Frightfest Guide to Monster Movies


Book Description

In The Frightfest Guide to Monster Movies, celebrated writer, editor and critic Michael Gingold starts in the silent era and traces the history of the genre all the way through to the present day. From Universal Studios legends such as Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy, to the big bugs, atomic mutants and space invaders that terrorized the 50s, to the kaiju of Japan and the ecological nightmares of the 70s and 80s, to the CG creatures and updated favourites of recent years - they're all here.




Frightfest Guide to Werewolf Movies


Book Description

Award-winning filmmaker Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate, Tales of Halloween) surveys the last 120 years of the ghost movie genre and reviews the 200 most memorable titles from across the globe. From timeless classics to recent blockbusters, quirky indies to international sensations, hidden gems to oddities, each of these movies has in some way contributed to the development of the ghost movie as we know it, in all its incarnations and cultural variants.




The Horror Show Guide


Book Description

This cinefile’s guidebook covers the horror genre monstrously well! Find reviews of over 1,000 of the best, weirdest, wickedest, wackiest, and most entertaining scary movies from every age of horror! Atomic bombs, mad serial killers, zealous zombies, maniacal monsters lurking around every corner, and the unleashing of technology, rapidly changing and dominating our lives. Slasher and splatter films. Italian giallo and Japanese city-stomping monster flicks. Psychological horrors, spoofs, and nature running amuck. You will find these terrors and many more in The Horror Show Guide: The Ultimate Frightfest of Movies. No gravestone is left unturned to bring you entertaining critiques, fascinating top-ten lists, numerous photos, and extensive credit information to satisfy even the most die-hard fans. Written by a fan for fans, The Horror Show Guide helps lead even the uninitiated to unexpected treasures of unease and mayhem with lists of similar motifs, including ... Urban Horrors Nasty Bugs, Mad Scientists and Maniacal Medicos Evil Dolls Bad Hair Days Big Bad Werewolves Most Appetizing Cannibals Classic Ghost Stories Fiendish Families Guilty Pleasures Literary Adaptations Horrible Highways and Byways Post-Apocalyptic Horrors Most Regrettable Remakes Towns with a Secret and many more. With reviews on many overlooked, underappreciated gems, new devotees and discriminating dark-cinema enthusiasts alike will love this big, beautiful, end-all, be-all guide to an always popular film genre. With many photos, illustrations, and other graphics, The Horror Show Guide is richly illustrated. Its helpful appendix of movie credits, bibliography, and extensive index add to its usefulness.




Frightfest Guide to Ghost Movies


Book Description

Award-winning filmmaker Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate, Tales of Halloween) surveys the last 120 years of the ghost movie genre and reviews the 200 most memorable titles from across the globe. From timeless classics to recent blockbusters, quirky indies to international sensations, hidden gems to oddities, each of these movies has in some way contributed to the development of the ghost movie as we know it, in all its incarnations and cultural variants.







Monsters in the Movies


Book Description

From cinema's earliest days, being scared out of your wits has always been one of the best reasons for going to the movies. From B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by horror film maestro John Landis celebrates the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk or rampage across the Silver Screen. Landis also surveys the historical origins of archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of the special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, the Alien, and Freddy Krueger. Monsters in the Movies by John Landis is filled with the author's own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of movie-making, and includes memorable contributions from leading directors, actors and monster-makers. The book is also stunningly illustrated with 1000 movie stills and posters drawn from the unrivaled archives of the Kobal Collection. Contents Introduction by John Landis... Explore a timeless world of fears and nightmares as John Landis investigates what makes a legendary movie monster • Monsters, chapter by chapter... Feast your eyes upon a petrifying parade of voracious Vampires, flesh-eating Zombies, slavering Werewolves, gigantic Apes and Supernatural Terrors • Spectacular double-page features... Thrill to the strangest, scariest, weirdest, and craziest movie monsters ever seen • The ingenious tricks of movie-making... Marvel as the special-effects wizards reveal how they create movie magic • A monster-movie timeline... Discover John Landis's personal selection of landmark horror films




The Rough Guide to Horror Movies


Book Description

Traces the origins and history of horror motion pictures, identifies and reviews fifty essential movies, includes a look at key actors, actresses, and directors, and discusses related Web sites, festivals, and magazines.




Perverse Titillation


Book Description

The exploitation film industry of Italy, Spain and France during the height of its popularity from 1960 to 1980 is the focus of this entertaining history. With subject matter running the gamut from Italian zombies to Spanish werewolves to French lesbian vampires, the shocking and profoundly entertaining motion pictures of the "Eurocult" genre are discussed from the standpoint of the films and the filmmakers, including such internationally celebrated auteurs as Mario Bava, Jess Franco, Jean Rollin and Paul Naschy. The Eurocult phenomenon is also examined in relation to the influences that European culture and environment have had on the world of exploitation cinema. The author's insight and expertise contribute to a greater understanding of what made these films special--and why they have remained so popular to later generations.




Nightmare USA


Book Description

From Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) to Eli Roth (Hostel), the young guns of modern Hollywood just can't get enough of that exploitation film high. That's because, between 1970 and 1985, American Exploitation movies went berserk. Nightmare USA is the reader's guide to what lies beyond the mainstream of American horror, dispelling the shadows to meet the men and women behind 15 years of screen terror: The Exploitation Independents! Ranging from cult favourites like I Drink Your Blood to stylish mind-benders like Messiah of Evil.




Something More Than Night


Book Description

With his signature wit, the award-winning author of Anno Dracula, Kim Newman, reimagines the lives of Raymond Chandler and Boris Karloff in this daring and horrifying tale. 'If more mysteries were written like this, I’d read more mysteries.' - Grady Hendrix, author of The Final Girl Support Group Hollywood, the late 1930s. Raymond Chandler writes detective stories for pulp magazines, and drinks more than he should. Boris Karloff plays monsters in the movies. Together, they investigate mysterious matters in a town run by human and inhuman monsters. Joh Devlin, an investigator for the DA’s office who scores high on insubordination, enlists the pair to work a case that threatens to expose Hollywood’s most horrific secrets. Together they will find out more than they should about the way this town works. And about each other. And, oh yes, monsters aren’t just for the movies.