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Traces society�s changing preoccupations as reflected in horror films, including biographies of all your favorite, classic horror stars. Horror films divide opinion. It wasn�t until 1973 that a horror film (The Exorcist) was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and many respected critics still regard them with amused condescension. The public�s view is also sharply divided. Some cinema goers revel in the thought of being made very, very afraid, while some just don�t like horror films because they don�t want to be frightened. This guide, which is for both the fan and the more faint-hearted, steers an illuminating path through a genre that has, since the early days of cinema, split off into many sub-divisions - folk horror, slasher movies, Hammer, sci-fi horror, psychological thrillers, zombie movies, among others. Times change but movie-makers can always find a way to tap into what we fear and dread, whether it�s blood-sucking vampires or radioactive mutations, evil children or the living dead. This book also gives concise biographies of the many actors and directors who saw their careers � for better or worse � defined by their association with horror movies, and who created a genre that is instantly recognisable in all its forms and continues to find new and ingenious ways of scaring us in the dark.