I am always weary when I read a book about movies. I hate when they get the dates wrong or if they present information as fact and you know it to be the otherwise. That is why The New Horror
Handbook is so refreshing. It is written by someone who KNOWS and loves horror movies.
The book begins with a definition of what "new horror" is, and then gets right to the point. The first chapter is about Eli Roth, who the author likens to Lenny Bruce. Many people do not like Eli Roth- I think that his movies are well-made, but no very good- but the author makes it very clear that he is a fan and he is not ashamed of it.
That was one of the biggest things that I learned from this book, not to be ashamed. Throughout the book, the author covers topics and people that a lot of horror fans simply do not like. But the author makes his case for each and every thing that he says here. He makes his case and moves on. While we might not agree with everything that he says-Repo! The Genetic Opera has more than "one or two catchy tunes"- we can see his point. We like the things we like and shouldn't care what others have to say about it.
Other movies covered in this book are:
-the Saw movies
-Cube
-the Ginger Snaps trilogy
-and many more.
This book is not chronological text about new horror movies, but a more focused look and some of the best. The author even takes a look at the smaller names in horror and even devotes a whole chapter to the horror magazine Rue Morgue.
I really dug this book. I had a really hard tie putting it down. The book is incredibly well written and well researched. This should be required reading for any horror fan.
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