Category Archives: Book News

Chain Saw Confidential 2nd Printing

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Back in February of 2015, I posted my review of Gunnar Hansen’s book Chain Saw Confidential: How We Made the World’s Most Notorious Horror Movie, which you can read my review HERE. As much as I already knew about the film and the making of it, from the countless commentaries and documentaries I’d see up until that point, I really didn’t think I was going to learn anything new. Boy was I wrong.

No matter how much you know, or think you know, hearing the stories from the people that were there, giving firsthand accounts will definitely make you think, feel, and see the movie differently. To say this book is a must read is about as understating as I could get.

The first edition hardcover quickly sold out and now goes for big bucks on the secondary market. Now you can get the newly published 2nd edition from Dark Ink Publishers, only $23.99 for the hardcover edition and $17.99 for the softcover edition. Order your copy NOW by clicking HERE.

In Search of Darkness: The Authors!

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Back in June of last year, I posted about this upcoming title from AM Ink Publishing, the book version, so-to-speak of the popular series, In Search of Darkness: A Journey Into Iconic ’80s Horror. This is based on the 3-part documentary of the same name that was written, directed, and produced by David A. Weiner that had part one come out in 2019, part 2 in 2020, and the final part 3 in 2022. These are epic is scope, giving fans a ton of insight from those that worked in the films themselves, from names like Robert England, Doug Bradley, John Carpenter, Mick Garris, Jeffrey Combs, Joe Dante, and so many more.

Now this huge coffee-table size book that is the literary overview of those documentaries, packed from cover to cover with information and trivia about these films we love is due out very soon. To help give a little insight to not only the book, but also to the two authors that took on this massive undertaking to create a book version of this popular 3-title series, we reached out to Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley to pose a few questions for them.

Kitley’s Krypt: What was it about the horror genre that made you have the desire to “spread the gospel”?

Heather Wixson: I think it’s because I grew up with everyone thinking I was the “weird one” because I loved horror so much, so I wanted to find a way to celebrate everything I love about it in any way that I could. That led to me embarking on a writing career that was centered around the horror genre (after spending a few years writing about local news and being bored out of my mind). I just wanted to use my writing abilities in any way that I could to highlight why horror is so awesome, and also put the spotlight on those who helped shape the landscape of the genre over the years and made me fall in love with it in the first place.

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Euro Horror from We Belong Dead

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The fine folks from We Belong Dead magazine have their latest massive book coming out, this time covering Euro Horror! In the ad on the page for the book, it has NASCHY! FRANCO! ARGENTO! BAVA! ROLLIN! Now if that isn’t a good way to make me order the damn thing, I don’t know what would! I have several of these massive books that We Belong Dead have been putting out over the last few years and they are all a work of art. Brimming with exceptional essays on the movies we all love, it is just so much fun to wander through them and read someone else’s thoughts on a variety of films. This one looks to be no different.

Edited by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton, with foreword by Lone Fleming, with “350 pages in glorious full color, large format”, and illustrated with hundreds of stills, lobby cards, and poster art. For the softcover edition, the price is £35 ($44.45), and for the hardcover edition, the price is £45 ($57.15), which is limited. And of course, the postage to ship from the UK isn’t cheap either, with £15 ($19.05) and £20 ($25.40) for the hardcover. So, you’re looking at about $70 for a hardcover edition with shipping. Yes, a bit pricy. But, as I mentioned above, going by their previous books, I do think it is a great investment. And since a lot of them go out-of-print, the value will go up.

And if you need a little more pushing, my Discover the Horror co-host, Aaron AuBuchon has 4 different essays within the covers, from The Devil’s Nightmare, to Fulci’s The Beyond, to Argento’s Inferno. In fact, if memory serves, I even have an essay in there!

If you are interested, they are taking pre-orders now. Just click HERE to get to the page to place your order. I think you’ll thank me.

McFarland 40% Off Sale!!!

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That’s right you book lovers and bibliophiles, McFarland is having another one of their 40% off sales, from now through Cyber Monday on November 27th! This includes ALL of their titles. Just use the code HOLIDAY23 at checkout to get that savings. While McFarland puts out some great stuff, we know that sometimes their prices are a bit high, but now you can fix that by taking that 40% off.

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The Karloff Compendium

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I guess I should have figured that since I posted a little while ago about a new book on Lugosi, that there would have to be a new one on Karloff to balance the scales, right? Thanks to Stephen Jacobs, author of the amazing and highly recommended biography Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster (click HERE for our review of it), we now have another volume to add to our library: The Karloff Compendium: The Films, TV, Radio, Theatrical Work and More of Boris Karloff!

According to the book’s description, it is the most comprehensive volume on Karloff’s film roles, including several recently discovered movies (editor’s note: I have to admit, that alone has me curious), as well as selected highlights from his appearances on TV, radio, and his work on the stage. This is a “pictorial journey” through the life of one of the greatest icons in film history.

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Hammer: The Whole Story Book

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Back in 1996, I bought my first book from Denis Meikle, A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer. Besides the issues of Little Shoppe of Horrors, I never found a book solely dedicated with that much information on this famous British studio, and I just devoured it. Back in 2008, Meikle updated and released a much larger and revised edition. Now, coming from Hemlock Books, there is a new version, entitled Hammer Films: The Whole Story.

Due to be published at the end of the month, this volume covers the whole 115-year history of Hammer, from 1907 to 2022. It starts with they were just a distribution starting with Enrique Carreras, then connecting with William Hinds to form Exclusive Films, then getting into production themselves.

Now coming from a guy who has two bookshelves with nothing but volumes on Hammer, do we really need another one on the Studio that Dripped Blood? Well, of course we do! And I’ve already ordered my copy! Sure, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to both books and Hammer, but Meikle was an author that wrote his mind, no matter if it wasn’t the most popular opinion. And what that did was make us think maybe a little more. Might not change our opinion but it makes us think a little more on a particular subject, and that is always a good thing. So yes, we DO need another book on Hammer.

You can find all the info about the book HERE on Hemlock Books page.

Béla Lugosi – The Man Behind the Cape

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For fans of Bela Lugosi, I would assume this is going to be a must for their libraries. I’m still on the fence, maybe due to the $150 price tag for the low-end edition (unless you go with the PDF format, which is only $50), but I have to say, it does look incredibly detailed and something that will only go up in value.

Set to be out in May of 2024, this special edition book from Clover Press, will feature not only over 700, but will include “many unseen documents and photos from the Lugosi family’s collection, rare stills, Béla’s personal correspondence and poetry, and artifacts from his professional career.” But it is not just a book of photos. According to the Kickstarter page, “This meticulously researched biography by Robert Cremer is not just another account of Lugosi’s career; it’s a deep dive into the man behind the legend. Through exclusive interviews, rare photographs, and intimate anecdotes from those who knew him best, he unveils the layers of this complex man.”

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McFarland Halloween Sale

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We all know that McFarland puts out some amazing books, but they do tend to be on the pricy side. But during the month of October, they are having a 25% off sale on all their horror titles! I just pre-ordered Bryan Senn’s MASSIVE new book, Mummy Movies, which normally retails for $75, but with this sale, I got close to $20 off that price! So, if you’re looking to add a few more titles to your own library, now is your chance to pick up some great titles and save a little money as well.

The code is simple . . . just add in HALLOWEEN2023 in the promo code during check out and see the savings! Head over to McFarland’s site HERE to see all the amazing titles you can find. May I suggest the latest from Christopher Wayne Curry, The Incredibly Strange Features of Ray Dennis Steckler, where you can save $10. Or any number of titles from Tom Weaver, Gregory William Mank, Bryan Senn, or any other number of titles. Just do a McFarland search on my site to see all of their books that I’ve reviewed over the years if you’re not sure which one(s) to get!

New FrightFest Guide from FAB Press

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Starting out in 2016 with their first volume in what would be a long running series, FAB Press released FrightFest Guide to Exploitation Movies by Alan Jones. Since then, they have had one on Monster Movies, Ghosts, Grindhouse films, Werewolves, and most recently, one on Vampire movies. If you get them directly from FAB Press (and if they still have any in inventory), you can get the limited-edition hardcover version. Usually, the paperback versions are available at local bookstores, but not the hardcover version. But anyway, I have all of the previous editions and have enjoyed the hell out of them. They are always really well laid out, and just packed full of great information.

This latest volume tackles the good old mad doctors and evil scientists that have been around almost as long as the horror genre! Below is what is listed on FAB’s site:

“Mad medics… sinister surgeons… psychopathic psychiatrists. We put our trust in them. They say they want to help, to cure, to relieve pain and soothe suffering. But what happens when all that scientific and medical knowledge only results in the creation of unimaginable horror?

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Neon Nightmares Book

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While we normally stick to strictly horror here at the Krypt, this new book by Brad Sykes has its fingers in enough of the genre that makes it worth posting about! The term “thriller” was something coined by the studios when they didn’t want to have it labeled as outright horror but had enough elements that would include it in that genre. But then there are also those action flicks, updated film noirs, vigilante titles, and even delving into the apocalyptic sci-fi genre every now and then. All that and more, is what is covered in Brad Sykes new book, Neon Nightmares: L.A. Thrillers of the ’80s.

These types of films ran the gambit from big Hollywood productions like Die Hard to To Live and Die in L.A., to the lowest budget and pure exploitation market, like Vice Squad or Savage Streets, but in that decade, they were cranking them out. This 400+ page book covers over 200 of those titles, as well as exploring the origins and development, focusing on the production companies, and the people involved in the making of them.

It has a release date of Sept. 5th, and can pre-ordered directly from the publisher, BearManor Media by clicking HERE. It’s available both in hardcover, for $42, or a softcover edition for $32.