The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s [Paperback]

Scott Aaron Stine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

Author Scott Aaron Stine is back again, this time with an exhaustive study of splatter films of the 1980s. Following a brief overview of the genre, the main part of the book is a filmography. Each entry includes extensive technical information; cast and production credits; release date; running time; alternate and foreign release titles; comments on the availability of the film on videocassette and DVD; a plot synopsis; commentary from the author; and reviews. Extensive cross-referencing is also included. Heavily illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Splatter film and its "half brother," the slasher, may appear synonymous to the uninitiated, but these volumes attempt to sort out what makes each genre unique.

Splatter films have been around about 40 years and still do not enjoy high status. The sequel to Stine's The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1960s and 1970s (McFarland, 2001) treats about 500 1980s titles, what Stine calls "the childhood days" of splatter films, which featured more special effects and more literalism. Most are U.S. productions, but a few European titles are covered.

Entries are listed alphabetically and range in length from a half page to two pages. Technical information includes director, crew, cast, length, release date, variance in titles, distributor, and distribution forms. Plot is described briefly, with extensive commentary and background providing most of the text. The author is a "reel" aficionado and strong in his opinions (e.g., "a disgusting, albeit riotously funny, splatter flick"). Readers should not expect objectivity; rather, they can count on passionate interest. Extensive cross-references help the reader find films listed with different titles. A list of sources for DVDs and videocassettes follows the film entries. The index is extensive. About 100 black-and-white photos from movie posters and film clips supplement the text.

According to Armstrong, author of Slasher Films: An International Filmography, 1960-2001, Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho was the seminal slasher film. The prototype slasher film is defined as one that combines: an introductory murder or predictive event; a setting that does not inspire terror; visualized killings; a human or humanlike killer; systematic, thematic killing; and an unhappy or unresolved ending. Armstrong's well-developed introduction provides examples for each of these elements, and he uses the criteria to select more than 150 representative films, most of them U.S. made. The classics are found (e.g., Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre), but lesser-known films are also given good coverage.

Entries are arranged alphabetically by English title and vary in length from one to three pages. Information includes date, screenwriters, directors, film company, length, cast, and crew; a very detailed plot outline follows. A final paragraph gives the author's critique of the film's role in the genre. Writing is straightforward and generally objective. A few black-and-white photos provide a sense of the genre. Separate appendixes list slasher directors and screenwriters. The index is minimal.

These two titles overlap somewhat in coverage (both cover the Friday the 13th and Halloween series, for example), although Stine is much more opinionated. Both are recommended for libraries with relevant collections. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Scott Aaron Stine, publisher of Trashfiend magazine and its predecessor GICK!, has been an avid collector of horror movie memorabilia for many years. He is also the author of The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films of the 1960s and 1970s (2001) and lives in Everett, Washington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786415320
• ISBN-13: 978-0786415328
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,744,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wish I hadn't wasted my money on this book!, March 22, 2004

By 

ohenrybear "ohenrybear" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s (Paperback)

I usually always enjoying reading all the "horror movie" review books/encyclopedias out there, but I really wish I had never wasted my time and money on this one! First of all, the price tag seems a little steep to me for a softcover book. More importantly, though, is that the whole time I was reading this book I had to keep asking myself why did this author even want to write this? It is clear through reading his reviews that he is NOT a fan of 80's horror/splatter films at all. He gives very unfavorable reviews to most of the films in the book. He makes rude comments about them, the people who make them, star in them, or even those of us that like to watch them! He pretty much trashes everything about the very films that he is writting a whole book about! I feel like it must have been absolute torture for him to endure even watching all these movies that he was reviewing. Well, come to think of it I do think he states that a couple of times in the book! So anyways, the reviews aren't much help if you are truly a fan of the genre. There is some useful information on availability of the films in either VHS and/or DVD formats. Cast lists and production information seem pretty accurate too. There are also some rare pictures/artwork included too. Yet another surprising and disappointing thing about the book are the number of obvious omissions from it. There's no reviews to such well known 80's horror films like: He Knows You're Alone, Terror Train, The Fog, Chopping Mall, Intruder, Just Before Dawn, Sorority House Massacre, April Fool's Day, etc.?! The author also states that some of the "older" purchasers of his book will probably be finding themselves having to hide it out of others' sight due to feeling ashamed of owning it! Well, in my case I won't be hiding this book because of being ashamed for liking horror movies but instead for unfortunately owning this particular "book" about them.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I sold this 3 days after reading it....It's terrible, March 21, 2005

By 

Alfonso Salvator "goreborg" (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s (Paperback)

The first book Mr. Stine graced us with was all about 60's and 70's splatter films, an era that the writer really enjoys obviously. This 2nd book, covering the 80's horror gore films, should have never even been published, let alone written. The editor comes across bitter, frustrated, and downright mean about the films he's reviewing...which is strange considering the films from the 60's and 70's are even worse than the ones from the 80's. I just don't see the point of this book. Avoid at all costs.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What was Stine thinking?, September 13, 2008

By 

Knightlore (Wiener Neustadt) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s (Paperback)

First of all he seems to hate Splatter Movies of the eighties. Every second film is worthless in his opinion. Of course some of this films are cheap and senseless but Mr. Stine seems to lack any kind of objectivity. He was nastier than most of the films effects putting everything down, especially Rock and Metalmusic of the eighties. And that really made me mad because i love this music. He even went so low writing" ....is killing 25 people, well not really people but Rockers"!!! What the hell....this is a discrimination against people who love this kind of music. Scott Aaron SWine sucks!