Customer Reviews

Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An unusual book in that it is written by Horror fans, the book is as a result a splendidly fun read. Its premise is to make 101 Horror films of varying degrees of renown, better known to the general public and the choices of film are as remarkale as some of the very fine writing within. This is simply a must read for anyone with the slightest interest in Horror films of all eras. Joe Dante loves it, Horror legend Tom Savini wrote the foreword, what better reason do you need to buy this book.

As a regular user of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Horror Message Board, I heard about Horror 101 when it was approaching its final stages of completion. It is essentially a book about horror movies written by fans of the genre for fans of the genre. Many of the contributors (though not all) are also regular users of the IMDb. I was excited when I received my copy yesterday, as I have some on-line familiarity with many of the contributors because of this. (I have now read through it completely, having had a very hard time putting it down!)

However, once I started reading it, I was impressed for the actual content of the book. It seemed to me like I was attending some kind of conference on horror movies. The various different voices for all 110 movies listed gave a fresh perspective for each review. While there was a reasonable amount of academic style writing (not too surprising since at least one of the authors is a university lecturer in film studies), there were also pieces that were clearly of a more "fan" type writing. None of the articles were so long that they became boring. All were to the point and pertinent.

The reader who has seen these movies would be interested in some of the trivia presented. Most of the articles contain illustrations of why the movie contributes to the overall development of the horror genre, sometimes link the featured film to others that the director or actors have done, and always it is presented with an enthusiasm that seems to just ooze from the pages.

My only concern is that a new viewer to the genre might read the book before having seen the films. And my concern is just that many of the articles contain "spoilers" telling the reader the ending of the film-perhaps necessary when discussing them, but possibly distressing to viewers. The book does include a warning at the beginning to this point, though.

But having watched all of the Horror 101 films for an on-line competition this year, I can say that I have been enriched by reading this book and have gained an increased understanding of these essential films for the horror genre.

I highly recommend this book to any new or old fans of the horror genre as there is something for everyone here. It is well written, includes reviews of great films, and its multi-voiced style is refreshing.

I will confess I am a contributor to this book (the essay on Scream can be blamed on me!). But as I am only responsible for one of the 110 films celebrated here I figure I can speak fairly objectively. The contributors both know their horror and are passionate about spreading that knowledge to anyone who will listen. The variety of viewpoints and writing styles will keep things from seeming to homogenous and the sheer breadth of films covered(1920's to the present, silents to slashers)will give you a real in-depth look at the horror-genre as a whole. So, dig in and see if you can pass Horror 101!

Far too often, fans have been left out in the cold when it comes to voicing their opinion in a book format, let alone one published by an actual company (versus doing it themselves). So cast aside all of your previously conceived notions about a fan based book, because this one offers up a plethora of witty, informative and FUN reviews of the best horror films ever made. It is a breeze to sample just one chapter at a time, or you could devour them all, the choice is yours, but this book clearly can be read either way for maximum enjoyment. Since this is a project written by fans, for fans, gives it that special touch that some other weighty tomes fail to grasp because they are aimed at a very specific audience, not so with Horror 101 which is aimed at EVERYONE. With that being said, give this one a try if your cinematic tastes run the gamut from THE BEYOND to THE BIRDS to the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.

This is a must read for all horror fans. Every thing from the most subtle Val Lewton production to Cannibal Holocaust is covered here. The reviews are well written and to the point, something I enjoyed much more than the typical long winded scholarly essay. I may be slightly biased as I wrote the essay for "Peeping Tom", but regardless I still think this is a high quality piece of work.

This is a really great horror guide. There are 2 things that make this stand out beyond the rest of the pack.

1. The writers. Each article (1 per film) is by a different writer, and while they all have some consistency, there is a lot of variety. Sometimes people talk more about their personal experiences with the film, sometimes they talk more about the film and its history. But it's always clearly fans talking about the movies - and educated fans at that. The changing voices keep the book really fresh and fun and not at all textbook-like (despite the title). It makes it more like hanging out with a group of friends and chatting about horror then like reading a comprehensive history. Which is very much appreciated. That said...

2. It is indeed very comprehensive. I consider myself a pretty decent horror buff, and there were plenty of movies in here I have never seen, and a handful I have never heard of. For me, that's really exciting. One of the real thrills of being a horror fan is finding those hidden gems out there, and this is a great place to guide you to those gems. But it's still great for newcomers as well. All the classics are represented here, and even a movie I've seen dozens of times was interesting to read about in this context.

Overall, a very fun and enjoyable book. Great resource for diehard horror fans and those just dipping their toes in the water. Thumbs up.

I can't think of a more apt book to review on Halloween. HORROR 101 features a collective of reviews of the essential genre flicks from horror fans around the world. Editor Aaron Christensen (aka Dr. AC) should be commended for assembling this tome and allowing so many different viewpoints to speak up. It serves as a great starter guide for the horror neophyte or - if you're a horror fiend like me - a refreshing trip down cinema's scary memory lane.

I recently gave birth to a demon of an obsession for horror flix and this book is perfect. Very smart, critical, and informative without being pretentious. The essays are thorough, without being too long winded, and are never negative. Above all, it captures how much FUN it is to be passionate about horror!

If you collect Horror Film refrence books, you are not deciding if you are going to get this book. You are deciding when are you are going to get this book. You should get it now. It is the only one out there that is written by the fans. "Hey (you're thinking)I'm a fan". That's right. It is written by the people whose opinion you actually care about. Don't you get sick and tired of all the people that don't get you telling you to check out some lame movie that you wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole? Don't you remember how excited you get when you meet fellow Horror Film fans? You could talk forever about horror, right? This book is like being at a party filled with all of your favorite people to talk to. Even if you have seen the films discussed in this book, it is always fun to find out why other fans love the same stuff that you do. Buy this book now. It has a zombie professor on the cover!

Why did it take so long for someone to have this great idea! Horror 101 is a comprehensive list of influential and essential horror movies reviewed by the fans themselves. Kudos to Midnight Marquee and Aaron Christensen for making this long overdue publication a reality. What is lacking in writing acumen is more than made up for in style, the distinctive style of horror fans from across the globe. The fact that every movie in Horror 101 that I have seen is indeed a great movie (authors opinion) leads me to believe that it is in fact an A list. I look forward to reading the reviews of the films that I have not seen as I get round to them. If you are a horror fan or know a horror fan you can't go wrong with this book.