By Geno McGahee
I recently had the chance to read THE ART OF HORROR MOVIES: An Illustrated History (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books Hardcover; October 2017; $40.00). Award-winning writer and editor, Stephen Jones, paints an amazing history of the horror genre from the beginning to the current date and trends.
The horror genre has a rich history, starting with the silent film era. Seeing the amazing posters and advertisements that brought in that crowd is incredible, and I found the book very easy to cruise through and very interesting. The artwork, which this book is built on, is amazing and it doesn’t miss a beat, but I also enjoyed seeing what was trending at that time and how it impacted future generations of horror.
As a fan of the Universal Monsters, it was great to see the tons of different pieces of art and promotional pieces concerning them, especially the Creature from the Black Lagoon, my personal favorite. The book includes over 600 images and when I was done reading it, I still find myself thumbing through and just enjoying the artwork that went into promoting these films.
From the European monsters to the American slashers, this book covers everything including the artwork from other markets. The usual suspects like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky and Michael Myers are featured along with classic monsters including Godzilla. You don’t see Godzilla covered enough. It was nice to see several pieces of art covering the king of the monsters.
THE ART OF HORROR MOVIES: An Illustrated History is a must have for any horror fan and with Christmas coming up, if you are looking for the perfect gift for that friend of yours or family member that has that SAW poster hanging in their room, this is it. I highly recommend this book. It’s well worth the price and will bring more enjoyment than most books because it’s just fun to keep looking at the pictures.