In this comprehensive portrait of horror's definitive director, Tony Williams ties George A. Romero's films to the development of literary naturalism and American culture, expanding the artist's creative footprint beyond his mastery of the "splatter movie" genre. Williams locates Romero's influences in the work of Emile Zola, the Entertainment Comics of the 1950s, and the novels of Stephen King, revealing the interdisciplinary depth of his seminal films Night of the Living Dead (1968), Creepshow (1982), Monkey Shines (1988), and The Dark Half (1992). For this second edition, Williams reads Romero's Bruiser (2000) against his more recent Land of the Dead (2005) and takes a fresh look at Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009), two overlooked films that feature Romero's greatest achievements yet.
About the AuthorTony Williams is professor and Area Head of Film Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has published widely in the areas of horror and American independent cinema, including the book Hearths of Darkness: The Family in the American Horror Film.
ReviewsOne can look to Tony Williams' indispensable book for an abundance of enlightening observations about this important American director. Film Quarterly [A] fascinating book. New York Times
Book InformationISBN 9780231173544
Author Tony WilliamsFormat Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Wallflower PressPublisher Columbia University Press