Reynold Humphries

Reynold Humphries surrounds his analyses in this book around two central, very American ideas: capitalism and traditional family roles. I have read many horror film analyses, but this was the first one that was solely dedicated to American horror and the two overarching ideas mentioned above.

There is no confusing Humphries' political leanings when reading this book. He attacks American capitalism by thoroughly examining films like: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. He also talks about breaking down roles within the traditional American family.

I was a little disappointed that Humphries made no effort to tackle two particular films that would have contributed very nicely to the themes he was attacking: The Shining and Jaws. Both of these films have a lot to say about the failure of capitalism, as well as the breakdown of the traditional American family.

Nevertheless, this is a book that all horror movie fans should read. It is not filled with as much academic verbiage as other film studies books, which should make it a little easier to understand.… (altro)