“Shocking cinemas of the seventies “by Xavier Mendik focuses on specific films from the 1970s, and I feel that majority of those films lie forgotten or hardly discussed. He sheds light on the social and cinematic issues that made the films from that era. Mendik provides the information to attract both consumer and academic readers. However, at times, his style becomes a bit too wordy and lengthy. Still, the book is readable, maintains a consistent tone and most readers can dig into useful information on the movies from the seventies. The chapter –“Another one from the fire” is from the chapter three of the book under “Seventies horrors” and the phrase sums up in a nutshell.
The seventies was considered as turbulent periods of cinema history as this was a time marred by political, and military terror. Perhaps this is why horror movies became popular genres of the time and the decade saw an explosion of celluloid savagery. These movies are unnerving and carry the ability to be shocking with their visuals and sound effects. I feel that the genre of horror is the most coveted one in the cinema and dent get affected by the economic crisis. There is always a demand for the horror flicks. Mendik discusses three films – “The Crazies,” “Martin” and “The Dawn of the dead,” that were released between 1973 and 1978 (Mendik 152). These movies touch the topics of vampire, the family curse, and cannibalism, plus the important role of the gun. Needless to say, those moves are one of the most visually interesting works of the decade. The viewer is haunted by those horrifying scenes, and the genre of horror movies allows the filmmakers to express whatever they want. Perhaps, it is the expressive appeal of the horror movies that attracts the audience. The horror movies reflect the disillusionment in the society with their cannibals and psycho killers. The book shows how the horror films reflect the times in which they were made. For example, he relates the soundtrack in “The Crazies” to the rhythms of the military drums.” Martin” is a tale of vampirism set during unemployment and staggering inflation. In “Dawn of the Dead,” the nations seems to have lost its moral leadership and the citizens are shown to disobey the government orders.The seventies is considered a landmark year in American history and for the horror films. American cult cinema always reflects tensions and fears of the society and can be seen as a social barometer. The authors manage to connect the films to the political and social backdrop of the times. The book focuses on a few chosen few titles that are discussed with references and plot structures. Sometimes there is too much of the academic jumble that makes the writing lose its entertainment values at some times. Overall, the book “Shocking cinemas of the seventies “by Xavier Mendik makes a good attempt to dig in the culture and movies of the 70’s. There are plenty of black and white photos that add to the visual comprehension of those movies. It is good to discuss films that have been forgotten and bring them into the limelight again. Overall, the essay is engaging, and the author gets academic at times but still manages to avoid overuse of jargon. He keeps in mind the average reader's intelligence and presents some interesting facts and information. The third chapter and its essay explore the links between freakish effects in supernatural horror pictures and makes several fascinating points. The innovative article considers the social and cinematic issues and tries to look at the truth behind one of the challenging periods in cinema history. The author has written extensively on cinema and especially on the cult of horror under several publications. According to him, the academic society is taking the greater interest in cult movies and filmmaking.
Works Cited
Mendik, Xavier. "Shocking Cinema of the Seventies." Iowa 1.1 (2002): 1-228. Print.
