Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low-Budget Horror Films [Paperback]

Sara Caldwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006

• Features dozens of detailed interviews with directors, producers, F/X pros, and more

• Horror movies get better distribution deals—so they’re great for independent filmmakers

• Entertaining and informative, packed with insightful and sometimes hilarious anecdotes



Everyone who’s ever longed to make their very own horror movie needs a copy of Splatter Flicks, a comprehensive guide that shows aspiring filmmakers exactly how today’s most successful creators of horror finance, produce, and market their films. Interviews with the creative geniuses behind such low-budget moneymakers as Dead Serious, Till Death Do Us Part, Scarecrow, and many others reveal such dark secrets as how to make a movie for $ 2,000, how to get the best shrieks from scream queens, how to capture fear on film, how to make the perfect monster...the list goes on and on—it won’t stop—make it stop—aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!! Yes, Splatter Flicks is horrifying...in a good way.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sara Caldwell founded Amphion Productions in 1991 and has since written and produced more than two hundred film, television, documentary, DVD, and satellite teleconference projects. The coauthor of So You Want to Be a Screenwriter and author of Jumpstart Your Awesome Film Production Company, she lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581154437
• ISBN-13: 978-1581154436
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #990,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sara is an award-winning screenwriter and professor of Media Entertainment Arts at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA, as well as writer/producer for House of Gorey Productions. A horror aficionado, she is the author of Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low Budget Horror Films amongst other industry books. She is a frequent workshop leader and consultant. Her advice also appears in NOW WRITE ! Screenwriting (Tarcher/Penguin, Sep. 2010). She is represented by the ADA Management Group.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK, September 15, 2010

By 

Explorator (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low-Budget Horror Films (Kindle Edition)

I purchased this book expecting to read a generally informative and practical guide to making low budget splatter movies (as it's advertised), but INSTEAD I got an amateur tirade about what the author personally likes / dislikes about horror movies! Her screed is strictly from the PC (politically correct) school of thought so you get LOTS of preaching and repenting for the horror genre making women into victims "all the time". The meager amount of useful information in this so-called 'book' basically consists of occasional quotes from people who have actually MADE movies (the author herself has NO credentials whatsoever pertaining to the making of low budget horror movies). The only reason why I'm giving this 2 stars instead of one is because there is SOME interesting information FROM THOSE WHOM SHE QUOTES in this 'book', but it is so frustrating to read through the constant preaching from the author before you get to those little bits of wisdom, that it simply isn't worth it.

Seriously people, ANYBODY could have written this book!

It reads like a poor college thesis on "what's wrong with the horror genre" more than a useful practical guide to splatter movie making. Imagine hearing a lecture from some college girl talking about horror movies but she has a grudge against the genre because women are often portrayed as victims and you'll get a clear indication of what you're in for. There are VERY FEW illustrations, and most important of all, there should have been extensive sections on special effects since they are so integral to splatter flicks. There is so much great information out there that the author could have used which would have given great tips to aspiring movie makers but the lame 'section' on FX consists of pathetic 'Halloween Party' make-ups!

The author simply is NO authority on making low budget splatter movies and should have just filled the book entirely with material from the people who gave their advice, but NO, she obviously wants to persuade aspiring horror movie makers to make very PC friendly movies so she decided to turn this 'how to' book into her own personal soapbox. The sad fact of the matter is that if she was writing about any other 'how to' subject she would have been torn apart by astute reviewers for lack of credentials, so why should anyone listen to her advice on making splatter flicks? One can't help but wonder if the author assumed that writing a book on making 'splatter flicks' would allow her to escape criticism?

This 'how to' book is a fake and is simply a shameless rip-off targeting splatter movie fans. If you want to read VERY entertaining and HIGHLY INFORMATIVE books on making low budget splatter flicks read Danny Draven's EXCELLENT "The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead" and the hilarious AND informative Lloyd Kaufman books "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger" and "Make Your Own Damn Movie".

NOTICE HOW THE ONLY 4 STAR REVIEW (at the time I'm writing this) HAS NO OTHER PRODUCTS LISTED IN THEIR REVIEW SECTION! (It is most likely a 'fake' review either by the author herself or a friend / family member)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great In-Depth Support Guide, September 3, 2007

By 

C. Munson "directoronset" (downingtown, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low-Budget Horror Films (Paperback)

This is a great book for horror film fans and budding horror filmmakers. Even if you're looking to shoot a 5 minute spoof horror movie in your backyard its definitely worth a read. There's plenty of insight to the business of low budget horror filmmaking, plenty of interviews with honest directors, cinematographers, set designers, writers...everything you need. Many references to classic films that enhance the chapters. It's written well, easy to read. It's going to be beside me when I make my next film.

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars decent, but there are much better, February 13, 2007

By 

Chris A. Breshears "Chris Rockwell" (idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low-Budget Horror Films (Paperback)

Hard to know what to expect from a book like this. Sure it would be good for first time film makers, but beyond that.. there is not much here.