Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films
The author of Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal (2002) battles other forces of darkness with this conversational history of the horror film. For ubergeeks this is like being in a museum with a docent who’s moving too quickly, reciting well-trod lore about the usual suspects: Frankenstein, Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, et al. For casual fans, though, the book provides a sweeping, cohesive tale of how horror was maligned, then considered prestige, then maligned again. Several themes emerge: how the best films were often made by directors not especially interested in the genre (Whale, Friedkin, Kubrick, Fulci); how many of those directors subsequently felt trapped; and how they constantly struggled with the ratings board. Konow loads his chapters with historical and modern critical reception, reactions of living directors on classic films (Craven on Psycho, del Toro on Creature from the Black Lagoon), and wild stuff about ad campaigns and box office. Will incite both fan-boying excitement as well as outrage about what’s glossed over (where’s The Wicker Man?!). --Daniel Kraus