This introductory volume offers an elegant analysis of the enduring appeal of the cinematic vampire. From Georges Melies' early cinematic experiments to Twilight and Let the Right One In, the history of vampires in cinema can be organized by a handful of governing principles that help make sense of this movie monster's remarkable fecundity. Among these principles are that the cinematic vampire is invariably about sex and the vexed human relationship with technology, and that the vampire is alway...
The Horror Genre – From Beelzebub to Blair Witch (Shortcuts)
by Paul Wells
An official behind-the-scenes companion to New Line Cinema’s IT and IT CHAPTER TWO, the globally popular blockbusters Collecting the best artwork produced during the making of both of these sophisticated and visually enthralling films—including concept art, sketches, storyboards, and behind-the-scenes photography—World of IT explores the films’ singular aesthetic and meticulous world-building. This compendium includes commentary from director Andy Muschietti; producers Barbara Muschietti,...
Wes Craven (Conversations with Filmmakers)
With a career spanning four decades, Wes Craven (1939–2015) bridged independent exploitation cinema and Hollywood big-budget horror. A pioneer of the modern horror cinema, Craven directed such landmark films as The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream—considered not only classics of the genre, but examples of masterful filmmaking. Producing an impressive oeuvre that mixed intellectual concerns and political ideas, Craven utilized high-tension suspens...
Seeing the Apocalypse (Critical Conversations in Horror Studies)
Seeing the Apocalypse: Essays on Bird Box is the first volume to explore Josh Malerman’s best-selling novel and its recent film adaptation, which broke streaming records and became a cultural touchstone, emerging as a staple in the genre of contemporary horror. The essays in this collection offer an interdisciplinary approach to Bird Box, one that draws on the fields of gender studies, cultural studies, and disability studies. The contributors examine how Bird Box provokes questions about a rang...
40 artists, filmmakers, illustrators and fans produce original art for a tribute to the sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film. An artistic tribute to the sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien. 40 artists, filmmakers, and fans have been invited to contribute a piece of original art to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Alien in 2019. Pieces range from alternative posters to gothic interpretations of key scenes. Sketches, process pieces, and interview text acc...
Joss Whedon vs. the Horror Tradition
Although ostensibly presented as “light entertainment,” the work of writer-director-producer Joss Whedon takes much dark inspiration from the horror genre to create a unique aesthetic and perform a cultural critique. Featuring monsters, the undead, as well as drawing upon folklore and fairy tales, his many productions both celebrate and masterfully repurpose the traditions of horror for their own means. Woofter and Jowett’s collection looks at how Whedon revisits existing feminist tropes in the...
The second of two official companion books for the Zack Snyder-directed Netflix films Rebel Moon taking an exclusive in-depth look at the heroes and villains, monsters and animals. From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. When a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, Kora (Sofia Bou...
William Friedkin (Conversations with Filmmakers)
Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (b. 1935) is best known for his critically and commercially successful films The French Connection and The Exorcist. Unlike other film school-educated filmmakers of the directors' era, Friedkin got his start as a mailroom clerk at a local TV station and worked his way up to becoming a full-blown Hollywood filmmaker by his thirties. His rapid rise behind the camera from television director to Oscar winner came with self-confidence and unorthodox met...
Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Thor: The Dark World: The Art of the Movie
The official art book for the movie Thor: The Dark World, the 7th title reissue of the 24-book Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga series published as a resized matching set. The 7th of the 24 Marvel Cinematic Universe Infinity Saga film titles being published as a complete set. Packed with exclusive content, this fully illustrated tome is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of bringing a god and his worlds to life on the big screen. Follow the film’s complete artistic...
Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The Art of the Movie
The official art book for the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the 8th title reissue of the 24-book Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga series published as a resized matching set. The 8th of the 24 Marvel Cinematic Universe Infinity Saga film titles being published as a complete set. Packed with exclusive content, this fully illustrated tome sheds light on how Captain America: The Winter Soldier was created, including concept art, drawings, movie stills, and storyboards. Follow the fil...
In 1932, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff, introduced another icon to the classic monster pantheon, beginning a journey down the cinematic Nile that has yet to reach its end. Over the past century, movie mummies have met everyone from Abbott and Costello to Tom Cruise, not to mention a myriad of fellow monsters. Horrifying and mysterious, the mummy comes from a different time with uncommon knowledge and unique motivation, offering the lure of the exotic as well as the terrors of the dark....
In October 1957, Screen Gems made numerous horror movies available to local television stations around the country as part of a package of films called Shock Theater. These movies became a huge sensation with TV viewers, as did the horror hosts who introduced the films and offered insight--often humorous--into the plots, the actors, and the directors. This history of hosted horror walks readers through the best TV horror films, beginning with the 1930s black-and-white classics from Universal...
Horror films have been around for more than 100 years, and they continue to make a large impact on popular culture as they reflect their contemporary zeitgeist. Between the mid-1950s and mid-1980s, drive-in theaters were at their peak of popularity, and each decade brought forward new challenges and themes. This book explores 60 B horror films, divided into 12 fun and uniquely-themed categories. Chapters discuss how the Atomic Age, the Vietnam War, the women's liberation movement and other cur...
With more than 60 pages of detailed, terrifying illustrations that bring the horror of the haunted Good Guy doll to life, Chucky: The Official Coloring Book offers hours of scary fun within this official coloring book! Featuring all-new illustrations of the most terrifying, shocking, and hilariously memorable scenes from the Child’s Play film series, this coloring book will thrill and entice fans of the celebrated horror movie franchise. Suited for hours of creative expression, Chucky: The Offi...
Universal Terrors, 1951-1955
by Tom Weaver, David Schecter, Robert J Kiss, and Steve Kronenberg
Universal Studios created the first cinematic universe of monsters--Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and others became household names during the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1950s, more modern monsters were created for the Atomic Age, including one-eyed globs from outer space, mutants from the planet Metaluna, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the 100-foot high horror known as Tarantula. This over-the-top history is the definitive retrospective on Universal's horror and science fict...