John McCarty's Official Splatter Movie Guide: Hundreds More of the Grossest, Goriest, Most Outrageous Movies Ever Made (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this followup to The Official Splatter Movie Guide of 1989, John McCarty and his dauntless team of splatter scholars have assembled another 400-odd reviews of the messiest movies ever made. As in the first volume, the films represent every manifestation of the splatter aesthetic, from the abjectly trashy (The Corpse Grinders) to the best of Hollywood (The Silence of the Lambs), including horror, sci-fi, action, thrillers, documentaries, and even a few comedies; McCarty's foreword includes some perceptive remarks on the genre-crossing properties of graphic gore. This volume also boasts some 24 pages of stills (not all of them well chosen) and arresting cover art. Once again, English-language movies predominate: European splatter is represented chiefly by the major Italian directors, and only one Asian entry appears.

This volume improves on its predecessor in a couple of ways. First, there are several appendices, including an index of directors and one called "Carnographic Pleasures," which groups films in categories such as "Simply Putrid," "Yuppies Get Slaughtered," and "You Think Your Family's Dysfunctional?"--a valuable aid in planning video theme evenings. Also, the reviews themselves are more extensive; the writers clearly decided to indulge themselves this time, and their remarks often have decidedly more entertainment value than the films. This is not to say that the book exists primarily as an excuse to lambaste cheesy movies, but McCarty and company do not spare the vitriol when it's called for.

Informative, intelligent, and amusing, this volume and its companion make a valuable resource for any viewer with a taste for the grisly. --Mary V. Burke

Product Description

The man who coined the term "splatter movie" separates the anemic from the ebullient in this all-new volume presenting hundreds of the goriest, grossest, and most outrageous films ever made. Includes summaries and commentaries on recent films as well as some which were overlooked in Volume I. Essential reading for film buffs, gorehounds, and concerned parents everywhere. 24 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; Revised edition (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312070462
• ISBN-13: 978-0312070465
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #927,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, fun guide, January 25, 2008

By	Pugmom "lover of dogs, books and horror movies" (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This book, the sequel to McCarty's original "Splatter Movie Guide", covers movies released between 1989 and 1992, plus many older titles overlooked in the first guide. Like the first, it rates movies of the "splatter" genre, mainly horror, sci-fi, and action movies, with lots of blood and guts. The author even goes into detail about how much and what type of blood and guts to expect- whether it's an eyeball poked out, an evisceration or two, or beheadings, he's got it covered. Also included are plot synopses, actors/directors, and basically whether the film is worth your time or not.

McCarty's writing is hilarious, and the book is fun to read even if you're not interested in the movies. His descriptions of the films are hysterical, pee-your-pants funny, so it's both fun to read and a useful guide for gorehounds. For example, his review of "Ministry of Vengeance" begins, "If you can accept the basic premise that 'Dukes of Hazzard's' John Schneider is a Vietnam-vet-turned-Episcopal-priest-turned-bloodthirsrty-revenge-minded vigilante when his wife and daughter are mown down by terrorists in an airport, then you're welcome to this bargain-basement Bronson crap".
As you can see, he tells it like it is. And so do I: buy it!