Horror Noir

January 1, 2011
Film historian Meehan follows Tech-Noir (2008), which explored the fusion of noir and science fiction and fantasy, with an equally engaging survey of films that blend horror and noir elements. Film noir, he explains, took from horror its visual stylethe shadow motif, for instanceand much of its thematic core (psychological terror, blurring the line between good and evil). The contents break down into sections devoted to such important phenomena as horror noir of the 1930s (the Fredric March Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Tod Brownings Freaks), the impact of producer Val Lewton (who, with only a handful of films, defined a subgenre), film spin-offs of radio shows (The Whistler, Inner Sanctum), the influence of gothic themes (Gaslight), the 1960s (Rosemarys Baby), and the contemporary horror noir film (e.g., Silence of the Lambs). Meehan also explores the horror elements in the works of Alfred Hitchcock and early literary blendings of horror and noir themes, such as The Hound of the Baskervilles and the novels of Wilkie Collins. A fascinating study, indispensable for aficionados.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)