by Kim Newman
First published 2017
Film critic and novelist Kim Newman compiles his reviews from Empire magazine spanning a quarter century of B movie madness. Newman examines the cheapest productions, the trashiest exploitation films, and the goriest horror offerings that populated video stores and direct-to-video releases. His critical eye finds unexpected gems among the dross while thoroughly dismantling the failures. The collection covers everything from bottom-tier slashers to low-budget science fiction, from straight-to-DVD sequels to foreign oddities that somehow found American distribution. Newman's approach combines encyclopedic film knowledge with sharp wit, offering readers both entertainment and education about cinema's underbelly. The book serves as a guide through what Newman calls "DTV hell," providing context and analysis for movies most critics ignore entirely.
Genres: science-fiction, horror, thriller, film
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
560 pages · Paperback · Titan Books
Content warnings: gore, graphic-violence