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Horror Cinema
Horror is both the most perennially popular and geographically diverse of all film genres; arguably, every country that makes movies makes horror movies of one kind or another. Depicting deep-rooted, even archetypal fears, while at the same time exploiting socially and culturally specific anxieties, cinematic horror is at once timeless and utterly of its time and place. This exciting visual history, which includes unique images from the David Del Valle archive, examines the genre in thematic, historical, and aesthetic terms, breaking it down into the following fundamental categories: Slashers & Serial Killers; Cannibals, Freaks & Hillbillys; Revenge of Nature & Environmental Horror; Sci-fi Horror; The Living Dead; Ghosts & Haunted Houses; Possession, Demons & Evil Tricksters; Voodoo, Cults & Satanists; Vampires & Werewolves; and The Monstrous-Feminine. Among the many films featured are classics such as Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alien, The Exorcist, Dracula, and The Wicker Man.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 8, 2022
This is an absolute must own/read for any horror movie fan. I was completely hooked from the very first page, I couldn’t get enough of this book. Getting to see the behind the scenes facts and origins of some of my favourite horror movies was truly fascinating! I didn’t know any of the facts presented in this book, I’ve never delved into where the movies I love so much came from before. It was all new information for me and my mind absolutely was blown by what I was reading. I also discovered SO many new movies that I added to my never ending watch list and I can’t wait to dive deeper into the horror genre. If you think you know horror movies well this book will make you rethink that and discover a whole new realm of the genre. I really, truly couldn’t have enjoyed this book more and I can’t stress enough how much you should read this book if you’re into horror!
Read
March 14, 2015The visuals are nice as a table book for parties, and the accompanying text is just enough for quick viewing. This is not meant as a book for thorough analysis, but a fun, light reminiscence of those horror movies you grew up with. The pictures are well chosen, and the layout brings back all those old thrills. A fun Halloween night ride that can be flipped through before the trick or treaters reach your door.
December 10, 2014
This book is a visual, gory feast -- lavishly illustrated -- for horror movie buffs everywhere. Since film is such a visual medium, it makes sense that it's the pictures that make this book worth a look, certainly not the text -- which falls waaaay short. The editors have not offered any new insights or revealed any long held secrets about these iconic films. Most of what the contributors have to say, has been said elsewhere (and better).
The films included are popular and mainstream, and mostly American, so if you're looking for foreign or more cultish selections, you will be disappointed. Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise is mentioned but briefly and only in passing with no movie stills ... an unforgivable omission in my books. Also, I don't know how any of these reference books get published without an index! Still ... this is a fun book and a scrumptious display of movie images from both old-style Hollywood to the sleek and inventive Asian horror.
The films included are popular and mainstream, and mostly American, so if you're looking for foreign or more cultish selections, you will be disappointed. Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise is mentioned but briefly and only in passing with no movie stills ... an unforgivable omission in my books. Also, I don't know how any of these reference books get published without an index! Still ... this is a fun book and a scrumptious display of movie images from both old-style Hollywood to the sleek and inventive Asian horror.
September 29, 2025
Not particularly well written but I like the pictures :^) alas it is goodreads and not goodpictures
January 9, 2021
No descubrirá gran cosa a aquellos interesados en el tema y tiene algún que otro fallo, pero aun así merece la pena leerlo. Destaco por encima de todo las imágenes de carteles, decorados y fotografías de rodajes y efectos especiales.
May 13, 2009
This is a coffee table by Taschen so you can be sure of two things. First, it will be lavishly illustrated with amazing photos, and secondly, the writing will be generally unremarkable. No knock on authors Penner or Schneider, but their overview of the horror genre shows little complexity and feels like filler, albeit pleasant filler. Any die hard horror fan will scratch their heads at some of the arbitrary chapter groupings, and the particular films associated with them. There are some highlights, like the covering of the films "Ms. 45," "The Brood," and "The Wicker Man." At the end of the day it is of course a coffee table book, and Taschen does an expectedly primo job with the printing, layout, and photographs. This would make an amazing gift any budding middle/high school horror fan.
June 15, 2020
A good reference book for horror fans with some amazing photographs.
September 7, 2024
Beautiful pictures and interesting text. Thoroughly enjoyed.
October 2, 2025
2,5 star. I mean it alright. Nice to read if you like horror and gives Nice advice for movies to watch.
I think its a bit blend. It needed more in depth research to make it more stand out. Sometimes less is more and thats very true here, the depth would make it better. My second complaint is: a lot of very very old movies. Its good to look at those to, but there were other movies after the 60’s….
I think its a bit blend. It needed more in depth research to make it more stand out. Sometimes less is more and thats very true here, the depth would make it better. My second complaint is: a lot of very very old movies. Its good to look at those to, but there were other movies after the 60’s….
December 10, 2019
(English below)
El libro está dividido en varios capítulos, detallando los mayores exponentes de cada subgénero del terror, y haciendo un análisis general del tipo de películas que abarcan. Recorremos desde aquellas en blanco y negro hasta las más actuales, y desde las que tratan de fantasmas, hasta las de asesinos en serie y monstruos.
Luego hay una larga sección en la que se detallan las 100 mejores películas del género según Taschen, donde se presenta cada una de ellas con su respectivo cartel oficial, detalles técnicos de la película, y un pequeño texto que nos las presenta y analiza brevemente.
Pero la verdadera estrella del libro, son los fotogramas, los cuales son abundantes, y nos muestran muchísimas escenas icónicas del cine, como la de la ducha en Psicosis, una Carrie bañada en sangre, el hachazo que atraviesa la puerta en El resplandor y espanta a Wendy Torrance, y algún que otro detrás de cámara. Escenas de maquillaje, de montaje, dirección, se suceden en este tomo de lectura súper amena... bueno, amena si no te asusta de vez en cuando encontrar escenas bastante sangrientas.
La verdad que lo recomiendo mucho si te interesa el cine de este género, ya que es bastante completo y está lleno de notas con frases de diarios, autores, protagonistas, etc.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The book is divided into several chapters, detailing the greatest exponents of each subgenre of terror, and making a general analysis of the type of films. We go from those in black and white to the newest, and from those that deal with ghosts to those of serial killers and monsters.
Then there is a long section in which the 100 best films of the genre according to Taschen are detailed, where each one is presented with its respective official poster, technical details of the film, and a small text that presents them and briefly analyzes them.
But the real star of the book, are the frames, which are abundant, and show us many iconic scenes of the cinema, such as the shower in Psychosis, a Carrie bathed in blood, the ax that crosses the door in The shinning and fright Wendy Torrance, and the occasional behind the scenes. Scenes of makeup, assembly, direction, follow each other in this super enjoyable reading volume ... well, pleasant if you are not scared from time to time to find quite bloody scenes.
The truth is that I highly recommend it if you are interested in the cinema of this genre, since it is quite complete and full of notes with phrases from newspapers, authors, protagonists, etc.
El libro está dividido en varios capítulos, detallando los mayores exponentes de cada subgénero del terror, y haciendo un análisis general del tipo de películas que abarcan. Recorremos desde aquellas en blanco y negro hasta las más actuales, y desde las que tratan de fantasmas, hasta las de asesinos en serie y monstruos.
Luego hay una larga sección en la que se detallan las 100 mejores películas del género según Taschen, donde se presenta cada una de ellas con su respectivo cartel oficial, detalles técnicos de la película, y un pequeño texto que nos las presenta y analiza brevemente.
Pero la verdadera estrella del libro, son los fotogramas, los cuales son abundantes, y nos muestran muchísimas escenas icónicas del cine, como la de la ducha en Psicosis, una Carrie bañada en sangre, el hachazo que atraviesa la puerta en El resplandor y espanta a Wendy Torrance, y algún que otro detrás de cámara. Escenas de maquillaje, de montaje, dirección, se suceden en este tomo de lectura súper amena... bueno, amena si no te asusta de vez en cuando encontrar escenas bastante sangrientas.
La verdad que lo recomiendo mucho si te interesa el cine de este género, ya que es bastante completo y está lleno de notas con frases de diarios, autores, protagonistas, etc.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The book is divided into several chapters, detailing the greatest exponents of each subgenre of terror, and making a general analysis of the type of films. We go from those in black and white to the newest, and from those that deal with ghosts to those of serial killers and monsters.
Then there is a long section in which the 100 best films of the genre according to Taschen are detailed, where each one is presented with its respective official poster, technical details of the film, and a small text that presents them and briefly analyzes them.
But the real star of the book, are the frames, which are abundant, and show us many iconic scenes of the cinema, such as the shower in Psychosis, a Carrie bathed in blood, the ax that crosses the door in The shinning and fright Wendy Torrance, and the occasional behind the scenes. Scenes of makeup, assembly, direction, follow each other in this super enjoyable reading volume ... well, pleasant if you are not scared from time to time to find quite bloody scenes.
The truth is that I highly recommend it if you are interested in the cinema of this genre, since it is quite complete and full of notes with phrases from newspapers, authors, protagonists, etc.
October 5, 2024
Originally published in 2008, "Horror Cinema" is a review of horror in motion pictures, from Edison's silent version of "Frankenstein" to "Scream" and beyond. Chapters include Slashers and Serial killers, Ghosts and Haunted Houses, and the Living dead, to name a few.
Book is VERY still laden, with adroit description of both stills and movies.
Nothing particularly new...but interesting nonetheless.
Jeff Mc
Book is VERY still laden, with adroit description of both stills and movies.
Nothing particularly new...but interesting nonetheless.
Jeff Mc
September 12, 2025
En sevdiğim kitaplardan biri oldu, müthiş kategorilendirmişler bayıldım, İngilizce olmasına karşın olarak hafif bir dili vardı zorlanmadım
September 20, 2015
If you like equal parts analysis and still photographs, this book is for you. Unlike most books that include a ton of photographs, Penner uses them to thoroughly compliment many of the points he makes in each chapter. Another great strength of this book is that it breaks down each type of horror movie (ex. vampires and werewolves, aliens, monstrous feminine, etc.) with both a quick history of the films that make up that sub-genre and some overarching themes that keep popping up in those films. My only criticism is that some of the chapters are lacking in substance compared to the others. Overall, a great analytical and visual read within the horror cinema genre.
November 20, 2023
Works great as an broad overview of horror movie genre, accompanied with high quality images. Managed to top up my watchlist with plenty of films mentioned here, even thought I see myself somewhat well acquainted with horror flicks. Those looking for in depth knowledge and analyses, you should turn elsewhere.
Since this works as kind of general look into the genre - so that it's meant to help people find films they might be interested - I found it an weird choice that this book outright spoils few movies by thoroughly summarizing them. Albeit being classics, not everyone has watched Psycho or The Hills Have Eyes.
Since this works as kind of general look into the genre - so that it's meant to help people find films they might be interested - I found it an weird choice that this book outright spoils few movies by thoroughly summarizing them. Albeit being classics, not everyone has watched Psycho or The Hills Have Eyes.
October 6, 2019
I don't agree with their 50 best horror movies film list. They include The Thing from Another World (1951) but not The Thing (1982). They include the odious Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) but not Frankenstein (1931). Now THAT'S scary!
January 3, 2023
Quick, fun, and packed full of beautiful glossy photos. My only complaint is the dreadful formatting. Sentences are often interrupted by several pages of photos, and inlayed quotations break up the pages.
November 4, 2023
Some interesting essays and cool pictures, but it's a few years old and reads even older. It's fun to leaf through, but I'd recommend many different books before this one if you are looking for a truly interesting and current deep dive in the horror genre.
February 29, 2024
Désolé mais le cinéma d'horreur c'est bien plus divers (et intéressant) que ça. Peut-être si le livre s'appelait le cinéma classique d'horreur on en serait pas là mais sérieusement les mecs.
September 25, 2024
Am absolute must for any movie and horror fan!!!
October 12, 2025
"We're all afraid of the same things. That's why horror is such a powerful genre. All you have to do is ask yourself what frightens you and you'll know what frightens me." – John Carpenter
Part-art book, part-history book, Horror Cinema features a beautiful blend of color and black-and-white images throughout. Details the players, reactions and historical influences of the time as it spans films from the 1910s to early aughts.
The first half groups movies together based on established motifs, “Ghosts & Haunted Houses,” "Vampires & Werewolves,” “The Monstrous Feminine," etc. The respective essays are insightful, irreverent and punchy, like the best of the genre. Certainly my favorite part of the read.
The second half is TASCHEN’s list of Top 50 Horror Movies (1920–2001). The collection of films is strong, any fan of the genre is likely to quibble with omissions, and I’m no different. But ultimately it provides wonderful highlights of classics, independent and international movies. What brought this section down a peg was an overreliance on plot regurgitations. I would have preferred more behind-the-scenes production intrigue and details about how the talent came together. But learning about the historical perspectives, audience/critics response at the time of release and the filmmakers process and technique was all very interesting.
In short, a perfectly fun read, especially for Halloween-time.
Part-art book, part-history book, Horror Cinema features a beautiful blend of color and black-and-white images throughout. Details the players, reactions and historical influences of the time as it spans films from the 1910s to early aughts.
The first half groups movies together based on established motifs, “Ghosts & Haunted Houses,” "Vampires & Werewolves,” “The Monstrous Feminine," etc. The respective essays are insightful, irreverent and punchy, like the best of the genre. Certainly my favorite part of the read.
The second half is TASCHEN’s list of Top 50 Horror Movies (1920–2001). The collection of films is strong, any fan of the genre is likely to quibble with omissions, and I’m no different. But ultimately it provides wonderful highlights of classics, independent and international movies. What brought this section down a peg was an overreliance on plot regurgitations. I would have preferred more behind-the-scenes production intrigue and details about how the talent came together. But learning about the historical perspectives, audience/critics response at the time of release and the filmmakers process and technique was all very interesting.
In short, a perfectly fun read, especially for Halloween-time.
November 5, 2024
Questo breve saggio è perfetto sia per chi ama l'horror e desidera informarsi sulla storia del genere, sia (soprattutto) per chi desidera addentrarsi nel genere ma non sa da dove iniziare. Questo volume infatti analizza la maggior parte dei sottogeneri più importanti, e anche se ciascun capitolo dura mediamente una decina di pagine fa un ottimo lavoro nel mostrare il contesto storico-culturale che si nasconde dietro la nascita e l'evoluzione dell'horror in tutte le sue sfumature. A ciò si aggiunge l'ampia scelta di immagini esplicative e l'abbondanza di film citati, sia i grandi classici sia piccole perle nascoste (anche se per la maggior parte dei casi l'underground, soprattutto quello particolarmente estremo, viene ignorato). È una buona lettura per fare il punto della situazione sulla storia dell'horror, anche se è utile soprattutto ai principianti (per gli appassionati andrebbe accompagnato ad altri saggi più approfonditi, che penso adesso inizierò a cercare). Mi dispiace solo che risalendo a più di dieci anni fa non siano ovviamente disponibili analisi sui film horror usciti da allora, molti dei quali sono particolarmente interessanti e talvolta innovativi e che, se solo questo libro fosse uscito adesso, mi sarebbe piaciuto vedere citati. In ogni caso, un'opera completa e curata da consigliare agli amanti del genere.
May 5, 2020
An overview of the entirety of horror cinema as organized by subgenres.
Each chapter is titled by subgenre (i.e The Living Dead, Vampires and Werewolves) and then moves chronologically through every important (or supremely interesting but overlooked) movie in this genre. There's a focus on building a history and relevance as opposed to telling readers about exciting new movies in the genre.
The exciting aspect of this book is its liberal mindset in the reader's ability to interpret horror in a variety of ways. This book's authors will apply a critical lens to interpret an entire genre, and hint at the other critical lenses and viewpoints in which these same movies can be interpreted. This book created excitement in me for watching more horror and dissecting it in unconventional ways.
But even further than the critical nature of the words within, this is a honking large book with really alluring full page spreads. Iconic horror moments and movie stills are glossy and lovely to behold; in addition, they pull previously behind the scenes moments and images to the forefront. If you don't have the time to read it, just grab it and flip through the pictures.
Each chapter is titled by subgenre (i.e The Living Dead, Vampires and Werewolves) and then moves chronologically through every important (or supremely interesting but overlooked) movie in this genre. There's a focus on building a history and relevance as opposed to telling readers about exciting new movies in the genre.
The exciting aspect of this book is its liberal mindset in the reader's ability to interpret horror in a variety of ways. This book's authors will apply a critical lens to interpret an entire genre, and hint at the other critical lenses and viewpoints in which these same movies can be interpreted. This book created excitement in me for watching more horror and dissecting it in unconventional ways.
But even further than the critical nature of the words within, this is a honking large book with really alluring full page spreads. Iconic horror moments and movie stills are glossy and lovely to behold; in addition, they pull previously behind the scenes moments and images to the forefront. If you don't have the time to read it, just grab it and flip through the pictures.
February 9, 2018
Nunca he sido muy fan de las películas de miedo, porque no me gustaba experimentar esa sensación de estar perdiendo el control de todo en todo. Pero haciendo algo de memoria, fue una película de terror, de las primeras que vi en la gran pantalla. Sintiéndome morir en una butaca y con deseos enormes de que por fin se acabara el fin, entendí que el cine de terror, es un género diferente, muy alejado de los otros. Es por eso que comencé a leer este libro, además de un recuento de cientos de películas de terror, tiene también una narración que atrapa y aterra al mismo tiempo, las ilustraciones son preciosas y dan justo en el gancho. Si hay algo que no me gustó, es probablemente que me contaron el final de muchas películas que todavía no he visto, así que supongo es mi error.
Por lo demás, me encantó.
Por lo demás, me encantó.
September 28, 2019
It’s meant to be a coffee table book, but I read it cover to cover. The first half went quick in talking about the different horror genres. I found it interesting, although the authors are a little sexist if you ask me (calling sissy spacek “homely” and saying men want to see women get murdered). I also would have preferred the pictures and text to line up better. The second half is their top 50 horror films. It took me longer to get through that part and I found it less interesting as some of it was repetitive from the first section.
November 3, 2019
This gorgeous book has two parts, one more enjoyable than the other - the first 1/3, the team puts together themes and ideas that have scared us for generations, and they use these to weave the tale of monsters and mayhem from the beginning of film. The writing is witty and insightful and entertaining throughout. The rest of the book is a list of 100 best horror movies, but the writing is lackluster, mostly short, and full of more puns than I was interested in reading. But the first 1/3 and the pictures is worth the price alone.
May 30, 2019
The photos are ok, and I understand the desire to keep things simple for the new reader, but in the text there are errors about the movies description and history (italian edition).
Le foto sono ok, e posso comprendere il desiderio di semplificare e riassumere per il neofita, ma nel testo ci sono errori grossolani persino nella descrizione dei film o della storia del genere...
Le foto sono ok, e posso comprendere il desiderio di semplificare e riassumere per il neofita, ma nel testo ci sono errori grossolani persino nella descrizione dei film o della storia del genere...
September 7, 2017
While the print and the selection of photos is brilliant, the writing often seems incomplete. The chapter division is inconsistent (often excluding films that don't fall in the defined structure), and the book ends on an incomplete note, without offering any form of summary on horror films or our wish to watch horror films.
October 2, 2019
A very cool book! It starts off with the general history of horror cinema, then goes into a short synopsis and small facts about several horror films throughout history. Glossy beautiful photos are strewn throughout the book, along with bold movie quotes and reviews. It’s super interactive and interesting. I’m excited to read more Taschen books!
January 24, 2020
Great pictures, solid synopses of some of cinema’s best horror films and a breakdown of horror movies by categories such as, The Living Dead, Slashers and Serial Killers, Ghosts and Haunted Houses, and Voodoo, Cults, & Satanists, just to mention a few, are all part of this beautiful coffee table book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews