Tag Archives: BearManor Media

DtH Episode 91: Author Bryan Senn

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In our search for more knowledge about the horror genre, the films we love, and the people behind them, a lot of started out with the reference books to take those first steps. Years before the internet, these books were stepping stones for fans to learn about films they’ve never heard about and the people behind the films we knew and loved. It was like opening doors for the first time, or ones that were slightly open before, but now are wide open for us to learn so much more. 

In this episode, we invited author Bryan Senn on the show to talk about these reference books, especially since he’s been writing about the sci-fi and horror genre for over three decades, in a variety of magazines and even writing his own books on a few different subjects. So, sit back and enjoy, but you still may need that notepad just to write down some book titles you may want to seek out!

Films mentioned in this episode:

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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.

1000 Vampires on Screen

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Since vampires are still one of the most popular monsters in film and television history, it is only natural for more books to continue to come out about them. But this new 2-volume set from BearManor Media, 100 Vampires on Screen by Simon Bacon, it seems a bit different than your average reference book. As it states in the book’s description, it “covers the history of vampires on film and television”, but here is where it gets different. It seems that it is told from the vampire’s perspective, which honestly sounds like it could be interesting, but is this just a fictional perspective from the author based on the character info from the film? I have to say, I am curious about this. And the fact that I’m a slightly obsessive horror reference book collector.

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Book Review: Here There Be Monsters

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Here There Be Monsters
Published by BearManor Media, 2021. 464 pages
By Bryan Senn

Being a lover and collector of horror reference books, it should be no surprise that I’ve been a fan of Senn’s work and have quite a few of his books in my library, even before I met him at a Monster Bash show in 2016. His work is always a joy to dive into because he not only packs it full of information, but you can tell it is coming from a fellow fan. And while we might always agree on some films, I still enjoy reading his take on whichever film he is writing about.

With this book, it is a collection of essays, reviews, and other writings that were either published in magazines or other books but were cut down due to size limitations or just didn’t fit in that particular publication. In this new volume, we get it all. Plus, we get a LOT of it. This volume is huge and is filled to the brim with just about every classic horror subject there is. The films covered go from the early classics of the ‘30s through the ‘60s, as well as a huge section on Mexican monster films, which I particularly enjoyed. There are even a few book reviews and some personal essays included as well.

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Any Black Christmas Fans?

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Black Christmas is one of those early horror films that made a huge impact, though it seems to get lost in the shadow of another big title that came out 4 years after Bob Clark’s ground-breaking film. But now you can learn even more about this film and why it is important in our horror film history. Author Paul Downey & David Hastings give us It’s Me Billy: Black Christmas Revisited, a 320-page volume going into the history and discussion of the film’s themes and characters, with interviews with the cast and crew. The book not only covers the original, but the remakes as well.

Published by BearManor Media this Feb., you can get it either in either a hardcover edition ($43 only from BearManor’s site), or in Softcover ($33). I know I’ll be adding this to my library as well, and know that once I dig into it, I’ll be revisiting the classic film once again!

Here There Be Monsters

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I think it was either his book Golden Horrors or Drums of Voodoo when I first became aware of author Bryan Senn. Funny thing is that I had probably read several of the articles that he had written over the years for magazines such as Filmfax and Shivers, to the many books I owned from Midnight Marquee. Several years ago, I got to meet him at a Monster Bash show and we’ve become good friends since then. So anytime he has a new book coming out, I know I’ll be adding it to my library. Not just because we’re friends but because Senn knowns what he’s writing about! He’s just like the rest of us, having a huge passion for the genre, so we know what he’s writing about, comes from the heart.

His latest book, Here There Be Monsters, from BearManor Media, is a collection of “interviews, histories, tributes, and overviews on the diverse world of horror and science fiction cinema” that he’s done over the last 30 years. Some of these pieces are expanded from their original form while some are completely new. Within these pages, you’ll read about the Universal films to Hammer horrors from across the pond, Euro gothic chillers, and even heading south of the border for some mask wrestlers duking it out with all sorts of monsters. From the well-rounded genre cinema fans to ones craving to learn more about titles you might not have heard of, this book sounds like a great way to learn about, or learn more about this great selection of cinema.

It is available only in hardcover format from BearManor Media for only $38. If you get it from Amazon, it will set you back another $10, but then you’ll get probably get free shipping. Either way, I think this will be a nice addition to everyone’s library. And just think, Christmas is coming, so for any horror fans that you’re looking for a gift idea, there you go.

Becoming Dracula: Volume 2!

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Earlier this year, Gary D. Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger released the first volume in Becoming Dracula: The Early Years of Bela Lugosi. Well now, it continues with Volume 2 just being released by BearManor Media. At 436 pages, it is available in both hardcover ($46) and softcover ($36) versions. This sheds even more light on the early days of the man who would become forever known as Dracula, and just like every other book from Rhodes and Kaffenberger, both editions are a must for anybody that is a fan of Bela Lugosi.

For more information, you can head over to BearManor Media or Amazon.

More Books for Your Library

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Since I’m always on a quest to add more titles to my ever-growing library of non-fiction titles on the horror genre, I’ve recently come across a few more that I wanted to let everyone know about. Most of these haven’t been released yet, or even listed on the publisher’s website just yet. But I figure the quicker I put them on your radar, you’ll look for them.

The first one is entitled Dead or Alive: British Horror Films 1980-1989, edited by Darrell Buxton. This one has been published by Midnight Marquee and you can order it either through Amazon or their site, though they don’t it listed just yet.

The next one has only been announced by the author, Bryan Senn, and that it is coming from BearManor Media, called Here There Be Monsters, which is a collection of interviews and essays on “Classics (And Not So Classic) Horror Cinema”. Coming from Senn, I’m sure it will be well worth the read!

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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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Book Review: 1000 Women in Horror

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1000 Women in Horror1000 Women in Horror: 1895 – 2018
Published by BearManor Media, 2020. 600 pages.
By Alexander Heller-Nicholas

This book is amazing for a few reasons. First of all, it is an incredible source of information about women in the horror genre, from directors, screenwriters, costume designers, actresses, and just about every other job there is in the business. As the title states, we get to learn about women from way back to 1895 to the more recent 2018, as well as from all around the world, from Thailand to Turkey, from California to Canada, and everywhere in between. It shows this talent is everywhere.

It also proves a couple of fallacies within the horror genre. By the numbers listed in this book, it is obvious that there has been, and still are a great number of women working in the horror business, in a variety of jobs, some of which that have become immortal, such as actresses Fay Wray or Gloria Stuart. This also proves that the horror genre is definitely not just for the guys! Just by reading the author’s introduction, you’ll quickly realize there are plenty of women within these pages that are just as passionate about the horror genre as some of the men that I’ve met over the years, some even more so. It shows that gender has no bearing on one’s love of cinema. We’re all going to like and dislike different titles, which is to be expected. But sharing one’s love for the genre should not have any boundaries or hurdles. Continue reading →