For those out there that are horror reference book collectors, then you know the amazing editions that FAB Press has released over the years. And if you know about FAB Press, then you know that their titles tend to not only quicly go out of print, but once they do, they fetch some high prices on the secondary market. I know for the longest time, finding a copy of Stephen Thrower’s Nightmare USA would set you back well over $100. Of course, now that a 2nd printing has happened, you can find them easily around the $50 price tag. Or course, even at that price, well worth the investment!
Category Archives: Book News
Hammer Dracula Scrapbook
Okay Hammer Dracula fans, start saving those pennies, because there will be a book coming out this summer that you’re going to want to add to your library. Thanks to the wonderful (and incredibly talented book publishers) people at Peveril Publishing, they will continue to put out amazing looking volumes dedicated to the Studio that Dripped Blood, and that we all love.
Growing Up with Manos!
We all have our favorite “bad” movies that we enjoy. Hell, I hold two events a year dedicated to these kind of movies. For years, Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space was regarded as the worst film ever made, but I know from personally experiences that not to be true. But there is one title that seems to have risen to the top and is one that is brought up the most when talking about the top turkey! And that film would be Harold P. Warren’s 1966 epic film Manos: The Hands of Fate. A film of this caliper has to have its stories and now you can learn more about this film than you probably ever wanted to!
Growing Up With Manos: The Hands of Fate: How I Was the Child Star of the Worst Movie Ever Made, And Lived to Tell the Story was written by Jackey Neyman Jones, who played the character of Debbie in the film and has all the stories behind it. You will learn of the behind-the-scenes tales of this bizarre little film that has gone on to have a cult status, such as the bet the director made with a TV producer that “anyone could make a movie” to the tragic suicide of actor John Reynolds, who played Torgo, and all the other little historical facts about this strange movie. Hell…they even have the forward written by Joel Hodgson!
Co-written with Laura Mazzuca Troops, BearManor Media is releasing this title upon the world in both a softcover ($14.95) and hardcover ($24.95) versions that will be available soon. You can always check out their website HERE for all the latest details on this book, as well as the many other great titles they offer.
Fascination with Jean Rollin
Are you a fan of lesbian vampires? Especially when they are of French persuasion? Then you must be a fan of the films of Jean Rollin. And if you are, then you might want to add this little volume to your Need to Read list.
The wonderful folks at Headpress are releasing a new book by David Hinds called Fascination: The Celluloid Dreams of Jean Rollin. This 268 page book covers Rollin the man, as well as his films. The first part of the book is filled with essays on him and his work, while the second half covers all of his films, including his work in the adult industry, as well as incluidng an interview with Rollin.
It is available in both paperback and hardcover editions, though the later is only available through Headpress’ website (Click HERE). The price for the hardcovers are approx. $38 and the softcovers are a little over $20.
Rollin is a director that more people need to know about and I think this book will be a great step in that direction.
Cult Cinema Book from Arrow Video
It looks like now that Arrow Video is satisfied with just putting about amazing releases on blu-ray, but now are moving into the reference book market. How dare they! Like this company couldn’t do anything else to make me love what they are doing, they put out this book! Major kudos to them!
Katzman, Nicholson, & Corman…Need I Say More?
The fine folks at BearManor Media have just put out a book that I think fans of the 50s and 60s drive-in pictures are going to have to add to the library. And if that wasn’t enough, it was written by Mark Thomas McGee, who has become one of my favorite writers, who always makes his work not only informative, but damn entertaining to read.
With his latest book, Katzman, Nicholson, Corman: Shaping Hollywood’s Future, he covers three very important figures in the world of low budget filmmaking during that era. Of course, we all know who Roger Corman is and the impact he made in the industry.
New AIP Book Coming from Hemlock
What better way to start off the new year than talking about a new book! I don’t really have much information about this new title coming from Hemlock Books over in the UK, other than it should be out sometime in June, and is being written by Bruce G. Hallenbeck. Of course, that should be enough info to wet your appetite and to put it on your future want list!
While I’ve already got a couple of books on American International Pictures, I think the more information and stories about this production company the better. They cranked out some of the most entertaining movies of that era, thriving at the drive-in market and beyond.
Gift of Knowledge…Part 2
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a little piece on some book recommendations that would make amazing gifts for the holidays, or any time really. But I have two more that would not only just blow away the person you are giving them to, but also are available once again the rare hardcover editions. Sure, these are not the first printings, but unless you want to pay two or three times the cost just to say you had one of the first, then these might be a little more affordable.
Both of these books come from the brilliant mind of Stephen Thrower and are published by FAB Press, who have always created such amazing pieces of readable art. The first one Thrower’s book on Lucio Fulci, entitled Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci. This book is just amazing. Filled with incredible photos, tons of detail about the man and his films, it really is a must have for fans of Fulci and Italian horror. In the past, even a softcover edition of this book would go for $100. But now you can get a hardcover version for only $69.95 on Amazon. Click HERE.
70s Monster Memories
Since 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.
Give the Gift of Knowledge
With the holiday season approaching, we are always seeking out just the right gift for that special person in our lives. Now this may come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m a pretty big proponent of books. Yeah, I know….shocker, huh? But honestly, why buy something like a movie for this person (when chances are they might already have it!?!?!) that is just going to sit on a shelf until they get around to watching it. Okay…same could be said for a book…especially in my house. But honestly, a book will stay longer with them, by teaching them something they didn’t know before, which will allow a few different things to happen. For instances, if you get them a biography, they will learn about this particular person, be it a director or actor, which will help them appreciate and understand their work each and every time they watch one of their movies. If it is a simple film guide, it could open up a bunch of titles to them that they might not have known about yet. Or even if it is a book about the genre in general, it could open up some understanding as a whole, which always helps you appreciate it even more, getting you to think about these films possibly a little different than you had before.
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