Horror is often dismissed as mass art or lowbrow entertainment that produces only short-term thrills. Horror films can be bloody, gory, and disturbing, so some people argue that they have bad moral effects, inciting viewers to imitate cinematic violence or desensitizing them to atrocities. In The Naked and the Undead: Evil and the Appeal of Horror, Cynthia A. Freeland seeks to counter both aesthetic disdain and moral condemnation by focusing on a select body of important and revealing films, demonstrating how the genre is capable of deep philosophical reflection about the existence and nature of evil?both human and cosmic. In exploring these films, the author argues against a purely psychoanalytic approach and opts for both feminist and philosophical understandings. She looks at what it is in these movies that serves to elicit specific reactions in viewers and why such responses as fear and disgust are ultimately pleasurable. The author is particularly interested in showing how gender figures into screen presentations of evil.The book is divided into three sections: Mad Scientists and Monstrous Mothers, which looks into the implications of male, rationalistic, scientific technology gone awry; The Vampire's Seduction, which explores the attraction of evil and the human ability (or inability) to distinguish active from passive, subject from object, and virtue from vice; and Sublime Spectacles of Disaster, which examines the human fascination with horror spectacle. This section concludes with a chapter on graphic horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Written for both students and film enthusiasts, the book examines a wide array of films including: The Silence of the Lambs, Repulsion, Frankenstein, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Alien, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Frenzy, The Shining, Eraserhead, Hellraiser, and many others.

Focusing on recent postmodern examples, this is a collection of essays reviewing the history of the horror film and the psychological reasons for its persistent appeal.

With a legacy stretching back into legend and folklore, the vampire in all its guises haunts the film and fiction of the twentieth century and remains the most enduring of all the monstrous threats that roam the landscapes of horror. In The Living and the Undead, Gregory A. Waller shows why this creature continues to fascinate us and why every generation reshapes the story of the violent confrontation between the living and the undead to fit new times. Examining a broad range of novels, stories, plays, films, and made-for-television movies, Waller focuses upon a series of interrelated texts: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897); several film adaptations of Stoker's novel; F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922); Richard Matheson's I Am Legend (1954); Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot (1975); Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979); and George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1979). All of these works, Waller argues, speak to our understanding and fear of evil and chaos, of desire and egotism, of slavish dependence and masterful control. This paperback edition of The Living and the Undead features a new preface in which Waller positions his analysis in relation to the explosion of vampire and zombie films, fiction, and criticism in the past twenty-five years.

Zombie Double Bill George A. Romero's classic 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead, launched a new era of gut-munching mayhem, relentelessly terrorizing the hearts of moviegoers and launching the zombie movie phenomenon. Screenwriter John A. Russo turned the flesh-eating frenzy into two horrific, blood-drenched novels. . . Night Of The Living Dead A cemetery in rural Pennsylvania. A brother and sister putting flowers on their father's grave. A strange figure shambling toward them--eyes dead and teeth gnashing. So begins a night of endless terror that would live on in infamy. Seven strangers locked inside a small farmhouse fight off an army of walking corpses. Who will survive? And who will have their flesh devoured. . .? Return Of The Living Dead Not long after the first zombie outbreak, a bus crashes in a small American town. Local churchgoers rush to the scene to save the living--and destroy the dead. But they're too late. A terrifying new plague of undead has been unleashed. A new horde of victims has been infected. And this time, they are ravenous. . . Two great, gruesome zombie thrillers in one volume! John Russo wants everyone to know he's a really nice guy even though he loves to scare people. He started it by co-scripting the 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead, one of the greatest fright flicks of all time, ranked #18 on the Internet Movie Database's top 100 Scariest Movies. (In a fine example of showmanship and multi-tasking, Russo also played a zombie in the film.) He also wrote the screenplays and/or stories for Midnight, Santa Claws, The Majorettes, Return of the Living Dead, Bloodsisters, and Inhuman. Mr. Russo has authored fifteen terror-suspense novels, including Living Things, The Awakening, Voodoo Dawn, and Inhuman. His nonfiction books, Scare Tactics and Making Movies are considered bibles of independent filmmaking by film students and horror fans. Those who are not faint of heart will enjoy digging into this presentation of Night of the Living Dead and the original stark-and-dark version of Return of the Living Dead. Look for John Russo's upcoming cinematic shockfest Escape of the Living Dead, which is now in preproduction for a 2011 release. Mr. Russo resides in a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. To his knowledge, none of his neighbors are zombies, though "there is that one guy around the corner who is rumored to have devoured the mailman a few years ago." "Truly harrowing." --Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

In the sequel to Unclean, the citizens of Thay rally together to thwart the undead hordes attacking their home What started as one wizard’s ambition to take over the ruling council has become a vicious civil war that breeds a monstrous army of undead. And while the undead have always been part of life in Thay, after ten years of constant battles, they have come to outnumber the living. As the undead armies mass and march to the beat of an evil necromancer's drum, the living citizens of the magic-rich realm must unite and mount a defense before they die and join their enemy's ranks.

Love. Marriage. Divorce. Apocalypse. Its complicated. God had a terrible sense of humor. Henry Case Jr. hasnt had a typical life. After reconciling with his ex-wife, Luna Borsa, his world is turned on its head. An unknown disaster has decimated the worlds population. Henry is stuck in Rome, Italy, with his ex as one of the few survivors of the end times. Alone in a world of death, Case begins to lose his grip on reality. As his discontent grows, so does the mischievous voice in the back of his mind. When all hope seems lost, theres a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Cristina Pacchetti, who shows up and complicates things even further. Food is scarce, traveling is dangerous, and surviving is becoming more and more meaningless when theres nothing left worth fighting for. Happiness through violence.

It is 1868. Kane is a gun for hire travelling through Mexico. A former Civil War hero, he has become cynical and disillusioned after the tragic death of his wife and daughter. In the desert he finds Melissa, a young woman near death. She leads him to a large medieval castle which is owned by her husband, the mysterious Lord Dervish. Invited to stay, Kane finds himself caught between his suspicion of Dervish and his growing feelings for Melissa. Plunging into the depths of the castle, Kane discovers a secret that threatens his very sanity. Faced with a nightmare beyond his imagination, Kane must become a reluctant hero and fight to stop a Zombie army that will turn the world into Hell.

UPS NEWS SERVICE FLASH 7/10/2012 7:31 A.M. Local authorities in Cape May County New Jersey are “disturbed” after discovering what some people are calling a ZOMBIE BABY. The gruesome remains were found in an old farm house in the Dias Creek area of Middle Township. Authorities stress there is no cause for alarm and that further information will be released as it becomes available.

Whether preparing us for economic recovery after the zombie apocalypse, analyzing vampire investment strategies, or illuminating the market forces that affect vampire-human romances, Economics of the Undead: Zombies, Vampires, and the Dismal Science gives both seasoned economists and layman readers something to sink their teeth into. Undead characters have terrified popular audiences for centuries, but when analyzed closely, their behaviors and stories—however farfetched—mirror our own in surprising ways. The essays collected in this book are as humorous as they are thoughtful, as culturally relevant as they are economically sound, and provide an accessible link between a popular culture phenomenon and the key concepts necessary to building one’s understanding of economic systems big and small. It is the first book to apply and combine economics and our society’s fascination with the undead, and is an invaluable resource for those looking to learn economic fundamentals in a fun and innovative way. Contributions by: Kyle William Bishop, Eleanor Brown, Ian Chadd, Darwynn Deyo, Steven Horwitz, Daniel Farhat, Jean-Baptiste Fleury, Enrique Guerra-Pujol, Brian Hollar, Sebastien Lecou, Joseph Mandarino, Alain Marciano, Fabien Medvecky, David T. Mitchell, Michael O’Hara, M. Christine Phillips, A. Lynn Phillips, G. Michael Phillips, Lorna Piatti-Farnell, Robert Prga, Hollis Robbins, Sarah Skwire, Ilya Somin, David Tufte, Mary Jo Tufte, and Charlotte Weil

A gripping, thrilling, uncanny tale about the frightful fate that befell a yachting party on the dreadful island of living dead men.