Review by Choice Review
The first academic English-language study of Spanish horror cinema, this book "functions as a case study for discussing current debates on how to think and write about a genre which has been excluded from dominant accounts of cinema"--not to mention a body of work underrepresented in studies of horror. Arguing compellingly for "a more inclusive cultural geography of horror," Lazaro-Reboll (Hispanic studies, Univ. of Kent, UK) offers seven chapters, roughly overlapping chronologically, that study auteurs, movements and trends, the discursive activities of fans and genre publications, and the regulation, circulation, and reception of contemporary production. Meticulously researched and eminently readable, the volume contextualizes Spanish horror cinema in both local production and global commercial realities while offering cogent analysis of film already widely distributed to Anglophone cultures. Lazaro-Reboll analyzes the films of genre stalwarts Jesus "Jess" Franco, Amando de Ossorio, and Paul Naschy, along with others less known outside Spain. Of particular value are the study of transnational horror auteurs such as Guillermo del Toro, Nacho Cerda, and Jaume Balaguero, a discussion that highlights the global nature of Spanish-language horror cinema, and the survey of genre writing by fans and critics. Overall, an excellent and welcome study. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. K. J. Wetmore Jr. Loyola Marymount University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
