The American Horror Film moves from Dracula in 1931 to contemporary films such as Scream and The Sixth Sense. The various characters that recur in horror films--Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll, the Mummy, the Werewolf--are discussed, as are repeated themes such as the mad scientist, nuclear anxiety, psychological "monsters," the living dead, and "slasher" movies. Key directors including Jacques Tourneur, David Cronenberg, Roger Corman and Joe Dante are covered. The emphasis is on accessibility: while theory is included through reference to gender and politics, women's studies and psychoanalysis, it is introduced carefully and in direct relation to the films being discussed. No prior knowledge of the subject area is assumed. An extensive filmography is included and reference is made at the appropriate point to the most pertinent writing on horror. Ten film stills augment the text.