Apocalypse Cinema

Vivid images of the apocalypse proliferate throughout contemporary cinema, which pictures the death of civilization in wildly different ways. Some films imagine a future where humanity is wiped out entirely, while others envision humans as an endangered species, enslaved by alien invaders or hunted by zombie hordes.

This book provides a lively overview of apocalypse cinema, including alien invasions, nuclear annihilation, asteroid collisions, climate change, and terrifying plagues. Covering pivotal films from the silent era to the present day, including Metropolis, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dr. Strangelove, Contagion, and Avengers: Endgame, Stephen Prince explores how these dark visions are rooted in religious and prophetic traditions, and he considers how our love for apocalypse cinema is tied to fundamental existential questions and anxieties that never go out of fashion.

Author: Stephen Prince
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Published: 07/16/2021
Pages: 156
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.22lbs
Size: 6.93h x 4.49w x 0.55d
ISBN13: 9781978819849
ISBN10: 1978819846
BISAC Categories:
- Performing Arts | Film | Guides & Reviews
- Art | Film & Video
- Social Science | Popular Culture

About the Author
STEPHEN PRINCE (1955 - 2020) was a professor of cinema at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. He authored numerous books, including Digital Visual Effects in Cinema: The Seduction of Reality and A Dream of Resistance: The Cinema of Kobayashi Masaki (both Rutgers University Press).