Sidney Prescott, the Final Girl in Scream, may have put it best when she described slasher movies as “some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act, who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door.”
Unlike a good chuck of the horror bloggers out there, I actually read the books I review cover to cover to ensure that I'm not just shelling out bullshit opinions to my readers. While my review may be a bit late in comparison to the giveaways that have been going on, I had to make sure the book was of merit before I spent time writing a review. Now, I review a decent amount of books on DotW but I never EVER cover a book unless it is deserving of praise. Recently, I've gotten my grubby little paws on J.A. Kerswell (of
HYSTERIA LIVES )'s masterpiece
The Slasher Movie Book. The second I opened my mail and feasted my eyes on this beautiful piece of literary art, I knew I was in love. I flipped through a few pages to grasp a feel of what I was getting myself into, and I was completely taken a back with just how gorgeous this thing is. If the poster art, illustrations, movie stills, and tribute artwork doesn't tickle your fancy, the commentary and analysis presented by one of our own should do it for you. Kerswell writes from a place of intellect, and unadulterated passion. Just by reading one page, you can already tell that Kerswell holds the genre near and dear to him, and it shows in the content chosen as well as the depth of the writing. The film chronicles the golden age of one of the most beloved and successful horror subgenres and the one that undoubtedly brought horror into the mainstream media machine. At 208 pages, this highly organized account of the history of slasher films is an absolute must have for horror fans everywhere. The main thing I respect most about this book is how savvy it's arranged. For instance, the opening chapters focus on the film movements (giallo anyone?) that highly influenced the genre, but when it hits the golden age of the era, he focuses solely year by year, simply because there is just that much information to cover. Of course extra love is focused on the franchise big boys (Freddy, Jason, Michael etc.) but there is plenty of coverage on the lesser known works of the genre. Ultimately, if you don't get your hands on this book, you'll be doing yourself a grave disservice. Shell out the dough, or try to win it on the numerous
websites holding giveaways. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
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