Paperback review: British Gothic Cinema, By Barry Forshaw

Fans of Hammer will relish its defence in this erudite survey, particularly against the insistence of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee that they had merely made “colourful fantasies”. In Forshaw’s view, Curse of Frankenstein is “deeply visceral”, while Dracula is “subversive… perfectly constructed”.

Moving on to Hammer’s rivals, he eulogises Witchfinder General (“it is difficult to know where to start in identifying its innovations”) but overpraises The Wicker Man at the expense of its double-bill partner Don’t Look Now, a masterpiece that still chills to the marrow.