A Cut Below: A Celebration of B Horror Movies, 1950s-1980s

by Scott Drebit

Horror films have been around for more than 100 years, and they continue to make a large impact on popular culture as they reflect their contemporary zeitgeist. Between the mid-1950s and mid-1980s, drive-in theaters were at their peak of popularity, and each decade brought forward new challenges and themes. This book explores 60 B horror films, divided into 12 fun and uniquely-themed categories. Chapters discuss how the Atomic Age, the Vietnam War, the women's liberation movement and other current events and social issues affected these films. Films covered include Willard , The Fly , Santa Sangre and many more.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

234 pages, Paperback

Published January 24, 2024

Reviews

[Jan Stinchcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a totally enjoyable and well-written walk down memory lane for fans of B horror films. Drebit is a competent cultural critic with a true love of the genre and an understanding of how the film industry works. If you're looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia and relief from current events, this book is for you.

[Travis Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some classics, some new to me, and then there’s The Manitou, which will be my next favorite Letterboxd review, I’m sure.

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all my love of the written word, sometimes you can’t beat the movies. Some of my favorite purchases of all time have been those rare compendiums all about horror films. Call me a boomer if you’d like, but Google searches can’t really compare to a lovingly-created text dedicated to the shared love of the movies.

This year, this great genre welcomed a new book in that vein, Scott Drebit’s A Cut Below: A Celebration of B Horror Movies, 1950s-1980s. I won’t leave you in suspense. Drebit’s book is amazing. This is the kind of writing on cinema that births and sustains movie lovers, and I cannot recommend it enough for your shelves.

Read the rest of the review here.