Abject Terrors is an expansive study of the most significant films from the prolific horror genre - from its origins in the 1920s and 1930s, to its contemporary representations. This survey brings together close analyses of individual motion pictures, demonstrating the interconnections among these filmic texts and their contribution to defining quintessential aspects of the modern and postmodern horror film. Abject Terrors is an expansive study of the most significant films from the prolific horror genre ¿ from its origins in the 1920s and 1930s, to its contemporary representations. This survey brings together close analyses of individual motion pictures, demonstrating the interconnections among these filmic texts and their contribution to defining quintessential aspects of the modern and postmodern horror film. Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Terror Theories: A Representative Survey 1(18) Stark Terrors: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Metropolis, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein 19(18) Vampiric Terrors: Dracula, The Hunger, Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Buffy the Vampire Slayer 37(20) The Terror of Hitchcock: Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds 57(24) Terrors from Beyond: The Day the Earth Stood Still. Them! The Alien Movies 81(18) Terrors from Within: The Tenant, Don't Look Now, The Fly, The Exorcist, Fatal Attraction, Panic Room 99(28) Kubrickian Terrors: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut 127(20) The Body Terrified: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street 147(24) Terror Parodies: The Wicker Man, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Young Frankenstein, The Lost Boys, Scream, Scary Movie 171(20) Illustrations 191(4) Films Cited 195(6) Works Cited 201(6) Index 207