HU 266 - Horror Cinema

This course provides a comprehensive examination of global horror cinema, from the genre’s inception to the present day. Through screenings, lectures, discussions, and readings, students will explore and interpret horror films in their various subgenres (see course schedule below) with an eye to answering the following questions: What makes horror “work”? What frightens us and why?  How and why have horror films been controversial over the decades?  Is there a case for horror being psychologically beneficial for the audience?  How have different cultures around the globe expressed horror?  How do horror films reflect and respond to cultural anxieties?  What are some of the possible pre-cinema, literary antecedents of horror?

 

General Education Distribution Category Met: Humanities