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.
Tag Archives: Troy Howarth
Splintered Visions: The Films of Lucio Fulci
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!
Book Review: So Deadly, So Perverse – Volume 1: 1963-1973
So Deadly, So Perverse – Volume 1: 1963-1973
By Troy Howarth
Published by Midnight Marquee, 2015. 233 pages.
Italian giallo films are something that most horror fans are somewhat familiar with. I mean, it’s pretty hard to be a horror fan and not have some familiarity with directors like Dario Argento and Mario Bava, and their work in the dark, mysterious, and violent thriller sub-genre called giallos. Even if you might not be a fan of them, you at least know about them. If you are a fan of this strange sub-genre, then you know there is a serious amount of ground to cover. That is where Troy Howarth’s book comes in as handy as black leather gloves and a bottle of J&B.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the history lesson. Sure, I’ve been a horror fan most of my life, but this book just shows you that there is always room to learn more. Even before we get to the actual reviews, we get several chapters of a history lesson that I think should be required reading for any horror fan that has an interests in Italian films, as well as those interested in giallos. With a ton of information, writer Roberto Curti gives us a great history lesson on when and where this giallo genre actually started, and from where they came from. There was a lot of information that I wasn’t even aware of.
So Deadly….Volume 2 Coming Soon….
You may wonder why I’m always talking about horror reference books. Is it because that I’m an avid collector of them and hope that my passion for them rub off on you? Or maybe because I feel the need to keep covering this kind of material because not too many other sites out there do? Or maybe just because I still think that these kind of books are a great way to learn more about this genre that we love so much. Maybe it is all of them.
Now that we’ve finished the Karloff book, it is time to move onto something a little different. Our next book that we’ll be diving into is Troy Howarth’s So Deadly, So Perverse Volume 1 1963-1973, which was published by Midnight Marquee eariler this year. Can’t wait to read into this and start adding some giallo titles to my already overflowing list of movies that I want to watch or re-watch. But once we’re done, we’ll have our review up shortly there after.
All About Respect….Monster Bash…Part 2.
First off, just want to give fair warning that this is going to be a bit of a rant. And something that you’ve heard me mention many times before. And again, this isn’t about any convention specifically out there, just in general, so don’t anybody get their panties in a bunch. But being at this last convention, I noticed something that I feel I need to mention. Another one of the reasons that I had finally made the decision to head east to Monster Bash this time was because of books. Followers of this site know my affection towards horror reference books and my ever increasing library, so the fact that several authors were going to be at this show, made the trip even more attractive.
On the guest list for this show was Gregory William Mank, who is a film historian and author of many great books. One of the things I love and admire about Mank’s work is that he isn’t just writing about the bigger names like Karloff and Lugosi, but also about the smaller and lesser known names from the genre that we love, such as Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, Dwight Frye, and many others. I had brought along several of his books from my collection, such as the wonderful book Karloff and Lugosi: The Story of a Haunting Collaboration and a few others, to get signed. While at his table, we had a really nice conversation about his work and how much I enjoy as well as appreciate it. He mentioned that his upcoming book will be on actor Laird Cregar, best known for his roles in The Lodger (1944) and Hangover Square (1945). The book is entitled Hollywood Ripper: The Rise and Fall of Laird Cregar, and according to Mank’s website, “explores the true story of Cregar and examines his film performances, the blessings and curses of the Hollywood contract system of the 1940s and the legacy of an actor who might have become one of the cinema’s greatest horror stars – and character actors.” It will be published by McFarland & Company.
For the 6 books that I got signed, the cost was….nothing.
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