October 3, 2023
Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies
Author: Brian A. Sharpless
Author – Description: Is a licensed psychologist and author. He received his PhD in clinical psychology and MA in philosophy from Pennsylvania State University and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. He has authored more than fifty professional publications including three books for Oxford University Press. His research interests include common and unusual psychological disorders, psychotherapy, professional issues, and the history of mental illness. He lives in the Washington, DC, area.
Format: Paperback
Summary: Horror movies can reveal much more than we realize about psychological disorders—and clinical psychology has a lot to teach us about horror.
Our fears—mortality, failure, loneliness—can be just as motivating as our wishes or desires. Horror movie characters uniquely reveal all of these to a wide audience. If explored in an honest and serious manner, our fears have the potential to teach us a great deal about ourselves, our culture, and certainly other people.
From psychologist, researcher, and horror film enthusiast Brian A. Sharpless comes Monsters on the Couch, an exploration into the real-life psychological disorders behind famous horror movies. Accounts of clinical syndromes every bit as dramatic as those on the silver screen are juxtaposed with fascinating forays into the science and folklore behind our favorite movie monsters.
Horror fans may be obsessed with vampires, werewolves, zombies, and the human replacements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but even many medical professions may not know about the corresponding conditions of Renfield’s syndrome, clinical lycanthropy, Cotard’s syndrome, and the misidentification delusions.
Some of these disorders are surprisingly common in the general population. For instance, a number of people experience isolated sleep paralysis, a disorder implicated in ghost and alien abduction beliefs.
As these tales unfold, readers not only learn state-of-the-art psychological science but also gain a better understanding of history, folklore, and how Hollywood often—but not always—gets it wrong when tackling these complex topics.
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Pages: 288
ISBN-10: 1641607912
ISBN-13: 978-1641607919
Price: $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Couch-Psychological-Disorders-Favorite/dp/1641607912/
***** ***** *****
The Hammer Story: Updated and Expanded Edition
Author: Marcus Hearn
Author – Description: Is the author of Sherlock Holmes on Screen and has co-written (with Marcus Hearn) volumes on the James Bond films and Quentin Tarantino. A former editor of both Doctor Who Magazine and the Judge Dredd Megazine, his fiction writing includes over forty full-cast audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, plus the script for CBBC’s animated Doctor Who adventure, The Infinite Quest. He was part of the dialogue team for Risen 2: Dark Waters, nominated for Best Videogame Script in the 2012 Writers’ Guild Awards. He is married with three children.
Format: Hardback
Summary: The only authorized history of Hammer Films draws on exclusive access to the company’s archive of stills and paperwork to give the complete history of the company and its leading figures, a film-by-film analysis of its horror and fantasy titles, and the most complete Hammer filmography ever published.
Nearly seventy years ago, Hammer Films released their very first horror movie, The Quatermass Xperiment. The now-legendary British company went on to make such classics as The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula (and their many sequels), making international stars out of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, changing the face of horror cinema, and inspiring a generation of Hollywood filmmakers, including the likes of George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Tim Burton. Featuring a design refresh, this new version of The Hammer Story will include 32 additional pages and continue the story of Hammer Films as they came back from the dead in 2007 and began producing new horror films for a modern audience.
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 224
ISBN-10: 1803365145
ISBN-13: 978-1803365145
Price: $39.95
https://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Story-Updated-Expanded/dp/1803365145
***** ***** *****
October 17, 2023
Halloween: The Official Making of Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends
Author: Abbie Bernstein
Format: Hardback
Summary: Official companion book to the most recent trilogy of Halloween films featuring behind-the-scenes photography and interviews with cast and crew.
Four decades after the original Halloween took the world by storm, Miramax, Blumhouse Productions and Trancas International bring a terrifying new trilogy of films in the iconic horror franchise to cinemas.
In these direct sequels to John Carpenter’s 1978 movie, Laurie Strode and the residents of Haddonfield once again fall prey to escaped killer Michael Myers. As the police desperately try to track him down, Laurie, along with her family, prepares to face her murderous nemesis one more time in a confrontation 40 years in the making…
The making of this much-anticipated movie trilogy is covered in fascinating detail in this official companion book. The creative processes behind the stunts, costumes, production design and make-up effects are revealed through interviews with the cast and crew, while captivating on-set photography captures the shooting of the key scenes and action set-pieces. A must for all horror fans, Halloween 2018–2022: The Official Making of the Films reveals the method behind the terror.
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 240
ISBN-10: 1789095522
ISBN-13: 978-1789095524
Price: $50.00
https://www.amazon.com/Halloween-2018-2022-Official-Making-Films/dp/1789095522/
***** ***** *****
October 24, 2023
The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film
Author: John Walsh
Author – Description: Is a London-based award-winning filmmaker with a focus on social justice. His work ranges from television series to feature films. He is a double BAFTA and double Grierson Awards nominee for his groundbreaking work. John’s 1989 documentary on Ray Harryhausen (Movement Into Life) is held in the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation’s archive. John also produced HD audio and film commentary recordings with Ray in his final years.
Format: Hardback
Summary: The definitive guide to the making of the landmark horror movie The Wicker Man, lavishly illustrated and packed with insights into this classic chiller.
The Wicker Man is one of the greatest horror movies of all time – a chilling exploration of an isolated community with a terrible secret. Featuring a stellar cast including Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland and Ingrid Pitt, The Wicker Man has terrified audiences world-wide for fifty years.
Author and filmmaker John Walsh tells the story of how this singular – and somewhat unlikely – folk-horror classic came to be, illustrated with fascinating behind-the-scenes photography, new interviews, exclusive artwork, and never-before-seen material from the StudioCanal archives. Learn the secret history of Summerisle – if you dare…
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 192
ISBN-10: 1803365080
ISBN-13: 978-1803365084
Price: $50.00
https://www.amazon.com/Wicker-Man-Official-Story-Film/dp/1803365080/
***** ***** *****
November 14, 2023
Nightmare on One-Sheet: The Art of Graham Humphreys
Author: Graham Humphreys (Author), Rob Zombie (Foreword)
Author – Description:
Graham Humphreys is a British illustrator and film poster artist. Among his best-known works are the UK theatrical posters for The Evil Dead and Nightmare on Elm Street and their various sequels. Instantly recognizable, Graham’s output has expanded vastly since those early successes, and he remains busier today than ever before, with clients on both sides of the Atlantic. His current work includes LP soundtrack covers, book covers, film posters, Blu-ray sleeves, and privately commissioned re-imaginings of posters for classic fan favorites.
Rob Zombie has directed several horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects and the 2007 reboot of Halloween. In addition, he has had a successful solo career as a singer and is the longtime frontman for industrial heavy metal superstars White Zombie.
Format: Hardback
Summary: Following on from Hung, Drawn and Executed, this second volume showcasing the work of Graham Humphreys contains almost 100 new paintings, many of them created during the pandemic.
With home entertainment playing such a crucial role during the Covid years, Graham found himself busier than ever and with increased focus. From Blu-ray reissues to soundtrack LP covers, and book jackets to private commissions, this new work is among the artist’s best yet. Classic horror, independent films, and reimagining of cult movie posters, it’s all here!
All the work featured was painted in the traditional medium of gouache on watercolor paper, using techniques that Graham has refined over his 42 years as a professional illustrator. The book’s title is a nod to the marketing of the famous movie franchise in which Graham was involved.
Publisher: Korero Press
Pages: 176
ISBN-10: 1912740230
ISBN-13: 978-1912740239
Price: $45.00
https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-One-Sheet-Art-Graham-Humphreys/dp/1912740230/
***** ***** *****