Horror Movies: Tales Of Terror In The Cinema

by Alan G. Frank

This book you will meet them in their horror. The great stars like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Lon Chancy, Bela Lugosi and a host of others who gave memorable performances.

Genres: Horror, Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my review of A Pictorial History of Horror Movies I queried the actual existence of the book I now hold in my hands - the "Black Book" to the companion "Red Book" (although here, the stiff, black cardboard covers are inlaid with spooky white exposures of the skeleton riders and their skeleton horses from NIGHT CREATURES (not THE BLIND DEAD, as I immediately assumed).

So, everything I said in that review of A Pictorial History of Horror Movies applies here as well - a seminal, talismanic book from my childhood, packed with scary photos from scary movies that I would examine for hours, daring myself to face the horror, wanting to see the films they originated from (was I the only 9 year old in the world desperate to see THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI? Possibly...), all to escape the dreary world of the Jersey Shore in 1976 - at least, until CHILLER or DR. SHOCK or THE 4:30 MOVIE (is it Dean Martin Jerry Lewis Week, Dinosaur Week, or Planet Of The Apes week?) came on.

This book seems to have a bit more from Hammer Films, a bit more nudity and a bit more scariness than the Gifford book. And so I say - thank you, Mr. Frank, wherever you are, you helped make me the monster kid I am. And thank you, Mom or Dad or Grandma or whoever, for springing for this unaffordable delight. Slightly less beat up than the Gifford book, this is still relatively intact. And glancing through this reminds me that I still have yet to see the movie with the guy with the hook hand, CHAMBER OF HORRORS! I must rectify that...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror Films was a review of many horror movies from the start of movies through the late 1970's when the book was published. While it covered a lot of different movies through the years, I really wish it would have concentrated on more on some of the groundbreaking ones than covering so many. Also, the author's personal opinions on many movies came through a little strong, especially on some from the 1970's. It was interesting at points, but overall was a little disappointing.