REEL TERROR Horror is still viewed by the mainstream as an
outlaw genre at best and an embarrassing, un- wanted bastard child at worst. California-based writer David Konow makes neither apologies nor concessions for this, and his new book – chron- icling cinematic horror exhaustively from the silent era up to and including franchises such as Saw and Paranormal Ac- tivity – is all the richer for it. Konow’s im-
pressive re- sume includes the book Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal and credits in
LA Weekly, Turner Classic Movies, Guitar World and (shuffles papers around)... oh look, Rue Morgue. Teeming with quotes, notes and anec- dotes from contemporary filmmakers, produc- ers, reviewers, actors and studio executives far too numerous to list here, Reel Terror combines historical perspective with scholarly critique, ex- amining blockbusters and cult classics alike against a backdrop of world events and industry sea changes that spawned them. (Some may find Konow’s inclusion of so many interview quotes from outside periodicals and books, in- cluding Rue Morgue, a drain on credibility. I per- sonally do not.) Konow also exhibits one other
finely honed instinct that’s crucial to a project like this: he knows how to furnish plenty of detail about the films, the filmmakers, their collaborators and nemeses without ever crossing that fateful line into tedious trivia. For the dedicated nerd, admittedly, there really aren’t that many revelations to be had here (well, okay, finding out that David Cronenberg passed on offers to direct both Flash- dance and Top Gun had me chok- ing on my nachos, which counts
RM 84 T H E N I N T H C I R C L E
for something), but having it all meticulously meted out in a single volume, in more or less chronological order, is a bounty the faithful will find hard to resist. Writing a comprehensive critical history of a
century of horror films is one of those things many of us at Rue Morgue dream of doing. And let’s face it, most of us won’t. That Konow has managed it at all is commendable; that he’s made it this compulsively readable is all the more impressive.
JOHN W. BOWEN
NO TRAVELER RETURNS: THE LOST YEARS OF BELA LUGOSI
After achieving international stardom with his
portrayal of Count Dracula in Universal’s 1931 classic vampire film, Bela Lugosi appeared in numerous genre movies, including Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), White Zombie (1932), The Raven (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). But, by the mid-1940s, the actor – who had become the victim of typecasting and was presented with fewer and smaller roles – would find that opportunities for him to appear in Hol- lywood films were becoming nearly non-exis- tent. In an effort to remain busy and support his family, Lugosi had to turn to alternative venues to earn a living. In No Traveler Returns: The Lost Years of Bela
Lugosi, authors Gary D. Rhodes (whose previous work includes the excellent 2007 tome Bela Lu- gosi – Dreams and Nightmares) and Bill Kaffen- berger provide an insightful look at the years 1945 to 1951, a lesser-known period in Lugosi’s life, during which the actor – by then largely ig- nored by Hollywood, but still very much adored by fans – found much of his employ- ment away from film sets. Appearing in only a handful of films during that time, among them The Body Snatcher (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Franken- stein (1948), Lugosi’s work (which oftentimes capital- ized on his Dracula image) consisted mainly of per- formances in summer stock, on radio and televi-
sion, in nightclub acts and even headlining sev- eral lurid “spook shows” and magic acts. Though dealing with pain and advancing age,
Lugosi was nevertheless determined to take projects when he could, often accepting de- manding work so that his son, Bela G., would be able to attend boarding school and grow up in a stable environment while the actor and his wife travelled the country working. In contrast to some depictions of the genre
icon as an aloof, difficult-to-know person, Rhodes and Kaffenberger present a portrait of an affable family man who tried to make the most of his changing situation in order to pro- vide for his son. Featuring a timeline of the actor’s various performances during this period, and an afterword by Bela G. Lugosi, this beauti- fully illustrated book, filled with numerous never-before-seen family photos, promotional material and more, is fascinating, essential reading for any Lugosi fan.
JAMES BURRELL ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! FIGHTBACK Fans of zombie lore are clamouring for some-
thing – anything – to bring new life to this sat- urated genre. The second installment of Stephen Jones’ Zombie Apocalypse! series, Fightback, continues to develop an intriguing new origin story through multiple pieces contributed by some of modern horror’s most ac- complished writ- ers. However, the book suffers from a fatal uneven- ness that prevents it from being a true classic. Zombie Apoca-
lypse! Fightback unfolds in the same epistolary format as the first book: letters, diary entries, memos, comics, Twitter and iCloud are all used as media to tell stories and further the narrative. In the first book, the source of the pandemic is revealed to be a virus spread through fleas that live in the earth beneath an ancient, cursed
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