A Guide to Apocalyptic Cinema

(Hardback)

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Description

This examination and comprehensive assessment of apocalyptic film studies fifty films that illustrate the variety, range and different categories of the genre. Apocalyptic films are those that depict, on screen as part of the story, an event threatening the extinction of mankind. A brief overview identifies seven major categories of apocalyptic films: the religious or supernatural, celestial collision, solar or orbital disruption, nuclear war and radioactive fallout, germ warfare or pestilence, alien device or invasion, and scientific miscalculation. Alphabetically arranged entries rate the films and provide production information, an annotated cast listing, a synopsis of the film, a critique, and representative quotes. Film scholars and those with a special interest in apocalyptic cinema will appreciate the overview and detailed analysis of the films. Appendices provide additional examples of apocalyptic movies excluded from the main text, a sampling of post-apocalyptic cinema which is distinct from the apocalyptic genre and examples of apocalyptic television. Illustrations are included.

Reviews

Recent years have seen an explosion of books on the topic of religion and film, and due to the dawn of the new millennium and the current state of international affairs, apocalyptic has risen as an increasingly common theme in these works. Charles Mitchell's ^IA Guide to Apocalyptic Cinema^R offers a helpful resource on this theme.This book provides a fascinating look at the phenomenon of apocalyptic cinema in the 1950s and 60s.[t]his is a helpful resource volume for those interested in treatments of apocalyptic and eschatological themes in film. * Restoration Quarterly *
Though this is a textbook and reference material, I cannot consider it heavy reading. It was a breeze to go through, the examples used were diverse in type and well placed through the book. This is a recommended "Sit on the shelf, use when needed" volume for horror buffs, film students, theology (eschatology) students * Zombieslam.com *

Author Bio

CHARLES P. MITCHELL has served as director of a number of Maine libraries and has been Chairman of the Southern Maine Library District. He is the author of A Guide to Charlie Chan Films (Greenwood, 1999).