The A-Z of Horror Films (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Academic publishers are under duress, it seems. Where Indiana University Press once promoted rarefied monographs concerning film theory and European auteurs, they are now targeting a mainstream readership with these two genre film references. Julius, a reviewer for What's On in London, here reviews 250 key action films and offers concise biographies of such testosterone-pumped icons as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Dolph Lundgren. Quotations, trivia lists, and quizzes supplement the vivacious commentary. While Julius's reviews are admittedly fun to skim, they lack any semblance of depth. The coverage is likewise superficial, with just 250 films representing a smattering of action cinema. Even so, aficionados of psychotic cops, maximum ammo, and car chases might well appreciate the treatment. Maxford's (Hammer: House of Horror, Overlook, 1996) volume is simultaneously more comprehensive in scope and less lively. Succinct reviews cover the spectrum of horror cinema, from contemporary slasher pix and European independent productions to classic Hollywood movies. While Maxford's comments lack Julius's panache, they are bolstered by impressive credit lists. Here, too, salient biographies accompany the film reviews. The volume is liberally illustrated and amounts to a solid reference work, akin to a specialized Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide. It is bound to please both schlock connoisseurs and reference librarians in all types of institutions.?Neal Baker, Dickinson Coll. Lib., Carlisle, Pa.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253211077
• ISBN-13: 978-0253211071
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,029,434 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much to recommend in it., February 9, 2001

By	"carl_j_johansson" (Sweden) - See all my reviews

A book with filmreviews like Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide but here are, of course, just horrorfilms mentioned. There is also information about actors and directors. The strange thing with this book is why Maxford wrote it; he doesn't seem to like many of the films in the horror genre. It's only the mainstream stuff, like Silence of the Lambs and such films, that get positive reviews. And don't expect to learn something when you read the directors/actors entries; Just some information where and when they where born plus a listing of (genre)films they have made. The reviews are rather boring to read, you get the feeling that Maxford was ashamed when he wrote this book cause of the subject matter. If you are a fan of horrorfilms and want a film guide I would recommend John McCarty's Official Splatter Movie Guide part 1 & 2 and John Stanley's Creature Features insted.

1.0 out of 5 stars It's just a huge list of horror movies., January 12, 1999

By A Customer

I expected some insight to the great horror movies but it is just a huge list of every horror movie in existence. It is more for research than entertainment or education.