Book Review: DEATH BY UMBRELLA: THE 100 WEIRDEST HORROR MOVIE WEAPONS

DEATH BY UMBRELLA:  THE 100 WEIRDEST HORROR MOVIE WEAPONS
Written by:  Christopher Lombardo and Jeff Kirschner
Published by:   Bearmanor Media

  I don't do as many book reviews on the site as I'd like to, so I am trying to change that.  Expect more book reviews in the coming months, as there have been some amazing horror related books released lately!  

  One of the best I have found lately is the book DEATH BY UMBRELLA, an easy read with 100 different short essays on the strangest deaths imaginable in horror films.  This is perfect for the short attention spanned person such as myself.   Each entry is no more than a page or two, so is nice to just read a few entries whenever I have just a few minutes to spare.

  This is an extremely fun book, with 100 of the best kills from horror movies spanning many years.   The authors split the kills/weapons up into 7 chapters/categories, including kills by weapons found around the home, in the kitchen, sports and recreation, machinery, tight squeezes, and more.

  Here are some of the more crazy weapons described in this book:

*  Umbrellas - used in both SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 2 and STITCHES
*  Coffee Maker - used in LEPRECHAUN 2
*  Ear of Corn - used in SLEEPWALKERS
*  Electric Toothbrush - used in BOOGEYMAN 2
*  Mounted Deer Antlers - used in SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
*  Condom - used in KILLER CONDOM
*  Basketball - used in DEADLY FRIEND
*  Fishing Lure - used in BLOOD HOOK

  Read about these and  92 other crazy weapons in DEATH BY UMBRELLA!   This book is available now from Bearmanor Media.  I highly recommend this fun book for all horror fans!


CLICK HERE to purchase the Hardcover edition
CLICK HERE to purchase the Paperback edition

Book Review: HIDDEN HORROR: A CELEBRATION OF 101 UNDERRATED AND OVERLOOKED FRIGHT FLICKS

HIDDEN HORROR:  A CELEBRATION OF 101 UNDERRATED AND OVERLOOKED FRIGHT FLICKS
Edited by Aaron Christensen
Published by Kitley's Krypt

  I'll be honest, I don't read much these days.  I just don't seem to find the time with a full time job and a family, to sit down and read most books.    Also, I am a bit of a slow reader, and I have an awful memory, so if I am reading a book and I go a few days without reading, I tend to forget what was going on and have to go back and re-read chapters.   I tell you this to explain why I love books like HIDDEN HORROR from Dr. AC!   I love books about movies and reference books like this are perfect for me.  If you don't have time to sit and watch a movie, it is a lot of fun to be able to take a few minutes and read about it! And each essay is about a different movie, and only 2-3 pages long on average, so you can read just a few minutes if that is all you have time for.

 Now, a lot of reference books are like this, but you tend to start reading about the same mainstream or cult status films when you read a horror movie reference book.  What this book does differently is focus on those films that normally wouldn't get much, if any, write up in any movie reference book. That is one of many things that sets this book apart from others like it.  Another is that each essay was written by a different author, so if you don't like the style one of the essays is written in, well the next one will be completely different since it will be by a brand new author!  I had a good time reading all the different authors and was excited to see that I knew a couple of them from my blogger circle of friends!  I know B.J. Colangelo from the "Day of the Woman" Blog who wrote an essay on the film, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE  (a movie I don't think is overlooked, but definitely underrated) and John Squires from the "Freddy In Space" Facebook page/blog who did a great article on the film, PSYCHO II.

  One of the things that was so much fun about this book was finding some horror films that I had never heard of before, and reading about those I might have heard of but had never seen.  There were only a handful of films I had never heard of, but there were quite a few I have to admit I have never seen.  In fact, I went through and counted which ones I had seen and I had only seen 32 of the 101 films reviewed in this book!!  And I consider myself a horror fan!!  Shame on me, I obviously have some work to do!  

  This is one of the best movie reference books out there right now in my opinion.  Any and all horror fans need a copy of HIDDEN HORROR on their bookshelf for sure.   This is very nicely put together book.  The book is 313 pages and includes tons of pictures from the films being reviewed.  The price tag is awesome too, costing just $15!  That is bargain for such a great book that is full of great movie info!

CLICK HERE to purchase the book
CLICK HERE to visit the book's official Facebook page

Book Review: ZOMBIE MOVIES: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE (2nd Edition) by Glenn Kay

ZOMBIE MOVIES:  THE ULTIMATE GUIDE (2nd Edition)
by  Glenn Kay
Published by Chicago Review Press
Distributed by Independent Publishers Group

 If you are a fan of zombie movies  (and if you are reading this blog, I assume you are), you will definitely want to check out the book titled ZOMBIE MOVIES:  THE ULTIMATE GUIDE  by Glenn Kay.   This is the ultimate resource for fans of zombie films.  Here is a description of the book from the Chicago Review Press website:

  Zombie Movies is an essential purchase for all who love (or fear) horror cinema's most popular and terrifying creation. This thorough and authoritative yet uproarious guide reviews and rates nearly 400 zombie films--from Bela Lugosi's White Zombie to the AMC series The Walking Dead. It traces the evolution of the zombie over the decades, from voodoo slave to brain-eating undead to raging infected.
  Including a detailed and chilling journal from the filming of Land of the Dead, Zombie Movies also lists the oddest and most gruesome things ever seen in undead cinema and covers not only mainstream American movies but also small independent productions, Spanish and Italian exploitation pictures, bizarre offerings from Japan and Hong Kong, and TV-show episodes with zombies in them. In addition, it provides a detailed rundown of the 25 greatest zombie films ever made and features in-depth interviews with actors, directors, makeup effects wizards, and other zombie experts.
  Now revised and expanded to include over 100 new and rediscovered films, this second edition of Zombie Movies provides plenty of informative and entertaining brain food for serious fans and casual moviegoers alike.

  This is by far one of my favorite books about zombie films.  The book takes you year by year and gives you info on each zombie film from that year.  The movie descriptions are usually just a page or two at length, sometimes even less, so it is very easy to pick up and read a few descriptions here and there when you have a few spare minutes to kill.  This book is also full of great picks from the films, including screen shots, publicity stills, and movie posters. The book is an over sized paperback containing 432 pages.

  Get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as you can.  I promise you it will become one of your favorite zombie movie reference books! 


CLICK HERE to purchase the book

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.