An Album of Modern Horror Films

by Frank Manchel

An extensively illustrated review of modern horror films documents masterpieces of cinematic chillers, thrillers, and monsters

Genres: Horror

90 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and the publication date of 1983 lured me in. And what a thrilling ride it was. Starting with The Incredible Hulk (the variation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with Bill Bixby), one of the series I loved in the 80s, we meet The Exorcist, American Werewolf, Amityville, Nosferatu, Halloween, Omen, Psycho, Counts Revamped, Modernized Monsters, Family Possessions (Carrie, Shining, Poltergeist), Voyeurism, Echoes (Don't Look Now, Cars). All the stuff I was crazy as a youth with great black and white photos and fascinating background information. Loved this one, brought back so many memories. Highly recommended!

Merged review:

For nostalgic reasons I picked up this little classic from 1983. Nothing new under the sun but some fine movie stills on counts revamped, modernized monsters, family possessions, voyeurism and echoes. A cice selection of timeless fright classics will help you through October. Recommended!

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Modern" in this case being the 1970s. Published in 1983, this book beings with a quick survey of the horror genre in cinema from silent movies through the sixties, but primarily focuses on films from 1969-1982. The author doesn't stick with just the most famous or critically acclaimed movies; he includes some real dogs as well. His focus is on the evolution of the horror film during that decade, including trends, societal influences, and audience and critical reactions. In addition to actual movies, the author also touches on some made-for-tv movies and mini-series. There is also a certain overlap with the science fiction genre as well. It's a fast read and not by any means exhaustive, but it is a competent survey of the subject.