70s Monster Memories

70s Monster MemoriesSince references books are apparently on their way out, what better time to pick up this new one that sets out to show the younger audience a much different time of being a horror fan, as well as for us that grew up in that decade, something to spark a lot of amazing memories.

The publishers of the UK’s We Belong Dead has recently put a book entitled 70s Monster Memories. This thing is 400 pages of just what the title says, monster memories from a decade that I remember very well. Since I was born in 1965, the 70s is where my own passion for horror was born. With over 70 essays talking about everything from fanzines, horror vinyl, monster magazines, movie tie-in books and so much more! There is even a few articles on some of the names behind a few of the horror reference books that birthed a generation of monster fans; names like Alan Frank and Denis Gifford. The contributors consist of people like Tim Greaves, Troy Howarth, Dustin Jablonski, Stephen Jacobs, like Hammer scholars Richard Klemensen and Wayne Kinsey, and many others.

This softcover edition will be available on the 20th of this month, but they are taking pre-orders now, even at a discounted price. The cover price is £35 plus £5 postage UK, but the sale price is only £30 + postage. They are taking orders for US delivery, but obviously postage will be a bit higher.
Just head over to their website HERE for all the ordering information.

“The internet has killed reference books.”

Uh….what?

InternetDoesntLieIn a recent post on the blog Brutal as Hell, there was a book review for an ebook called Modern Horrors: An A to Z of Horror Movie Reviews 2000-2015 by Scott Weinberg, and that above quote was the opening line. You can see the post HERE. This isn’t meant as a slam towards the author, the site, or the book they’re reviewing. I enjoy BaH’s site and go there often. This really isn’t anything to do with the book review itself, but really just the author’s first paragraph. Right after making the statement about the internet has killed reference books, he justifies that statement by saying that you can get whatever information from the internet, so basically why the need for a book, saying “if you need more detailed information then you might just turn to Wikipedia.”

Continue reading

Jaws Soundtrack Review: 2-Disc Special Edition Release

jawsAnimatedJaws
Released by Intrada, 2015
2-Disc Special Edition. Disc 1 features 36 Tracks with a total running time of 69 min. & Disc 2 features 18 tracks with 45 min.
Music Composted and Conducted by John Williams

Jaws is one of the perfect examples when a soundtrack actually is so powerful that it in itself, becomes so recognizable, so commanding and potent, that just hearing the first two notes of the opening theme can send chills up the spine. That, my friends, is an effective soundtrack at its finest. Sure, it might have something to do with the fact that Jaws scared the living crap out of me when I first seen it as a kid, but this score still remains one of those that upon hearing it, immediately puts me back in that theater seat all those years ago, making my stomach tighten with knots, tension rising, and nervousness ready to jump overboard. Even when this score has been parodied over and over again, it still hasn’t lost its impact.

Continue reading