The Pulse in Cinema: The Aesthetics of Horror

A philosophical enquiry into the pulse as the affective force in cinema
Develops a concept of the pulse and argues for the importance of its use in cinema spectatorship theory
Builds on ideas of rhythm in early and experimental cinema to develop a progressive theory that is valuable for a cinematic understanding of body horror
Analyses five body horror films - Le Sang des bêtes/Blood of the Beasts, The Tingler, Dawn of the Dead, L’aldilà/The Beyond and Possession - using aspects of the pulse
Provides an innovative approach to the economy of cinema to rethink the energetic relation between the image and the spectator
Integrates concepts from theorists Jean-François Lyotard, Gilles Deleuze, and Georges Bataille into the study of cinema spectatorship

When we think of the pulse in cinema, we may think of the heartbeat of the spectator as they respond to affective or moving scenes in the film, or how fast-paced and shocking images exacerbate this affective response. Conceptually extending cinema spectatorship, The Pulse in Cinema contends that cinema is an energetic arrangement of affective and intense forces, where the image and the spectator are specific components. Analysing body horror films such as The Tingler (1959), Dawn of the Dead (1978) and The Beyond (1981), this book builds on Lyotard’s concept of the dispositif, Deleuze’s work on sensation and Bataille’s economic theory to conceptualise a pulse in cinema, arguing for its importance in cinema spectatorship theory.