Book Review: HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s by John Kenneth Muir

  
   
HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s
By John Kenneth Muir
Published by McFarland & Company, Inc.
 
McFarland has released some of the best horror related books over the years.  They go above and beyond with their horror related releases, and HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s is no exception.  This book is like a huge college textbook, but one that I would actually read!  Here is a brief description of the book from the McFarland website (www.mcfarlandpub.com):
 
 This filmography covers more than 300 horror films released from 1990 through 1999. The horror genre’s trends and cliches are connected to social and cultural phenomena, such as Y2K fears and the Los Angeles riots. Popular films were about serial killers, aliens, conspiracies, and sinister "interlopers," new monsters who shambled their way into havoc.
  Each of the films is discussed at length with detailed credits and critical commentary. There are six appendices: 1990s cliches and conventions, 1990s hall of fame, memorable ad lines, movie references in Scream, 1990s horrors vs. The X-Files, and the decade’s ten best.
 
 I loved the introduction section of this book which was titled, 'It Depends on What the Meaning of the Words "IS" is'.    This is of course referencing the classic line given by President Clinton at his impeachment hearings.  The introduction talks about how horror films are influenced by what is happening in the word at the time and how the events of the 90's affected the films of that decade.
 
 The real meat of the book is the listing of every major horror film released in the 1990s by year of release.  Each film's entry starts with a "Critical Reception" section, which list a couple of quotes about the film from notable critics from the time of the film's release.   This is followed by a section listing each of the major Cast and Crew members and then a brief synopsis of the film.
 The author then goes into his commentary of the film which always seems to be the perfect length.  Muir's commentaries are always full of great info and insight, without ever being too long in length.
 
 One of the great things I like about these types of books is finding movies that I have never even heard of before.  With a book this big, I knew I was bound to find some, and I certainly did.  All the major films from the 90's are contained in the book, as well as some smaller films I had never heard of.  For instance, have you ever heard of the films, GRIM PRAIRIE TALES, THE RUNESTONE, or ROADFLOWER?   These are just a sampling of the smaller, lesser known films that I found in this great reference book.
 
  HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s a 7x10 hardcover book containing 714 pages, including over 220 photos!  This book is a must have resource and is worth every penny of it's price tag.   Muir also penned the books HORROR FILMS OF THE 1970s and HORROR FILMS OF THE 1980s, which can both be purchased at the McFarland website as well!  Hopefully I can eventually get copies of those books as well and have one amazing reference series!  Get yours today!!


 You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.