Epidemic Films to Die for: A Chronicle of the Covid-19 Plague Years - Paperback

by Tom Zaniello (Author)

Epidemic cinema remains an enduring genre of contemporary film, ranging from medical dramas to post-apocalyptic thrillers. Using a vast filmography, Zaniello not only details the incredible variety of epidemics and their role in popular culture, but also demonstrates how epidemics, as a rule, have been confronted without proper preparation or deployment of resources in different forms of media. Therefore, Epidemic Films to Die For is the first and the only book that extensively analyzes the history and deployment of films and TV series towards a chronicle of epidemic films. In addition to providing an overview of how widespread disease and illness have been historically depicted via film and media, this book skillfully contextualizes the contemporary ongoing moment in which filmmakers and producers grapple with the cultural imaginary surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author Biography

Tom Zaniello is Professor Emeritus at Northern Kentucky University, USA. He has been active as a film programmer in Washington DC and is currently completing a study of Hitchcock's subversion of Hollywood style. He has published books on working-class films and controversial trials.