A VAULT OF HORROR |
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| "From Night of the Demon
to House of Whipcord... 80 British horror films
which collectively made a lasting impression on the
psyche of a nation. Author Keith Topping examines the
films which shaped his childhood, taking a wry and often
irreverent look at their triumphs and failings, their
stars, their continuity blunders and impact on the genre
as a whole. Illustrated with many rare colour and black
and white photographs, this is one film guide guaranteed
to raise a smile as we take you back to the terrors of
yesteryear" [cover jacket blurb] REVIEW
IN DEPTH text The parameters of this book cover the years of Hammer's gothic horror film. starting with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1956 (the second entry in the book, with a shared first day of production with that other classic Night of The Demon), and ending with the release of Hammer's The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires in 1974 (House of Whipcord is the final entry of the book itself). I suspect this is a deliberate decision, as there were plenty of other British horror films being made either side of this date limit. Certainly, with Hammer the best-known name in British horror, the book serves additional use in looking at the other products during the rise and fall of the house of horror. Being firstly a filmography, it is hard to describe the contents. However, each of the eighty films follows much the same pattern. Production details, including title, running time, production company and year of release, producer/writer/director credits, followed by a comprehensive cast list (including those uncredited onscreen). There follows the "Tagline", the tag utilised in advertising campaigns; "Plot" - a very brief paragraph explaining the plot of the film; "Themes" - self-explanatory like most of the subsections, outlining the general themes discussed; then the widely varying section - including the likes of "You Dont see many of those today" - pointing out period curios in the background and production design, sections on Nudity, Violence and S&M, or "outrageous methods of dispatch" detailing the curious innovative death scenes. Perhaps most fun are "Logic - let me introduce you to this window" - outlining flaws with the logic of events onscreen, and "Roots" outlining the inspirations for many of the films. There are sections of trivia and cast details, outlining the careers of assorted members of cast and crew, as well as the surprisingly good "You might remember me from", which lets us know exactly why those faces are familiar. Each entry ends with a choice quote from the film, copy of critiques from the trade reviews of the time, and finally Toppings own review appraisal. I keep dipping back into the book, although a straight read through could be attempted. The slightly eclectic nature of the entries (or should that be eccentric), means there is plenty to be gleamed. Vault of Horror is fast on its way to becoming one of those indespensible guides, essential to support the growing horror dvd collection. presentation Inside the bulk of the book is black and white. The chapters are well laid out, and divided into subsections which are easy to get around. The lists of credits within these subsections can be a little overwhelming at times. The text is split up frequently with relevant images from the films, including an array of publicity stills, posters and screen grabs. Reproduction is generally very good, and quite sharp, and as fine as one would expect on non-glossy paper. There are about eighteen pages of colour illustrations bound in the middle of the book. These are all poster reproductions, the bulk of which are Hammer illustrations. These are well presented (although the colour is a little muted), and are mostly seldom-seen images, rather than the usual suspects again. SUMMARY RJES |
A Vault of Horror |
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