Soren has written this book, primarily for the benefit of his film students, who continually lament the absence of any textbook on the subject. It is also essential that future filmmakers and critics realize the tremendous debt that the horror film owes to the history of art. Beginning with the relationship between Georges Melies and his Academic contemporaries such as Bouguereau, Dr. Soren has attempted to point out the influence of Symbolist (artists who seek to express or evoke emotions, ideas, etc. by the use of symbolic language, images, color, etc.), Dada (the style and techniques of artists, writers, etc. of the early 20th-centry who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc.), and Surrealist (a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century stressing the subconscious or non-rational significance of imagery arrived at by automation or the exploitation of chance effects, symbolic objects, etc.) art on filmmakers such as Vigo and Cocteau. German Expressionism is also discussed by the Post-Impressionist Edvard Munch is seen as an important creative force in the German theater of Max Reinhardt and in the making of such films as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and Frankenstein (1931). The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film remains a fresh and intriguing ode to fantastic cinema and will ensnare all film fans in it's fascinating web of movie mystique.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

It is essential that future filmmakers and critics realize the tremendous debt that the horror film owes to the history of art. Beginning with the relationship between Georges Melies and his Academic contemporaries such as Bouguereau, and the influence of Symbolist, Dada, and Surrealist art on filmmakers such as Vigo and Cocteau this book takes an important look at the correlation between horror films and art.

Whether the reader is a filmmaker or someone who wishes to better appreciate a film genre that is so rarely taken seriously, it is hoped that this collection of lecture by Dr. David Soren will be of some value.

About the Author

David Soren was born in 1946 in Philadelphia, Pa. He has written 10 books and more than 80 articles on subjects including Ancient Roman and Etruscan archaeology, dance, vaudeville, film, history and art history for publishers, which include Simon and Schuster, Prentice-Hall, Random House and Midnight Marquee. He has been the subject of documentary specials on The Learning Channel, The BBC, Italy’s RAI-1 and the Discovery Channel. Currently he holds appointments in 3 different departments at the University of Arizona where he is the Regents Professor of Anthropology and Classics. He also founded and directed four major archaeological excavations in Cyprus, Portugal, and Italy and is a Resident at the American Academy in Rome. For his contributions to Italian archeology he has been made an honorary Italian citizen and for his contributions to Greek archaeology he has been named an Honorary Philhellene by the Greek Orthodox Church. He is a Fellow of Great Britain’s Royal Institute of International Affairs and also of the Johns Hopkins Schools of Advanced International Research. For his contributions to American entertainment he has been named one of 1,500 biographies included in the two volume Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Oxford University has named his archaeological discoveries one of the 75 most important of all time. Dr. Soren received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in Greek and Latin Studies, his M.A. from Harvard in Fine Arts, and his Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Harvard. He has been married for 43 years to Noelle Soren, the noted archaeologist and photographer and co-author of books and articles with Dr. Soren. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Midnight Marquee PR; 2 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887664173
• ISBN-13: 978-1887664172
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #579,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite that good, April 20, 2000

By 

Fred Alper (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film (Paperback)

I would agree with the last two that the first reveiwer is a bit harsh, but it isn't a very good book. As both of the reviewers are from Tucson, I would guess that they know or have Dr. Soren as a professor and feel an obligation to give his book high marks. The book is full of errors and is not particularly well written. As course notes, it may be a handy resource, In fact I suspect that this book is just a typed version of his lectures. As fun or educational reading, it's a snore.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing, August 22, 2005

By 

Joseph L. Kolb (harris, mn USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film (Hardcover)

there are many problems with this book. like most books that cover early to current times, the bulk of this book concentrates on early films. it isn't until two thirds of the way through does it cover current films. the book spends an inordinate amount of time giving almost scene by scene descriptions of the early movies (the ones soren likes, of course). it would of been more helpful just to describe the whole movie. he leaves out classic movies of alienation such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Day the Earth Stood Still, I Married a Monster from Outer Space, to name a few. soren spends one sentence on one of the greatest horror movies of our time, the Excorist, calling it "putrescence-spitting". talk about missing the boat. hopefully he or others will listen to the directors commentary and realize this was a well done movie and not just "shock value." of modern horror movies he talks about irrelevant films such as Snuff. how many people actually seen Snuff? soren belabors the worn out cliched "sex and violence" themes, which is too, irrelevant. how much is too much? the downfall of horror is poor scripts, horrible dialogue and my big grip, mixing humor. evil dead 2 is the only movie that worked with, yet time after time, comedy gets mixed into the shows. sorens book is employed less as a measure or critique of horror, than a justification for censorship and the whining of "disgusting cinema." check out "killing for culture" by david kerekes for a better and more thorough look at horror movies.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unfounded my buttox.. Soren knows his stuff ;-), March 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film (Paperback)

...The book isn't the be all end all that some claim, nor is it a horrible book. The important thing is that as a reference and a general introduction to some of the historical topics in this field it is good. As to those who claim Soren makes unfounded claims, maybe you should check his credentials. The man has both a Masters and a PhD from Harvard, and has had more prestigeous positions in art and archeology than you ever will in your lifetime. Last I checked, that makes him a bit more of an authority than some...