Category Archives: Book News

They’re Children … How Could They Be Bad?

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Well, pick up this new book and you’ll get close to 250 examples of just how bad kids can be! Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children is out now and available on Amazon, and priced at only $19.95! Edited by Vanessa Morgan, we get reviews on some of the “creepiest, weirdest, and most dangerous kids to inhabit cinematic landscape, sourced from over 40 different countries.” This means that no matter how hardcore of a horror fan you are, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find a few titles in here you never knew existed, such as a Turkish version of The Bad Seed! Hitting just under 400 pages, with a variety of talented writers, they will delve into the depths of deviant offspring, from the alien invaders to young sociopaths, this volume will cover it all.

Morgan has previous given us volumes on vampires in Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies, and killer beasts with When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, both of which are available on Amazon.

To order your copy of Evil Seeds, just click HERE.

Need More Books?

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Of course you do! And these are ones to definitely add to your library.

The first one is from our good friend Troy Howarth, published by BearManor Media, this time covering a movie that not only is one that doesn’t get much attention, it is one well worth your attention. The film is Alfred Sole’s 1976 film Alice, Sweet Alice, and the book is entitled Unholy Communion: Alice, Sweet Alice from Script to Screen.

Within the 300+ pages, Howarth goes through the history of this little film that was made outside of the Hollywood system, as well as background information on Sole. It “explores the genesis, production, and reception of one of the key horror films of the 1970s.” We get a brand new in-depth interview with Sole, going through his entire career, as well as reproducing the original shooting script, and plenty of analysis of not only the film, but the genre at the time as well.

Howarth has written several books, such as a 3-book series on giallo films, as well as one on Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Mario Bava, Paul Naschy, and more. Like all of his titles, I can only assume it will be a must read. You can order this directly from BearManor Media or through Amazon. It is available in both hardcover ($39.95) and softcover ($29.95).

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Sam Sherman Speaks!

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I am shocked and amazed that I am just hearing about this new book and am eternally thankful to my friend Gavin Schmitt for putting it on my radar, which I quickly ordered!

So … not sure who Sam Sherman is? If you’ve ever seen any of the classic Al Adamson flicks, like Satan’s Sadist, Dracula vs Frankenstein, Blood of Ghastly Horror, or the Blood Island movies from the Philippines, such as Mad Doctor of Blood Island or Beast of Blood, then you at least know the work of Mr. Sherman. Or should I say, a small part of Sherman’s work. In the world of low-budget filmmaking, Sherman was involved in pretty much all aspects, especially when it came to promoting and distributing. He would help come up with the lurid titles, help with the ad campaign, and so much more.

Now, thanks to Murania Press, you’ll get to read all the juicy bits from his career, working with Independent International Pictures, Al Adamson, and much more. In this 378 page trade paperback book, you’ll read along as Sherman “revisits those halcyon days and reveals the behind-the-scenes story of IIP’s rise and fall.” But he also goes into the entire drive-in era, having to deal with independent producers and distributors, trying not to get ripped off, and all the other fun things you had to do when you were working well below the major studios.

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Peveril Publishing Update – More Hammer!

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First news is that their latest book, The Hammer Vampire Scrapbook, is now available to order. There are only 700 copies being printed so when those are gone, it’s gone! So make sure you order your copy now if you’re interested. Yes, they are a bit pricy, especially if you’re having them mailed over here to the States. But since I have copies of all of their books in my own library, I can honestly say they are worth every penny spent. They are lavishly produced and look amazing, not to mention all the incredible content within the pages. Really a must for any serious Hammer fan. Just click HERE to order your copy now.

But wait! There’s more! While Mr. Kinsey stated that the next entry in their Scrapbook series will be on the Karnstein films, he is also working on the next volume in his Fantastic Films of the Decades series, Vol. 4 – 1940s Part 2: 1944-1949, he stated in his last email update that he is working on a 3 volume set called The House that Hammer Built, which will cover the complete Carreras years, from 1935 to 1979. According to Kinsey, this will be “my own personal definitive Hammer work, a chronological journey through Hammer’s history looking at all of their films during this period, so will be finally covering the early Exclusive films as well as Journey to the Unknown and un-filmed projects, with new research and bringing together info from my previous Hammer books.”

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A Pictorial History of Hammer Horror

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The time is now! You can now order your copy of the latest book from the fine folks of We Belong Dead, this time tackling all things Hammer! The book, A Pictorial History of Hammer Horror is over 450 pages, in full color, with essays on every Hammer horror title from The Mystery of Mary Celeste (1935) all the way to The Lodge (2019). Just like their previous publications, this one is packed with rare photos, posters, and lobby cards from all over the world.

The book is available in both hardcover and softcover. But if you’re ordering from here in the US, when you add in the postage, it is a bit pricy. For the hardcovers, it is £45, which is about $62, and the softcover edition is £35, which is about $45.50. Throw in $40 to $50 for postage, it does make for one expensive book. But here is the thing, I’m guessing that like a lot of their books, they go out of print rather quickly and will be a nice collector’s item, especially since is on Hammer Films. But more important than that, it is a pretty nice size book with a ton of essays about one of our favorite film studios and the films they produced. So while this might a great investment, and will be well worth the price, the real key is to read and learn more about one of our favorite British film production companies. Because at the end of the day, that is the purpose for any book, to educate and entertain. Can’t wait for my copy to arrive!

For all the information and how to order, just click HERE.

Charles Band Tells It All

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Whether or not you’re a fan of his movies, you can’t be unimpressed with his legacy, from the movies he produced back in the Empire Pictures to his Full Moon empire, he definitely had his hand in the creation of direct-to-video film production. From titles like From Beyond (1986) to the Subspecies and Puppet Master series, he has continued to put his stamp in the world of low budget film production.

Now, coming this November from Harper Collins, you will be able to read how it all started, and what Band went through, all the ups and downs, to get where he is today. Priced at $27.99 for the hardcover edition, Confessions of a Puppet Master will be released on Nov. 16th and gives us all the juicy bits from Band and co-author Adam Felber, through his 40-year career in the business, working with a wide variety of talented directors, actors, and movie magic creators, learning of all the wins and losses that he has taken over those four decades, all covered within the 320 pages.

For all the details, just click HERE.

Creepy Bitches: Essays on Horror from Women in Horror

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Now if that title doesn’t tell you exactly what this book is about …

While we haven’t read this one (yet), I know we will be adding it to our library. One of the most important things one can do as a fan of this genre is listen to other voices. Not everyone thinks the same way you do so even if someone has a difference of opinion, you still should listen to them. Might not change your own feelings but maybe it will open your eyes a bit so at least you can see and understand another point of view. Women in horror is one voice that has been struggling to be heard for years, namely because most won’t listen. So let’s fix that. One step would to simply buy this book and read some essays on the genre by female writers, from the film industry, fandom, growing up in a video store even more in depth like exploring the gender roles in The Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy. It also covers the “therapeutic benefits of watching horror” that I know a lot of us have been preaching for years!

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Need More Horror Books?

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Of course you do. What a silly question. Here are a few that have recently come out, or will be coming out this year that you might want to add to your library.

Puppet Master Complete: A Franchise History by Nat Brehmer

For better or for worse, Full Moon’s Puppet Master series is one of the longest running straight-to-video horror series since the first one came out in 1989. Author Brehmer covers all 14 films (to date, at least!), with an in-depth exploration into each of them, including the made-for-TV crossovers, and theatrical reboots. He also covers the action figures, comic books, and the other merchandise that has been coming over the last 30+ years. It features new interviews with the people behind the franchise, as well as dozens of behind-the-scenes photos. If you’re a fan of the series, you are probably going to need this one!

This is being published by McFarland with a price tag of $39.95. No exact release date yet.

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You’ve Got Red on You

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1984 Publishing, the same company to give us Michael Gingold’s Ad Nausem, Aaron Lupton & Jeff Szpirglas’ Blood on Black Wax, and Ghoulish: The Art of Gary Pullin, now brings you the book spilling on the guts on Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, in Clark Collis’ You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life.

This 424 page book will tell the how a group of friends got together and decided to make a horror/comedy/zombie film that broke records around the world. The book includes in-depth interviews with director Edgar Wright, producer Nira Park, and cast members Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Bill Nighy, Lucy Davis, and even Coldplay singer Chris Martin, as well as storyboards, rare behind-the-scenes photos, with over 70 black and white images.

Pre-order price is only $25 and I believe comes with a signed bookplate by the author, and due to ship out this October. For all the details, head over to their website HERE, and even follow them on Facebook HERE,

Another Hammer Book for the Library?

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DAMN STRAIGHT!

It doesn’t matter if I already have over 40 titles in my library that are on the famous Studio that Dripped Blood. If a new one comes out, it will be added! And with the news that it will be coming from the publishers of We Belong Dead, I know it will be another beautiful edition like all their previous titles, such as 70’s Monster Memories or A Century of Horror.

This new one, entitled A Pictorial History of Hammer Horror, will be published in July, in both hard and soft cover editions. It will be over 400 pages, in full color, with an foreward by Richard Klemensen, and afterword by Veronica Carlson, and color art by Mark Maddox. The artwork shown here is the back cover, which was done by Brux. The book will also have a 34 page art gallery from some of the best artists around the world.

For all the latest information, as far as when it will be available to order, keep checking webelongdead.co.uk. Can’t wait to get my bloody hands on this one and start digging into it faster than a drunken graverobber!