First Advisor

Bowie, Thomas

College

Regis College

Degree Name

BA

School

Regis College Senior Honors Program

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

113 pages

Abstract

Robin Wood once wrote that horror films "are our collective nightmares." They are our repressed wishes recreated in the image of the loathsome, and the depths of our subconscious fears incarnated as threats to our lives, well-being, and very culture itself (174). The argument that a horror film is an incarnation of the time and culture's unconscious fears is compelling. Many older movies no longer frighten us after the passage of time has caused those fears to evolve into others. As Christopher Kelly once said, ""¦the horror genre, perhaps more than any other, often reflects the mood of the time"¦" (54). The films under examination in this thesis, particularly The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, all carry elements of the moods of their times. Several other films besides The Texas Chainsaw Massacre illuminate the themes under examination, but ultimately, all build up to it.

Date of Award

Spring 2008

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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