NOTHING BUT ’NET x DESPERATELY SEEKING GOATSUCKERS x ANGUISH FOR AUDIOPHILES Yes, once upon a time, the “facts” about a plot or
ALLIED ARTISTS HORROR, SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY FILMS
Once upon a time, genre film books with plot syn-
opses, detailed cast lists and “rare” photographs were a godsend for horror geeks. Fevered fans could spend hours drinking in the details of films they had not seen – and weren’t likely to see unless they stumbled upon some late-night TV airing. But the in- ternet has changed all that; if you want to know all about an obscure 1960s vampire film, just browse countless online reviews and then order it on-de- mand. So why do some horror historians still insist on writing books as if the internet never happened? This is certainly the case with Allied Artists Horror,
Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, which covers the more than 80 feature films released by poverty row mainstay Allied Artists from the 1950s right through until the late ’70s. With three or four pages dedi- cated to each film, the book generally serves up only a detailed plot outline, a few stills and perhaps a sentence or two of broad context. True, some of the films that author Michael Pitts covers are not readily available, such as The Maze and Blood and Black Lace, but with scant new information included on heavily covered movies such as The Little Shop of Horrors and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Pitts makes a weak case against just heading to the IMDb. The idea to group these films in one book is also
kind of odd, as Allied Artists did more distribution than in-house productions. Unlike, for example, AIP, they had no real identifiable “house style,” just a selection of work they bought the rights to, including films from Japan, Russia and Spain, as well as from various indie producers such as Roger Corman and Jack Harris.
the name of the cinematographer on some sci-fi ob- scurity could almost be the sole domain of the per- son who sought that movie out. But the internet’s democratization of information has made this irrel- evant. Now it’s up to authors to give their own unique interpretation of readily available facts, which Pitts certainly hasn’t done here.
PAUL CORUPE TRACKING THE CHUPACABRA Despite being a relative newcomer among cryp-
tozoo creatures, the chupacabra has become one of the most popular, owing its fame to sensational news coverage and cable television. While legends of sea serpents and hairy wildmen go back cen- turies, the chupacabra’s story began a mere sixteen years ago in Puerto Rico, where the creature was suspected of sucking the blood from goats. Since that time, there have been a few non-fiction books dedicated to this vampiric beastie, but none as thor- ough, objective and well-written as Benjamin Rad- ford’s Tracking the Chupacabra. Radford is the managing editor of Skeptical In-
quirermagazine and a frequent token skeptic on tel- evision shows such as MonsterQuest and Is It Real? As such, you can probably guess that El Chupacabra isn’t getting any easy breaks here; however, don’t let that discourage you from joining the fun. Radford shows a genuine fascination for the creature and maintains respect for the legend as he sorts through the facts. Along the way, he examines the mystery from various angles, including folklore, media-fu- elled terror and mistaken identity. He also considers the possibility of the chupacabra being a real
species whose carcasses have turned up in several countries and states. The book deals with often-con- trasting descriptions and casts a skeptical eye upon the dubious body of evidence gathered thus far, using just enough science to be effective without being overly heavy. Radford goes on to highlight his own expeditions in search of the creature, under- scoring his authority on the subject. Tracking the Chupacabra also takes some enter-
taining side roads into the chupacabra’s pop-culture legacy, and briefly examines the history of vampires as it relates to the cultural record of blood-guzzling creatures. As well, the book debates the alleged link between a certain 1995 sci-fi film and the first sight- ing of the creature that same year. (I won’t give it away in case you’re unfamiliar.) Radford’s common sense analysis reads well,
stays on target and is not shy about exposing any suspected tomfoolery. And whether we end up agreeing with his conclusions or not, Tracking the Chupacabra is still a completely worthwhile explo- ration into the phenomenon of this modern-day monster.
LYLE BLACKBURN D ROCK ’N’ ROLL IS DEAD: ARK TALES INSPIRED BY MUSIC In true rock fashion, a front-to-back reading of this
24-tale short fiction anthology is similar to the state you’d be in after drinking the same number of beers (surely it’s no coincidence that the number of stories is equal to a full case of wobbly pops?): glassy-eyed, euphoric, uninhibited, scared and – depending on your constitution – either ready for bed or ready for more.
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