Product Description

From Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) to Eli Roth (Hostel), the young guns of modern Hollywood just can't get enough of that exploitation film high. That's because, between 1970 and 1985, American Exploitation movies went berserk. With censorship relaxed, and the gate to excess wide open, horror - the Exploitation genre par excellence - offered a vibrant alternative to the mainstream of American cinema. Luridly titled wonders like The Headless Eyes, Scream Bloody Murder and Hitch Hike to Hell were everywhere, from the drive-ins of Texas to the grindhouses of New York, touting a combination of mind-bruising violence, weird sex and drug-soaked delirium. Massively popular around the world, American exploitation movies added immensely to the richness of the nation's cinema, but they have remained persona non grata in most serious studies of American film. Until now... Built on five years of research, Nightmare USA explores the development of America's subterranean horror film industry, spotlighting some of the wildest films imaginable from an era unchecked by censorship or 'good taste.' Ranging from cult favourites like I Drink Your Blood to stylish mind-benders like Messiah of Evil and ultra-violent shockers like Don't Go in the House, Nightmare USA goes where no other in-depth study has gone before, revealing the fascinating true stories behind classics and obscurities alike. Stephen Thrower, author of Beyond Terror, the definitive book on Italian gore maestro Lucio Fulci, has explored the attics and cellars of American cinema, delved beneath the floorboards, peered between the walls, searching for the strangest, most exotic cine-lifeforms... Nightmare USA is the reader's guide to what lies beyond the mainstream of American horror, dispelling the shadows to meet the men and women behind fifteen years of screen terror: the Exploitation Independents! This massive overview of the Horror genre's development through the 1970s and 1980s features: -- In-depth EXCLUSIVE interviews with twenty-five grindhouse movie makers, many of whom are discussing their work for the first time ever in print. -- Over 175 individual films reviewed, with full cast and crew credits compiled by world-renowned cinema archivist Julian Grainger. -- Vast quantities of previously unpublished stills, posters, press-books, plus behind-the-scenes photographs from the filmmakers' own collections.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89081 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
"The best book about the blood-drenched, scream-inducing, golden era of US independent horror cinema imaginable. Buy or die!"--Bizarre magazine

"One of the most fascinating and important film books in recent memory - nothing less than a secret history of American cinema."--Film Comment

"A truly important film book... a consistent pleasure to read."--Video Watchdog, issue 135

About the Author
Stephen Thrower is a musician and writer, author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci, and editor of Eyeball Compendium, both published by FAB Press. He has also written about horror and 'off-mainstream' cinema in the following books: Shock Xpress Vol.1 (ed. Stefan Jaworzyn), The BFI Companion to Horror (ed. Kim Newman), Art of Darkness: the Cinema of Dario Argento (ed. Chris Gallant), Flesh & Blood Compendium (ed. Harvey Fenton), Ten Years of Terror (ed. Harvey Fenton & David Flint); Horror - A Century of Cinema on the Dark Side (ed. James Marriott), No Focus (eds. Barber & Sargeant).

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The 1970s were fertile years for American cinema. Directors like Bob Rafelson, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen were at the height of their powers, with movies such as FIVE EASY PIECES (1970), SISTERS (1973), THE CONVERSATION (1974), NASHVILLE (1975), TAXI DRIVER (1976), and ANNIE HALL (1977) redefining American cinema. Low budget horror films too were developing a vivid parallel world: Wes Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972), Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) and George Romero's MARTIN (1976) were bold, idiosyncratic works by hugely talented directors, with energy, imagination, and a confrontational approach to their subject-matter; while John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978) and Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) were as polished, dynamic and technically innovative as anything the majors could offer. And then there was the subterranean film industry, the Exploitation arena, where some of the wildest and most shocking films imaginable proliferated, unchecked by censorship or the dictates of 'good taste'. Horror, an evergreen Exploitation genre, enjoyed a surge in production... the race was on to be more extreme, more shocking, more bizarre... ...Eventually, the Exploitation Independents were neutralised and absorbed. Hollywood took the successful formats, added more money, technical quality, prettier girls and boys, and removed the rawness, extremity and outrageousness. At the same time, the majors began buying up or closing down the distribution options for Independent producers. By the late 1980s there were almost no cinemas willing to book anything other than first-run Hollywood product. It's only through video, DVD, and the tireless obsession of fans that these movies survive today. And, like FM radio, where the same 'golden oldies' are played on rotation from a set-list that ignores 95% of the past, it's easy to let the modern entertainment machine push these all-too human oddities, these rough gems of the awkward squad, out of the picture. It's called airbrushing: and it's a mild but insidious form of fascism. Nightmare, USA, with its cavalcade of perversions and imperfections, is my beacon for those films and filmmakers either avoided, disrespected, forgotten or ignored by all but the most dedicated fan discourse. Not in the name of art, not to ennoble a new list of greats, but for variance, diversity, strangeness - and all the pleasures they can bring.

Customer Reviews

A History of Violence 1970-85. [Sections below]
Price:
I've talked to many people that feel the price is a bit steep and I agree the book isn't cheap. It is however 500 pages filled with interviews, pictures (everywhere), and essays. Think Arnold Schwarzenegger's The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised size wise but about horror films. I mean the book is no joke and there could be an exploitation horror film made about a serial killer who uses this heavy book as his weapon, that's how big it is. I felt the price was well worth it as a horror fan and film lover in general.

For those of you who aren't the biggest readers:
Basically, all you have to do is read section I The Exploitation Independents which is the history of American independent exploitation films during 1970-85 and goes from page 11-48. After you start reading you'll want to keep going and after that it's basically a reference book with essays and reviews, so you could read up on a particular film. What I'd do is either read up on a film I found prior to watching it or after I watched it to learn more.

THE BOOK:
Stephen Thrower appears to know film even though he made a rule to not include reviews on classics, foreign, and studio made films, he still makes tons of compare and contrast references to classics and mentions great directors such as Bergman and Fellini. I highly recommend this book to horror and film fans, my friends in everyday life not so much but I think my horror Amazon friends will love it, specifically reviewer Clint Bronson. Clint has crazy knowledge on horror and from my readings of his reviews 1970s imparticular which, after much thought, is the best decade for horror hands down. Be sure to check out Clint's reviews as well.

Section I- As I mentioned details the history of the exploitation film from 1970-85
Here is how Thrower breaks down section I and the history, this was a great read.
The roots and the Godfather of gore H.G Lewis.
Romero and the Modern Horror Pantheon
Critical Responses to Exploitation Cinema
Drive in Massacres
42nd Street Monsters
Serial Killers
Psycho-Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Slashers- J'adore
When Blood Is Not Enough
Torture
R ape
It Came from the Stars/Swamp/Bushes/Caves
Things That Go Bump in the Night - One of my favorite avenues of horror being the ghost story. Thrower is honest in this area saying a bigger budget with good acting helps this area of horror.
Art of Perversity-Horror and Incoherence
Decline-Carpenter, Hooper, Romero, Craven
Hollywood Trash

Section II
Essays on Films and Filmmakers
This goes from 73-373 and like I said at this point it's a reference book. You can skip around read films that interest you and as you see others go back to the book and read up.

Section III
Reviews
118 Additional reviews. These are done in a shorter format then the essays above.

Section IV
Appendices and Index
Including an exploitation independent checklist Horror, 1970-85
A Bibliography
Index

I actually learned about this book in a non horror magazine Film Comment which gave it very high praise as well.

If anyone wants to know if a particular director or film they like is talked about in the book feel free to ask.

Absolutely incredible shelf crushing brilliance!
When I opened the box, I had no idea how massive this book is. I've only scratched the surface of this behemoth, but I can honestly saw this has to be the most impressive, informative, and visually stunning book relating to exploitation/horror/sci-fi I've ever seen and I own close to 100 books related to genre/horror/transgressive/subversive cinema. I've always considered FAB Press and Harvey Fenton's output to be top shelf, but this is by far their greatest output. Stephen Thrower reviews/interviews and facts are truly intellectual. Just to have page after page, image after image of such obscure films, which I love, such as Last House on Dead End Street, Let's Scare Jessica to Death, Messiah of Evil, Death Bed: The Bed that Eats, The Nail Gun Massacre, The Slayer is such a delight as you won't find such details relating those mentioned films or any of the other films covered in this masterpiece. I would have paid $200 for this book and for $50 it's the best money you'll ever spend on a film book.

truly amazing and thorough wealth of info. for the true fan of this genre
To invest 50+ dollars on a film book these days with the easy access of oodles of film information on the internet, it better knock your socks off. Thrower's new book does that and more. I would rate this up there with my two dogeared Psychotronic guides by Michael Weldon, which is high praise indeed. Congrats to Stephen Thrower for what must have been a true labor of love that fans like me can appreciate..