Gamers and Gorehounds - the Influence of Video Games on the Contemporary American Horror Film

Over the past decades, the horror genre has depicted terror coming from various sources. Even a video game console can serve as a potential source of antagonism. Video games allow players the opportunity to essentially become another person in another world. As this technology continues to improve, the line between reality and fiction continues to blur. The first part of this work looks at horror films from 1990-1999 that focus on video game representation. These are storylines that only portray video game technology as the villain as opposed to a beneficial asset to society. The second part of this thesis will focus on films from 2002-2005, all of which are video game adaptations. There is a distinct shift in the content of video game horror films at the start of the new millennium where video game technology is no longer portrayed as an antagonist, but as legitimate source material. This book is addressed to professionals in the academic circle of film studies or digital games theory. However, it is also written with every horror fan in mind who wishes to take a trip down memory lane.