Read This: The Slasher Movie Book

© Chicago Review Press

Fans of slasher movies might not be able to peel their eyes off of the screen long enough to read too many books, but if they can, The Slasher Movie Book is well worth the effort. Packed to the gills with vivid full-color photos and often obscure poster artwork, it’s a small paperback coffee table book that traces the development of the violent subgenre from the exhibitionism of the 19th century French Grand Guignol theater to the German crime (krimi) thrillers of the ’60s, the Italian giallo mysteries of the ’60s and ’70s, the “golden age” of slashers during the late ’70s and early ’80s and the current glut of sequels and remakes.

Read This: The Slasher Movie Book

© Chicago Review Press

Fans of slasher movies might not be able to peel their eyes off of the screen long enough to read too many books, but if they can, The Slasher Movie Book is well worth the effort. Packed to the gills with vivid full-color photos and often obscure poster artwork, it’s a small paperback coffee table book that traces the development of the violent subgenre from the exhibitionism of the 19th century French Grand Guignol theater to the German crime (krimi) thrillers of the ’60s, the Italian giallo mysteries of the ’60s and ’70s, the “golden age” of slashers during the late ’70s and early ’80s and the current glut of sequels and remakes.

Read This: The Slasher Movie Book

© Chicago Review Press

Fans of slasher movies might not be able to peel their eyes off of the screen long enough to read too many books, but if they can, The Slasher Movie Book is well worth the effort. Packed to the gills with vivid full-color photos and often obscure poster artwork, it’s a small paperback coffee table book that traces the development of the violent subgenre from the exhibitionism of the 19th century French Grand Guignol theater to the German crime (krimi) thrillers of the ’60s, the Italian giallo mysteries of the ’60s and ’70s, the “golden age” of slashers during the late ’70s and early ’80s and the current glut of sequels and remakes.

Reshoots and Rewrites and Delays, Oh My: The Many Troubles of World War Z

© Crown

When World War Z was announced, it seemed like must-see fare, but expectations seem to be slipping by the week. First, it was declared that the big-screen adaptation of the Max Brooks novel about a global human-zombie war -- seemingly edgy fare -- would get the dreaded PG-13 treatment. Then, its release date was bumped back six months, from December 2012 to June 2013. And just this past week, Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, riding high off the success of his script for Prometheus, was hired to rewrite portions of World War Z...

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TV Casting: Joseph Fiennes in American Horror Story, Portia de Rossi in Mockingbird Lane

© FX

Two sizable stars have been added (or are close to being added) to a pair of eagerly anticipated upcoming TV shows:

• Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) is in negotiations to join American Horror Story for Season 2. According to Entertainment Weekly, he would play the head of the mental institution where Jessica Lange’s character works and where Chloe Sevigny’s character (along with others) is incarcerated.
• Despite reports from last week that Mariana Klaveno had lined up the role of Lily Munster on the Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane, it appears that ABC wouldn’t let her out of her contract for another new show, and so Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development) has stepped into the matriarchal role.

Revenge of the ‘Rents: The Tortured Movie Review

© IFC

Missing the Saw movies? Well, the producers of that franchise have returned with the small-scale feature The Tortured, which turns the tables on the typical “torture porn” scenario. Starring Erika Christensen and Jesse Metcalfe as grieving parents seeking vengeance for the death of their young son, the film gets a limited theatrical release this Friday. Read about it in my review of The Tortured.

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New This Week: The Tortured, Ghost Rider 2, Monster Brawl, Shallow Grave

© Sony

This week, the revenge flick The Tortured gets a limited theatrical release, while home video releases are led by Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Monster Brawl, Don’t Go in the Woods (which also begins airing on cable this week) and the Criterion edition of Danny Boyle’s 1994 thriller Shallow Grave.

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Stephen King’s It to Be Split into Two Films

© Viking

A big-screen adaptation of the 1986 Stephen King novel It has been in the works for a while, but now the plan has been pluralized, with the story being split into two films — a logical step, given the book is over 1,000 pages long. Acclaimed director Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre, Sin Nombre) will co-write and direct both movies, but like the long-gestating adaptation of The Stand, there’s no scheduled release date yet. The fact that Warner Brothers is willing to make a multi-pic commitment to horror project is noteworthy — and perhaps an indication that it will entail a budget significantly higher than the average studio genre film. *Fingers crossed.*

TV Movie Highlight of the Week: Texas Killing Fields

© 20th Century Fox

This week, a trio of’ small, limited-release/direct-to-video horror/suspense movies make their TV debuts:

• The star-studded yet pedestrian serial killer flick Texas Killing Fields, starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jessica Chastain, premieres on Monday, June 11, at 1:20 AM ET/PT on Starz.
• Vincent D’Onofrio’s directorial debut, the horror musical (!) Don’t Go in the Woods, airs on Saturday, June 16, at 9:00 PM ET/PT on The Movie Channel.
• Donner Pass, based on the famed Donner Party, airs on Saturday, June 16, at 10:30 PM ET/PT on The Movie Channel.