Monster Movies

From the beginning of cinema, things that go bump in the night have colored our collective storytelling experience. The hypothetical "monster," in whatever guise or otherworldly shape it may take, is the manifestation of our fears and social paranoias, and an effective watchdog for making sure we all toe the line. This book peels back the flesh on a few monsters that have tingled our spines and caused more than a few nightmares over the past 100 years, from the creepy talons of Max Schreck in 1922's Nosferatu through the Tokyo-stomping Godzilla to the present day. Cinematic monsters from such touchstones as Alien, King Kong, The Fly, and Evil Dead are categorized by chapter under creature type, such as space monsters, infectious monsters, and large/overgrown monsters. Through literature, the monster has found a lasting legacy but, through cinema, it has developed from black and white into full technicolor glory making the monster movie an enduring document of social times, movements, fears, and desires.

Emma Westwood is a writer, journalist, and dedicated cinephile.