This thesis is an in-depth analysis of George Romero's 'Living Dead' tetralogy of films, comprising Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn ofthe-Bead (1978), Day of the Dead(\985) and Land of the Dead (2005), examined through the lensf of contemporary film genre theory. The project focuses specifically on issues of the representation of race, class, culture and violence in the four films, and how these representations, along with the concomitant social critique evident in Romero's work, change in response to the upheavals and developments which have occurred in the American social, cultural and political climate over the past four decades. It also focuses on how Romero's films respond to changes in the horror genre, and how Romero both structures his films on the binary oppositions which are central to the genre and deconstructs these oppositions, and the implications that this deconstruction (most notably that of the figure of the zombie, which occupies a zone of constantly shifting liminality between the human and the monstrous) has in relation to Romero's socio-cultural and political commentary implicit in the films. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008

This study investigates the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story. The aim of this study is to form an overall understanding of the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story, and also to promp further investigations into this branch of Afrikaans literature. The study is mainly text-analytical, and is therefore practical rather than theoretical. Aspects of space in the texts are discussed with reference to several different theoretical frameworks, such as: genre-definition; space in prose; realism and reality; reader-oriented approaches; frame stories; Freud's concept of the unheimlich; rhethorical and heterotopical spaces; and different aspects of liminality. The spaces that are specifically discussed include the prototypical haunted house, the farm setting, the road or tunnel setting, die cemetery setting and the city setting. The conclusion reached in this study is that space performs four important functions in the Afrikaans ghost story. These functions are: space is a defining characteristic of the genre; space functions as a link between reality and the supernatural; space forms part of the cast of the genre; space is pre-eminently liminal. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Weird fiction criticism has been largely focused on either analyzing texts via the biographies of weird fiction authors, or concentrating on the words on the page to a degree that ignores all outside context. Although these approaches are valuable, more utility is to be found in analyzing weird fictions via their specific historical locations. This dissertation demonstrates the validity of this approach by surveying the works of five American weird fiction authors from the Twentieth Century (Lovecraft, Smith, Howard, Bloch, and Ligotti), and giving new interpretations that are based on an understanding of their placement within specific historical milieus (respectively, anti-WWI sentiment, surrealism and the problem of representation, Southern and Southwestern regionalism, pastiche and publishing culture, and metafiction and genre fiction). This survey supports the need for a new critical approach to weird fiction as described in this dissertation, and furthers our understanding of weird fiction by investigating hitherto unexplored perspectives on weird texts.

This collection of short stories studies the elements of genre fiction and applies them to literary fiction. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror have specific manners in which they speak to an audience. By using these elements, for example the desensitization of the current generation of readers to most horrors, an author can demonstrate the core of the human relationship to pain, faith, or hope. Though some genre fiction seems to fit certain formulas, there are also horror or science fiction stories which do not fit a conventional mold. This collection sets forth to break away from genre fiction conventions. Also, this project utilizes the genre of magical realism, which is the medium between genre fiction and literary fiction, by using fantastic events within a mundane setting to emphasize the author's ideas. By bridging the gap between genres, magical realism reveals how interrelated the elements of all genres are. In this study stories use magical and horrifying events while maintaining an intention beyond the formulaic thrill. Therefore, genre fiction can have a place amongst literature. / Department of English

This study investigates the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story. The aim of this study is to form an overall understanding of the functions of space in the Afrikaans ghost story, and also to promp further investigations into this branch of Afrikaans literature. The study is mainly text-analytical, and is therefore practical rather than theoretical. Aspects of space in the texts are discussed with reference to several different theoretical frameworks, such as: genre-definition; space in prose; realism and reality; reader-oriented approaches; frame stories; Freud's concept of the unheimlich; rhethorical and heterotopical spaces; and different aspects of liminality. The spaces that are specifically discussed include the prototypical haunted house, the farm setting, the road or tunnel setting, die cemetery setting and the city setting. The conclusion reached in this study is that space performs four important functions in the Afrikaans ghost story. These functions are: space is a defining characteristic of the genre; space functions as a link between reality and the supernatural; space forms part of the cast of the genre; space is pre-eminently liminal. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

La saga Saw est une franchise qui a marqué le cinéma d’horreur des années 2000. Le présent mémoire tâchera d’en faire une étude détaillée et rigoureuse en utilisant la notion de jeu. En élaborant tout d’abord un survol du cinéma d’horreur contemporain et en observant la réception critique de la saga à travers l’étude de différents articles, ce travail tentera en majeure partie d’analyser la franchise Saw en rapport avec l’approche ludique du cinéma en général et celle adoptée par Bernard Perron. Cette étude, qui s’élaborera tant au niveau diégétique que spectatoriel, aura pour but de montrer l’importance de la place qu’occupe la notion de jeu dans cette série de films. / The Saw saga is a franchise that marked the horror film industry in the 2000’s. This report will try and give a thorough and detailled study while using the idea of a game. At the same time taking a cursory glance at contemporary horror films and observing how the critics were received by studying different articles. This assignment will in majority analyse the Saw saga using a recreational approach of movies in general as well as the one adopted by Bernard Perron. This study will be elaborated on a "diegetique" and "spectatoriel" level – the goal being to show the importance that games occupy in this film series.

Submitted by Valquíria Barbieri (kikibarbi@hotmail.com) on 2017-08-21T21:04:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Rosemeire da Silva Marques.pdf: 1574366 bytes, checksum: fa24e4daab99b6d7d4ca2cd5919e7770 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jordan (jordanbiblio@gmail.com) on 2017-08-22T16:08:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Rosemeire da Silva Marques.pdf: 1574366 bytes, checksum: fa24e4daab99b6d7d4ca2cd5919e7770 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-22T16:08:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Rosemeire da Silva Marques.pdf: 1574366 bytes, checksum: fa24e4daab99b6d7d4ca2cd5919e7770 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-21 / O objetivo do presente é refletir sobre o modo de pensar a morte na contemporaneidade por meio das produções cinematográficas, entendendo que elas fornecem guias para ação e reflexão. Apesar do tema do medo e da morte estar presente em vários gêneros, ele é essencialmente abordado no terror, assim, foram selecionados filmes de apelo comercial, do gênero terror que são analisados como narrativas que abordam o medo da morte, o modo de lidar com esse medo e a relação com a sociedade que a produziu e com a qual se comunicou. As reflexões direcionaram para o entendimento de que apesar das descobertas científicas que tendem a colocar na berlinda os ensinamentos religiosos em relação a vida e por conseguinte a morte, o imaginário contemporâneo ocidental continua fundamentado no religioso, em especial pelas crenças cristãs, que são atualizadas e remodelas pelas teorias científicas e os avanços tecnológicos. / The purpose of this is to reflect on the thinking of death in contemporary society through film production , considering they provide guides for action and reflection . Despite the theme of fear and death is present in many genres , he is essentially addressed in terror, thus films commercial appeal , the horror genre that are analyzed as narratives that address the fear of death were selected , how to deal with this fear and the relationship with the company that produced it and with which it communicated . Reflections directed to the understanding that despite scientific findings that tend to put the spotlight on religious teachings regarding life and therefore death , the contemporary Western imagination remains grounded in religion , especially the Christian beliefs , which are updated and remodelas by scientific theories and technological advances .

Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe - FAPITEC/SE / The following dissertation is devoted to the new horror movies produced in Brazil after 2000’s. Special attention will be given to their affective dimension, focusing on the relation between the emotional expression of its characters and the spectators reaction. Among typical strategies programmed in these films, we find a distinct process of artificialization of daily life, through the deliberate use of conventions proper to the horror genre. The films will be approached through a a cognitive perspective, developed in film studies from the 90s. In order to analyze each film, we will depart from the methodological perspective of the Film Poetics, according to which a cinematographic work is an expressive composition that causes effects in the spectator. Four films were analyzed, (one feature film and three short films): Quando eu era vivo (2014), Vinil Verde (2004), O Duplo (2012) and Estátua (2014). / Este texto dedica-se ao estudo da produção de afetos no novo cinema brasileiro de horror pós anos 2000, em especial à relação existente entre a expressão emocional de seus personagens e a reação da apreciação dos efeitos programados no texto fílmico, através de um processo de artificialização do cotidiano através do uso deliberado de convenções do gênero horror. A pesquisa tem como pressuposto uma perspectiva cognitivista, desenvolvida para o cinema a partir dos anos 90, e baseiase na perspectiva teórico-metodológica da Poética do filme, que entende uma obra cinematográfica como uma composição expressiva em busca de causar efeitos no espectador, percebendo a apreciação como uma experiência subjetiva em três dimensões: cognitiva, sensorial e emocional. A junção das abordagens teórica e metodológica resultou na execução de exercícios de análises fílmicas e na observação da programação emocional elaborada nas obras cinematográficas do horror brasileiro. Foram analisados quatro filmes do gênero horror, sendo um longametragem e três curtas-metragens: Quando eu era vivo (2014), Vinil Verde (2004), O Duplo (2012) e Estátua (2014). As análises permitiram identificar certa padronização de procedimentos estratégicos do cinema brasileiro de horror em sua função de convocar emoções.

ABSTRACT An attempt to put the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft on the map of psychoanalytical criticism, this analysis examines Lovecraft’s use of setting, characters, and narrative mode and structure in “The Call of Cthulhu” (1926) to show how his construction of horror has its ground in psychology, or, more specifically, in ideas of identity and violated boundaries of the self. In addition, brief reflections on Modernist art, its connections with psychoanalysis, and its analogies to Lovecraftian imagery are provided in order to show the echoes of the Zeitgeist in Lovecraft’s horrors. Although Lovecraft made claims for the universality of the horror he depicted, the present analysis also maps its specific and time-bound characteristics. / e-mail: lordlabil@hotmail.com

Maintes fois rééditées de 1559 au dix-huitième siècle, les histoires tragiques peuvent êtres lues comme un genre à succès, bien que non théorisé par les doctes à l’époque. Reposant sur une reprise de topoï romanesques, jouant avec différents modèles de récits et plusieurs genres à la mode de l’époque [roman sentimental, histoire prodigieuse, récit historique, fait divers, discours bigarré], allant jusqu’à des phénomènes d’hybridité générique, ces textes qui reprennent le même titre et s’écrivent et se lisent en série cherchent à étonner et à horrifier les lecteurs, en racontant des cas extraordinaires et sanglants, à la limite du vraisemblable, dans une visée proclamée d’exemplarité morale et d’édification. Proposant une vision paroxystique des vices humains et de leurs dramatiques conséquences, ces nouvelles spectaculaires exhibent une référence au tragique, tout en dépassant la tragédie en vers et en s’affranchissant de ses codes. Fruit d’une interaction entre les goûts macabres du public et des auteurs polygraphes vivant de leur plume, l’histoire tragique préfigure dans une certaine mesure les récits d’horreur, proposant un modèle de récit à sensation de l’âge baroque, qui plairait plus par sa démesure que par son exemplarité affichée. / Often republished from 1559 to the eighteenth century, « histoires tragiques » may be read as a fashionable genre, but not theorized at the time. These texts repeat the same topoi, playing with different narrative models and fashionable genres like romances, historical stories, prodigious stories, essays, and mixing them together. Constantly repeating the same title, all these stories telling gruesome bloody and sometimes unbelievable events, try to frighten and astonish the readers, even though they proclaim exemplarity and moralisation as purpose. Representing a paroxystic vision of crimes and passions, tragical stories obviously refer to the genre of tragedy, but they go beyond the theatrical form and become more like spectacular stories or « pictures ». The commercial success of this genre can be explained by the interaction between the reader’s bloodthristy tastes and the authors, who need to write for their living. « Histoires t! ragiques » can be considered as the ancestors of horror novels and short stories, because they invented a model of sensational story, more popular because of their excessive dimension than because of their exemplarity or moralisation.