68-488: Mark Kermode ( / ˈ k ɜːr ˌ m oʊ d / , KUR -moh-d ; né Fairey ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic , musician , radio presenter , television presenter , author and podcaster . He is the co-presenter, with Ellen E. Jones, of the BBC Radio 4 programme Screenshot and co-presenter of the film-review podcast Kermode & Mayo's Take , alongside long-time collaborator Simon Mayo . Kermode
136-548: A skiffle / rockabilly band called The Railtown Bottlers in the early 1990s. The Railtown Bottlers were the house band on the BBC show Danny Baker After All for a series, starting in 1993, where he performed with the Madness lead singer Suggs , Nick Heyward , Alison Moyet , Aimee Mann , Nanci Griffith , Timm Finn and Squeeze . In 2001 he formed skiffle quartet The Dodge Brothers , playing double bass. Talking about playing
204-484: A 2006 interview with Kermode for The Culture Show in Los Angeles , Werner Herzog was shot with an air rifle . Herzog appeared unflustered, later stating: "It was not a significant bullet. I am not afraid". Kermode co-hosted an early 1990s afternoon magazine show on BBC Radio 5 called A Game of Two Halves , alongside former Blue Peter presenter Caron Keating . Kermode appeared in a cameo role as himself in
272-837: A GP, who was born in Douglas, Isle of Man , and practised in Golders Green , north London. His father, the son of a travelling flour salesman, worked in the London Hospital in Whitechapel . His grandmother was Swiss German . He was raised as a Methodist , and later became a member of the Church of England . His parents divorced when he was in his early 20s and he subsequently changed his surname to his Manx mother's maiden name by deed poll . He earned his PhD in English at
340-459: A film broadcaster on LBC in 1988, after which he moved to BBC Radio 5 (later rebranded as 5Live). Between February 1992 and October 1993, he was the resident film reviewer on BBC Radio 5 's Morning Edition with Danny Baker . He became the film critic for BBC Radio 1 in 1993, on a regular Thursday night slot called Cult Film Corner on Mark Radcliffe 's Graveyard Shift session. He later moved to Simon Mayo 's BBC Radio 1 morning show. He hosted
408-550: A follow-up book entitled The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex , in which he expresses his opinions on the good and bad of modern films, and vehemently criticizes the modern multiplex experience and the 3D film craze that had grown in the years immediately preceding the book's publication. In 2013, Picador published Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics in which he examines whether professional "traditional" film critics still have
476-451: A high degree of life," whereas horror is described as that which "freezes and nearly annihilates them." Modern scholarship on horror fiction draws upon a range of sources. In their historical studies of the gothic novel, both Devendra Varma and S. L. Varnado make reference to the theologian Rudolf Otto , whose concept of the " numinous " was originally used to describe religious experience. A recent survey reports how often horror media
544-630: A list later published in order of preference in his book Hatchet Job , as The Exorcist , A Matter of Life and Death , The Devils , It's a Wonderful Life , Don't Look Now , Pan's Labyrinth , Mary Poppins , Brazil , Eyes Without a Face and The Seventh Seal . From September 2013 to September 2023, Kermode was the chief film critic for The Observer . In 2018, he began to present his own documentary series Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema on BBC Four . A second series followed, as well as disaster movie , Christmas, and Oscar winners specials. Between 2019 and 2024, Kermode presented
612-518: A movie review show with Mary Anne Hobbs on Radio 1 on Tuesday nights called ClingFilm . From 2001 until 2022, Kermode reviewed and debated new film releases with Mayo on the BBC Radio 5 Live show Kermode and Mayo's Film Review . The programme won Gold in the Speech Award category at the 2009 Sony Radio Academy Awards on 11 May 2009. On 11 March 2022, it was announced by Simon Mayo, at
680-494: A role in a culture of ever increasing numbers of online bloggers and amateur critics. In 2017, he collaborated with his idol William Friedkin on the feature documentary The Devil and Father Amorth , as a writer. The film had its first showing at the Venice Film Festival on 31 August 2017. Kermode was a regular presenter on BBC Two 's The Culture Show and appeared regularly on Newsnight Review . During
748-430: A sense similar to the reason a person seeks out the controlled thrill of a roller coaster , readers in the modern era seek out feelings of horror and terror to feel a sense of excitement. However, Barrette adds that horror fiction is one of the few mediums where readers seek out a form of art that forces themselves to confront ideas and images they "might rather ignore to challenge preconceptions of all kinds." One can see
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#1732779750217816-433: A soundtrack-themed show on classical radio station Scala Radio . Kermode produces an annual "best-of-the-year" movie list, thereby providing an overview of his critical preferences. His top choices were: In February 2010, Random House released his autobiography , It's Only a Movie , which he describes as being "inspired by real events". Its publication was accompanied by a UK tour. In September 2011, he released
884-408: A story intends to shock and disgust, but the best horror intends to rattle our cages and shake us out of our complacency. It makes us think, forces us to confront ideas we might rather ignore, and challenges preconceptions of all kinds. Horror reminds us that the world is not always as safe as it seems, which exercises our mental muscles and reminds us to keep a little healthy caution close at hand. In
952-589: A straight-arrow spouse who just happens to enjoy seeing people's heads explode across a cinema screen". In the mid-1980s, Kermode was an "affiliate" of the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) and was involved in the Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign, against the deportation of one of the group's members to Sri Lanka . This developed into a high-profile national campaign involving people from left-wing groups such as
1020-686: A weekly review of the latest releases. He also writes for the British Film Institute 's Sight and Sound magazine. From 1995 to 2001, Kermode was a film critic and presenter for Film4 and Channel 4 , presenting the weekly Extreme Cinema strand. He has written and presented documentaries for Channel 4 and the BBC, and until 2023 appeared on The Film Review for BBC News at Five . For BBC Two's The Culture Show , Kermode hosted an annual "Kermode Awards" episode, which presented statuettes to actors and directors not nominated for Academy Awards that year. In 2002, Kermode challenged
1088-563: A year or more often. Unsurprisingly, there is a strong correlation between liking and frequency of use (r=.79, p<.0001). Achievements in horror fiction are recognized by numerous awards. The Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker , author of the seminal horror novel Dracula . The Australian Horror Writers Association presents annual Australian Shadows Awards . The International Horror Guild Award
1156-610: Is Stephen King , known for Carrie , The Shining , It , Misery , and several dozen other novels and about 200 short stories . Beginning in the 1970s, King's stories have attracted a large audience, for which he was awarded by the U.S. National Book Foundation in 2003. Other popular horror authors of the period included Anne Rice , Shaun Hutson , Brian Lumley , Graham Masterton , James Herbert , Dean Koontz , Richard Laymon , Clive Barker , Ramsey Campbell , and Peter Straub . Best-selling book series of contemporary times exist in genres related to horror fiction, such as
1224-494: Is a regular contributor to The Observer , for which he was chief film critic between September 2013 and September 2023. He is the author of several books on film and music, including It's Only A Movie , Hatchet Job , How Does It Feel? and The Movie Doctors (with Simon Mayo). Kermode has also written three volumes for the BFI's Modern Classics series, on The Exorcist , The Shawshank Redemption and Silent Running . Since
1292-534: Is a werewolf story titled " Bisclavret ". The Countess Yolande commissioned a werewolf story titled " Guillaume de Palerme ". Anonymous writers penned two werewolf stories, "Biclarel" and " Melion ". Much horror fiction derives from the cruellest personages of the 15th century. Dracula can be traced to the Prince of Wallachia Vlad III , whose alleged war crimes were published in German pamphlets. A 1499 pamphlet
1360-415: Is almost as old as horror fiction itself. In 1826, the gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe published an essay distinguishing two elements of horror fiction, "terror" and "horror." Whereas terror is a feeling of dread that takes place before an event happens, horror is a feeling of revulsion or disgust after an event has happened. Radcliffe describes terror as that which "expands the soul and awakens the faculties to
1428-486: Is consumed: To assess frequency of horror consumption, we asked respondents the following question: "In the past year, about how often have you used horror media (for example, horror literature, film, and video games) for entertainment?" 11.3% said "Never," 7.5% "Once," 28.9% "Several times," 14.1% "Once a month," 20.8% "Several times a month," 7.3% "Once a week," and 10.2% "Several times a week." Evidently, then, most respondents (81.3%) claimed to use horror media several times
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#17327797502171496-543: Is fear of the unknown." the first sentence from his seminal essay, " Supernatural Horror in Literature ". Science fiction historian Darrell Schweitzer has stated, "In the simplest sense, a horror story is one that scares us" and "the true horror story requires a sense of evil, not in necessarily in a theological sense; but the menaces must be truly menacing, life-destroying, and antithetical to happiness." In her essay "Elements of Aversion", Elizabeth Barrette articulates
1564-399: Is merely one of many interpretations of the metaphor of Dracula. Jack Halberstam postulates many of these in his essay Technologies of Monstrosity: Bram Stoker's Dracula . He writes: [The] image of dusty and unused gold, coins from many nations and old unworn jewels, immediately connects Dracula to the old money of a corrupt class, to a kind of piracy of nations and to the worst excesses of
1632-755: Is on the film's tenth anniversary special edition DVD. Kermode's family connections with the Isle of Man have led to him playing a role in Manx culture and the arts. This has seen him host various talks on the island. He has also been involved with the annual Isle of Man Film Festival. Kermode became patron of the Sir John Hurt Film Trust in November 2019. He is a visiting fellow at the University of Southampton . Kermode played double bass for
1700-401: Is tends to be inconclusive on the impact that viewing such media has. One defining trait of the horror genre is that it provokes an emotional, psychological , or physical response within readers that causes them to react with fear. One of H. P. Lovecraft's most famous quotes about the genre is that: "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear
1768-508: Is the name given to a person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in
1836-461: Is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote a man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over
1904-485: Is unknown for sure why children enjoy these movies (as it seems counter-intuitive), it is theorized that it is, in part, grotesque monsters that fascinate kids. Tangential to this, the internalized impact of horror television programs and films on children is rather under-researched, especially when compared to the research done on the similar subject of violence in TV and film's impact on the young mind. What little research there
1972-899: The BBC Two arts programme The Culture Show . Between 2018 and 2021, he co-wrote and presented three seasons of the BBC Four film documentary series Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema , and between 2019 and 2024 he presented a weekly film music show on Scala Radio . He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and a founding member of the skiffle band the Dodge Brothers , for which he plays double bass . Since 2008, The Dodge Brothers (with Neil Brand ) have provided live accompaniment for silent films such as Beggars of Life , Hell's Hinges , White Oak (film) and The Ghost That Never Returns . Kermode
2040-645: The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the censor for film in the UK, about its cuts to the 1972 film The Last House on the Left . In 2008, the BBFC allowed the film to be re-released uncut. He has since stated that the BBFC do a good job in an impossible situation and expressed his approval of their decisions. In a 2012 Sight & Sound poll of cinema's greatest films, Kermode indicated his ten favourites,
2108-491: The University of Manchester in 1991, writing a thesis on horror fiction . Kermode began his film career as a print journalist, writing for Manchester's City Life , and then Time Out and NME in London. He has subsequently written for a range of publications including The Guardian , The Observer , The Independent , Vox , Empire , Flicks , 20/20 , Fangoria , Video Watchdog and Neon . Kermode began working as
Mark Kermode - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-570: The chromatic harmonica with an orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall , he said: "Somehow I got away with it. You can listen to it. It's not terrible, it's not brilliant, but it's fine." Kermode says that sheer persistence is the key to his musical success: "I'd rate enthusiasm and persistence over talent. And that's been a guiding light, that you shouldn't be put off by being unprepared or technically inept. I have managed to surround myself with other people who can play. And actually that's
2244-456: The e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,
2312-575: The werewolf fiction urban fantasy Kitty Norville books by Carrie Vaughn (2005 onward). Horror elements continue to expand outside the genre. The alternate history of more traditional historical horror in Dan Simmons 's 2007 novel The Terror sits on bookstore shelves next to genre mash ups such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009), and historical fantasy and horror comics such as Hellblazer (1993 onward) and Mike Mignola 's Hellboy (1993 onward). Horror also serves as one of
2380-572: The 1950s satisfied readers' quests for horror imagery that the silver screen could not provide. This imagery made these comics controversial, and as a consequence, they were frequently censored. The modern zombie tale dealing with the motif of the living dead harks back to works including H. P. Lovecraft's stories " Cool Air " (1925), "In The Vault" (1926), and " The Outsider " (1926), and Dennis Wheatley 's "Strange Conflict" (1941). Richard Matheson 's novel I Am Legend (1954) influenced an entire genre of apocalyptic zombie fiction emblematized by
2448-514: The DVD extras of Lost in La Mancha , interviewing Terry Gilliam , and Pan's Labyrinth , where he interviews Guillermo del Toro about the film, which he has called a masterpiece. Kermode has written books, published by the BFI in its Modern Classics series, on The Exorcist , Silent Running and The Shawshank Redemption and his documentary for Channel 4, Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature ,
2516-614: The Edge of Blade Runner , Mantrap: Straw Dogs - The Final Cut , Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature , The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing the French Connection , Salo: Fade to Black , The Real Linda Lovelace and The Cult of The Wicker Man . From 2001 to 2005, Kermode reviewed films each week for the New Statesman . Prior to becoming chief film critic in 2013, he wrote "Mark Kermode's DVD round-up" for The Observer ,
2584-734: The RCG, local residents of Manchester and extending to church leaders and Labour Party Members of Parliament . Kermode describes himself in this period as "a red-flag waving bolshie bore with a subscription to Fight Racism Fight Imperialism and no sense of humour." Kermode is a patron of the charitable trust of the Phoenix Cinema in North London, which was his favourite cinema during his childhood in East Finchley . The tenth anniversary episode of Kermode and Mayo's Film Review
2652-596: The Ripper , and lesser so, Carl Panzram , Fritz Haarman , and Albert Fish , all perpetuated this phenomenon. The trend continued in the postwar era, partly renewed after the murders committed by Ed Gein . In 1959, Robert Bloch , inspired by the murders, wrote Psycho . The crimes committed in 1969 by the Manson Family influenced the slasher theme in horror fiction of the 1970s. In 1981, Thomas Harris wrote Red Dragon , introducing Dr. Hannibal Lecter . In 1988,
2720-881: The Wanderer (1820), Washington Irving 's " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " (1820), Jane C. Loudon 's The Mummy!: Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century (1827), Victor Hugo 's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), Thomas Peckett Prest 's Varney the Vampire (1847), the works of Edgar Allan Poe , the works of Sheridan Le Fanu , Robert Louis Stevenson 's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's " Lot No. 249 " (1892), H. G. Wells ' The Invisible Man (1897), and Bram Stoker 's Dracula (1897). Each of these works created an enduring icon of horror seen in later re-imaginings on
2788-537: The afterlife, evil, the demonic, and the principle of the thing embodied in the person. These manifested in stories of beings such as demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. European horror-fiction became established through works of the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans . Mary Shelley 's well-known 1818 novel about Frankenstein was greatly influenced by the story of Hippolytus , whom Asclepius revives from death. Euripides wrote plays based on
Mark Kermode - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-422: The aristocracy. Halberstram articulates a view of Dracula as manifesting the growing perception of the aristocracy as an evil and outdated notion to be defeated. The depiction of a multinational band of protagonists using the latest technologies (such as a telegraph ) to quickly share, collate, and act upon new information is what leads to the destruction of the vampire. This is one of many interpretations of
2924-410: The author. There are many theories as to why people enjoy being scared. For example, "people who like horror films are more likely to score highly for openness to experience, a personality trait linked to intellect and imagination." It is a now commonly accepted view that the horror elements of Dracula 's portrayal of vampirism are metaphors for sexuality in a repressed Victorian era . But this
2992-589: The central genres in more complex modern works such as Mark Z. Danielewski 's House of Leaves (2000), a finalist for the National Book Award . There are many horror novels for children and teens, such as R. L. Stine 's Goosebumps series or The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey . Additionally, many movies for young audiences, particularly animated ones, use horror aesthetics and conventions (for example, ParaNorman ). These are what can be collectively referred to as "children's horror". Although it
3060-399: The confrontation of ideas that readers and characters would "rather ignore" throughout literature in famous moments such as Hamlet 's musings about the skull of Yorick , its implications of the mortality of humanity, and the gruesome end that bodies inevitably come to. In horror fiction, the confrontation with the gruesome is often a metaphor for the problems facing the current generation of
3128-411: The early 20th century made inroads in these mediums. Particularly, the venerated horror author H. P. Lovecraft , and his enduring Cthulhu Mythos transformed and popularized the genre of cosmic horror , and M. R. James is credited with redefining the ghost story in that era. The serial murderer became a recurring theme. Yellow journalism and sensationalism of various murderers, such as Jack
3196-405: The excitement of living on the edge, the tension between hunter and hunted. So we told each other stories through the long, dark nights. when the fires burned low, we did our best to scare the daylights out of each other. The rush of adrenaline feels good. Our hearts pound, our breath quickens, and we can imagine ourselves on the edge. Yet we also appreciate the insightful aspects of horror. Sometimes
3264-404: The films of George A. Romero . In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the enormous commercial success of three books - Rosemary's Baby (1967) by Ira Levin , The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty , and The Other by Thomas Tryon - encouraged publishers to begin releasing numerous other horror novels, thus creating a "horror boom". One of the best-known late-20th century horror writers
3332-914: The gradual development of Romanticism and the Gothic horror genre. It drew on the written and material heritage of the Late Middle Ages, finding its form with Horace Walpole 's seminal and controversial 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto . In fact, the first edition was published disguised as an actual medieval romance from Italy, discovered and republished by a fictitious translator. Once revealed as modern, many found it anachronistic , reactionary , or simply in poor taste, but it proved immediately popular. Otranto inspired Vathek (1786) by William Beckford , A Sicilian Romance (1790), The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), The Italian (1796) by Ann Radcliffe , and The Monk (1797) by Matthew Lewis . A significant amount of horror fiction of this era
3400-482: The horror story as "a piece of fiction in prose of variable length ... which shocks, or even frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing". Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader. Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society. The horror genre has ancient origins, with roots in folklore and religious traditions focusing on death,
3468-652: The house seemed inexpensive. While writing a book on philosophy, he was visited by a ghostly figure bound in chains. The figure disappeared in the courtyard; the following day, the magistrates dug in the courtyard and found an unmarked grave. Elements of the horror genre also occur in Biblical texts, notably in the Book of Revelation . The Witch of Berkeley by William of Malmesbury has been viewed as an early horror story. Werewolf stories were popular in medieval French literature . One of Marie de France 's twelve lais
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#17327797502173536-425: The late 1980's he has contributed to the BFI's film magazine Sight & Sound and its predecessor The Monthly Film Bulletin , and since January 2016 he has presented a monthly live show, MK3D , at the British Film Institute (BFI), South Bank . It is the BFI's longest running live show. Kermode previously co-presented the BBC Radio 5 Live show Kermode and Mayo's Film Review , and previously co-presented
3604-449: The metaphor of only one central figure of the canon of horror fiction, as over a dozen possible metaphors are referenced in the analysis, from the religious to the antisemitic . Noël Carroll 's Philosophy of Horror postulates that a modern piece of horror fiction's " monster ", villain , or a more inclusive menace must exhibit the following two traits: In addition to those essays and articles shown above, scholarship on horror fiction
3672-560: The need by some for horror tales in a modern world: The old "fight or flight" reaction of our evolutionary heritage once played a major role in the life of every human. Our ancestors lived and died by it. Then someone invented the fascinating game of civilization, and things began to calm down. Development pushed wilderness back from settled lands. War, crime, and other forms of social violence came with civilization and humans started preying on each other, but by and large daily life calmed down. We began to feel restless, to feel something missing:
3740-405: The normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né
3808-424: The page, stage, and screen. A proliferation of cheap periodicals around the turn of the century led to a boom in horror writing. For example, Gaston Leroux serialized his Le Fantôme de l'Opéra before it became a novel in 1910. One writer who specialized in horror fiction for mainstream pulps, such as All-Story Magazine , was Tod Robbins , whose fiction deals with themes of madness and cruelty. In Russia,
3876-909: The revival of the BBC 's Absolutely Fabulous on 1 January 2012. In April 2008, Kermode started a twice-weekly video blog hosted on the BBC website, in which he discussed films and recounts anecdotes. He retired the podcast for its tenth anniversary at the close of 2018, with special episodes on his most and least favourite movies of the previous decade. Kermode has recorded DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD audio commentaries for Tommy (with Ken Russell), The Devils (with Ken Russell and Mike Bradsell), The Ninth Configuration (with William Peter Blatty), The Wicker Man (with Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Robin Hardy), Gregory's Girl , Cruising (with William Friedkin), Bait , Enys Men (both with Mark Jenkin) and (with Peter O'Toole ) Becket . He appears in
3944-521: The sequel to that novel, The Silence of the Lambs , was published. Early cinema was inspired by many aspects of horror literature, and started a strong tradition of horror films and subgenres that continues to this day. Up until the graphic depictions of violence and gore on the screen commonly associated with 1960s and 1970s slasher films and splatter films , comic books such as those published by EC Comics (most notably Tales From The Crypt ) in
4012-484: The start of Kermode and Mayo's Film Review , that the last episode would be broadcast on 1 April 2022. Kermode and Mayo launched a non-BBC film and television podcast called Kermode & Mayo's Take in May 2022. Kermode has worked on film-related documentaries including The Fear of God; 25 Years of The Exorcist , Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of Ken Russell 's The Devils , Alien : Evolution , On
4080-642: The story, Hippolytos Kalyptomenos and Hippolytus . In Plutarch 's The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans in the account of Cimon , the author describes the spirit of a murderer , Damon, who himself was murdered in a bathhouse in Chaeronea . Pliny the Younger (61 to c. 113) tells the tale of Athenodorus Cananites , who bought a haunted house in Athens . Athenodorus was cautious since
4148-511: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . Horror fiction Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which are in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon , in 1984, defined
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#17327797502174216-541: The trick." Kermode is married to Linda Ruth Williams , a professor who lectures on film at the University of Exeter . From October to November 2004, they jointly curated a History of the Horror Film season and exhibition at the National Film Theatre in London. Kermode and Williams have two children. Kermode has been described as "a feminist , a near vegetarian (he eats fish), a churchgoer and
4284-473: The writer Alexander Belyaev popularized these themes in his story Professor Dowell's Head (1925), in which a mad doctor performs experimental head transplants and reanimations on bodies stolen from the morgue and which was first published as a magazine serial before being turned into a novel. Later, specialist publications emerged to give horror writers an outlet, prominent among them was Weird Tales and Unknown Worlds . Influential horror writers of
4352-640: Was born in the Royal Free Hospital in the London Borough of Camden. He was educated at the state-funded Church of England primary school St Mary's at Finchley and was granted a Barnet-council-funded free place at The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Elstree, Hertfordshire under the Direct grant grammar school scheme in 1974, at the same time as actor Jason Isaacs . His mother was
4420-515: Was broadcast from the venue as part of its relaunch celebrations in 2010. In 2013, Kermode was appointed an Island of Culture Patron by the Isle of Man Arts Council. In 2016, Kermode was made an honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Winchester . In 2018, Kermode was appointed Honorary Professor in the Film Studies Department at the University of Exeter . Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name
4488-545: Was presented annually to works of horror and dark fantasy from 1995 to 2008. The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic works. Other important awards for horror literature are included as subcategories within general awards for fantasy and science fiction in such awards as the Aurealis Award . Some writers of fiction normally classified as "horror" tend to dislike
4556-464: Was published by Markus Ayrer, which is most notable for its woodcut imagery. The alleged serial-killer sprees of Gilles de Rais have been seen as the inspiration for " Bluebeard ". The motif of the vampiress is most notably derived from the real-life noblewoman and murderer, Elizabeth Bathory , and helped usher in the emergence of horror fiction in the 18th century, such as through László Turóczi's 1729 book Tragica Historia . The 18th century saw
4624-631: Was written by women and marketed towards a female audience, a typical scenario of the novels being a resourceful female menaced in a gloomy castle. The Gothic tradition blossomed into the genre that modern readers today call horror literature in the 19th century. Influential works and characters that continue resonating in fiction and film today saw their genesis in the Brothers Grimm 's " Hänsel und Gretel " (1812), Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), John Polidori 's " The Vampyre " (1819), Charles Maturin 's Melmoth
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