Well, if you want a book as specific as talking about cats in horror films, you will find the definitive tome on the subject here. A chronological tale of how cats are used as main characters or key figures in horror movies across the entire history of cinema. A number of the films you will likely have heard of, but many may be revelations.
Yet, what really makes this work stand out is its incorporation of a wide swath of cinema. It is not just American horror films. It literally spans the globe, looking at cinema from Japan, Eastern Europe and Latin America. A key basis for many of the horror films with cats starts with Edgar Allen Poe’s work “The Black Cat”. You find many adaptations in America and internationally. Granted, “The Black Cat” is not the end-all/be-all for cats in movies, but offers a starting point. From there, each filmmaker adds their own take on the role of the cat, with all revenant context.
Along with narrations of the plots of the various films, with emphasis on the specific role that cats play, you get a description of the social environment for the movies and how the use of said cat plays into the greater narrative. There is a lot to this work, but it never really drags.
This work may not get a wider audience, given the very narrow subject confines. However, for what it is, and likely for the cat-owning cinephiles out there, a must-add to the collection.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.