Smirk, Sneer and Scream: Great Acting in Horror Cinema
While you may think the old adage about oil and water being unable to mix applies perfectly to the cinema of terror and the craft of great acting, many a grease-painted scare and fluid performance have been combined in the strange alchemy that is the horror film. From the silent mastery of Lon Chaney’s The Phantom of the Opera to the cultured cannibalism of Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, the genre has seen an impressive number of noteworthy portrayals, far removed from the stereotypical leering monster and terrified maiden. Part One of this work highlights the stars of this screen style–those whose numerous roles and outstanding performances made their names synonymous with horror cinema. Part Two covers actors who, although not normally associated with the genre, still contributed to its history. Part Three covers the great actresses in horror films and highlights their acting achievement. An appendix lists all the Academy Award nominations and winners in the horror genre.
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Deceptively insightful,
Do not let this book’s rather flippant title fool you. Mark Clark engages in thoughtful, relevant criticism of the subject matter. He even manages to re-engage the reader in discussion of films one would think had already been talked to death. In an era when much of what passes for “criticism” is in reality extended plot summaries with very little analysis, Clark delivers the real thing. If you are a student of horror cinema (and/or acting) this is a must have.
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|Fun and informative,
SMIRK, SNEER AND SCREAM closely examines a broad range of great performances in horror movies, from as early as Lon Chaney in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA to Anthony Hopkins in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The book has three sections, with the first covering 12 horror stars with in-depth examinations of some of their greatest performances, the second section examining key horror roles played by nine mainstream actors, and the third section looking at nine superlative performances by actresses in horror movies. In addition to close dissection of performances by these actors, there are brief overviews of other actors who have contributed to the horror genre.
Clark has a very warm, and often humorous, writing style, so even though the book is packed with detailed descriptions of individual performances, it is often very funny and sometimes refreshingly personal. He’s very open about the frankly subjective nature of his approach. It’s a fun book to read.
Clark’s emphasis on acting is very welcome. There have been many general surveys of the horror genre, biographies of horror film stars, and even auteurial approaches to the great horror directors. The decision to concentrate on acting is overdue, allowing the book to fill an important niche. As Clark writes: “After all, filmgoers during horror cinema’s Golden Age didn’t pay to see the latest James Whale or Tod Browning picture. Most paid no attention at all to the director’s credit. Audiences paid to see Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi or, on a few happy occasions, both.”
The book is at its strongest and most memorable when it gets down to very close study of the performances. Some of Clark’s opinion are a little off the mainstream, but that just makes it more interesting. While the sections on major horror stars like Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi are excellent, my favorite sections covered more obscure horror luminaries, like Dwight Frye, George Zucco, and Lionel Atwill. All in all, it’s a fun and informative book for movie enthusiasts and horror fans.
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