Videohound's Cult Flicks & Trash Pics

by Carol A. Schwartz

This much fun ought to be illegal!

We at VideoHound Enterprises are pleased to present the long-awaited second edition of a classic reference work fondly entitled VideoHound's Cult Flicks & Trash Pics. Here you'll find scads of information on some of the most- and least-loved movies of this or any other generation, organized in what is sure to be a trend-setting alphabetic order by title.

More than 1,300 (1,313 to be precise) films are discussed, 250 of them new to this edition, including selections from the wondrous world of anime. We begin with a smashing forward by Bruce Campbell, he of the Evil Dead and other late-night classics. Cult diva and connoisseur of mongrel video Carol Schwartz and video lord Jim Olenski, assisted by a staff of notable critics and scribbling outpatients, deliver the reviews as they see them, and we've been assured they have seen them many, many times.

This rip-snorting, brain-tickling new edition includes 75 sidebars that may bring you up close and personal with the underworld of fringe movie making. An amazing array of indexes, including category, cast, director, alternative title, writer, cinematographer, and composer, are sure to lead you somewhere. Coverage of DVD -- which has become an important medium for the delivery of cult entertainment -- is attempted for the first time. And we've included a vast number of startling photographs you'll surely want to cut out and place in your wallet or set in a proper frame for public display.

Genres: Film, Reference, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Horror, Cult Classics, History

564 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jeremy]

By and large, the VideoHound movie books are pretty good. The reviews are amusing without being irritating, plots are breezily recounted, and their opinions are often refreshingly against the grain. Through them I've discovered many fun films. So far this volume remains my favorite. One problem with this series: far too many indexes. I'd rather they leave that sort of thing to the Internet Movie Database, and fill those pages with more reviews. Otherwise, this is reference at its most readable.

[Phillip Lozano]

Snarky but lightweight and bland, with an off-putting, dismissive mainstream sensibility. Far too many staggering errors and omissions to be taken as authoritative. 300 pages of indexes but no room for William Castle's complete oeuvre? This is a problem with all of the Videohound series. For cinema dilettantes only.

[Ryan]

I have searched but never found the perfect movie guide book. It seems that books like this are dying off now that we have online databases and blog spots that do the job for free. This series is accessible and I agree with the reviews much more often than I do with Leonard Maltin. I used to refer to this one when looking for DVDs to buy. If only Robin Bougie would write one of these. It would be the greatest movie review book ever.

[Veronica]

Focused a lot on horror movies which aren't my cup of tea but it fun guide to a lot of classic films. It rated True Stories by David Byrne way to low but gave a good score to UHF by Weird Al so it's ok

[Bree]

I browsed through this one night to see if I was familar with some of the movies. I had seen some growing up when the 80's made really bad midnight movies. There were some I didn't think belonged in there at all and some I thought would be in there but were not. Short plot retellings, listing of cast, awards, year, format are all given as well as Videohound's score.

[Bryce Wilson]

Invaluable, can't count the number of times it saved my bacon. When I'm running late for a deadline and have no idea what film to write about I often just flip through the book and then put my finger down at random.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

Here's where you'll find the best trashy movies! An essential purchase for fans of Japanese monster movies and homicidal baby flicks.
Oddly enough, my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life is included. I never thought of Jimmy Stewart as being on the fringe.

[Amie O'connor]

I never knew so many weird and twisted movies existed. There are several I plan to see.

[Pewterbreath]

Strangely this book feels dated, however, if you're looking for a guide to cult films before 1995, there is no better guide even if the internet makes this book essentially unnecessary.

[Isabella Hall]

My Bible