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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For those Jaws fans that live in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, author Michael A. Smith will be doing a book signing at the My Happy Place Comic Book Store in Crystal Lake, IL, on November 28th, between 11am and 1pm. If you’re a fan of Jaws 2, then I think you’ll enjoy this book. You’ll learn a lot about the making of this film, as well as learning about the version of the film that never came to be.
For all the information, you can check out the comic book’s website HERE.
TV Horror fans of the 80s can remember when this series appeared and being surprised that it wasn’t about the famous franchise that the title was from. But it didn’t take long for Friday the 13th: The Series to draw a following. Sure, the episodes were hit and miss, but overall, the series was entertaining. And now, thanks to author Alyse Wax and BearManor Media, you can learn all about this series and the people behind it in the new book Curious Goods – Behind the Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series.
In this book, that is just over 400 pages, covers the complete run, going through each of the 72 episodes. Wax has interviewed more than 60 people involved with the series, such as directors, actors, writers, producers, and more. The book also contains close to 50 behind the scenes photos from the cast and crew that have never been published before…until now.
Expect to hear some great stories from people like the creator Frank Mancuso, actors Louise Robey, John LeMay, and Steve Monarque, production people like Jim Henshaw, Marc Scott Zicree, Tim Bond, Armand Mastroianni, Tom McLoughlin, and more. The book comes in both hardcover ($36.95) and softcover ($26.95) formats.
If you are a fan of this series, then you have already probably ordered your copy of this book before even reading this. Unless of course, you hadn’t heard about it. But then…now you have. So place your order now! You can get all the info from BearManor’s site by clicking HERE.
Just in case you’re waiting, volume 2 of this incredible series is at the printers. I made sure I a copy of the first volume (which is still available, so order now!) and was blown away by the quality. Then again, I have always been really impressed with the work that Peveril Publishing has put out.
Volumen 2 will cover the 1930s, with all the wonderful Universal monsters that made their mark all those years ago, along with other cinematic terrors from other studios. This volume has 256 pages, with tons of color images throughout it.
If you haven’t picked up the first volume yet, now is your chance to get both at the same time. Like the first one, this one is only going to be released in a 500 limited edition set. Once they are gone, they are gone for good. Or you’ll have to pay an arm and a leg on the secondary market. So why wait…order NOW!
For all the info, head over to Peveril Publishing HERE.
Since we just posted our review of Troy Howarth’s earlier book, so what better time then to make mention that his newest book is now out and ready for you to order your copy for your own collection. There are two different versions of the book, so depending on your taste and how much money you want to spend, it is up to you to decide. There will be the standard edition, where the photos will all be in black in white. But there is also a full color version, which will show off the glorious color from the stills, posters, and everything else. Obviously, I would recommend that version.
But in a rare case, it will actually be cheaper to order the book directly from the publisher than getting it from Amazon! I know that seems impossible, but check it out. For the standard black and white edition, you can get it from Amazon for $27. But if you go to Midnight Marquee, this normally $30 price tag has a special sale price of only $18! For those who really want all the glorious color photos, then instead of paying $67.50 on Amazon, you can get these from Midnight Marquee for only $45, which is $25 off their normal price of $70. So show these small press publishers that they matter and take the time and effort and order directly from them instead of going through Amazon. Everybody wins here!
