The Films of Terence Fisher

Hammer Horror and Beyond

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by Wheeler Winston Dixon

Type: Studies
Subject: Director > Terence Fisher
Keywords: Terence Fisher, horror, Hammer
Publishing date: 2017
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 426 pages
6 x 9 ¼ inches (15 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-911325-34-5

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Book Presentation:
Tracing the entire career of the British director Terence Fisher, best known for his Gothic horror films for Hammer--such as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958)--The Films of Terence Fisher covers not only his horror films, but also his film noirs, comedies, and early apprenticeship work to create a full picture of Fisher's life and work.

Brimming with rare stills, interviews, and detailed analysis of Fisher's films--both for Hammer as well as his earlier work--this is the ultimate "one-stop" book on Terence Fisher, both in his horror films, and his entire body of work, as well as his legacy to the British cinema.

About the Author:
Wheeler Winston Dixon is Ryan Professor of Film Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of numerous volumes of film history, theory, and criticism, including A History of Horror (2010). He blogs at Frame by Frame (http: //blog.unl.edu/dixon/).

Press Reviews:
"This book is a cinephile's dream, as well as an exemplary work of scholarship. Wheeler Winston Dixon illuminates the movies and the career of Terence Fisher in loving detail, bringing us close to an important director whose work now gets its proper due for the first time." -Steven Shaviro, author of The Universe of Things

"The Films of Terence Fisher: Hammer Horror and Beyond will appeal especially to fans of Fisher, of Hammer horror films, and of British cinema more generally. It made me want to watch and re-watch these movies!" - Daniel Herbert, author of Videoland

"Dixon's book is the definitive study of Terence Fisher, the director who spearheaded Britain's 1950s Gothic revival and put Hammer Films on the map of international horror cinema. An invaluable resource that belongs on the shelf of any serious horror fan or scholar." - Ian Olney, author of Zombie Cinema

"Dixon recreates Fisher's world of filmmaking with true skill, bringing each movie to life, and highlighting the many challenges that surrounded the director's projects. The Films of Terence Fisher: Hammer Horror and Beyond provides a valuable guide not just to Fisher, but also to the twentieth-century British Film Industry in general." - John Wills, author of Disney Culture

"Dixon . . . argues in . . . The Films of Terence Fisher that Fisher, who revitalised the horror genre with lean, hard-hitting adaptations of Frankenstein, Dracula, and other canonical works of fantastical literature, is the prime cause for the revival of the Gothic sensibility in film in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. Directors as diverse as John Carpenter, Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton are indebted to him . . . the book was the occasion for me to re-watch many Fisher favourites and to take a first look at many of his lesser-known works. The latter especially, since the book devotes as much time and effort to the films he made for Highbury and Gainsborough, and to Fisher's pre-Frankenstein work at Hammer, as it does to his famous horrors, which he preferred to see as 'fairytales for adults,' hinting at the allegorical dimensions of his films." - The Scientific Anglian

"In the late 1950s, Fisher helped revive the Gothic horror film with The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, both filmed at Hammer Studios, where Fisher maintained a long and productive career.This study aims to establish his critical reputation in the United States. Fisher struck fire with the Hammer films, which also boosted the careers of actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.Lengthy plot summaries accompany discussions of the production, work schedules, and narrative structures of each of his major works. Dixon applauds Fisher's output and recounts the frigid reception he received from his contemporaries. He also quotes noteworthy interviewees like British cinematographer/director Freddie Francis and Fisher's widow Morag. Recommended for most film study collections with an interest in horror." - Library Journal

"...performs the significant service of evaluating Fisher's early, hard-to-see work, and some of its insights...have a vivid ring of truth." (Video Watchdog)

"...a wonderful study..." (The Big Reel)

"...totally fascinating...the critical findings of such research are illuminating and carefully thought out...For any horror movie fan...this volume is a must-have." (Midnight Marquee)

"Dixon is a real expert on film techniques and conducted valuable interviews with Fisher's widow and many of his colleagues." (Sfra Newsletter)

"This book is a must for all Hammer film fans, and of course, all Terence Fisher fans...rich with interviews, background information and great photos...Don't miss this one...should be required reading." (Behind The Screams)

"Dixon has done his work very well indeed. The research is flawless...a welcome and valuable resource..." (Entertainment Magazine)

"Dixon's in-depth research is evident throughout this work...a must..." (Movie Collectors World)

"...makes a good case for searching for copies of lesser-known titles..." (Psychotronic)

"...excellent career biography..." (Film Review Annual [UK])

"For those that love horror and cinema, the name Terence Fisher will probably pop off the screen at you right now. For those of you who dip your feet in, author Wheeler Winston Dixon has put together what'sessentially love letter to the work of the esteemed director.

It's a study of Fisher's work during the Hammer era, when he worked on classics like The Curse of Frankenstein, which employed amazing star power in Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In fact, the director often worked with these two, employing them for over a decade.

For those who are new to these classic films, you'll learn about such fantastic gothic films as Horror of Dracula (starring Christopher Lee) and The Curse of the Werewolf, but also non-horror genre films like the alien invasion film The Earth Dies Screaming, and the Robin Hood fantasy Sword of Sherwood Forest.

You can find this book in almost every format over at Amazon. The paperback is affordable, but this is the kind of book that deserves to be on display on your coffee table. With that in mind, you might want to spring for the hardcover." - Michael DeAngelo, Tellest