Denis Meikle

The Horror Films

Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski is a towering figure in modern cinema. He has done it all—psychological thrillers such as Killer in the Water and Cul-de-sac; horror films such as Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby; film noir as in Chinatown; the literary classics like Tess; and even comedy in The Fearless Vampire Killers. In this timely retrospective of Polanski’s career, film historian and critic Denis Meikle draws together the strands of a complex, sometimes contradictory career. Meikle looks at how Polanski’s troubled life has informed his filmmaking and analyzes his unique skills as a director, skills that have allowed him to tackle such diverse themes and genres with unerring success.

Odd Man Out

The Art of Fear

Vincent Price

Blending science fiction and the supernatural to chilling effect, 'The Ring' is one of the most influential horror films of the last decade. This book looks at the phenomenon of the film, examining the original novels, the big screen adaptions and its influence on other projects.

The Ring Companion

Bruce G. Hallenbeck

Martine Beswick

Hammer Fantasy and Sci-Fi

British Cult Cinema

The star of some of the most successful American films in recent history, Johnny Depp is also one of Hollywood’s most versatile and enigmatic actors. From Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, Ed Wood, and Donnie Brasco to his Oscar-nominated performances in Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Neverland, his film roles have always been unconventional, earning him international respect and adoration. In Johnny Depp: A Kind of Illusion, film journalist Denis Meikle looks at the effects that Depp’s rising critical and commercial stature may have on the direction of his career, including his latest films—Rum Diary, Corpse Bride, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2.

A Kind of Illusion

Johnny Depp

No company in the history of cinema did more to legitimize the horror film than Hammer Films—the small British independent, which operated out of its tiny Bray Studios on the banks of the River Thames. From the Gothic elegance of The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula to the violent sexploitation of The Vampire Lovers and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, the Hammer name stood for one thing to a generation of films fans as the term "Hammer Horror" became a part of the language. This revised and updated edition of A History of Horrors traces the life and "spirit" of Hammer, from its fledgling days in the late 1940s through its successes of the 1950s and '60s to its decline and eventual liquidation in the late 1970s. With the exclusive participation of all of the personnel who were key to Hammer's success, Denis Meikle paints a vivid and fascinating picture of the rise and fall of a film empire, offering new and revealing insights into "the truth behind the legend." Much has been written about Hammer's films, but this is the only book to tell the story of the company itself from the perspective of those who ran it in its heyday and who helped to turn it into a universal byword for terror on the screen. This definitive history also includes cast and credits listings for the "Hammer Horrors" and a complete filmography of all of Hammer's feature productions.

The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer

A History of Horrors

No murderer in history is more enduringly fascinating, notorious, or mysterious than Jack the Ripper. And few are as cinematic, instantly evoking images of menacing alleyways, flickering gaslights and hansom cabs, swirling fog, prostitutes in their tawdry finery, and the cape-shrouded figure of a faceless stalker. In this absorbing guide, Denis Meikle looks at Jack the Ripper on the large and small screen. Close attention is paid to such standards as Baker and Berman's 1958 "Jack the Ripper" and Hammer Studio's 1971 "Hands of the Ripper, " as well as many less familiar examples of the Ripper genre. Meikle brings the story right up to the present with a penetrating account of the filming of "From Hell, " based on the groundbreaking graphic novel by Alan Moore and starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham. Horror, costume drama, conspiracy theory: all the cinematic angles are explored, as the author uncovers the murky origins of the slasher genre.

Denis Meikle

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