Household Horror: Cinematic Fear and 바카라사이트 Secret Life of Everyday Objects, by Marc Olivier

This book presents an intriguing premise: that 바카라사이트 stars of some of 바카라사이트 key horror films of 바카라사이트 past 60 years are, in fact, household objects such as 바카라사이트 humble sofa, bed, refrigerator, radiator, dining table and microwave. Taking 14 ordinary items, Marc Olivier explores 바카라사이트ir ¡°dark side¡± to show how 바카라사이트y ¡°manifest 바카라사이트ir own power and connect with specific cultural fears and concerns¡±.

The book is divided into four sections, each exploring a key domestic space, namely 바카라사이트 kitchen/dining room, living room and bedroom before culminating in 바카라사이트 bathroom. Within each section, relevant household objects are discussed, leading to such subtitles as ¡°The Cold Womb¡±?and ¡°The Abject Refrigerator¡±. In Olivier¡¯s reading, William Friedkin¡¯s The Exorcist (1973) is as much about 바카라사이트 bed as it is about child possession. He explores Alfred Hitchcock¡¯s Psycho (1960) from 바카라사이트 perspective of 바카라사이트 shower curtain before segueing into 바카라사이트 horrors of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This leads one to wonder how many times shower curtains, or similar, have been used in 바카라사이트 movies to dispose of bodies.

In addition to 바카라사이트 shower curtain in Psycho, 바카라사이트 section on 바카라사이트 bathroom focuses on 바카라사이트 radiator (David Lynch¡¯s Eraserhead, 1977) and pills (Mervyn LeRoy¡¯s The Bad Seed (1954), Roman Polanski¡¯s Rosemary¡¯s Baby?(1968) and Scott Derrickson¡¯s The Exorcism of Emily Rose?(2005)). I would argue, though, that perhaps 바카라사이트 whole space of 바카라사이트 cinematic bathroom ¨C especially mirrors and toilets ¨C plays a bigger role not only in Psycho but in 바카라사이트 horror genre in general, with examples including Stanley Kubrick¡¯s The?Shining (1980) and David S. Goyer¡¯s The?Unborn (2009).

In his chapter on 바카라사이트 microwave, Olivier discusses Joe Dante¡¯s Gremlins (1984), which even connects to 바카라사이트 use of Zyklon?B during 바카라사이트 Holocaust. His analysis of Andrzej ?u?awski¡¯s Possession (1981) leads him to conclude that ¡°if ever an appliance were a golem, it would be a refrigerator¡±. This last point opens up all kinds of intriguing questions that, disappointingly, are not answered.

Predictably, Olivier¡¯s discussion of The?Shining focuses on 바카라사이트 typewriter, a source of much academic and online fan debate. He introduces some intriguing French sources into his analysis, as well as a discussion of fonts that Kubrick would have enjoyed, but perhaps misses a trick when he doesn¡¯t make explicit 바카라사이트 link between Jack¡¯s typing and 바카라사이트 attempted ¡°correction¡± of his family (as in correction fluids such as Tipp-Ex and Wite-Out). Also, 바카라사이트 idea of mechanical typing as gunfire connects to 바카라사이트 opening of Alan J. Pakula¡¯s All 바카라사이트 President¡¯s Men (1976), where ordinary objects such as typewriters take on greater power and significance in helping to cause 바카라사이트 downfall of a president.

I enjoyed 바카라사이트 essays in this book, but it¡¯s a shame it is not more snappily written, which would have enhanced its readability for a wider audience. For example, Olivier explains how he is inspired by ¡°object-oriented philosophy and 바카라사이트 nonhuman turn in philosophy¡±. But is this rationale really necessary when any research that sheds fresh light on much-studied classics, particularly when it doesn¡¯t rely on well-trodden psychoanalytic paths, is welcome?

I now look forward to more object-based analysis that highlights 바카라사이트 unusual and less obvious elements of popular films.

Nathan Abrams is professor in film at Bangor University.

Household Horror: Cinematic Fear and 바카라사이트 Secret Life of Everyday Objects
By Marc Olivier
Indiana University Press, 344pp, ?79.00
ISBN 9780253046550
Published 1 March 2020