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Bad Blood: An Illustrated Guide to Psycho Cinema
Carl Panzram, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, Charles Manson; "Bad Blood "examines the crimes of these and 40 other killers, in every case also detailing the many films inspired by their repellent yet fascinating pathologies. Illustrated throughout by both crime photos and film stills, and with essays on different types of killers and their screen counterparts, "Bad Blood "is a trip into not only the darkest recesses of human existence, but also into one of the most exciting and disturbing zones of cinema.
- GenresFilm
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2002
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April 11, 2023
Not gonna lie, this was a tough book to get through. Because this book was originally in German, then translated to English, some of the syntax just doesn't flow very well. It really needed another passthrough from an editor, especially since there were many uncorrected typos. (Also if I have to read the word "borgouise" again, I am gonna scream)
The big caveat I will say to anyone going into this book is that there are real crime scene photos with bodies of murder victims alongside movie stills. If this disturbs you at all, this is not the book for you. I didn't know this beforehand, so I think others might appreciate the warning.
As for the written contents of this book, I had a hard time trying to figure out what the author was getting at in some sections (again, this may be a translation/editing issue). I like that this book included cases and films I had never heard of before. I do have a gripe with the author including Santa Sangre in the "case studies" chapter, as he admits in the text that the only source is Alejandro Jodorowski and that it's possible Jodorowski just made up a case for a publicity stunt. I feel like that section could have gone to a more deserving case with actual sources that aren't just one guy.
I don't agree with all of the authors opinions (he really dislikes made-for-tv movies), but I will recommend this book if you're a true crime/film nerd like me. It would be great to get an updated version of this book, as true crime's popularity has exploded in the 20 years since this book was last published and there's a lot more that can be discussed regarding how true crime is adapted by the media and the fictional works that are heavily inspired by it.
The big caveat I will say to anyone going into this book is that there are real crime scene photos with bodies of murder victims alongside movie stills. If this disturbs you at all, this is not the book for you. I didn't know this beforehand, so I think others might appreciate the warning.
As for the written contents of this book, I had a hard time trying to figure out what the author was getting at in some sections (again, this may be a translation/editing issue). I like that this book included cases and films I had never heard of before. I do have a gripe with the author including Santa Sangre in the "case studies" chapter, as he admits in the text that the only source is Alejandro Jodorowski and that it's possible Jodorowski just made up a case for a publicity stunt. I feel like that section could have gone to a more deserving case with actual sources that aren't just one guy.
I don't agree with all of the authors opinions (he really dislikes made-for-tv movies), but I will recommend this book if you're a true crime/film nerd like me. It would be great to get an updated version of this book, as true crime's popularity has exploded in the 20 years since this book was last published and there's a lot more that can be discussed regarding how true crime is adapted by the media and the fictional works that are heavily inspired by it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review