FACTUAL REVIEW; Nightmare Movies - Kim Newman

Release Date: 18/04/11

SYNOPSIS:

Now over twenty years old, the original edition of Nightmare Movies has retained its place as a true classic of cult film criticism. In this new edition, Kim Newman brings his seminal work completely up to date, both reassessing his earlier evaluations and adding a second part that analyses the last two decades of horror films with all the wit, intelligence and insight for which he is known. Since the publication of the first edition, horror has been on a gradual upswing and has gained a new and stronger hold over the film industry. Newman negotiates his way through a vast back catalogue of horror and charts the on-screen progress of our collective fears and bogeymen, from the low-budget slasher movies of the 1960s, through to the slick releases of the 2000s. Nightmare Movies is an invaluable companion that not only provides a newly updated history of the darker side of film but also acts as a truly entertaining guide with which to explore the less well-trodden paths of horror and rediscover the classics with a newly instructed eye.


REVIEW:

As a huge fan of Horror movies I’m always interested in the history of the genre. This is what Kim has presented in this, the 20th Anniversary print of the original script which has been added to as well as modified over the years. Whilst this isn’t a fictional title by any way shape or means as some may think with it having the Kim Newman name on the cover, it is a title that is not only authoritive but one that’s been created with a love of the genre. Ideal material for fans of horror as well as anyone studying Film and Media to degree level.

Add to this great subject matter, at the very least one or two chapters that will appeal to any film reader (my personal favourites included: Vampires and Other Stereotypes, Cannibal Zombie Gut Crunchers and Shoot ‘em in the Head) and when you wrap it up in a talent as huge as Kim’s this is a title that many people will love to have on their coffee table for its friendly accessible manner. Great stuff.