Oddities/Books/Cult Cinema Anthologies

[TheRoadWarrior]

Interested to hear about anthologies of horror, or cult films in general that others have found useful, whether this be part of hunting for new films, or just savvy critical reviews of a genre. SF/horror/cult, anything you've enjoyed, found particularly useful, or is considered a 'can't do without' in the genre. Or just horror/SF/Cult writing in general.

Here's an opening selection~

Slimetime: A Guide to Sleazy, Mindless Movies

I bought SLIMETIME a few years back, it's a collection of amateur fanzine reviews, charming, repetitive, quirky, interesting, from the always intriguing Headpress

I'd look at anything published by Headpress, they're absolutely great on the bizarre, plain crackers, and sub-cultures that seem to exist outside of or below other sub-cultures.

and I did posses a copy of the inimitable~

Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies

by Jay Slater... a fans book of collected articles, Kim Newman's comments on being able to review/ then leave behind forever the Cannibal genere are both witty, sincere and very funny indeed.

Fangoria's 101 Horror Movies You've Never Seen

Capsule reviews of 101 horror moives, off the beaten track, which is serviceable, a picture and capsule review of some less well known horror films

Intended reads-

Speaking of Mr Newman, I'd like to read his Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen Since the 1960s

Danse Macabre

by Stephen King, his classic review of horror fiction.

[TheRoadWarrior]

to add, I like the S.T. Joshi Penguin editions of H.P. Lovecraft's works, 3 volumes of Lovecraft's fiction. Such as:-

The Dreams in the Witch House and Other Weird Stories

as well as H P Lovecraft's FAVOURITE WEIRD TALES, an interesting find, I liked the basic, but interesting tale of the press officer who is working at the top of a building alone pulling ther graveyard shift, it's dated as it's early 20th century, but with the sense of dread as a fog moves into the city, the isolation and atmosphere builds, its easy to see why Lovecraft chose this story and others.

H.P. Lovecraft's Favorite Weird Tales

[thehamish]

to add, I like the S.T. Joshi Penguin editions of H.P. Lovecraft's works, 3 volumes of Lovecraft's fiction. Such as:-

The Dreams in the Witch House and Other Weird Stories

as well as H P Lovecraft's FAVOURITE WEIRD TALES, an interesting find, I liked the basic, but interesting tale of the press officer who is working at the top of a building alone pulling ther graveyard shift, it's dated as it's early 20th century, but with the sense of dread as a fog moves into the city, the isolation and atmosphere builds, its easy to see why Lovecraft chose this story and others.

H.P. Lovecraft's Favorite Weird Tales

id really like the HP Lovecraft "dream book" (i.e. his dreams written down, part of his inspiration etc) i read about in an Amok catalogue years back, sadly i am not alan sugar haha, as the ones ive found are very expensive now.....

AAAnway...i think this is an essential read for gore hounds everywhere...

Killing for Culture: An Illustrated History of Death Film from Mondo to Snuff

An informative and useful book on the genesis of the snuff myth, great chapters on Snuff, C Holocaust etc

[Rollo Yates]

The 2 Psychotronic books are absolutely essential, as is the Mondo Macabro book

[TheRoadWarrior]

Cheers Rollo.

[Kel E]

I think The Vampire Cinema is a great book, quite useful as a reference for pre-80s vampire films. Very well researched from what I gather-I think it even mentioned a pre-Nosferatu Hungarian-made Dracula film that was recently confirmed to be based on the book and not the historical figure. Especially liked the coverage of Vault of Horror (which seems to be on my mind recently lol). Shows the cut vein-tapping shot as well as stills from the comic version.

Another I like is Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror from 1986. Although a sketchy guide to Horror movies it covers lots of interesting things, from music to comics-as well as the origins of concepts like the Mad Scientist. Ramsey Campbell's review of Kubrick's the Shining is especially intriguing.

[drterror666]

I'd recommend:

Sex Murder Art: Films of Jorg Buttgereit, which really is the last word for everything Buttgereit.

Beyond Terror: Films of Lucio Fulci, which I was lucky to get and is an AMAZING book. This one's OOP and expensive.

Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema, which will make you expand your zombie DVD collection.

[thehamish]

I'd recommend:

Sex Murder Art: Films of Jorg Buttgereit, which really is the last word for everything Buttgereit.

Beyond Terror: Films of Lucio Fulci, which I was lucky to get and is an AMAZING book. This one's OOP and expensive.

Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema, which will make you expand your zombie DVD collection.

To my eternal regret, i found the Fulci book in london but couldnt face lugging it about for the rest of the day, i'm a fool.

[drterror666]

Hamish, you FOOL!

I hate it when that happens. I remeber seeing Type O Negative's Origin of the Faeces CD in HMV donkey's ago, with the original 'spread anus' cover art (geddit?!) Anyway, I thought I'd leave it and then they banned the original cover art, replacing it with something, er, crap. I kick myself to this day...

[Kel E]

BTw I am not really a fan of King but Danse Macabre is really a great read. I remember him telling a funny anecdote about the making of Star Trek the Motion Picture and Harlan Ellison.

He also was an early fan of Rituals.

Master of the Majicks volume 3 is quite a good book on Harryhausen's films from the vantage point of everyone else who worked on them(since often the media focuses only on RH). 700 or so pages, tons of photos. Definitely my most treasured Harryhausen book. Volume 2 covers Mighty Joe Young to 7th Voyage. Kerwin Mathews tells a story about how the water used during the sea storm sequence was full of raw sewage. Now I watch it with a different perspective.
Given how detailed the coverage of Hammer's One Million Years BC is I kind of wish a Hammer book came out with the same approach--it would be thousands of pages though.

[thehamish]

Not quite an essential read, but have just found Traci Lords' autobiog in the library sale, michty!!

[drterror666]

How about:

Any Gun Can Play: The Essential Guide to Euro-westerns, which is everything a spaghetti fan has ever dreamed of!

Come Play with Me: The Life and Films of Mary Millington, which has a filmography at the back. Oh, and lots of photo's of the late Mary Millington...

[TheRoadWarrior]

Ravioli Westerns - there's also Alex Cox's 10,000 WAYS TO DIE

I've craftily sifted through http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1903254337/ref=nosim?tag=mondoerotico05"]THE BOOK OF THE DEAD[/url], in WSs, nicely presented...

@KelE, I'm not a big King fan as such, but seem to enjoy his non-fiction, and like the guy. I'd read Salem's Lot again, but always find there's other things I want to read ahead of King. A shame really, as he's a lot of fun.

I've seen some interesting, Russ Meyer books ....

I can't see the one I was thinking of but here's a link to something promising-

Big Bosoms and Square Jaws: The Biography of Russ Meyer, King of the Sex Film

[drterror666]

Ah, Russ Meyer. Now there's a subject that's right in my crosshairs. I've never actually found a really good Meyer filmography book. Seen any I've missed? I've only got Lips Hips Tits Power: The Films Of Russ Meyer and I wasn't sure what to make of it. It read like a thesis!

[TheRoadWarrior]

For One Week Only: The world of exploitation films

I don't recognise the one I found, it had a pale blue background if I recall, but now I'm wondering if it was yours. I've copied the above book in for the heck of it, but it's Meyer on Sexploitation, so it's not really what you're after. Re the one I was trying to spot, Waterstones had this book, years ago, and it was fab, may have been a limited edition, which would have been nice. It may have been out at the time of the last terrestial TV Meyer Friday eve run.... or perhaps that was way earlier.

I've bought some of the Wayne Kinsey books on Hammer films in recent years ...

[TheRoadWarrior]

Life and Films of Russ Meyer
David K Frasier -- 1997

There's the above edtition at Amazon UK ... a title along the lines of .... Life and Films of Russ Meyer, which looks okay, seems like more of a serious/comprehensive book, but I've never actually seen it so can't vouch.