So I just finished reading the last book in my library… okay, that might not be entirely true. Or even close. But I do know that I have plenty of wonderous volumes just waiting for me to dig into when I do have the time. Plus, these numerous tomes all there when I need to do a little research, so just like they say, you can actually learn things from them!
Anyway, I was scrolling through McFarland’s website and came across several new book titles that are (hopefully) coming out this year that immediately got my interests. None of these have any release dates, and some don’t have a lot of information about the actual book, such as page count, but I think you’ll be able to get an idea of what the book is about.
The first one is Global Horror Cinema Today by Jon Towlson, which according to the cover, it represents 28 films from 17 different countries, with each chapter focusing on a particular country, looking into what frightens the native people there, and how it can cross over to an international audience. Some of the films covered are It Follows (2014), Grave aka Raw (2016), Busanhaeng aka Train to Busan (2016), and Get Out (2016), as well as discussing another 100 titles.
The thing that I really love about the concept of this book is to show horror fans how big the genre is and that to limit oneself to only films from our own country, or in your own language, makes you missing out on some amazing cinema. Especially with all the films available online in different streaming outlets, it gives fans even more opportunity to see some incredible cinema. So I really look forward to this title to maybe show me some titles I have missed, as well as hearing what Towlson has to say about these films and the countries where they are from.
It is priced at $39.95 and is in softcover format. Continue reading
If you have any of the amazing volumes put out by Peveril Publishing, then you know how simply amazing they are. Yes, they are a bit pricy, especially when you’re getting them shipped over here to the US, but they are worth every single penny. So start saving those now because (hopefully) this summer, they will be unleashing the Hammer Vampire Scrapbook!
If you’re looking for a gift for someone that is an avid book lover that also loves the horror genre, there are so many titles out there to choose from. And they just seem to keep coming out too! In fact, it’s really hard for me NOT to buy them for myself! Yes, having a library of horror reference books is not as cheap as it once was, but I’m not complaining. To be fair, I do not have copies of any of these yet. Key word… YET! But I know at some point, I’m going to have to kick my son out of the house so my library can take over his room!
For years, some horror fans have concluded that even though Bela Lugosi’s performance is highly memorable, that the original 1931 version of Dracula itself doesn’t hold up well today. Honestly, I would have to agree with that. Which makes me even more excited to read this new book that has recently come out from Hemlock Books and author Matthew Coniam, entitled Dracula AD 1931.
Some of you that have been following the Krypt for a while might have heard me speak of my love of Texas filmmaker Larry Buchanan, who made films with a budget that would make even Roger Corman shudder. So when I came across this new book entitled Texas Schlock: B-movie Sci-Fi and Horror from the Lone Star State. It even has a chapter on Mr. Buchanan, I knew I had to have a copy for the Kryptic Library. And once it comes and I get to it, you can bet there will be a review posted here.
Regulars to the Krypt know my love of soundtracks, especially in the horror genre. Back in 2016, J. Blake Fichera put out a book of interviews with different composers that had worked in horror genre, entitled Scored to Death. This was an amazing read because we got to hear from the people behind these incredible scores that we’ve enjoyed while watching the films, sometimes not even aware of the effect it was having on us! Composers tend not to get the attention that actors, directors, or even special effects people get, but Fichera wanted to change that and he did.
With the holiday coming up, we know that we all have a horror-loving fiend out there that you’re on the lookout for a unique gift for. Well, we are here to make an offer that will be hard to pass up. Until the end of the year, I am cutting the price of my book, Discover the Horror by 25%! That’s right, if you order the book directly from me, you can get your copy for only $15! Plus the fact that I will gladly autograph it and personalize it to whomever you wish, so it would be an even bigger surprise for the person on the receiving end!
A lot of reference books that come out cover the classic films, which I’ve never saw as a problem. But when one considers that the year 2000 was already 20 years ago, it does show us (especially us old timers) that there’s two decades of horror films out there since then, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Fans always know the films that came out in certain decades, like the classic horrors of the ’30s, the giant monsters of the ’50s, the Euro-horrors from the ’60s and so on. But when you ask someone about the films past the 2000 mark, the waters get a little muddled. But now, thanks to this new book coming out, maybe we can change all that!