Slasher Films: An International Filmography, 1960 Through 2001

Rating:
Summary: A welcome addition, but pretty cold-blooded.
Review: After the entertaining but disappointing 'Going To Pieces' I was thrilled to pick this Slasher reference up, hoping it would be a deeper, more thorough examination of my beloved sub-genre. What a let down! Long-winded synopses, terse criticisms, and several glaring omissions made for a boring, frustrating read. Why in the world would one devote most of their text to lengthy, uninvolving plot descriptions when they have the chance to either sing a film's praises or unleash a scathing criticism? Rockoff's 'Pieces',though thin, was at least a pleasurable, nostalgic read by someone who clearly knows his stuff. Armstrong never really lets on as to whether he's into this stuff or not, and while that's not essential, it's clearly more fun to know. So, the second of two noble trys is a let down as well. Perhaps a book with the color and flavor of Rockoff's, and the width and depth of Armstrong's, would be what we Slasher-buffs need.

Rating:
Summary: Rather pointless
Review: I wanted to like this book, really I did. Big props to McFarland for even comissioning a second study of the slasher genre after their good, if distressingly slim, Going to Pieces. The problem here is the lack of a critical commentary. After a brief overview of slasher film history and conventions, the majority of the book consists of long, boring plot synopses (spoilers and twist endings included) followed by one or two lines of lame "production notes" and the author's overall opinion of the film's worth. For $65, I was hoping for much more than rote recitation of slasher film plots. Where are the intriguing behind-the-scenes stories from Adam Rockoff's "Going to Pieces"? Where is the kind of excellent, in-depth analysis found in another McFarland book, John Kenneth Muir's eminently worthwhile "Horror Films of the 1970s"? Pretty much a washout, I'm granting an extra star for good intentions. The slasher genre still yearns for a comprehensive study...let this be the clarion call!