For Robin

I firmly believe that when you study cinema you don't just watch movies. Sure there is allot to learn from watching movies, and sure you can make really great arguments and theorys from just watching movies but there is whole lot more to cinema than that. I'm sure that when the Lumière brothers first showed their film of a train arriving into La Coitat Station there were people who did not like the film. Those people are no different from us today, we are critics of all that we see. Some of us are good critics and some of us are bad critics and some people are exceptional critics. So I ask you, do you know who this man is?




Robin Wood is film critic, and more than just that. He was also a professor, theorist, writer, and publisher. Wood created CineAction, a critical film journal and also wrote books on film directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, and Ingmar Bergman. Of his work, the piece of writing that opened a world of ideas when viewing films was his Introduction to the American Horror film. Especially his ideas on the return of the repressed within the horror genre. His work is a cornerstone in understanding and thinking critically about horror films. I know first hand that horror films get a bad rap and that many people believe that there is nothing endearing or valuable about them. When I first began my journey in cinema studies the genre that interested me the most seemed to be the one that was one of the most criticized. When I found out that there were theorists and critics who not only examined the blockbuster horror films, but also examined the lesser quality and dark horror films, I felt that there was a real chance that the horror genre could find true respect.

Robin Wood was one of those critics and theorists that saw the value in the horror films of his day and even the value in many newer horror films that came out. He did not just focus on horror films but also examined and discussed films from all genres and aspects. His book Hollywood from Vietnam and Reagan...and Beyond captures a full breath of Robin Wood's style and eye of criticism.

Robin Wood passed away on December 18th, 2009. He was 78 years old. His legacy lives on in the those that believe in CineAction, and the students that he has taught and have continued in a career in film criticism. What is a shame about his loss is that film studies has lost a true master and a genuinely good critic. It is with hope that there are those who will be inspired by Wood's writings and will follow in his footsteps.