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Slasher Films: An International Filmography, 1960 Through 2001
The slasher film genre got its start in the early 1960s when acclaimed filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell made provocative mainstream film such as Psycho and Peeping Tom, but it is most associated with the late 1970s releases of Halloween and Friday the 13th and the many sequels and imitators that followed. They have been frightening and thrilling audiences ever since with their bloody scenes and crazed killers.
This filmography catalogs more than 150 slasher films. Entries provide major cast and production credits, a plot synopsis, a short critique and often interesting production notes. Some of the films covered include Alice, Sweet Alice, American Psycho, The Burning, Cherry Falls, Curtains, Deep Red, Frenzy, Hide and Go Shriek, Maniac, Prom Night, Scream, Sleepaway Camp, Slumber Party Massacre, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Filmographies are provided for slasher directors, actors, writers, and composers.
This filmography catalogs more than 150 slasher films. Entries provide major cast and production credits, a plot synopsis, a short critique and often interesting production notes. Some of the films covered include Alice, Sweet Alice, American Psycho, The Burning, Cherry Falls, Curtains, Deep Red, Frenzy, Hide and Go Shriek, Maniac, Prom Night, Scream, Sleepaway Camp, Slumber Party Massacre, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Filmographies are provided for slasher directors, actors, writers, and composers.
366 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2003
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March 12, 2016
Slasher films are as integral to the history of horror as peanut butter is on a PB & J. As horror fans we've all seen a boat load and would probably watch a tanker full. They are a bridge that leads from gialli and nasty drive-in fare to the supernatural special effects spectaculars that dominated the mid to late 80's. Slasher Films is a reference guide that hopes to inform us horror addicts on all the slasher films ever made between 1960-2001.
The book covers over 250 films and is pretty exhaustive in it's listing of slasher flicks. Thumbing through I found several films that I had never heard of before which is always a treat. The first twenty pages or so are dedicated to information about slasher films as a sub genre. A bit of history, a bit of classifying what makes a slasher and what doesn't, it's a good crash course if you're new to the genre. If you aren't, there isn't much in there that you don't already know.
As I said the book does a good job of creating a big reference guide to the genre but there is a glaring problem with the book. Each entry consists of a complete breakdown of the plot of each film, instead of supplying a simple synopsis. This means that if you read each entry you could possibly spoil the whole dang movie. The commentary about each film is very minimal. Usually a short paragraph consisting of a few sentences. That's all the analysis you're going to get. Historically relevant information is also omitted so if you want to know more about each film (like connections to other films via the writer, director, or actors) you are usually out of luck.
Because of this I can't recommend this book unless you're willing to skip the entire description of the film and go straight to the minimal review of the film. This could have been a fantastic book if only each film was given a few sentences to run down the synopsis and then several paragraphs about why you should or shouldn't watch the film and maybe a little background on it. Let's be honest, it isn't as if slashers are usually that complex. "A killer wearing a hockey mask stalks camp counselors, killing them one by one using unique ways of dispatching them." Boom, I just summed up a few Friday the 13th's in one sentence. The review sections are very succinct and in many places I agree with the review, I just wish there was more of it and less spoilers.
There are a handful of books dedicated to slasher films, I would do some exploring about those ones first before I laid down my cash for this one.
The book covers over 250 films and is pretty exhaustive in it's listing of slasher flicks. Thumbing through I found several films that I had never heard of before which is always a treat. The first twenty pages or so are dedicated to information about slasher films as a sub genre. A bit of history, a bit of classifying what makes a slasher and what doesn't, it's a good crash course if you're new to the genre. If you aren't, there isn't much in there that you don't already know.
As I said the book does a good job of creating a big reference guide to the genre but there is a glaring problem with the book. Each entry consists of a complete breakdown of the plot of each film, instead of supplying a simple synopsis. This means that if you read each entry you could possibly spoil the whole dang movie. The commentary about each film is very minimal. Usually a short paragraph consisting of a few sentences. That's all the analysis you're going to get. Historically relevant information is also omitted so if you want to know more about each film (like connections to other films via the writer, director, or actors) you are usually out of luck.
Because of this I can't recommend this book unless you're willing to skip the entire description of the film and go straight to the minimal review of the film. This could have been a fantastic book if only each film was given a few sentences to run down the synopsis and then several paragraphs about why you should or shouldn't watch the film and maybe a little background on it. Let's be honest, it isn't as if slashers are usually that complex. "A killer wearing a hockey mask stalks camp counselors, killing them one by one using unique ways of dispatching them." Boom, I just summed up a few Friday the 13th's in one sentence. The review sections are very succinct and in many places I agree with the review, I just wish there was more of it and less spoilers.
There are a handful of books dedicated to slasher films, I would do some exploring about those ones first before I laid down my cash for this one.
Displaying 1 of 1 review