FILM 120 The Horror Film
The goal of this course is a close examination of the popular horror film. We
will be primarily concerned with the ways in which horror is represented, its
social and cultural significance, and the reasons why horror films are so
appealing to a mass audience. Throughout the semester we will be examining
seminal theories of horror, as well as charting the historical evolution of the
genre. The course will be divided into four sections: the first will cover the
early period of physical monsters; the second will examine psychological
monsters, slashers and body films; the third will consider post-9/11 horror; and
the fourth will look to contemporary horror films as reflections of American
anxieties. Copies of the current syllabus are available here.