Rating: 
Summary: Valuable yet disappointing to a hardcore Italian horror fan
Review: "Eaten Alive" is valuable in the sense it will serve as a decent introduction to these films for the newcomer. Also, there are reviews of some very obscure films, the interviews are informative and the poster art is great. However, I find a lot of Mr. Slayter's likes and dislikes rather mind boggling. For example Slayter upholds Fulci's "Conquest" (a horrible Conan The Barbarian rip off) as a good film yet goes on at length as to how deplorable "Cannibal Ferox" is. Yes "Ferox" has it's bad points but it cannot be ignored that it is widely considered a cannibal classic (perhaps second only to the mighty "Cannibal Holocaust.") Every horror / exploitation fan has differing opinions but I found Slayter's to be darn-near hypocritical. So I warn hardcore fans to either skip this book or be prepared to shake your head in disgust several times while reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable yet disappointing to a hardcore Italian horror fan
Review: "Eaten Alive" is valuable in the sense it will serve as a decent introduction to these films for the newcomer. Also, there are reviews of some very obscure films, the interviews are informative and the poster art is great. However, I find a lot of Mr. Slayter's likes and dislikes rather mind boggling. For example Slayter upholds Fulci's "Conquest" (a horrible Conan The Barbarian rip off) as a good film yet goes on at length as to how deplorable "Cannibal Ferox" is. Yes "Ferox" has it's bad points but it cannot be ignored that it is widely considered a cannibal classic (perhaps second only to the mighty "Cannibal Holocaust.") Every horror / exploitation fan has differing opinions but I found Slayter's to be darn-near hypocritical. So I warn hardcore fans to either skip this book or be prepared to shake your head in disgust several times while reading it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: ...This book effectively catalogs the Italian cannibal/zombie genre from its beginnings in the early 60's through the late 80's. The timing of their ascendance, not surprisingly, coincides with an explosion of sexual and artistic permissiveness in Italy, with its inevitable backlash against the church. The book is largely a cinematic catalog, describing the setting, plot and acting for each film. You can count on a description of how, a) gory and b) sexy each film is. The pictures are fairly graphic, and I would surely keep this book away from the kids. As a series of reviews, I highly recommend the book. If I was disappointed in any way, it is that I felt that the philosophical underpinnings of the genre was missing. Fulci and Romero weren't just making gory movies, they were making social statements. The recurring images of primitive tribes feasting on flesh, the dead rising from their graves to prey on the living are surely no accident. I would have appreciated a broader overview of the social/religious/political/gender issues. I sense that there is a college master's level thesis there. This book would have been a nice place to publish it. Alas, it is missing. I have one small beef. I would have appreciated a cross-reference to the films, in the form of an index or the like, and a filmography of the directors. It too, is alas, missing. Without it, the broader context can not be seen. For example, how do these films fit in against, say, Black Sabbath, a cornerstone horror film of the period? Notwithstanding my reservations, I was glad to see this book published and enjoyed reading it. If you have seen one or two of these rarities, and are hoping for a broader look, this is a good place to start.
Rating: 
Summary: Like our Living Dead friends munch steaming entrails...
Review: ...I devoured this book in a single afternoon. The reviews on the 'important' films in the genre are extensive and honest, and while there were a few films that I wish had more coverage, that is just the tiniest gripe when, actually, I am so grateful for all the information that was packed between the covers. The way I see it, there is no way I'll ever be able to track down each of these titles, so being able to read about them - as well as fit them snugly into the history of the genre, regardless of how small their impact might have been - is a wonderful treat. The classics (The Fulci films especially, and Cannibal Holocaust)each are covered well, and the cross-referencing of films and authors throughout is great, as are the overviews of zombie cinema given at the beginning of the book. Eaten Alive is for completists and those interested in delving into the strange world of Italian Splatter alike. I highly recommend this. Keep Shambling!
Rating:
Summary: Cannibal Zombie A Go-Go
Review: Cannibal and Zombie films are a unique genre in horror film making as both are American influenced yet it took a few inventive and often times plagiaristic Italian producers to push the genres to the extreme. Eaten Alive is a collection of these films with informative reviews by the author Jay Slater. The book explores the early films of Italian directors such as Mario Bava and Jess Franco and how American director George Romero's Dawn of the Dead would influence the magnum opus of the genre Zombie Flesh Eaters. Classic shockers such as Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox are included as well as lesser known yet equally gruesome films by Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi and Michele Soavi . Included are exclusive interviews with the directors and actors who brought life to these films as well as hundreds of films stills. The perfect book for those who wish to explore the most extreme of films from the Masters of the Cannibal and Zombie Menace.
Rating:
Summary: It's About Time
Review: Finally, somewhat of a definitive study on Italian exploitation films. Bravo! This has reviews and sometimes interviews of all the zombie and cannibal films ever made in Italy. I'm a diehard fan of horror, and especially like the Italians ones, that were generally more graphic than their American counterparts. The writers often acknowledge that the films are bad. My favorite actor, Giovanni Lombardo Radice is now ashamed to have been a part of such films and pities their fans. I find it ironic he would pan his only claim to fame. I love how Giovanni hams it up, and the animal cruelty he shuns. That's part of their appeal- they're so wacky and over the top, you can't help but love them. There are many posters from the films to spice it up. I got this for a college project, and it helped out big time. The clerks where I ordered it from noted the gross cover art. Slater and company really outdid themselves with this book. If you're a fan of Italian exploitation, look no further.
Rating:
Summary: Social commentary? Eat my face
Review: One should treat with great skepticism the notion that Fulci was intending to make any social statements whatsoever with his films. For years, Fulci lazily shadowed and plagiarised Romero step by step, and upped the gore quotient whilst simultaneously lowering the production values and narrative coherency of the genre. Fulci's best work, The Beyond, delivers a vague but disturbing moral about the folly of immortality, and nothing at all about contemporary society. Let's face it, Fulci was a dirty old man who was more interested in nubile young women being eaten by rotting corpses than delivering wry commentaries on Post-War consumerism, and his films are all the more enjoyable for it.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable yet disappointing to a hardcore Italian horror fan
Review: Reading the summary of this volume, you might reasonably expect a good bio of this neglected subgere of horror filmmaking...but you would be wrong. The first 10 percent of the book does indeed overview the origins of Cannibal and Zombie films, but the bulk of the volume is a hodgepodge of reviews and (mostly short and not very illuminating) interviews with stars and directors. The reviews themselves range from near brilliant (mostly Jay Slater's stuff) to borderline retarded (the Cannibal movie review by an Italian actor is damn near unreadable). Bonus points for some great--and obviously rare--poster artwork. Not bad, and not a bad price. Just keep your expectations moderate.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, But Poorly Organized Zombie Film Book
Review: Reading the summary of this volume, you might reasonably expect a good bio of this neglected subgere of horror filmmaking...but you would be wrong. The first 10 percent of the book does indeed overview the origins of Cannibal and Zombie films, but the bulk of the volume is a hodgepodge of reviews and (mostly short and not very illuminating) interviews with stars and directors. The reviews themselves range from near brilliant (mostly Jay Slater's stuff) to borderline retarded (the Cannibal movie review by an Italian actor is damn near unreadable). Bonus points for some great--and obviously rare--poster artwork. Not bad, and not a bad price. Just keep your expectations moderate.
Rating:
Summary: A great Italian horror movie book
Review: This is a great book. The information it contains goes beyond what most horror movie books get into. The interviews (Catriona MacColl, Ian McCulloch among many more) are very nice to read into behind the scenes of these undiscovered gems. Due yourself a favor and buy this book.
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