Magick Matters

23.12.2021

“British Gothic Cinema” by Barry Forshaw

Magick Matters
"British Gothic Cinema" by Barry Forshaw
"From the films produced by the Hammer studios and their rivals in the 1940s and 1950s, to the films of the 21st century and their current popularity, Barry Forshaw provides a definitive, wide-ranging study of British horror cinema. Beginning with a lively discussion of the great literary antecedents, British Gothic Cinema examines the flowering of the genre in the middle of the twentieth century and the headline-grabbing critical and establishment revulsion over the unprecedented levels of violence and sexuality that these films contained. British Gothic Cinema also explores the rude health of the field and its continuing influence. With enthusiasm and scholarship, Forshaw celebrates the British cinema's long love affair with the Gothic and the...>>
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23.12.2021

“Contemporary Gothic” by Catherine Spooner

Magick Matters
"Contemporary Gothic" by Catherine Spooner
"Modern Gothic culture alternately fascinates, horrifies, or bewilders many of us. We cringe at pictures of Marilyn Manson, cheer for Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and try not to stare at the pierced and tattooed teens we pass on the streets. But what is it about this dark and morbidly morose aesthetic that fascinates us today? In Contemporary Gothic, Catherine Spooner probes the reasons behind the prevalence of the Gothic in popular culture and how it has inspired innovative new work in film, literature, music, and art. Spooner traces the emergence of the Gothic subculture over the past few decades and examines the various aspects of contemporary society that revolve around the grotesque,...>>
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23.12.2021

“Contemporary Gothic Drama: Attraction, Consummation and Consumption on the Modern British Stage” edited by Kelly Jones, Benjamin Poore and Robert Dean

Magick Matters
"Contemporary Gothic Drama: Attraction, Consummation and Consumption on the Modern British Stage" edited by Kelly Jones, Benjamin Poore and Robert Dean
"This ground-breaking volume is the first of its kind to examine the extraordinary prevalence and appeal of the Gothic in contemporary British theatre and performance. Chapters range from considerations of the Gothic in musical theatre and literary adaptation, to explorations of the Gothic’s power to haunt contemporary playwriting, macabre tourism and site-specific performance. By taking familiar Gothic motifs, such as the Gothic body, the monster and Gothic theatricality, and bringing them to a new contemporary stage, this collection provides a fresh and comprehensive take on a popular genre. Whilst the focus of the collection falls upon Gothic drama, the contents of the book will embrace an interdisciplinary appeal to scholars and students in the...>>
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23.12.2021

“The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic” edited by Clive Bloom

Magick Matters
"The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic" edited by Clive Bloom
"The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic is the most comprehensive compendium of analytic essays on the modern Gothic now available, covering the vast and highly significant period from 1918 to 2019. The Gothic sensibility, over 200 years old, embraces its dark past whilst anticipating the future. From demons and monsters to post- apocalyptic fears and ecological fantasies, Gothic is thriving as never before in the arts and in popular culture. This volume is made up of 62 comprehensive chapters with notes and extended bibliographies contributed by scholars from around the world. The chapters are written not only for those engaged in academic research but also to be accessible to students and dedicated followers of...>>
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23.12.2021

“The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Postmodern Religious Landscape” edited by Darryl Caterine and John W. Morehead

Magick Matters
"The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Postmodern Religious Landscape" edited by Darryl Caterine and John W. Morehead
"Interest in preternatural and supernatural themes has revitalized the Gothic tale, renewed explorations of psychic powers and given rise to a host of social and religious movements based upon claims of the fantastical. And yet, in spite of this widespread enthusiasm, the academic world has been slow to study this development. This volume rectifies this gap in current scholarship by serving as an interdisciplinary overview of the relationship of the paranormal to the artefacts of mass media (e.g. novels, comic books, and films) as well as the cultural practices they inspire. After an introduction analyzing the paranormal’s relationship to religion and entertainment, the book presents essays exploring its spiritual significance in a postmodern society; its...>>
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