A Quaint & Curious Volume Of Forgotten Lore: The Mythology & History Of Classic Horror Films

by Frank J. Dello Stritto

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382 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lance Carney]

Whether you’ve been a horror fan for decades or are just discovering the Universal monsters and beyond, this book will provide you with a wealth of information on the genre from that time period. “A Quaint and Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore” is divided into chapters which compare films of a similar vein; for instance, one entitled Dracula Strikes Back! not only examines the original and all the sequels, but lesser-known vampire films. As always when I read Frank Dello Stritto’s books, I discovered films unknown to me that I had to find and watch. What joy! The author does more than just list the films and plots, but adds studio behind the scenes and analysis of the films in relation to the time period, including the social norms when they were made. This made it all the more interesting to me. I highly recommend “A Quaint and Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore” and any of Frank Dello Stritto’s books!

[Peter]

The author comes up with a superb overview on horror movies from the 30s and 40s mainly. From classic to schlock. Dracula that never ends, critical discussions, Universal Studios the maker of horrors in the 30s, James Whale, Frankenstein (and all its spin-offs), Jekyll and Hyde. There are so many never seen movie posters here, we learn about the evolution of Darwin in Hollywood (Murders in the Rue Morgue), the eternity of love (mummy horror), horrors unseen (The Invisible Man), countless Poe adaptions, Phantom of the Opera, Svengali, the forgotten monster. The vampire strikes back in the 40s... this was a very big volume with much text. Time travelling trip back to classic horror. Highly recommended stuff!

[Cliff Poche]

Very thoughtful and provoking take on the myths and legends of the classic movie monsters!