Creature Feature!

This month, prepare yourself for a book display beyond your wildest nightmares. In the words of Edward Van Sloan from the iconic introduction to 1931’s “Frankenstein” (DVD FIC Fra), “I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even horrify you. So, if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now’s your chance to uh, well, — we warned you!”

On that note, get a peek behind the scenes of some of the most famous horror movies ever made with Michael Mallory’s “Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror” (791.436137 Mallory — oversize). Not only does this book contain photos and interviews on the making of these films, it also dives into the mythos of each flagship character – which can get pretty convoluted as each series goes on! Don’t believe me? “The Invisible Man: Complete Legacy Collection” (DVD FIC Invisible pt. 1-3) includes every sequel, even the unlikely crossover, “Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man”.

For a lot of people, their first introduction to these movies was when they played on TV, as presented by a costumed horror host. “Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark” (921 Elvira) is the autobiography of one of the best in the business. If you really want to lean into the nostalgia of the era, you’ll need a healthy dose of B-movies. “Chilling Classics: 50 Movie Pack” (DVD FIC Chi v.1-3) has all the creeps you’ve never heard of, released between 1945 and 1990.

These programs were not horror exclusive. Science fiction played a big part, particularly “Godzilla” (DVD FL-JAP God) and others of its ilk. August Ragone profiles the man behind the monster in “Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman, Godzilla, and Friends in the Golden Age of Japanese Science Fiction Film” (778.5 Rag).

Something that brought these disparate films together was their inventive use of the medium. “Special Effects: Cinema Secrets” (778.534 Mil) by Dan Millar delves into the techniques filmmakers have used to make the impossible seem real. Readers morbidly curious about the art of special effects makeup should try Violet Lucca’s “David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials” (791.430233092 Cronenberg, D.) – so long as they have a strong stomach.

Skeptics who dismiss such work as gross and juvenile should give Kendall R. Phillips’ “A Place of Darkness: The Rhetoric of Horror in Early American Cinema” (791.43 Phi) a fair shot. Monster movies, like any form of art, can say profound things about the human experience. For an incisive case study, look no further than “Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror” (791.43 Poo) by W. Scott Poole.

Find these items and more currently on display on the second floor of the library through the middle of November. Check out what’s happening on our website or call us at 765-362-2242.