The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film
£16.80£19.00 (-12%)
‘… the definitive guide to what properly messes us up.’ ― SFX Magazine
‘Glasby anatomises horror’s scare tactics with keen, lucid clarity across 34 carefully selected main films – classic and pleasingly obscure. 4 Stars.’ ― Total Film
The Book of Horror introduces you to the scariest movies ever made and examines what makes them so frightening.
Horror movies have never been more critically or commercially successful, but there’s only one metric that matters: are they scary? Back in the silent era, viewers thrilled at Frankenstein and Dracula. Today, the monsters may have changed, but the instinct remains the same: to seek out the unspeakable, ride the adrenaline rush and play out our fears in the safety of the cinema.
The Book of Horror focuses on the most frightening films of the post-war era – from Psycho (1960) to It Chapter Two (2019) – examining exactly how they scare us across a series of key categories. Each chapter explores a seminal horror film in depth, charting its scariest moments with infographics and identifying the related works you need to see.
Including references to more than 100 classic and contemporary horror films from around the globe, and striking illustrations from Barney Bodoano, this is a rich and compelling guide to the scariest films ever made.
The films:
Psycho (1960), The Innocents (1961), The Haunting (1963), Don’t Look Now (1973), The Exorcist (1973), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), Suspiria (1977), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Entity (1982), Angst (1983), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990), Ring (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Others (2001), The Eye (2002), Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), Shutter (2004), The Descent (2005), Wolf Creek (2005), The Orphanage (2007), [Rec] (2007), The Strangers (2008), Lake Mungo (2008), Martyrs (2008), The Innkeepers (2011), Banshee Chapter (2013), Oculus (2013), The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2015), Terrified (2017), Hereditary (2018), It Chapter Two (2019)
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Additional information
| Publisher | Frances Lincoln, Illustrated edition (22 Sept. 2020) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 176 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0711251789 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0711251786 |
| Dimensions | 19.94 x 2.41 x 25.4 cm |
by Amazon Customer
A must read for horror fans – well researched and beautifully put together
by Barbara Jones
Bought this for a friend as he enjoys his horror film genre. He said it’s very interesting to did in and out of as a pleasurable read. Although, would be great for film studies, of course.
Recommended!
by Mr B RAWSON-JONES
This was a birthday present for a horror-loving friend and he was entranced with this well-written, gorgeously illustrated book that gave him many terrific recommendations. An absolute success of a present.
by roddersj04
This isn’t another “best of” book. Matt Glasby’s horror movie compendium is a lovingly curated examination of some of the scariest movies ever made, with expert insight throughout, and not a few unexpected filmic gems mined for serious scrutiny.
Glasby’s journalistic experience is in evidence throughout, not just in his lean and illuminating writing, but also in the wealth of material on offer – The Book of Horror is packed with graphics, info boxes and recommendations for further viewing. The illustrations are gorgeous, too. I cannot recommend this enough.
by Amazon Customer
Great book! Loads of genuinely scary films with interesting, thoughtful reviews. Have always liked horror films, but with so many to choose from (and quite a few duds) it’s helpful to have some good pointers. I like the format and the thoughts about what makes films scary, and the illustrations are great too. We have been working our way through the recommendations and have loved every film so far.
by Film lover
Wow, what a brilliant book … manages to intelligently unpick how horror films work, and still be really scary in itself. Glasby captures the atmosphere of each film so well that you’ll find yourself unsettled just reading it. This is helped by the amazing artwork on every page. The classic films are there, but it’s not just all the same old favourites; the author is clearly a huge horror film afficionado and you will end up with a list of must-watch films by the end.
by Geo
If you like horror movies, this is an interesting analysis of some of the best and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
by Mr B RAWSON-JONES
As a fan of horror movies since a young age, I instinctively approach any articles or books on the genre with suspicion. What makes us scared is just so subjective. But here, the author tackles the question ‘WHY are we scared?’ – and the results are engrossing. The book is lovely to go through, with atmospheric illustrations and graphs that provide brilliant insight. It also encourages you to discover a few gems that you may have missed – and then check out the relevant section on that film after viewing. This book’s a surefire way to enhance your enjoyment of horror movies and would make a great stocking filler,