John McCarty's Official Splatter Movie Guide Vol. 2

by John McCarty

Provides plot summaries, cast, credits, and brief comments for horror films from "Alien Nation" to "Zombie Lake"

Genres: Horror, Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

199 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCarty's original Official Splatter Movie Guide from 1989 gave readers reviews and information on more than four hundred films which refused to skimp on their fake blood budget and often seemed more interested in killings characters than a coherent plot. But the problem with film guides is that no matter how in-depth you make them and how many titles you cover, studios are always releasing more to theater and video, you've always overlooked a few things, and before long, your up-to-date volume finds itself not-so-up-to-date as you might like. So it's not inconceivable that after a year or two go by, you might get the urge to chase the dragon again. Just like in Hollywood, if your book made money, there will always be room for a sequel. And so, once more, McCarty gathered together his most iron-stomached buddies and trolled the aisles to find the stuff they'd missed before and the new stuff which had come out in the interim. After subjecting themselves to hundreds more of the grossest, goriest, and most outrageous movies ever made, and reviewing every one in the signature, irreverent style of the original guide, Official Splatter Movie Guide, Vol. 2 found its way to store shelves in 1992. With 169 more pages of reviews, along with fifty extra pages of photos, appendixes, indexes, and category listings, it's beefier than the first, with all the same charm, dedication, and strong opinions with which you might disagree.

Vehemently.

Seriously, there were a couple times I wanted to fling the book across the room in anger. More times than I could count, I uttered the phrase, "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" (and not in a good way). I'd put it down for a little while, but sure enough, the siren call would lure me back in, and I'd be balls deep in it again in no time.

I may not agree with McCarty and his crew 100% of the time, but damn it, they know their stuff and are happy to share it with like-minded maniacs such as myself.

This really isn't hard. If you love horror; if carnage is your thing; if you've got a shrine in your garage dedicated to Rob Bottin, John Carl Buechler, or Tom Savini; if buckets of blood, severed limbs, and endless streams of vomit cause you to up your rating on Letterboxd; if you used the "Video Nasties" as your own personal "Movies To Watch Before I Die" list; if you were on a first-name basis with the editors of Fangoria and Rue Morgue; then John McCarty's second book belongs on your shelf right beside Volume I.

You know who you are.

[Jude Felton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definite recommendation to horror fans