Customer Reviews

Scary Movies: Behind the Scenes Stories, Reviews, Biographies, Anecdotes, History & Lists

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Forget those stuffy monographs written by film studies academics bent on proving how dull movies are. And while you're at it, also forget those self-conscious diatribes by soi-disant movie experts, who stare down the noses of their artistic frustrations at anything that doesn't meet their overblown and unimportant expectations. Now...deep breath...read this book!

A.S. Mott has produced a guide to film's dark genre that is fun and informative, as much about horror movies as it is about the author's life-long love for them. Featuring six chapters each imparting an in-depth study of Halloween, Psycho, An American Werewolf in London, Nighmare on Elm Street and Evil Dead II, the book is less academic than conversational, an extended sit-down with the optimus-prime of movie geeks. The text is punctuated throughout with footnotes facts, observations and fun asides. A must read for anyone interested in the subject. There's something here for dilettantes and die-hard fans alike.

This book deserves only two stars because it covers only the more well known horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and the original Psycho. The author also makes room to include, for some reason, titles such as Color of Night, Cobra, Basic Instinct, Jaws the Revenge and some other movies that have no place in a book called SCARY MOVIES. It does mention a few lesser known horror titles but only to say how bad they are (at least in the author's opinion). If you want to read a better book about scary movies the best place to start is with GOING TO PIECES. It details a lot of the lesser known horror films and doesn't stray away from the genre like this book does. It also has better pictures.