Film cycles, industry and audience: Hammer Films' 'monster' cycle and American International Pictures' Poe adaptations

The American and British film industries were in a state of flux after the Second World War. Small independent production companies took advantage of this transitional time to attempt direct competition with the major Hollywood studios by cornering the new teenage market and drive-in venue. This thesis will trace the development and decline of two such companies—Hammer Films and American International Pictures (AIP)—from the postwar period through to the seventies. I examine Hammer Films' ‘monster’ cycle and AIP's Poe adaptations as examples of film cycles in practice, focusing on how they marketed and distributed their films, and how they sought to develop an audience. I conclude by discussing the critical response to these film cycles.