hasn’t actually seen a lot of the movies. It’s a shame, as her reviews are easy-going and humor- ous, making it all the more surprising when she suddenly decides to be controversial and proclaims THE HAUNTING to be “kind of boring.” It’s not that she dislikes old black and white movies: TOP- PER and THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR are among her favorites.
The book is aimed at the general reader and to give the author credit, she introduces the reader to a large number of obscure titles. Not only is NEI- THER THE SEA NOR THE SAND there, but it’s along- side SANDCASTLES, a TV movie made the same year, and with a similar plot. The film somewhat arbitrarily covers the era from 1935’s FANTASY OF THE MONASTERY to a Spanish TURN OF THE SCREW from 1985, which gives the impres- sion silent films weren’t important but more im- portantly leaves Wilson room to write her on-the-way follow-up MODERN GHOST MOVIES. Strewn throughout are quotes in which celeb- rities proclaim their favorite ghost movies, and which make you wonder if Wilson actually spoke to these people or just culled their words from a variety of uncredited sources. (For the record, Jon Voight is a fan of the ’90s CASPER.) The lone ex- ception is ghostbustin’ Ernie Hudson, who took the time to be photographed with the author and do a one-page chat.
DARIO ARGENTO
2007, Mediane Libri,
www.mediane.it Strada 4, Palazzo A/5 20090 Assago, Milano Italy.
Cinedelic,
www.cinedelic.com/Xploited Cinema 176 pages, Hardcover, $27.95 Reviewed by Brett Taylor
No author is credited for this book, which is pri- marily an album of photos. The limited text includes a not especially enlightening essay from Marco Morosini and two interviews, one with musician Claudio Simonetti by Marco D’Ubaldo and a discus- sion of Ennio Morricone between director Argento and Digitmovies producer Claudio Fuiano. These pieces are presented in both English and in their original Italian form. I didn’t notice a translator listed, which is probably just as well, what with the occa- sional lack of punctuation and usage of words and phrases like “avantguarde” (sic) and “movie pictures” (movies). DEEP RED is described as “an unfathom- able masterpiece”—presumably, Morosini means unfathomably powerful or unfathomably good. The stills are fine, if sometimes on the grainy side. This will be the first time for many casual fans to glimpse photos from such obscure works as the comic THE FIVE DAYS OF MILAN and the DOOR TO DARK- NESS episode “The Tram,” or the Italian CAT O’NINE TAILS poster, which boasts a more blood-chilling image than the American one. But for those who aren’t already soundtrack collectors, the best reason to buy this book may well be the bonus CD, which features sixteen tracks by the likes of Morricone, Simonetti, Keith Emerson and Goblin, exceptional only in its inclusion of a bonus track, “Dark Dreams” by one Signor Wolf. Available domestically from Xploited Cinema for $24.95.
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