Name: Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier
Author: Cynthia J. Miller (Editor), A. Bowdoin Van Riper
ISBN: 9780810885448

Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier book cover

Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier

Author(s): Cynthia J. Miller (Editor), A. Bowdoin Van Riper

Publisher: Scarecrow Press (UK)
Publication Date: 17 Aug. 2012
Language: English
Print length: 344 pages
ISBN-10: 0810885441
ISBN-13: 9780810885448

Book Description

In Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier, Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper have assembled a collection of essays that explore the many tropes and themes through which undead Westerns make the genre’s inner plagues and demons visible, and lay siege to a frontier tied to myths of strength, ingenuity, freedom, and independence. The volume is divided into three sections: “Reanimating Classic Western Tropes” examines traditional Western characters, symbolism, and plot devices and how they are given new life in undead Westerns; “The Moral Order Under Siege” explores the ways in which the undead confront classic values and morality tales embodied in Western films; and “And Hell Followed with Him” looks at justice, retribution, and retaliation at the hands of undead angels and avenger.

The subjects explored here run the gamut from such B films as Curse of the Undead and Billy the Kid vs. Dracula to A-list features like From Dusk ‘til Dawn and Jonah Hex, as well as animated films (Rango) and television programs (The Walking Dead and Supernatural). Other films discussed include Sam Raimi’s Bubba Ho-Tep, John Carpenter’s Vampires, George Romero’s Land of the Dead, andSergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West. Featuring several illustrations and a filmography, Undead in the West will appeal to film scholars, especially those interested in hybrid genres, as well as fans of the Western and the supernatural in cinema.

Editorial Reviews

Review

No other such treatment of the topic [undead Western] exists. . . .The contributions provide valuable insights and arguments into the cultural value of this hybrid film genre. . . .The group of essays will interest scholars of horror and Westerns alike. As the strict protocols of genre fiction become less defined and more fluid among juxtaposed subgenres, collections such as this one from Miller and Van Riper will become more valuable to teachers and students of film and cultural studies. This collection is particularly valuable in its redefining of the revisionist Western, its attention to lesser known horror works, and its . . . subtle explorations of adapted narratives and text clusters.

From the Back Cover

The American West serves not only as the country’s heartland but also as a setting for morality tales, a proving ground for mainstream values and ideals, and a point of encounter between order and chaos, progress and ruin, humanity and the “wild.” From the silent era to the present, Western cinema has portrayed these multiple and intersecting functions in increasingly complex ways. In Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier, Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper have assembled a collection of essays that explore the many tropes and themes through which undead Westerns make the genre’s inner plagues and demons visible. The volume examines the ways in which traditional Western characters, symbolism, and plot devices are given new life and lay siege to a frontier tied to myths of strength, ingenuity, freedom, and independence. These essays explore how classic values embodied in Western films–justice, retribution, and retaliation–are delivered at the hands of undead angels and avengers. Subjects run the gamut from B films such as Curse of the Undead and Billy the Kid vs. Dracula to A-list features including From Dusk Till Dawn and Jonah Hex, as well as animated films (Rango) and television programs (The Walking Dead and Supernatural). Other films discussed include Bubba Ho-Tep, Vampires, Land of the Dead, and Once Upon a Time in the West. Featuring illustrations and a filmography, Undead in the West will appeal to film scholars, as well as to fans of Westerns and the supernatural in cinema.

About the Author

Cynthia J. Miller is senior faculty at the Emerson College Institute for the Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies.

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