Book Description
Since the beginning of his existence, man has used imagination to create magical worlds that would transport him beyond the borders of reality. Art of Imagination is a trilogy consisting of the award winning Illustrated History series: Science Fiction of the 20th Century (Year 2000 Hugo Award Winner), Horror of the 20th Century (Bram Stoker Award nominee), and Fantasy of the 20th Century creating the ultimate collection. It was in the twentieth century that book, magazine, and poster artists reached new pinnacles of creativity in depicting the unknown. This collection of works by artists and designers of movie posters, books, and magazines provides a hearty feast for the eyes of the enchanted reader. These artisans and their works are the subject of this new must-have book for not only collectors of memorabilia, but for every person who has longed to step into his or her imaginary world, be it one of fantasy, flight, or fear -- if only for a moment.
Customer Reviews:
Lost for days..........2006-01-31
This book is amazing. You will find yourself peering at every full-color nook and cranny for days. There are so many historical, book, and film references, you'll find yourself taking endless notes for things to look up later.
If you consider yourself even the slightest of sci-fi/fantasy/horror fans, you will cherish this book.
It is quite a tome, however. Be sure to work up your bicepts before trying to lift it.
MY HIGHEST RECOMENDATION.......2005-01-08
If ever there was a book that's a treasure trove of images and information, this is it. An incredible array of pulp, comic, paperback and other art of 20th century science fiction, horror, fantasy and the like. The production values of this mammoth book are great, with familiar and totally obscure titles shown and explicated. Buy this book!
A heavyweight vision........2003-11-02
First off I think you should know that this wonderful book's 768 pages weigh a bit over ten pounds. It is a reprint of three very popular Collectors Press 20th Century series, Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy. I bought this copy because I'm interested in visual popular culture and I was very impressed with the historical scope of the subject matter, the 1300 colored illustrations include not only book jackets but covers of magazines, comics and nicely, film posters.
With so many illustrations you can search out your favorites, I like the work of Hannes Bok, Kelly Freas and Jeff Jones and there plenty of examples of their work. Running through all the images the three authors contribute a popular history of each genre but it is the huge collection of covers that make this a knockout book for me.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
BTW, I bought this big book at a huge discount and I suggest you take the trouble to check the title out on the comparison shopping book websites, you'll be surprised at price variations.
Necessary purchase for my collection of art texts.......2003-05-13
Being a professional artist, and a mondo horror fan, I was craving to get my pencil smudged paws on this book. Over 700 pages of lavishly illustrated science fiction and horror history. Art of Imagaination brings to attention the works of the great artists who have worked in this field for over a century. Anyone with even a minor interest in thsi subject would find this text a true page turner. Highly Recommended.
A Trip Through the Fantastic!.......2003-01-17
This book is a must have for anyone who is creative. If you've lost your sense of wonder, this book will bring it back. You cannot help but be inspired by this fine tribute to the illustrators and art directors of fantastic art. You will not be disappointed buying this book. No cheap black & white stroll through memory lane here. It's a full color journey spotlighting the creative talent of imaginative artists from days gone by to today. High quality paper and binding are the icing on the cake. A tip of the hat to the authors and publisher for such an authoritative volume on a thinly treated subject.
Book Description
• The first monograph dedicated to the World's most famous monster artist.
• Introduction by Rockstar and The Devil's Rejects horror film director, Rob Zombie.
• Profusely illustrated with over 150 color and 50 black & white illustrations.
• Full-color on 160 heavy, glossy-stock pages
• Endorsed by the families of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lon Chaney.
• Features commentary from the artist, his contemporaries and noted film professionals.
The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos is a celebration of the career of the acknowledged master of film monster portrait art. To many fans of classic horror movies, the name Basil Gogos is as familiar as that of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi or Vincent Price. Gogos' paintings are as iconic as his subjects. This long-overdue retrospective features high-quality reproductions of many of his most famous paintings as well as many previously unpublished paintings and drawings of classic film creatures and actors. Gogos' early work in men's adventure magazine and paperback book art will also be examined as well as his works in movie posters and other areas. An in-depth career-spanning interview with the artist will accompany the illustrations and tributes by other artists and film professionals inspired by Gogos' powerful images. The book will feature an introduction by rock star, movie director and horror collector Rob Zombie.
The "monster craze" among baby-boomers, sparked by the release of Universal Studios' horror classics to television in the late '50s, gave birth to a new phenomenon -- the monster magazine. Famous Monsters of Filmland, filled with monster photos and articles on horror movies and their stars, was the premier publication for young horror film fans.
Issues of the new magazine practically leapt off the newsstand shelves and into kids' hands due in no small way to their striking cover paintings by Basil Gogos. Like a Bizarro world Norman Rockwell, his stylish portraits of horror film characters and stars were seen on magazine covers throughout the '60s and '70s. Gogos' interpretations of movie monsters like Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Phantom of the Opera, breathed new life into the old black and white images. His amazing use of color and bold, impressionistic brushwork gave a sense of both excitement and sophistication to his paintings which has never been matched.
Gogos' legend as the world's greatest movie monster artist has only grown over the years. His original Famous Monsters cover paintings are highly sought-after and are in the collections of many filmmakers and rock stars on whom he made a lasting impression. In recent years he has been in much demand by producers wishing to capture the unforgettable look and feel of the classic monster art of the '60s. CD and DVD covers, movie posters, trading cards, book covers and new monster magazines continue to keep Basil Gogos the world's greatest monster artist.
Customer Reviews:
THE BEST ART FROM THE BEST ARTIST.......2007-09-03
First of all...Like so many reviewers before me have said; almost every boy that grew up in the '50s & '60s anxiously collected our 35 cents every month so we could go to the local candy store & buy the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. This magazine became our bible & 4E Ackerman became our surrogate father. More than 45 years have passed; but I can still remember those magnificent covers as though it were yesterday. Basil Gogos painted the cover of the Gorgo issue which had a blue background & also the Vincent Price issue which had a white background,etc. This Book displays all of Basil Gogos outstanding cover art which graced the cover of FM for so many years. Don't take my word for it...ask Stephen King, Rick Baker, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, John Landis, Rob Zombie & a host of others..This book is an absolute delight for the senses & like fine art is meant to be treasured,
love it !!.......2007-03-14
this book is great.Very happy to included this one in my collection.Already have a tattoo planed of bride of frankenstein.
Gorgeous Book.......2007-02-06
I'm in agreement with another reviewer that mentioned the book could have been better written. That being said, it is well worth the price for all the fantastic paintings and drawings. A must for every fan of horror and sci-fi art.
Nice Packaging, not much substance.......2006-08-26
Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
The only setback for this book is its lack of depth in the text. It seems that whoever was sent to interview Basil didn't ask too many questions, didn't want to really know too much about him except for his general acheivements, and didn't ask him for a demonstration of how he works. Among all of the great pics, some candid ones of the artist would've been nice, most notably a pic of his studio.
Still, the images are so rich in color and character. Worth it!
THE JOY OF BEING A MONSTER KID!.......2006-05-03
If you were fortunate to have been born between 1950 and 1970 or so, you're lucky to be a part of a wonderful fraternity. Like me, you are a "monster kid". Monster Kids are the generation that grew up with Shock Theater and campy horror movie hosts, old Aurora model kits, classic Universal horror films on 8MM, and...a fantastic magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland. Famous Monsters was edited by legendary collector and Sci-Fi sage Forrest Ackerman and one of the great attractions throughout the years were the magnificent magazine covers painted by Basil Gogos. From Vanguard Productions comes "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos." Basil Gogos has rightfully been called, "The World's Most Famous Monster Artist." His bold, expresionistic use of color is what caught the eye of little ghouls like myself and my friends. Edited by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock and with an introduction by Rob Zombie, the book provides a dazzling display of Gogos' art not only from Famous Monsters, but from many other magazines, books, and films.
In fact, his first professional sale was not a monster, but rather a cover for a western paperback (reprinted in the book) in 1959. Gogos did numerous covers in many different genres including westerns, war, jungle adventures, spicy adventures, and more. Dozens of examples of his work from this period are included. His first cover for Famous Monsters of Filmland appeared on the cover of issue #9 from November, 1960, depicting Vincent Price from "The House of Usher". For the first time, kids who were used to only knowing them from black & white films now saw their monster heroes in bold color thanks to Gogos. In all, Gogos did 48 covers of Famous Monsters and they are among the most popular issues for collectors. Everyone has their favorite Gogos Famous Monster cover...for me it was his rendition of Boris Karloff as the Mummy from issue # 58. The fine detail of the withered, dead-eyed mummy still mesmerizes me. Issue #56 featuring Gogos painting of Karloff as the Frankenstein's monster for the Karloff tribute issue is another favorite. Basil provides valuable insight to his legions of fans by discussing the various paints, styles, and techniques that he's employed over the years.
Gogos would eventually move into doing fine art as well as non-monster commercial illustration including work for many years at a New York advertising agency. But much like the victims of those classic monster films, Gogos found he could not, for long, escape his beloved creatures. The 1990's brought a renewed interest in Gogos' monster art and soon he was back doing new paintings for trading card companies, CD cover art for The Misfits and Rob Zombie, and a whole new generation of monster magazines such as Monsterscene, making him more popular than ever. Gogos even did the concept art for a series of U.S. Postage stamps in 1997 that featured the classic monsters. The book features comments and tributes from such luminaries as Sara Karloff, Ken Kelly, Forrest Ackerman, Roger Corman, and Rick Baker. In all there are over 150 color and 50 black & white illustrations in the 160 page book. For monster kids like myself, who are all "grown up" now, Basil Gogos will always have a special place in our hearts. His Famous Monsters of Filmland covers take us back to a simpler time of true chills and thrills and I can think of no other book that would please a monster fan more than "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos." Like many of the books from Vanguard Productions, it is available in several different editions: There is a softcover, a hardcover, and a deluxe hardcover that is signed by Basil Gogos and includes a 16 page bonus folio and comes in a slipcase. The Deluxe, signed, slipcased edition was an instant sell-out and is already selling for big bucks on the collector's market. My highest recommendation!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Book Description
Known worldwide as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) had an incredible directing career that spanned five decades and more than fifty films. He earned numerous awards, inspired countless publications and festivals, and spawned a new era in suspense cinema.
This spectacular pop-up pays tribute to the great filmmaker and features seven of his most influential films: Saboteur, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, and Frenzy. With stunning three-dimensional paper engineering by Kees Moerbeek highlighting pivotal moments and Hitchcock's cameo in each film, Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense will be treasured by fans and film lovers alike for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Seven Suspensfull Scenes.......2007-04-12
Seven of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films are brought to life by Kees Moerbeek's complex paper engineering. Each of seven spreads is a large montage of scenes from the film and includes a brief synopsis of the plot. You may also lift a flap and view the scene in which Hitchcock has placed himself in the movie, something he did in almost every film he made. This is a must-have for any Hitchcock fan, and for pop-up collectors as well
Wonderful tribute to the master!.......2007-03-22
A visual delight & work of art! Though I would have liked more text, this would probably have detracted from the book's artistry & visual appeal; as it is, the text that is present is full of quirky facts & fits quite nicely with the images. Very unique & fun book!
Hitchcock Book.......2007-01-19
When I read a review about this book in the Washington Post, I thought it would make a good present for my son because Hitchcock is one of his favorite directors. My son does not, however, enjoy reading, so I wasn't sure if he would want the book. Much to my pleasure he told me it was one of his favorite Christmas presents he received.
Not exactly impressed.......2007-01-19
I gave my GF this pop-up book for Xmas. She is a big Hitchcock fan. I thought she would be really impressed but she just briefly flipped through and barely raised an eyebrow. The other day I saw it buried under a pile of junk in her room. It's a good idea but not all that interesting to look at.
I had read a glowing review of the book and the techincal genius of the "paper engineers" who constructed it in the Wall St. Journal. While some of the displays are amusing, ultimately, I was not all that impressed and found the report in the WSJ to be exaggerated.
Makes a good coffee table book.
Perfect!.......2007-01-10
This book is so unique and a must for any Hitchcock movie fan. It gave great info on the movies it covered. I just wish it had "all" of his movies!
Average customer rating:
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Son of Frankenstein : Universal Filmscripts Series Classic Horror Films Volume 3 (Autographed Edition)
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Product Description
Revised and updated since its first publication in 1990, this acclaimed critical survey covers the classic chillers produced by Universal Studios during the Golden Age of Hollywood Horror, 1931 through 1946. Trekking boldly through haunts and horrors from The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and The Invisible Man, to The Mummy, Paula the Ape Woman, The Creeper, and The Inner Sanctum, the authors offer a definitive study of the 86 films produced during this era and present a general overview of the period. Coverage of the films includes complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and commentary from the cast and crew (much of it drawn from interviews by Tom Weaver, whom USA Today calls "the king of the monster hunters"). Unique to this edition are a new selection of photographs and poster reproductions and an appendix listing additional films of interest.
Customer Reviews:
THE BIBLE OF UNIVERSAL HORROR.......2007-07-07
The classic horror films of the 30's and 40's have never been as popular as they are today. Baby Boomers who grew up watching the old Shock Theater packages in the 50's and 60's hold a tremendous fondness for the films that terrified them as children. The Boris Karloff Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi Dracula are still the most recognized images of those two classic monsters...so much so that their families had to move to legally trademark their images to protect them.
The Universal horror films are the subject of Universal Horrors, the second edition of this outstanding book by noted classic film historian Tom Weaver and Michael & John Brunas. Throughout the massive 608 page hardcover, the authors cover each one of the 85 horror films made by Universal from 1931 - 1946. Just do the math...that's an average of about seven pages spent on each film during this period. This is no mere listing of actors with a one-page synopsis. Rather this is a definitive guide to these 85 films with complete cast and credits, detailed storyline synopses, production history, behind-the-scenes information, critical analysis, period reviews, and commentary by cast and crewmembers. Most of the comments come from the voluminous numbers of reviews that Weaver has conducted over the years.
The films are listed chronologically beginning with Dracula in 1931 and ending with The Brute Man in 1946. It even includes the Spanish version of Dracula which was filmed on the same set as the original at the very same time! White The Lugosi version was shot during the day, the Spanish crew took over at night. In many ways, the Spanish version outshines the Tod Browning directed original.
One of my guilty favorites of the Universal Classic film era is 1932's Murder in the Rue Morgue, presenting Lugosi in truly one of his most sadistic and macabre roles. This film ended up being the bone that both Lugosi and Director Robert Florey received for NOT getting their respective parts in Frankenstein, which instead went to Karloff and Director James Whale. This rather film features Lugosi as Dr. Mirakle, who injects the blood of an ape into women he captures. When the experiments fail, he dumps the women into a river. It's a highly underrated film and one of Lugosi's best roles.
Weaver and partners don't give a short shrift to lesser-known films. While the most popular films do get more coverage, even the least well-known of the Universal Horrors gets several pages devoted to it...and there are a number of lesser known films. Unfortunately a number of these are not on DVD or even VHS for that matter meaning that the entry in this book is probably the closest you'll get to the film without actually seeing it.
Many of these lesser-known films are not true horror but often murder mysteries with horror trappings such as "old dark house-style" films. These films include Secret of the Blue Room, Secret of the Chateau, The House of Fear, and The Black Doll. The appendix goes on to list several dozen more films that were borderline exclusions...close, but just not making the cut to receive a full write-up for various reasons. Actually it's somewhat difficult to figure out while some of these were left out of the main listing since many are quite similar in plot and tone.
This book is simply fabulous. Everything that Weaver does is always meticulously researched and extraordinarily entertaining. This is THE Bible to fans of Universal's classic horror films, and one of the finest film reference books I've ever read.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
Great Book, A Little Pricey.......2003-08-03
If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!
Great Book, A Little Pricey.......2003-08-03
If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!
A must have for any fan of vintage horror films.......1999-08-29
An amazing source of information for anyone who ever stayed up watching the late late show on a Saturday night. I am truly impressed at the thorough research that went into this book; many factoids which have escaped even the most die-hard of fans will be brought to light. I commend McFarland Press for providing fans of such an "un-hip" genre with consistently fine sources of in-depth information, especially keeping in mind that with each passing year the facts directly from those who were there are getting more and more difficult to find. This book probably does not hold a lot of interest for anyone who does not hold a special place in their heart for the studios' genre work prior to buying the book, and the authors do tend to often drift into becoming overly opinionated and putting much too much thought into subject matter that was never intended to be overanalyzed. Nonetheless, this is still an extremely fun read for any fan.
Indispensable reference!.......1999-07-12
This book has it all for the serious student of classic horror films. Choose from a wide selection of bios, cast lists, plot summaries, anectdotes and more compiled by these mavens of the genre, Messrs. Brunas and Weaver. Thrill as they explore the nooks and crannies of the House That Universal Built. This comprehensive work is obviously the result of exhaustive hands-on research and deserves an honored spot in every true horror fan's library.
Amazon.com
Before Men, Women, and Chain Saws, most film critics assumed that horror (especially slasher) films entail a male viewer sadistically watching the plight of a female victim. Carol Clover argues convincingly that both male and female viewers not only identify with the victim, but experience, through the actions of the "final girl," a climactic moment of female power. As the Boston Globe writes, Men, Women, and Chain Saws "challenges simplistic assumptions about the relationship between gender and culture... [Clover] suggests that the 'low tradition' in horror movies possesses positive subversive potential, a space to explore gender ambiguity and transgress traditional boundaries of masculinity and femininity." Be forewarned, though: Clover addresses an academic audience, so her language can be heavy going.
Related title: The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film by Barry Keith Grant
Book Description
Do the pleasures of horror movies really begin and end in sadism? So the public discussion of film assumes, and so film theory claims. Carol Clover argues, however, that these films work mainly to engage the viewer in the plight of the victim-hero, who suffers fright but rises to vanquish the forces of oppression.
Clover, a medievalist, had written extensively on the literature and culture of early northern Europe, especially the Old Norse sagas. From her expertise in formulaic narrative grew her interest in contemporary cinema, which is, after all, yet another form of oral storytelling. Men, Women, and Chain Saws investigated the appeal of horror cinema, in particular the phenomenal popularity of those "low" genres that feature female heroes and play to male audiences: slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Such genres seem to offer sadistic pleasure to their viewers, and not much else. Clover, however, argued the reverse: that these films are designed to align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the female tormented--with the suffering, pain, and anguish that the "final girl," as Clover calls the victim-hero, endures before rising, finally, to vanquish her oppressor.
The book has found an avid readership from students of film theory to major Hollywood filmmakers, and the figure of the final girl has been taken up by a wide range of artists, inspiring not just filmmakers but also musicians and poets.
Customer Reviews:
No opinion either way........2005-04-04
The book is undeniably well written. Alot of the author's points are valid, and her(?)ideas about the role of gender in horror films are interesting. What really burns me is that I'm not too sure that she actually watched some of the films she mentions. Or if she did, she didn't really pay too much attention.
I think that if one were to write a book about character study, they should probably pay closer attention to the characters they study. Make sense to me.
Overall, reading this book was helpful in the way it describes a relativly small audience....not horror fans, but people who want to pick apart horror movies in order to make sense of horror fans. For the academics, who don't know how to shut their brains off in order to just kick back and enjoy a good old fashoined "Killin' Movie", this book could really come in handy. For those of us who need no help in enjoying the genre, this book might help you speak the language of people who don't. This new ability could be useful when you get dragged into either an argument or a sophist's conversation on the subject. (Sophist being different than sophisticate...sophists only pretend to know what they're talking about when they are around people whom they believe to not know any better.)
All things being equal though...its an allright book.
P.S.
I secretly wonder sometimes, when people talk about how its always women being beaten, tortured and killed in horror films.
99% of these slasher films are about slashers. Duh...ok with that out of the way, let's ask ourselves who these slashers are.
Maniacs, (Almost always male) with some sort of abhorrent social disfunction. Sounds alot like our real life serial killers.
As bad as Jason Voorhese is, he doesn't even compare to the Green River Killer, or Edmund Kemper. As witty and Terrifying Freddy Kruger might be, his evil genius pales in comparison to guys like Carl Panzram or H.H. Holmes. As ruthlessly deranged Michael Meyers seems to be, he can't hold a candle to guys like Richard Speck or Richard Ramierez. Now, what do all these fellas, (real or screen character) have in common? THEY ALL KILLED WOMEN. Point of fact, our onscreen killers are much more equal opportunity than our real life madmen. So, is it any wonder that women are victims in these movies? Also, the women in most of these films tend to get off with just a nasty death. In most instances, the real life killers would do some fairly terrible things to their victims before they killed them.
Slumming academics.......2005-01-01
It's amazing that horror films, of all the genres, have undergone such 'serious' analysis in the academic film studies arena. It tells you a lot--considered to be a kind of low art form, it attracts serious scholars who, rather than applying common sense or rational thinking, literally invent whole vocabularies to disguise their utter lack of knowledge and general cluelessness with regards to these staples of 'pop' culture for the 'little people'.
It's classic academic constructs. It's obvious that Clover, and she's not alone, is either incapable or unwilling to just say what she means. Instead, and in order for a university press to pick these things up, the ideas have to be draped in dense, unreadable, and often laughable language.
Are there interesting ideas here? Yes, certainly. Are they easy to understand? They can be, but not here. You may feel like a moron after reading about your favorite slasher, but don't worry--you haven't been exposed to the careerism and isolation of the cinematic ivory tower yet.
The book can be half as long if they tried to make it accessible to the people who actually WATCH horror films, but it is instead geared toward people who want to study the people who watch horror films, from a detached perspective, armed with a dictionary and a black turtleneck.
I would actually recommend this book for horror fans, but with reservations. It does try to get at what is happening in this genre, and why we watch these movies. But don't feel bad if you laugh at some of it--that's part of the real world.
Good in spite of itself.......2004-08-09
The author is obviously an academic, and seeks to dignify her pop-culture subject with ludicrous rhetorical tropes borrowed from the grad school version of pop psychoanalysis. She says "gender" when she means sex. She is capable of writing phrases like "the killer's phallic purpose. . ." and sentences like "What -is- clear is that where there is -Wiederholungszwang- there is historical suffering --- suffering that has been more or less sexualized as 'erotogenic masochism.'" Clarity, it seems, ain't what it used to be. Charlatans like Gilles Deleuze and hatemongers like Susan Brownmiller appear in the bibliography, and the book is obviously addressed to an audience that has not yet learned to laugh at them.
Still, the central thesis of the book is in fact a cogent analysis of the ritual of the 1980s variety "slasher" film, and if you overlook the bogus jargon she gets it mostly right. The book convincingly goes through the rituals involved in this highly stereotypical variety of film. Even the vaguely radical academic version of sexual politics has some purpose in this: these slasher films, like all accepted exercises in gore and the temporary suspension of tabooed subjects, attempt to justify their existence by claiming in some obscure way to reinforce social norms. It would be a much better book if it were written in workaday English, but it is nevertheless an interesting read, and insightful almost despite itself.
One-sex theory? Anal birth?.......2004-01-02
Really doesn't sound like the beginnings of a discussion of horror films. The language used in this book is so far over my head that I begin to feel stupid, and that what I thought I knew about movies (which is more than most people I know) must certainly not be enough to even be allowed to watch them. What's disappointing is that I want to agree with the theories in the book. Clover's premise is that watching horror movies is not a sadistic act, and that the young men who watch them are really identifying with the female victim-hero, instead of just gawking at boobies. I like the idea that the viewer identifies with the monster and the victim. But I don't think the author can really identify with... humanity! The word 'psychobabble' does come to mind. It makes me wonder what she's hiding from, or who she's trying to impress. I don't think she has any grasp at all of these films or why I watch so many of them.
It just seems to me like this woman has put every word she knows into a theory I think I can sum up in less than fifty pages. Sentences don't need to be that long to get a point across.
To sum up, if you are a horror film fan with an IQ of 160 or less, do not read this book! It was written for high-brow, academic types who are fascinated by the rituals and habits of us lower creatures, but wouldn't be caught dead in a theatre with less than eighteen screens. However, if you are a high-brow, academic type who is fascinated by the rituals and habits of us lower creatures, but wouldn't be caught dead in a theatre with less than eighteen screens, you might like it.
She just does not get horror movies, that's all........2001-02-26
I bought this book hoping to read a balanced and insightful analysis of gender in horror. What I got was the same trite "analysis" that seems so fashionable today. This book is profoundly feminist, in a very offensive sort of way. I am terribly sorry, but the author really needs more than a few months' worth of watching horror (see her own admission on p.19) and more than rudemintary understanding of pop psychology, to make a compelling case.
Briefly, her "analysis" of the female in modern horror slasher movies goes like this. Clover begins with the observation that most of these (American) films concentrate on the abuse, victimization, and triumph of a woman. The author then asks (i) why a woman and (ii) why do mostly male viewers watch these films. Her interpretation is that the "Final Girl" in these movies is really a male! It seems that in Clover's world, most males are homosexual, or at least bisexual, and they seem to have some bizarre beating fantasies. Because showing a male in this position would be uncomfortable for the male viewers (it would expose their forbidden fantasies too close for comfort), an unfemale female is substituted.
Clover simply misses several very simple things, which leads her to the mental acrobatics necessary to account for the phenomenon. Why does she dismiss the directors when they say that having a woman suffer is essential to horror? I don't know, but it is obvious that (i) out culture regards men as active, that is, when men are victimized, there's little sympathy for them---we expect them to react, strike back, and die in the attempt---which means that if you want emotions in the audience, you better go after a girl; (ii) our society focuses on female beauty much more than male beauty---from an aesthetical perspective, destroying something beautiful is much more painful; (iii) the reason why The Final Girl is not too feminine is because these horror films are American---one characteristic trait of this culture is the belief that the outcast, the underdog, can succeed through his/her own efforts---that's why the main character is seen as an outcast; (iv) the basic plot of these films is a variation on the ancient myths of the hero---someone who goes through incredible ordeals, and wins against all odds---this sort of story, however, is mostly attractive to males, which is why you don't tend to see many women at these films. This is a brief synopsis of a larger argument where every step is substantiated, but it illustrates why Clover's view is plain wrong.
It would have been helpful if she had viewed some European or Japanese horror films: she would have found out that many of the features characteristic of US films are simply missing. It would have been helpful if she did not regard horror as low art (she does, her posturing to the contrary notwithstanding). It would have been better if she avoided the turgid prose common to texts where the author either has little to say or tries to disguise wrong ideas.
Finally, Clover completely misses an important consequence of horror being made idependently of Hollywood. It's not just that it can cater shamelessly to the most exploitative taste (which some do), but low-budget cinema is a more accurate reflection of trends in contemporary society. While Hollywood produces slick and ultimately empty movies, B-flicks incorporate things the way the authors see them---the Final Girl in horror is nothing less than an acknowledgment of the achievements of gender equality. There are now female heroines (much more resourceful than the bungling males in these movies) and they triumph over adversity, and against the onslaught of maniacal males. This seems like a good statement of the fact that our society has come to accept women in roles that traditionally were not available to them.
Book Description
For decades, the horror genre has been a major popular entertainment and has dominated the publishing and film industries. Yet there exists no philosophical examination of the genre - the time for its aesthetic analysis is ripe.
Noel Carroll, film scholar and philosopher, offers the first serious look at the aesthetics of horror. In this book he discusses the nature and narrative structures of the genre, dealing with horror as a "transmedia" phenomenon. A fan and serious student of the horror genre, Carroll brings to bear his comprehensive knowledge of obscure and forgotten works, as well as of the horror masterpieces. Working from a philosophical perspective, he tries to account for how people can find pleasure in having their wits scared out of them. What, after all, are those "paradoxes of the heart" that make us want to be horrified?
Customer Reviews:
Dense and Stuffy Reading.......2007-06-04
The book is an excellent resource for people who love the horror genre. It analyzes the elements of "art horror," in a step-by-step approach. The author strives to explore two questions- 1. why that which we know is not real still frightens us, and 2. why we like to be terrified. The author gives a history of art horror and focuses mainly on the classics (like Frakenstein, Nosferatu, The Shining, etc.) She writes an incredibly in depth primer discussing a very wide range of topics, all in great detail. My main problem with the text is that at times, it is way too in depth, and many times this drudgery is on irrelevant topics. For example, the author spends an entire chapter (80 pages) devoted solely to the purpose of defining horror. From a scholarly perspective, this explanation is great because it defines the art horror genre while leaving no stone unturned, and no gray areas about it. For the casual reader, the text can become dull and redundant. The book was created specially for the education of film students, so I would not recomend it for someone on the lookout for a vibrant and engrossing read.
Connoisseur of the Macabre.......2001-04-21
This is a philosophical and psychological look at why people love to experience the horror film (and novel). It teaches people how to understand the dynamics of film making and how simple techniques are used to fool our conscious (and unconscious) mind.
A excellent academic analysis of various elements in horror........1998-08-11
This essay attempts and succeeds at explaining why horror literature fascinates our culture. I myself had wondered why people write in this genre,and why is that we can enjoy a seemingly strange area of fiction.
I espically recommend this book to any person who is new to horror,and would like to learn about it. Even thought this book is written in a scholarly manner I think the language is down to earth for most any person to read (One final note: If the author is reading this review,please emai me back!)
A excellent academic analysis of various elements in horror........1998-08-11
This essay attempts and succeeds at explaining why horror literature fascinates our culture. I myself had wondered why people write in this genre,and why is that we can enjoy a seemingly strange area of fiction.
I espically recommend this book to any person who is new to horror,and would like to learn about it. Even thought this book is written in a scholarly manner I think the language is down to earth for most any person to read.
Book Description
Movie audiences seem drawn, almost compelled, toward tales of the horrific and the repulsive. Partly because horror continues to evolve radically--every time the genre is deemed dead, it seems to come up with another twist--it remains one of the most often-dissected genres. Here, author Kendall Phillips selects ten of the most popular and influential horror films--including Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream, each of which has become a film landmark and spawned countless imitators, and all having implications that transcend their cinematic influence and achievement. By tracing the production history, contemporary audience response, and lasting cultural influence of each picture, Phillips offers a unique new approach to thinking about popular attraction to horror films, and the ways in which they reflect both cultural and individual fears. Though stylistically and thematically very different, all of these movies have scared millions of eager moviegoers. This book tries to figure out why.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2005-05-18
A brilliant book - full of concrete examples and interesting history combined with insightful analysis. Intelligent without being "overly academic." A must-read for anyone interested in films, horror, or American cultural history.
Average customer rating:
- An interesting new way to read a great story
- Conveying the honesty behind these characters without wallowing in sentimentality.
- Just gets better and better
- ATTACK OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES
- Great Y.A. series
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Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies / Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies
Brent Hartinger
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ASIN: 0060824085
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
It's a horror-movie extravaganza in this companion to Brent Hartinger's Geography Club! Two books in one recount the stories of best friends Min and Russel who sign up to be extras on the set of a zombie film - then learn that there's nothing scarier than high school romance!
Read one story, flip the book over, and read the other! In Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, Russel must choose between his long-distance boyfriend and a close-to-home ex who wants to get back together. In Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, Min struggles to accept her cheerleader girlfriend's decision to stay in the closet.
Russel and Min's separate stories affect each other in surprising ways - but you'll have to read both books to find out how!
Customer Reviews:
An interesting new way to read a great story.......2007-06-08
Brent Hartinger has done it again. This is another great book in the Geography Club story line. The book stands alone, but you can get more out of it if you read the first two books in the series, Geography Club, and The Order of the Poinson Oak.
This book is a very interesting book. It is not just one book, but two books in one. The books tells a story of the same time in space, from the viewpoints of two characters. The first one is from Russel, and the second, his best friend Min. You read the first book, and then flip it over to get the second book. You get to see some of the same events, but from the viewpoint of the other character. There is also some things that are revealed when you read the second book.
I found the story to be engrosing, and I couldn't stop reading. The characters are well done, and the wisdom in the book is something to think about. I think that any teen will love this book. There are some twists and turns in the plot that are great, and a few mysteries that are revealed as more that they appear. There is one loose end that doesn't get tied up by the end of the book, and I truely hope that Hartinger writes another book to tie up this loose end. If his is, I eagerly await it.
This book is a definite read for anyone.
Conveying the honesty behind these characters without wallowing in sentimentality........2007-06-01
One of my favorite scenes in Back to the Future Part II is when Marty McFly travels back to 1955 for the second time and is able to witness his own actions from a different point of view. While not the same execution, the principle --- understanding that different events can occupy the same time and place --- is the heart of SPLIT SCREEN, Brent Hartinger's new novel.
Continuing with the characters he first established in GEOGRAPHY CLUB and revisited in THE ORDER OF THE POISON OAK, Hartinger places Russel, Min and Gunnar as extras on the set of a horror movie being shot at a local high school. The novelty of this work is that it's actually two books in one. The first one I read was ATTACK OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES, the story that relays events from Russel's point of view. If you flip the book over, you get BRIDE OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES and learn Min's perspective during the same time period.
In ATTACK, Russel is preparing for the Thanksgiving visit of his boyfriend (Otto, introduced in POISON OAK). Just when Russ thinks he has a handle on the long-distance relationship, Kevin --- the jock from GEOGRAPHY CLUB who prompts Russ to come out but then remains closeted --- comes back into Russ's life, looking to reconcile. To up the stakes, Kevin even announces that he's ready to come out. As if these romantic entanglements weren't enough, Russ's parents find out that their son is gay...and they DO NOT react well to the news.
In BRIDE, as Russel is dealing with his own problems, Min meets another extra on the movie set --- a girl named Leah --- and the two hit it off immediately. Min finds herself facing the prospect of having her first girlfriend. But as the large number of similarities between the two amasses, Min is thrown to learn that Leah is very much in the closet and has no immediate plans to come out. Add Leah's vocally homophobic friends to the mix, and Min is forced to take a step back and decide what she really wants...and what she can live with.
Hartinger has a talent for conveying the honesty behind these characters without wallowing in sentimentality. You feel for the dilemmas faced by both Russel and Min. Even though you as the reader may find it easy to decide what each should do, you also completely understand why they can't make up their minds. And it's great to see Min get her own voice for once. Brent, if you're reading this, she's prime spin-off material!
The book flipping gimmick is cute and it can be fun when you're reading the second story to remember what was happening concurrently in the first story, but I would have preferred a single, alternating POV narrative. That said, SPLIT SCREEN still pulls you in emotionally and stands as another successful entry in this series. By book's end, Russel is still dealing with parents who aren't comfortable with his sexuality. It would be a crime against YA books if this isn't more fully addressed in a future novel. But I suspect the author loves his characters as much as readers do and is not about to let Russ down.
--- Reviewed by Brian Farrey
Just gets better and better.......2007-06-01
Usually I'm not crazy about sequels as it means the author doesn't have any other ideas and ends up repeating themselves. But Hartinger managed to avoid that in The Order of the Poison Oak and he does so again--pretty cleverly--with Split Screen. Not only does he continue to further the stories of Russell, Otto, Kevin, and Min, but he does it by writing two books in one that cover the same period of time from two different points of view--Russell and Min's. Frankly, I've never read anything like it.
Both stories draw you in (read Russell's first), but the second makes you realize that not everything you read before was really the way it seemed. Which is a lot like life.
I guarantee you won't be disappointed. FYI, I know the author but I mean every word I said!
ATTACK OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES.......2007-06-01
One of my favorite scenes in Back to the Future Part II is when Marty McFly travels back to 1955 for the second time and is able to witness his own actions from a different point of view. While not the same execution, the principle --- understanding that different events can occupy the same time and place --- is the heart of SPLIT SCREEN, Brent Hartinger's new novel.
Continuing with the characters he first established in GEOGRAPHY CLUB and revisited in THE ORDER OF THE POISON OAK, Hartinger places Russel, Min and Gunnar as extras on the set of a horror movie being shot at a local high school. The novelty of this work is that it's actually two books in one. The first one I read was ATTACK OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES, the story that relays events from Russel's point of view. If you flip the book over, you get BRIDE OF THE SOUL-SUCKING BRAIN ZOMBIES and learn Min's perspective during the same time period.
In ATTACK, Russel is preparing for the Thanksgiving visit of his boyfriend (Otto, introduced in POISON OAK). Just when Russ thinks he has a handle on the long-distance relationship, Kevin --- the jock from GEOGRAPHY CLUB who prompts Russ to come out but then remains closeted --- comes back into Russ's life, looking to reconcile. To up the stakes, Kevin even announces that he's ready to come out. As if these romantic entanglements weren't enough, Russ's parents find out that their son is gay...and they DO NOT react well to the news.
In BRIDE, as Russel is dealing with his own problems, Min meets another extra on the movie set --- a girl named Leah --- and the two hit it off immediately. Min finds herself facing the prospect of having her first girlfriend. But as the large number of similarities between the two amasses, Min is thrown to learn that Leah is very much in the closet and has no immediate plans to come out. Add Leah's vocally homophobic friends to the mix, and Min is forced to take a step back and decide what she really wants...and what she can live with.
Hartinger has a talent for conveying the honesty behind these characters without wallowing in sentimentality. You feel for the dilemmas faced by both Russel and Min. Even though you as the reader may find it easy to decide what each should do, you also completely understand why they can't make up their minds. And it's great to see Min get her own voice for once. Brent, if you're reading this, she's prime spin-off material!
The book flipping gimmick is cute and it can be fun when you're reading the second story to remember what was happening concurrently in the first story, but I would have preferred a single, alternating POV narrative. That said, SPLIT SCREEN still pulls you in emotionally and stands as another successful entry in this series. By book's end, Russel is still dealing with parents who aren't comfortable with his sexuality. It would be a crime against YA books if this isn't more fully addressed in a future novel. But I suspect the author loves his characters as much as readers do and is not about to let Russ down.
--- Reviewed by Brian Farrey
Great Y.A. series.......2007-05-12
Hartinger has developed a fine set of young-adult characters which he is carrying from book-to-book. He uses their language nicely!
Customer Reviews:
The first half of the essential Hammer reference.......2007-08-17
Wayne Kinsey's books on Hammer Films (The Bray Studios Years and The Elstree Studios Years) together form the essential reference on the short-lived British studio that brought us the greatest horror films of the 60's and 70's. The books are well-researched and packed with behind-the-scenes stories and photos. If you love Hammer, you need to own these books.
I was under the impression that the first volume, Hammer Films: The Bray Studios Years, was out of print, because I had tried ordering it from several online dealers that were unable to obtain the title. However, Amazon's sellers just delivered a new copy to my doorstep recently. Snatch up these books while you can!
Fascinating and essential.......2004-06-28
I haven't put this book down since I first picked it up six months ago. Kinsey's history of Hammer's Bray years (i.e. until 1967) is full of fascinating details I have not encountered elsewhere. He really manages to inspire an affection and enthusiasm for both the films and the Bray studios themselves.
By far the best section, and the reason I keep returning to the book, is the multi-page illustrated tour through the history of Bray's backlot, packed with rarely seen photos of Hammer's most memorable sets.
Essential reading for Hammer fans.
A good try but not enough new and interesting material.......2004-06-06
Who doesn't love Hammer Films? The author, Wayne Kinsey, a true fan, has devoted this book to the classic Hammer Years, at Bray Studio, a veritable Shangri-La, or mythical place, only this was real. On this lot Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and dozens more gave their finest performances in a variety of monster, slasher, terror, sci-fi and less easily classifiable films, for a parade of studio execs who sometimes resembled a kind of family--ever the more so in retrospect. Kinsey presents a film by film breakdown, in chronological order, with many lurid and comical photos. My, there were some beautiful starlets working for Hammer, and they seemed to take off their clothes at a moment's notice. As for the men, maybe not so intriguing outside of Cushing and Lee, but those two alone account for a huge variety of eccentric tics and tragedies.
What I didn't like was the repetitiveness of the formula. each film discussed in exactly the same way, and then the details of the film censors checking every script ahead of time and issuing stern warnings about "do not do this or that." OK, a bit of this is worthy of perusal, but too much and the reader deducts a star. And this was too much. All in all, this book merits a "4" on the KINSEY SCALE.
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