THE IMAGINATION OF DISASTER 2.0: REVISITING SUSAN SONTAG IN THE AGE OF THE PANDEMIC HORROR NARRATIVE

Thursday, 17 March 2022

THE IMAGINATION OF DISASTER 2.0: REVISITING SUSAN SONTAG IN THE AGE OF THE PANDEMIC HORROR NARRATIVE

Considering Susan Sontag's "The Imagination of Disaster", and modern apocalyptic narratives, are sci-fi and horror narratives still "inadequate responses" to our world?

In an essay written especially for Popmatters I ask this question.

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Reviews

REVIEWS OF GLOBAL HORROR CINEMA TODAY

"A thoroughly researched international overview of the horror genre. Each chapter chronicals the history of horror in a different country, examines contemporary productions, and explores two recent films for a deeper look at common national themes... fascinating introduction for readers looking to learn more about horror films outside of the United States."

REVIEWS OF CANDYMAN

"Serious critical consideration is given to the landmark 1992 film exploring its socio-political themes and its position as an urban myth inspired film." - Irish Film Institute

"One of the most impressive books the [Devil's Advocates] series has produced...Towlson makes a compelling case for Candyman as a film that explores the oppression of both black men and white women in American society...His history of Candyman's production is filled with insights on its casting, filming and even its soundtrack...An entertaining, engaging and rigorous account of a fascinating and multifaceted film. Just as his Close Encounters of the Third Kind is at the apex of the Constellations series, Towlson has produced one of the finest volumes that Devil's Advocates has to offer."- BRITISH UNIVERSITIES FILM AND VIDEO COUNCIL

"Jon Towlson's illuminating monograph on the 1992 film positions it as a key genre text in a period of stagnation and the unstable political climate of post-Rodney King America...Towlson busts enduring myths and offers insight...compels us to consider things that we may not have spotted even on repeat viewings...highly accessible and thoughtful examination of a stand-out studio horror film." - FRIGHTFEST

"There is a great deal of information to unpack and evaluate from Candyman, one of the few films of its era to subvert the genre, and to ask more important socio-political questions about race, gender and class than most of its contemporaries. Towlson manages to handle this in a most assured fashion. His book is insightful, thoroughly researched and written in a readable and yet academic style." - FOLK HORROR REVIVAL

REVIEWS OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

"A solid overview of the various critical considerations of CE3K, and why the film remains - and will likely continue to remain - a canonical Hollywood sf blockbuster." - SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES

"Towlson unpacks a wealth of material... with intuitions that are as consistent as his methodical research." - EXTRAPOLATION SCIENCE FICTION JOURNAL

REVIEWS OF THE TURN TO GRUESOMENESS IN AMERICAN HORROR FILMS:

"This may well be the book on 'classic horror' to beat this year." - Tim Lucas, VIDEO WATCHDOG

"Towlson's book is ridiculously informative, and yet still a well-paced, entertaining read...This is not only one of the best horror history books I've read this year, but stands as one of the best on the golden age ever written." - Gavin Schmitt, THE FRAMING BUSINESS.

"The book details the many battles, and concessions made with censors, to get the films completed and into theaters... it's a rewarding read because it brings us to the table of the filmmakers, what they wanted to create, how far they wanted to go and were able to go." - Doug Gibson, PLAN 9 CRUNCH.

"Insightful, scarily well researched and utterly fascinating." - James Gracey, author of Dario Argento (Kamera Books, 2010).

"Towlson contends that the horror films of the 30s are actually an "embryonic form" of the revered American horror films of the 1970s.... and that they are much more subversive and much more gruesome than we remember. " - Joseph Maddrey, MOVIES MADE ME

"Vital research and analysis of classic American horror film" - Donato Totaro, Offscreen.

REVIEWS OF SUBVERSIVE HORROR CINEMA:

"Brain candy for the critical horror fan...strikes a perfect balance between rigorous and readable." - RUE MORGUE

"Never less than enjoyable and provocative...an impressive, well written and incisive look at genre theory. It is certain to make you look at some movies afresh... For genre fans looking for some challenging and substantial criticism to get their teeth into, it is highly recommended." - STRANGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING

"A fascinating and thought-provoking book, not only from a film history viewpoint, but as a work of social record too... such analysis is not often covered in today's media. If you are looking for an intelligent, well written and insightful read, Subversive Horror Cinema is highly recommended." - STARBURST

"This thoroughly detailed and enjoyably written book is an important addition to the continually expanding list of studies devoted to genre film theory." - EXQUISITE TERROR

"Towlson’s terror trip through history yields plenty of fascinating examples..learn and enjoy." - BOOKGASM

"The research is thorough. The organization is brilliantly methodical. The writing is precise, almost surgical. If you’re a serious horror fan, you need to read this book." - MOVIES MADE ME (JOSEPH MADDREY)

"Opens your eyes to films you thought you knew".
- POPMATTERS.COM

"Spectacular...This highly entertaining collection of essays is informative and engaging and is easily recommended to anyone with a serious interest in how a frequently-dismissed genre often challenges traditional values and offers insight into aspects of the human condition that are occasionally set aside or pushed down for personal gain."
-HORRORTALK.COM

"An ambitious work examining horror film from when the genre was officially born with Universal Studios' monster pictures to present-day cult classics."
- DEAD RECKONINGS

"Precise, elegant, easy to read, and free of pretentious and Umstandlichkeiten theoriebesessenem jargon that so characterizes some academic writing."
- ZEITSCHRIFT FUR FANTASTIKFORSCHUNG

"Evidences a good deal of serious research"
- VIDEO WATCHDOG

"Brings insight and social analysis to films rare and familiar."
- RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS (nominated for BEST BOOK OF 2014)

Subversive Horror Cinema (McFarland, 2014)

This is the companion blog to my book, Subversive Horror Cinema: Countercultural Messages of Films from Frankenstein to the Present, published in Spring 2014 by McFarland & Co.

The horror cycle flourishes in times of national trauma such as the Great Depression, the Cold War, the Vietnam era and post 9/11; Subversive Horror Cinema argues that a succession of film-makers, from James Whale and Tod Browning onwards, have used the horror genre – and the shock value it affords - to challenge dominant ideologies during these times.

Subversive Horror Cinema traces a line of thematic development in the films themselves - and in the shared concerns of producers and directors as varied as George Romero, Pete Walker, Michael Reeves, Herman Cohen, Wes Craven and Brian Yuzna - leading to the current cycle of apocalyptic horror films reflecting post 9/11 anxieties and the recent economic recession.

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Thursday, 17 March 2022

THE IMAGINATION OF DISASTER 2.0: REVISITING SUSAN SONTAG IN THE AGE OF THE PANDEMIC HORROR NARRATIVE

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