The Deep Red Horror Handbook

by Chas Balun

Fantastic read!

Genres: Horror

319 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1989

About the author

Chas Balun was without a doubt a horror fan's horror fan. Renowned for his brutally blunt and profane in-your-face wildman writing style, wholehearted and unapologetic love for hardcore gruesome horror splatter cinema, and, most of all, his trademark savagely witty, sardonic, and unconventional iconoclastic perspective, Chas was a true cult figure of horror journalism with a strong and substantial fan following. Born in 1948 in Compton, California, Balun grew up as a hippie in the 1960s in Southern California. He wrote his first book "The Connoissseur's Guide to the Contemporary Horror Film" in 1983. Chas became a regular contributing writer for "Fangoria" magazine in 1987 starting with issue # 62. He achieved his greatest enduring cult fame with his fiercely caustic, outspoken, and opinionated "Piece of Mind" column in the spin-off publication "GoreZone." This column ran from 1988 to 1991 and was one of the most popular and beloved features in the magazine. Balun was the founder of his own self-published magazine "Deep Red" and the author of the novel "Ninth and Hell Street." Among the nonfiction books Chas wrote are "The Gore Score," "More Gore Score," "Horror Holocaust," and "Beyond Horror Holocaust." Besides writing, he was also an underground cartoonist, a graphic designer (he designed the monster for the 1991 Fred Olen Ray horror comedy "Evil Toons"), and a t-shirt designer. Balun lived with his wife Pat in his home in Westminster, California. Chas died from cancer at age 61 on December 18, 2009. Although he's sadly no longer with us, Balun's fiery love and unbridled passion for the horror genre shall continue to bleed on for all eternity in his exceptionally lively, funny, and always entertaining say-it-like-you-see-it writing.

Reviews

[William Whalen]

One of the best guides to some of the most disturbing movies.

[S. Wilson]

Another collection of seventies and eighties horror film reviews from the master "chunkblower" Chas Balun, celebrating the gory terror in all its glory. Deep Red was one of the publications of the era that blurred the already fine line between professional magazines and xeroxed fanzines, something that is exemplified by the writing style and typeset choices within, both of which I emulated in my own book Monster Rally.

Books like this are an important window into the underground film scene of the late twentieth century, which had to survive through the small press and independent publishing while it waited for internet newsgroups and IMDB to simplify the casual research of discovering new video nasties to scare your parents and piss of Tipper Gore. The film reviews and critiques of this period dabbled in the gonzo style of Hunter S. Thompson, ensuring that the entertainment factor in books and magazines such as this far exceeds today's click-bait lists. Enjoy, and long live the new flesh!

[Peter]

This is the ultimate book on horror films of the 80s. Dario Argento, Sam Raimie, the Unwatchables... so many brilliant movie posters and shots. Olde Worlde Horror, Tobe Hoper, Third World Cannibal Films, Trans Atlantic Terror Trends, Eco Horror and Biohazards, films that bite, your movies from A to Z (all titles you heard and never heard of). The whole book is like a big stroll through the horror section of a video rental or a horror convention in the 80s. What a walk in the past. Highly recommended. This is exactly that kind of nightmare stuff I already was hooked on as a kid :-)

[Niki Jones]

This book changed my life. As a horror fan it opened my eyes to so many films my pre-internet life never showed me. RIP Chas Balun and thank you.

[Michael]

A bit dated but still an excellent collection of essays...if you can find it.

[SHUiZMZ]

Epic.