A fascinating journey through society's changing preoccupations as reflected in horror films—plus profiles of the genre's top actors and directors. It wasn't until 1973 that a horror film— The Exorcist—was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, and critics are still divided today, many regarding them with amused condescension. The public's view is also sharply divided. Some cinema-goers revel in the thought of being made very, very afraid, while others avoid horror films because they don't want to be frightened. This guide, which is for both the fan and the more fainthearted, steers an illuminating path through a genre that has, since the early days of cinema, split off into many subdivisions—folk horror, slasher movies, Hammer, sci-fi horror, psychological thrillers, zombie movies, among others. Times change but moviemakers can always find a way to tap into what we fear and dread, whether it's blood-sucking vampires or radioactive mutations, evil children, or the living dead. This book also gives concise biographies of the many actors and directors who saw their careers—for better or worse—defined by their association with horror movies, and who created a genre that is instantly recognizable in all its forms and continues to find new and ingenious ways of scaring us in the dark.