About the seminar
And a Nice Chianti: The Culinary Treats of Hannibal Lecter
By Dr E. Anna Claydon...
Whether it was Brian Cox, Antony Hopkins or Mads Mikkelsen, the terrible charisma of Hannibal Lecter has drawn audiences in from the novels, the films and the television series. However, a core aspect of the horror was the pleasure Lecter takes in his food, human or otherwise, and how it contributes to the narratives and their many, many, uncanny valleys. In this paper, the way in which food is used as a narrative device, and the implications of each edible morsel, across the film and television series are analysed not only within a psychoanalytical, and cognitive, context (hence the 'uncanny', in which the subconscious jars against the conscious) but also within a discourse of exquisite 'taste’.
About the speaker
Dr E. Anna Claydon is Associate Professor in Media and Communication at the University of Leicester. Her research encompasses cultural studies and focusses on film, music, television, social media, disability and psychosocial approaches to faith. Her most recent publication (Claydon and Whitehouse-Hart, 2018) concentrates upon this latter part of her work but upcoming work includes: an article relating to this talk (2020-21), two more articles from the work with Jo Whitehouse-Hart (2020-21) and a chapter (for an collection celebrating the 40th anniversary) on the music across the Indiana Jones films (2021). She is also working on an article on the music in Psycho and the television series Bates Motel.
Are you interested in studying film?
Home to a renowned arts scene and the longest continuously running film festival, the Edinburgh Internatonal Film Festival, the city offers excellent art house cinemas, galleries, theatres, a vibrant film culture and many job opportunities. The academic staff in Film Studies are published researchers with a focus on film theory, film-philosophy and national cinemas, while Film, Exhibition and Curation staff combine critical expertise with extensive experience in curating and making film. We offer one year taught Masters degrees in either Film Studies or in Film, Exhibition and Curation. The MSc in Film Studies is designed for students particularly interested in theory, film-philosophy and art house cinema, while the MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation combines critical and project based approaches to screening film and developing audiences.
