Customer Reviews

A Year of Fear: A Day-by-day Guide to 366 Horror Films

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

 

 

Ever wanted to know what horror flick to watch on, say, your birthday, wedding anniversary or the anniversary of the discovery of Titan, Saturn's moon? Then look to horror cinema expert Bryan Senn's informative, entertaining and punny A YEAR OF FEAR. Senn (and the occasional contributor) deliver up intelligent reviews of old black and white classics, more recent horror efforts and just about everything in-between, from 50s giant bug flicks to 80s ALIEN rip-offs and much-maligned slasher classics.

What I like most about the reviews are that they're relatively spoiler free and give you a flavor for the flick without providing a detailed synopsis. Thanks to his longtime involvement in horror cinema criticism and commentary, Senn has a wealth of information to draw upon and sprinkles the write-ups with informative and insightful quotes from stars and behind-the-scenes personnel that make the entries educational even if you thought you knew all you needed to know about THE DEADLY MANTIS or THE 30 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK.

I don't always agree with Senn (he loves LAKE PLACID and hates FRIDAY THE 13TH) but even when we don't see eye-to-eye his reviews always provide an interesting approach and an argument he stands behind. Best of all, though, his reviews of things I have not seen or films that are gathering dust in my memory banks make me want to rush out and see them now.

And how can you not like a guy who can appreciate the great Klaus Kinski's turn in the underrated creature feature, um, CREATURE?

Brian Senn's A Year of Fear provides 366 horror film reviews, one for each day of the year, rather like a tear-off desk calendar between covers. The book is such fun that I find myself reading review after review instead of waiting for the specified date attached to each. Senn liberally quotes other critics and interviews with stars and film makers, often juxtaposing the press book hype with critical slams or comical reminiscences by the film's cast and crew.

The calendar motif is punctuated by a mention for each date some historical event; some are trivial, some are notable. Examples: for The Day the Earth Caught Fire, July 10, Senn cites the record high temperature in the U.S. (134 degrees F in Death Valley, California); for The Wasp Woman, July 9, he cites the birth of star Susan Cabot; and for Tower of London, July 6, Senn cites the birth of Richard III in 1483.

Praise and blame are generously assigned as deserved in concise and entertaining reviews that look past the standard film book fare. It's a fun read, and I recommend it highly.

-Fred Adams

For a horror movie fan (like me) this book is loads of fun! Author Bryan Senn gives a quick but insightful synopsis for a horror film for each day of the year. I expected this to be obvious (like have "Silent Night Deadly Night for Christmas) but it isn't. For instance he picks "Hunchback of Notre Dame" for April 1--April Fools Day. For May 3 which is Day of the Holy Cross he picks "Taste the Blood of Dracula". Only picking "Halloween" for October 31 is obvious. Along with each day and movie he has a little box saying what this day means in various parts of the world. Also he doesn't just limit himself to recent movies--he does them from the 1920s all the way up to the 1990s. He covers good films, bad films and good/bad films:). I didn't always agree with him and thought he was WAY off on a few ("The Oblong Box" is GOOD???) but he made good arguments for his inclusion of them. Also the synopsis' provide some interesting facts I never knew and almost every movie has a still or poster for it. Senn also wrote another great horror book called "Golden Terrors" covering horror films from 1931-1939. He's an excellent author and I hope he writes more. I highly recommend this!

If you're like me you have a hard time finding that elusive "perfect" film to watch. I own several horror movie encyclopedias (such as "The Overlook Encyclopedia: Horror") but, again, such volumes only amplify my (compulsive) problem of finding that "perfect" movie. For me, this is the place that Byan Senn's "A Year of Fear" fills. As the book description points out, Senn's book names a movie to watch and gives a reason why you should on that day. What makes it unique, especially in the horror scene, is that Senn limits his opinion and take on a film and instead fills his guide with facts about each film, its makers, and the connection to the day. For example, today (January 17th) Senn recommends the 1963 monster movie by first time - and only time - director and actor Robert Hutton ("Cry of the Banshee," "Tales from the Crypt (1972)"). And why watch this today? Because it is the anniversary of the death of Thomas Crapper (inventor of the flush toilet). Hey, that's all I need! The only issue that people might have is finding some of the titles locally but anyone with Internet connection should have no problems. A great addition to your horror reference library. Thanks for the help, Senn...

This is a great idea for a book, but I wish somebody else had thought of it. Bryan Senn is clearly much more interested in the "golden age" of horror than in movies that are actually scary. I didn't count, but something like HALF of his recommended films date from pre-1960 (in other words, before 'modern horror' began with Psycho and Peeping Tom). The best example I can give is his choice for Christmas. Did Senn pick the classic -- and frightening as hell -- Black Christmas? The infamous nasty Silent Night Deadly Night? The wonderful and off-kilter Christmas Evil? NOPE! His chosen Christmas horror film is "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians," which isn't even a horror film. Very disappointing.