About the book
It's always been a wild world, with humans telling stories of killer animals as soon as they could tell stories at all. Movies are an especially popular vehicle for our fascination with fierce creatures. In Brute Force, Dominic Lennard takes a close look at a range of cinematic animal attackers, including killer gorillas, sharks, snakes, bears, wolves, spiders, and even a few dinosaurs. Lennard argues that animal horror is not so much a focused genre as it is an impulse, tapping into age-old fears of becoming prey. At the same time, these films expose conflicts and uncertainties in our current relationship with animals. Movies considered include King Kong, Jaws, The Grey, Them!, Arachnophobia, Jurassic Park, Snakes on a Plane, An American Werewolf in London, and many more. Drawing on insights from film studies, art history, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology, Brute Force is an engaging critical exploration—and appreciation—of cinema's many bad beasts.
Editions of Brute Force
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781438476612
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438476605
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438476629
Read an Excerpt
It's always been a wild world, with humans telling stories of killer animals as soon as they could tell stories at all. Movies are an especially popular vehicle for our fascination with fierce creatures. In Brute Force, Dominic Lennard takes a close look at a range of cinematic animal attackers, including killer gorillas, sharks, snakes, bears, wolves, spiders, and even a few dinosaurs. Lennard argues that animal horror is not so much a focused genre as it is an impulse, tapping into age-old fears of becoming prey. At the same time, these films expose conflicts and uncertainties in our current relationship with animals. Movies considered include King Kong, Jaws, The Grey, Them!, Arachnophobia, Jurassic Park, Snakes on a Plane, An American Werewolf in London, and many more. Drawing on insights from film studies, art history, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology, Brute Force is an engaging critical exploration—and appreciation—of cinema's many bad beasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Brute Force about?
It's always been a wild world, with humans telling stories of killer animals as soon as they could tell stories at all. Movies are an especially popular vehicle for our fascination with fierce creatures. In Brute Force, Dominic Lennard takes a close look at a range of cinematic animal attackers, including killer gorillas, sharks, snakes, bears, wolves, spiders, and even a few dinosaurs. Lennard argues that animal horror is not so much a focused genre as it is an impulse, tapping into age-old fears of becoming prey. At the same time, these films expose conflicts and uncertainties in our current relationship with animals. Movies considered include King Kong, Jaws, The Grey, Them!, Arachnophobia, Jurassic Park, Snakes on a Plane, An American Werewolf in London, and many more. Drawing on insights from film studies, art history, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology, Brute Force is an engaging critical exploration—and appreciation—of cinema's many bad beasts.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Brute Force?
The Arts > Performing arts > Films, cinema > Film history, theory or criticism
Where can I read a sample of Brute Force?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438476612
How long is Brute Force and how many pages does it have?
Brute Force has 276 page(s)
Is Brute Force part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series SUNY series, Horizons of Cinema
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Brute Force?
Dominic Lennard
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Brute Force is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438476612) and paperback(ISBN 9781438476605) and pdf(ISBN 9781438476629)
Where can I buy Brute Force online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Brute Force from below
Where can I buy Brute Force?