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This "A-Z" directory of horror films promises greater detail
than Stanley's Creature Features
guides, which only provides film entries. Maxford has entries for
films, actors, writers, producers, directors, technicians, studios, and monsters, including
many B-level names.
But if the latest Creature Features requires
600 pages solely for films (albeit including science fiction and
fantasy films), one suspects A-Z's 300 pages leave some letters
missing. Maxford writes, "given the enormity of the task,
there
are bound to be some omissions." Yes indeed. Especially since
Maxford's entries provide more than mere synopses and analyses.
What is included is admirable, but uneven. Actor entries include
filmographies, some extensive, some not. Actress
Barbara Bach's brief entry itemizes
her horror films, but none have their own film entries.
Bela Lugosi's extensive entry did not prevent Maxford from
including separate entries for
Dracula and The Black Cat
(but not for The Devil Bat).
And why Bach but not Kay Lenz,
whose work includes Initiation of Sarah,
House,
Headhunter? Why Sybil Danning but not Sandahl Bergman?
Film entries offer production credits, some extensive, some not.
New Year's Evil only credits
its director, music, and cast. Scanners's
entry lists its sequels, but none have their own entry. Only the
first four Halloween films
have entries, though Halloween's
entry mentions V and VI.
While Scanners and
Halloween are
seminal films, if New Year's Evil is included, why not dozens of
other slasher fare? MIA are The Prey,
Intruder,
House of Death,
the entire
Silent Night, Deadly Night series (but curiously, not
Silent Night, Bloody Night,
nor Silent Night, Evil Night).
It
all feels very haphazard.
Maxford says "the credit lists are perhaps the most comprehensive
you'll find in any film guide." No. They're impressive,
but the Overlook Encyclopedia
contains entries
A-Z lacks.
Maxford earlier wrote the Overlook Press's
Hammer, House of Horror:
Behind the Screams. Unsurprisingly,
A-Z's Hammer entry is extensive; for Monogram and PRC it's skimpy. Maxford specifies the
color processing used in many films (Technicolor, Metrocolor,
Eastmancolor, black & white, etc.), and less often their sound
recording system.
Maxford admits "my views on certain films may be at variance
with the reader's own personal taste and even received opinions.
For this I make no apologies." Actually, his filmographies
and
production credits leave little room for plot synopses and analyses;
Stanley's snippets are often more comprehensive. Instead,
Maxford provides a four star rating system and "any name recorded
within the body of the cast and credit lists in capitals denotes
a stronger than usual contribution from the artist involved (e.g. d: TERENCE FISHER means that the film was particularly
well directed)."
The A-Z
of Horror Films is published by Indiana University
Press. It's intelligent and accessible, but no more scholarly
than many mainstream horror film books. Triple its content and
it would become a formidable reference tool. The trade paperback
is printed on heavy paper, three columns per page, nicely illustrated in black and white, and some gory color spreads. Also
available clothbound.
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