Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema

Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema
Author: John A. Dowell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2017
Genre: Horror films
ISBN: 9781498564991

Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema explores the moment in audience reception where screams and laughter collide. Essays examinine the aesthetics and mechanics of the sLaughter moment, the impact of its frission of humor and horror on the viewer, and sLaughter's implications for the human condition more generally.

Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema

Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema
Author: John A. Dowell
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2017-12-06
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 149856500X

When evil clowns menace the screen, do we scream or laugh? When zombies converge to tear a victim limb from limb, do we cringe and hide our eyes, or shriek “What??! Play that again!!”? What about those instances when these seemingly opposite reactions happen at once? This is the phenomenon known as sLaughter. Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema: Sidesplitting sLaughter presents the first focused look at the moment in audience reception where screams and laughter collide. John A. Dowell and Cynthia J. Miller bring together twelve essays from an international collection of authors across the disciplines. The volume begins with an examination of the aesthetics and mechanics of the sLaughter moment, then moves closer to look at the impact of its awkward frission of humor and horror on the individual viewer, and finally, broadens its lens to explore sLaughter’s implications for the human condition more generally. The chapters discuss such box office hits such as A Clockwork Orange (1971), Fargo (1996), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Cabin in the Woods (2012), as well as cult classics such as The Toxic Avenger (1984) and Dead Snow (2009). Engaging and thought provoking, Horrific Humor and the Moment of Droll Grimness in Cinema will be of great interest to scholars of both humor and horror, as well as to those working in reception studies and fans of cult cinema.

Dead Funny

Dead Funny
Author: David Gillota
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2023-07-14
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1978834187

Horror films strive to make audiences scream, but they also garner plenty of laughs. In fact, there is a long tradition of horror directors who are fluent in humor, from James Whale to John Landis to Jordan Peele. So how might horror and humor overlap more than we would expect? Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely used for extraneous “comic relief” moments but often serves to underscore major themes, intensify suspense, and disorient viewers. Each chapter focuses on a different comic style or device, from the use of funny monsters and scary clowns in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street to the physical humor and slapstick in movies ranging from The Evil Dead to Final Destination. Along the way, humor scholar David Gillota explores how horror films employ parody, satire, and camp to comment on gender, sexuality, and racial politics. Covering everything from the grotesque body in Freaks to the comedy of awkwardness in Midsommar, this book shows how integral humor has been to the development of the American horror film over the past century.

Transnational Zombie Cinema, 2010 to 2020

Transnational Zombie Cinema, 2010 to 2020
Author: John R. Ziegler
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2023-10-02
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1666903418

Transnational Zombie Cinema, 2010 to 2020: Readings in a Mutating Tradition examines selected films produced outside the United States in the second decade of the millennial zombie renaissance. Ziegler analyzes how the films adapt the zombie myth to localized concerns as it circulates in post-Great Recession transnational zombie cinema.

Attack of the New B Movies

Attack of the New B Movies
Author: Justin Wigard
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2023-04-14
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476648107

Since its inception in 1992, the Sci-Fi Channel (later rebranded as SYFY) has aired more than 500 network-produced or commissioned films. Campy and prolific, the network churned out one low-budget film after another, finally finding its zenith in the 2013 release of Sharknado. With unpretentious charm and a hearty helping of commodified nostalgia, the Sharknado franchise briefly ruled the cultural consciousness and temporarily transformed SYFY's original films from cult fringe to appointment television. Naturally, the network followed up with a steady stream of sequels and spin-offs, including Lavalantula and its sequel, 2 Lava 2 Lantula! This collection of essays is the first to devote critical attention to SYFY's original film canon, both pre- and post-Sharknado. In addition to unpacking the cultural, historical and critical underpinnings of the monsters at the heart of SYFY's classic creature features, the contributors offer a variety of approaches to understanding and interrogating these films within the broader contexts of ecocriticism, monster theory, post-9/11 criticism, and neocolonialism. Providing a further entry point for future scholarship, an appendix details a thorough filmography of SYFY's original films from 1992 to 2022.

Punk Beyond the Music

Punk Beyond the Music
Author: Iain Ellis
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2024-08-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 166696137X

Punk Beyond the Music: Tracing Mutations and Manifestations of the Punk Virus expands the conversation about punk from a focus on the musical genre to its surrounding cultural manifestations. Focusing on some of the most recurring practices and characteristics of punk culture —DIY, attitude, outsider identities, symbols, and politics—Iain Ellis engages many illustrative examples to investigate punk beyond the music without losing sight of its significance. Early chapters look at arts that have always existed within the punk subculture (writings, visual arts, films, and humor); subsequent sections examine areas rarely recognized as exhibiting punk characteristics (such as education, sports, crafts, and comics). Taken together, the chapters invite readers on an extensive and unpredictable journey through the evolution of punk’s developments and adaptations.

The Simpsons

The Simpsons
Author: Moritz Fink
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2019-06-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1538116170

This book looks at The Simpsons place in the pop culture firmament, from inspirations like Mad magazine to its critical role in the renaissance of animated television. The author recounts the birth of the show, discusses its remarkable merchandising success, and examines the show’s popularity as the longest running episodic program in TV history.

The Laughing Dead

The Laughing Dead
Author: Cynthia J. Miller
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2016-05-20
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1442268336

Hybrid films that straddle more than one genre are not unusual. But when seemingly incongruous genres are mashed together, such as horror and comedy, filmmakers often have to tread carefully to produce a cohesive, satisfying work. Though they date as far back as James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935), horror-comedies have only recently become popular attractions for movie goers. In The Laughing Dead: The Horror-Comedy Film from Bride of Frankenstein to Zombieland, editors Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper have compiled essays on the comic undead that look at the subgenre from a variety of perspectives. Spanning virtually the entire sound era, this collection considers everything from classics like The Canterville Ghost to modern cult favorites like Shaun of the Dead. Other films discussed include Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, House on Haunted Hill, ParaNorman, Scream, Vampire’s Kiss, and Zombieland. Contributors in this volume consider a wide array of comedic monster films—from heartwarming (The Book of Life) to pitch dark (The Fearless Vampire Killers) and even grotesque (Frankenhooker). The Laughing Dead will be of interest to scholars and fans of both horror and comedy films, as well as those interested in film history and, of course, the proliferation of the undead in popular culture.

Demelza

Demelza
Author: Winston Graham
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2010-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1402254253

NOW A MASTERPIECETM SERIES ON PBS® The second novel in the gripping Poldark Saga, a historical fiction series following the life and love of the Poldark family, perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Outlander. In the enchanting second novel in Winston Graham's beloved Poldark series, Demelza Carne, an impoverished miner's daughter, rescued by Ross Poldark from a fairground brawl, now happily finds herself his wife. But these historic and turbulent years put their romance to the test. As Ross launches into a bitter struggle for the right of the mining communities, Demelza's efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry (and her husband) challenge her to rethink everything. When tragedy strikes and sows the seeds of rivalry between Ross and the powerful George Warleggan, will Demelza manage to bridge their differences before they destroy her marriage and her chance at happiness? Amid the turbulent history of 18th century England, Demelza continues the Poldark family saga and sweeps readers into one of the greatest historical romances of all time.