Study Questions for Simpson

Chapter 1

1. What are the major elements of serial killer movies that indicate their "gothic" nature?

2. How is the depiction of serial killers as "monsters" similar to what we see in other film genres?

Chapter 2

1. Why is it so difficult to separate fact from fiction in the work of writers such as Thomas Harris?

2. What kind of police investigation work typifies "profiling?"

3. What elements of profiling are "gothic" in their nature?

Chapter 3

1. What impact have female fiction writers had upon the serial killer genre?

2. What insights into the role of bureaucracy in serial killing investigations are offered in Citizen X?

Chapter 4

1.  What specific sociological aspects of contemporary American culture do we see discussed cinematically in current serial killer films?

2. In what ways is "American Psycho" a critique of the Wall Street type mentality of the 1980s and 1990s?

Chapter 5

1. How is the metaphor of "American life on the road" deconstructed in films such as "Natural Born Killers" and "Kalifornia?"

2. In what ways does "Se7en" demonstrate urban paranoia? If you have seen "Frailty" (a must see for fans of the serial killer genre), compare these two films both in their view of "inner-directed killing" and victims.

Chapter 6

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