Phases of the Moon: A Cultural History of the Werewolf Film

Examines the cultural significance of the werewolf film Provides the first academic monograph dedicated to developing a cultural understanding of the werewolf filmReconsiders the psychoanalytic paradigms that have dominated scholarly discussion of werewolves in pop cultureIncludes over 40 individual case studies to illustrate how werewolf films can be understood as products of their cultural momentIdentifies the cinematic werewolf’s most common metaphorical dimensionsHorror monsters such as the vampire, the zombie and Frankenstein’s creature have long been the subjects of in-depth cultural studies, but the cinematic werewolf has often been considered little more than the ‘beast within’: a psychoanalytic analogue for the bestial side of man. This book, the first scholarly study of the werewolf in cinema, redresses the balance by exploring over 100 years of werewolf films, from The Werewolf (1913) to Wildling (2018) via The Wolf Man (1941), The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), The Howling (1981) and WolfCop (2014). Revealing the significance of she-wolves and wolf-men as evolving metaphors for the cultural fears and anxieties of their times, Phases of the Moon serves as a companion and a counterpoint to existing scholarship on the werewolf in popular culture, and illustrates how we can begin to understand one of our oldest mythical monsters as a rich and diverse cultural metaphor.

Table of Contents:
AcknowledgementsForeword: Monsters Everywhere, by Stacey AbbottIntroduction: Bark at the Moon 1. Wolves at the Door 2. Dogs of War 3. Pack Mentality 4. Hounds of Love 5. What Big Teeth You Have 6. The Better to Eat You With 7. Old Dogs and New Tricks 8. Shapeshifters Conclusion: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?NotesBibliography

About the Author :
Dr Craig Ian Mann is Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. He is the author of Phases of the Moon: A Cultural History of the Werewolf Film (2020, EUP). He is the co-founder of the Fear 2000 conference series on contemporary horror media, and co-series editor of EUP’s 21st Century Horror book series.

Review :
Mann’s Phases of the Moon (2020) monograph stands alone in training a cultural analysis spotlight on the scope of werewolf cinematic appearances in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries [...] Phases of the Moon merits a place on any bookshelf alongside other leading cultural history Horror studies. Phases of the Moon successfully illustrates that ‘the werewolf is not […] “passé” or “infertile”’ (211) and demonstrates the importance of analysing the cultural context in order to better understand the depiction of a werewolf in a movie. This book is indispensable not only for those beginning research on werewolf films, but also as a reference tool for researchers more familiar with the topic. Mann takes the reader on a rich exploration of the cinematic figure of the werewolf throughout the years predominantly in, but not restricted to, horror narratives. [...] His accessible language, helpful index and notes sections augment a book that is a dynamic pageturner while still being an important academic study. Astute, absorbing and gleefully thorough! Craig Ian Mann offers a thoughtful and scholarly deep-dive into a century’s worth of werewolf movies, exploring themes of alienation, sexuality and rebellion within a cultural and historical context. Along the way, Mann happens to assert the irrefutable social significance of the horror genre. Bravo! This is a book long needed. For all the impressive academic books out there on screen vampires, their hirsute kindred have received comparatively little attention. Craig Ian Mann's Phases of the Moon discusses films both familiar and extremely obscure with rigorous scholarship and clear prose. In the immortal words of Warren Zevon: Ah-woooo! Engaging, insightful, useful and fun. This is a supremely confident and well-written book with a vast amount of knowledge and enthusiasm behind it. It was a pleasure to read. Craig Ian Mann manages to open an informative, intellectual conversation while simultaneously leaving pretension and personal influence by the wayside. Readers are guaranteed to leave Phases of the Moon with a wider knowledge of werewolf cinema […] Overall, it’s a fascinating examination of horror history; one that’s apt to change the trajectory of critics’ approach to these fanged beasts. Read it on a full moon.