Reviews by Scott Nicholson

The Frankenstein Archive: Essays on the Monster, the Myth, the Movies and More

Written by Donald F. Glut
McFarland Books

Horror Films of the 1970s

Written by John Kenneth Muir
McFarland Books

McFarland Books, a North Carolina-based specialty publisher, is one of the finest sources for reference material on film history. Those attending major conventions will notice the company's booth in the dealer room and McFarland has become more active in promoting their titles to general readers, expanding their previous market of primarily libraries and academicians. Their books are of high quality, well-researched, and edited with obvious love and care. Two new McFarland releases promise a spooky peek into some of our favorite monsters.

"The Frankenstein Archive: Essays on the Monster, the Myth, the Movies and More" takes a look at the cultural impact of our favorite misunderstood monster. The book collects 15 essays by veteran author Donald F. Glut, taking a look at the line of progression spawned by young Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel written in 1818.

Glut muses on the movie monster portrayed by Glenn Strange, who was best known to many fans as the bartender on "Gunsmoke." He also delves into such topics as the methods by which the Frankenstein monster and other creatures are resurrected after having died in earlier movies (That is, if coming back to life only to scare Abbott and Costello can be considered a fate preferable to death). Glut explores such no-nonsense frontiers as "The Beatles Meet Frankenstein" and monster musicals.

He also delves into the misconceptions of the Frankenstein monster, including some of the myths that crept through the horror film fandom. This book might be the only place in the world where you can find out why Frankenstein's monster is often thought of as having green skin, though it appeared that way in only three of the numerous movies.

"Horror Films of the 1970s" captures that ground breaking era of originality in the chilling cinema before it became the half-dead home to horror spin-offs, sequels and retreads. The blockbusters like "The Exorcist," "Carrie" and "Halloween" feature prominently in the book, but another 225 films are given their shot in the spotlight, including some forgettable non-classics like "Night of the Lepus" and "The Clonus Horror" which are fit only for comedic treatment by the crew of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The book was written by movie reviewer and genre magazine columnist John Kenneth Muir, who is also an independent filmmaker. Muir offers a critical analysis of each film (even when they hardly deserve it), the obligatory four-star rating system, a listing of cast and crew members, a story synopsis, and an interesting personal commentary for each of the films. Muir's love of the genre shows through, as well as some insight that only someone steeped in the cinema would observe.

"Say what you will about the violent films of the 1970's," Muir writes, "but at least they were generally about something."

"A Clockwork Orange," "Deliverance" and "The Last House On The Left" served up a bit of brutality and red, red krovvy, but they aimed at making a statement that went beyond cheap thrills and a hunger for teenybopper dollars. Muir frames his individual breakdowns of the pictures with an overview of the decade at the beginning and a look at the conventions and tropes, as well as familiar faces (actors who cut their teeth in cheesy thrillers) and memorable movie ads. Who could resist seeing "The Frogs" after hearing the pitch "Today the pond, tomorrow the world"?

Muir offers up his Top 15 list for the decade, putting "The Exorcist" in the first slot. Fortunately, none of his selections involved vampires, which were already tiresome by the 1950's, though their popularity seems to keep them clinging to a prolonged half-life even to this day. Vampires of that decade were used as low-budget vehicles to explore sexuality without the harrowing overbite of romance. In other words, it was a great arena for a male director to flash his girlfriend's goodies.

Some of the best of the 1970's are difficult to track down these days, such as "Race With The Devil" featuring a young Loretta Swit and a post-hippie Peter Fonda, or "Eyes of Laura Mars" with an ubercool Faye Dunaway, or one of my personal favorites, "The Sentinel," a half-baked blend of "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby." Muir includes more than a few films often regarded as science fiction, such as "The Andromeda Strain" and the Charlton Heston version of "The Omega Man," but any horror fan worth the label knows that the genre reaches far beyond zombies and killer dolls.

For those who have no taste for the serious grue, Muir also dishes up information on some of the cheesy and campy fare that was a precursor to the mini-trend that began with "Scream" and is finally dying in the series of parodies that have titles like "I Know What Your Urban Mama Screamed." Muir's linking of 1970's subject matter to later films offers more proof of his knowledge of the field.

Both "The Frankenstein Archive" and "Horror Films of the 1970s" will have you making regular trips to the local video store. This time of year, with long nights and the approaching spookiness of All Hallows, that's a good thing And remember, when you're feeling uncreative or just generally dumb, some Hollywood genius once thought "I Dismember Mama" was a great title for a movie.

On the Web: http://www.mcfarlandpub.com

Scott Nicholson's first novel "The Red Church" was released as a Pinnacle paperback and Doubleday Book Club hardcover. He's sold over 40 stories, some of which appear in the collection "Thank You For The Flowers." His novel "The Harvest" will be published in September 2003. He works as a journalist in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.