Banish holiday gift-giving misery for the genre fanatic in your life. Simply identify your own particular breed of monster and pick from the selection of movies, books, apparel, and other goodies designed to delight even the most jaded fan. Distributor/publisher names are included, as are release/publication dates guiding you to the most current items, plus retail source and cost. Have a cool Yule!
The Brides and Sons of Frankenstein (1930s–40s horror movies)
Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive: The Black Cat (1941), Man Made Monster (1941), Horror Island (1941), Night Monster (1942), Captive Wild Woman (1943). DVD, Universal Studios, September 2009. Second-tier Universal movies but worth every cent for Night Monster and Captive Wild Woman. $16.49 from amazon.com.
Universal Cult Horror Collection: Murders in the Zoo (1933), The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942), The Strange Case of Dr RX (1942), The Mad Ghoul (1943), House of Horrors (1946). For the real connoisseur, these come with a hefty price tag, but the pre-Hays Code Murders in the Zoo is a gem (each movie also available separately). $49.99 from Turner Classic Movies.
Karloff and Lugosi Horror Classics: The Walking Dead (1936), Frankenstein 1970 (1958), You'll Find Out (1940), Zombies on Broadway (1945). DVD, Warner Home Video, October 2009. This two-disk set is a bit of a mixed bag, but pays off with Karloff's marvelous turn in the 1936 Warner gangster/horror mash-up The Walking Dead. $22.49 from amazon .com.
Watch Horror Films Keep America Strong. DVD, Creatures at Large, 2008. A loving tribute to the Bay Area's fondly remembered "Creature Features" TV show, which ran from 1971 to 1984, hosted by the late Bob Wilkins and author John Stanley. Includes the documentary, a Monster Movie Quiz, features on the hosts, and promo spots. Completely Charming. $20 from stanleybooks.net.
Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror, Michael Mallory. Hardcover, Universe, September 2009. Not the most in-depth book on the subject, but this balances good writing with beautiful reproduction. Buy it as an excellent overview, or a good place to start. $26.40 from amazon.com.
Monster Movies 2010 Wall Calendar. Universe, July 2009. Accompanying the Universal Studios Monsters book is this calendar of poster art from 12 of their finest films. $12.59 at amazon.com.
Bride's Head by Coop, Guy's Hoodie (sizes: S, M, L, XL). The king of retro cool, illustrator Coop has been turning out strong, sexy devil-girl graphics for years, now he's turned his eye to the ultimate female icon. $46 from Sourpuss.
Bride of Frankenstein, Girl's Tee (size: S). Sourpuss have a T-Shirt with the same Coop graphic as the guy's Hoodie, but we also like this image of Elsa Lanchester as the monster's mate. $25 from Sourpuss.
Frankenstein Bolts, Guy's Tee (sizes: S, M, L, XL). What better way to complement your Bride hoodie than with this excellent Karloff graphic. $25 from Sourpuss.
Atom Age Vampires (1950s and 1960s sci-fi and horror)
Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, Peter H. Brothers. Paperback, AuthorHouse, October 2009. Following August Ragone's excellent book on Eiji Tsuburaya from Chronicle a couple of years ago, comes this exhaustive look at the life and career of the father of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and the Japanese monster film. A bargain at $14.95 from amazon.com.
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Special Edition (1951), Blu-ray and DVD, 20th Century Fox, December 2008. Classic science fiction is not as well served as horror in high-def, but we do have Robert Wise's masterpiece. With Michael Rennie as Klaatu and Gort the robot teaching us a lesson-or-two about world peace. Blu-ray $18.49, DVD $15.49.
Hammer Glamour: Classic Images from the Archives of Hammer Films, Marcus Hearn, Hardback, Titan Books, September 2009. Hammer Films had an uncanny ability to find the most voluptuous starlets and transform them into icons. The beautifully reproduced book tells the stories of the actresses and the characters they played. $19.77 from amazon.com. Read my review here.
Robot Monster Model Kit, Fred Hinck (sculptor), Resin from the Grave. RftG have an amazing selection of kits from 50s movies, including delightful obscurities like Fiend Without a Face and The Crawling Eye, we chose everyone's favorite gorilla in a diving helmet. $95 from Resin from the Grave.
Movie Poster Magnets. These magnetic marvels will brighten up any metallic surface. Atom Age Vampire, Attack of the 50ft Woman, Attack of the Crab Monsters, $5 each from Sourpuss.
Sci Fi Film Classics 2010 Calendar, Synergy Entertainment, May 2009. Includes 12 films on four DVDs that tie-in to each month's artwork: Atom Age Vampire (1960); Monstrosity (aka The Atomic Brain, 1964); Planet Outlaws (1953); Killers From Space (1954); Phantom From Space (1953); Teenagers From Outer Space (1954); The Amazing Transparent Man (1960); Indestructible Man (1956); Metropolis (1927); The Giant Leeches (aka Attack of the Giant Leeches, 1959); The Phantom Planet (1961); and The Wasp Woman (1959). Don't expect pristine remastered versions of the movies, but at this price no one will complain. $17.95 from amazon.com.
Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (1970-80s horror)
The Art of the Nasty, Nigel Wingrove and Marc Morris, Hardback, FAB Press, November 2009. Originally published 10 years ago, this definitive tome to the idiocy of UK censorship has been thoroughly updated and is full of the trashiest artwork ever committed to a slipcase. Essential. $28.76 from amazon.com.
Exorcist Street Light, Guy's Tee (sizes: L, XL). Features the classic poster image of Max on Sydow arriving to met his nemesis. $17.99 from Fearshop.
Night of the Creeps (1986) and Monster Squad (1987). Blu-ray and DVD, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate, October and November 2009. Sparkling remastered editions of Fred Decker's highly enjoyable 80s duo, with multiple extras and commentaries. There were many better films in the 80s, but few more enjoyable. Night: Blu-Ray $14.49, DVD $15.99; Squad: Blu-Ray $9.99, DVD $7.99 from amazon.com.
American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition) (1981) Blu-ray and DVD, Universal Studios, September 2009. Definitive edition of John Landis's landmark horror comedy, complete with Beware the Moon, a highly-rated fan documentary. Blu-ray $15.99, DVD $15.99 from amazon.com.
Slaughtered Lamb, Tee (sizes: S, M, L, XL, and XXL). Last Exit to Nowhere take a refreshingly different approach to movie-related apparel, depicting brand images of companies from the films, in this case the unwelcoming pub where the hapless Americans attempt to find sanctuary from the moors. Check out the rest of their site, but don't delay, they're a UK company and last shipping date to the US is 12/10. Men's £18 (approx. $30), Ladies' fitted also £18, from the company's Website.
Not Quite Hollywood (2008). DVD, Magnolia Home Entertainment, October 2009. Unbelievably awesome documentary on the history of Australian exploitation cinema in the 70s and 80s. Interviews with major players, including directors George Miller (Mad Max) and Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot), actors Jamie Lee Curtis (Road Games) and George Lazenby (The Man from Hong Kong), and uber-fan Quentin Tarantino. Unmissable and, along with Anvil: The Story of Anvil, the doc of the year. $16.99 from amazon.com.
Gremlins (1984) Blu-ray and DVD, Warner Home Video, December 2009. Joe Dante's hilariously twisted tribute to 50s monster movies and It's a Wonderful Life in high-def because, really, it isn't Christmas without a monster in a microwave. Bu-ray $19.99, DVD $8.49 from amazon.com.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, Max Brooks (author), Ibraim Roberson (illustrator). Paperback, Three Rivers press, October 2009. Max (son of Mel) Brooks' follow-up to his fantastically successful World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2007) is more of a companion piece than a sequel, detailing zombie attacks dating back to the Stone Age, with Roberson's vividly detailed illustrations bringing everything to life. $11.56 from amazon.com.
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974) Blu-ray and DVD, Blue Underground, October 2009. One of the delights of the Blu-ray revolution is the number of undeservedly obscure movies that are getting breathtakingly good releases. Jorge Grau's UK-lensed riff on Night of the Living Dead deserves a place in any collection as an early example of the Italian Zombie epic. Blu-ray $15.99, DVD $17.99 from amazon.com. Read my review here.
Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game, Jason C Hill, Board Game, Flying Frog Productions, 2007. Zombies make for particularly good board games and this one's the most cinematic, complete with CD soundtrack and the ability to play as either a zombie, or one of eight heroes. Order it direct from the company's Web store and receive a free card, signed by one of the character actors, and 25% off T-Shirts. $49.95 from Flying Frog Productions.
Oh No… Zombies! Board Game, Archie McPhee, December 2009. The new kid on the zombie board game block has simpler game play than Last Night on Earth and a lower price tag, but is still great shambling, undead fun. $21.95 from Archie McPhee.
Left 4 Dead 2, MS Windows and XBox 360 Game, Valve Corporation, November 2009. Hardcore gamers may howl about the sequel arriving a mere 12 months after the original, but newbies will join more than two million players who purchased the game in its first two weeks of release. $39.99 from Gamestop.
Zombie Movie, Guy's Tee (sizes: S, M, L, XL). Nothing says "We are going to eat you" quite like this reproduction of the poster art from Fulci's 1979 movie (aka Zombie Flesh Eaters). $29 from Sourpuss.
The Gore-Hound
The New York Ripper (1982), Blu-ray and DVD, Blue Underground, September 2009. Lucio Fulci would like us to believe that this is a chilling indictment of 42nd Street Grindhouse cinema culture, à la Michael Haneke's Funny Games. Even if you disagree and consider this is a borderline inept giallo with too much misogynistic violence, you can't deny the excellence of the transfer and the fun of glimpsing NY in '82. Blu-ray $15.99, DVD $17.99 from amazon.com.
Combat Shock: 2-Disc Uncut 25th Anniversary Edition (1985) DVD, Troma, July 2009. A great double bill companion to New York Ripper, Buddy Giovinazzo's movie is not so much a horror film as a zero budget remake of Taxi Driver with everything turned up to 11. A vision of New York's grim underbelly, this may not be a great movie, but it is one of the most important cult items of its time. Includes a new director's cut, audio commentary and a host of extras. $17.49 from amazon.com.
The New Horror Handbook, A. S. Berman, Paperback, Bearmanor Media, July 2009. Aaron Berman's masterful overview of the rise of new gore cinema belongs on every horror fan's book shelf. $17.95 from amazon.com. Read my review here.
Gore Guts and Girls, Girl's Hoodie (sizes: S, M, L, XL). Lest we forget that the average horror movie audience contains more estrogen than testosterone, give the gore girl in your life this garment, which includes an image from 1958's Monster on Campus. $47 from Sourpuss.
Fangoria Magazine, Subscription, The Brooklyn Company, Inc. 10 times a year. Horrorhound: The Horror Fan's Magazine, Subscription, Horrorhound Ltd, 6 times a year. To paraphrase Bob Wilkins, "Buy horror movie magazines, keep America strong". Fangoria $54.47 for 10 issues, Horrorhound $34 for six issues.
The Family that Preys Together…
Grace (2009), Blu-ray and DVD, Anchor Bay, September 2009. Forget the dreadful remake of It's Alive, this is the year's best tale of parental love and the lengths one mother will go to to sustain her child – even if it craves human blood. Blu-ray $15.99, DVD $21.49 from amazon.com.
The Children (2008) Blu-ray and DVD, Lionsgate, October 2009. A wicked little holiday-themed chiller from the UK, a Christmastime family visit to a remote country house turns nasty when something gets into the wee ones. You brought them into the world, they will take you out. Blu-ray $18.49, DVD $15.99 from amazon.com
I Love Monsters, Onesie (sizes: 0–3m, 3-6m, 6-12m, 12-18m). Give this to the perfect little monster in your house. $22 from Sourpuss.
Nightmare Before Christmas Monopoly Collector's Edition, Board Game, USAopoly, June 2009. Even the darkest soul will be persuaded to join the festivities with this special edition of the classic board game. $32 from Bill Bam's Collectibles.
Koji Suzuki "Drop" and "Drop 2" Toilet Paper, Hayashi Paper, June 2009. We'd love to scare the crap out of our holiday guests by placing one of these rolls in the bathroom - they contain the blue blood-splattered Kanji text of new novels by Koji Suzuki, author of Ring and Dark Water. Unfortunately they aren't available outside Japan, but If you have a friend who lives there, they're 2,400 yen ($26.50) for 12 rolls (six of each novel) from banbix.com, Google translation here.
Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics, by Todd Debreceni, Paperback with DVD, Focal Press, December 2008. The new bible of effects make-up comes with a DVD and covers everything from Acetone to Yak Hair, including features on today's unsung heroes and practical effects that can be created immediately. Debrecini handled the make-up effects on the low budget but rather wonderful Ink (2009). $44.95 from amazon.com, also available for the Amazon Kindle at $35.96.
A Century of Stop-Motion Animation: From Méliès to Aardman, Ray Harryhausen, Tony Dalton, Watson-Guptill, September 2008. Published last year, but included here because it's gorgeous, indispensable, and co-written by Ray Harryhausen, the ultimate master of the craft. $31.50 from amazon.com.
Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-up EFX (2009), DVD. Director: Kevin VanHook. Starz Originals/Anchor Bay. Released January 27, 2009. 58 mins. Kevin VanHook handled Visual Effects on I, Robot (2004), and the upcoming The Graves (2010) and pulls in an impressive roster of guests to discuss the world of Special Effects make-up, including Rob Bottin (The Thing, Se7en), Howard Berger and Gregory Nicotero (Inglourious Basterds, Drag Me to Hell), and legends Tom Savini and Dick Smith, as well as directors Carpenter, Craven, Dante, Landis, Romero, Roth, and Tarantino, and actors Simon Pegg and Jordan Ladd, among others. $17.99 from amazon.com.
Hardware (1990), Blu-ray and DVD, Severin Films, October 2009. Not seen for years and never previously released on DVD, Richard Stanley's low-budget killer-robot-in-an-apartment thriller is dark, claustrophobic and a perfect antipode to the overblown (but not actually that bad) Terminator: Salvation. Blu-ray $18.99, DVD $22.99 from amazon.com.
District 9 (2009) Blu-ray and DVD, Sony Pictures, December 22 2009. If you're looking for a satisfaction-guaranteed, box office blockbuster for a loved one, you can't do better that Neill Blomkamp's South Africa-set alien action movie. The perfect last-minute gift, it's released three days before Christmas. Blu-ray $19.99, DVD 2-Disc Edition $22.99 from amazon.com.
101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die, Steven Jay Schneider (editor), Paperback, Barron, February 2009. Schneider edited the excellent BFI book 100 European Horror Films and maintains the standard on this series (there's a 101 Horror Movies book also). You won't agree with all the entries, but it's the perfect stocking-filler, bathroom read. $10.49 from amazon.com.
Star Wars: 1,000 Collectibles: Memorabilia and Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Stephen J. Sansweet and Anne Neumann, Abrams, October, 2009. Sansweet and Neumann have what to some is the best job in the world: collecting and curating all the memorabilia that relates to the Star Wars universe. This 568-page beauty displays just a fraction of the 75,000 items in their collection, with stunning layout and typography. Essential for Star Wars fans and anyone who ever had a childhood. $23.10 from amazon.com
Let the Right One In (2008), Blu-ray and DVD, Magnolia Home Entertainment, March 2009. Sure to appear near the top of all intelligent Top 10 lists for the last decade, this is simply the best vampire film ever made. Buy it for your Twilight fan, but ensure the subtitles are labelled "Theatrical" – the initial release had a horrible translation until fan complaints forced a re-release. Blu-ray $17.99, DVD $9.99 from amazon.com.
The 10th Victim (1965) DVD, Bue Underground, July 2009. Carlos Clarens said of Elio Petri's near-future science fiction film "all the pretty trimmings of its pop art decor cannot conceal the shallowness of its intentions." Of course he was writing two years after it was first released, so you can add a layer of groovy 60s nostalgia and appreciate that it was an early example of the killing-for-mass-entertainment sub genre that led to The Running Man, Series 7: The Contenders, and Death Race. Plus it stars Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress and you don't get more archetypal than that! DVD $14.49 from amazon.com.
Night of the Werewolf (1981) / Vengeance of the Zombies (1973) Blu-ray and DVDs, Deimos, January 2008. Spanish actor/writer/director Naschy (real name Jacinto Molina), who died on November 30th, is perhaps the most successful non-English-speaking horror star (he has a street named after him in his homeland) and this early entry in the horror Blu-ray stakes is a decent place to start. Night of the Werewolf (aka El Retorno del Hombre Lobo) is the pick of these two and pits Naschy's Waldemar Daninsky character against Countess Dracula herself, Elizabeth Bathory. Blu-ray $24.99, DVDs are available separately, but with longer delivery times, Werewolf $24.99, Zombies $17.99 from amazon.com.
Four Flies on Grey Velvet Guy's and Girl's Tee (sizes: S, M, L, XL). Giallo T-Shirts are a fairly new, hand screen-printing operation and we love the Bird with the Crystal Plumage design, unfortunately it's not available yet (vote for it on their site here), but this understated design inspired by Argento's 1971 thriller will certainly do in the meantime. Again, this is a UK company (what is it with the Brits and great T-Shirts lately?), so last mailing date for US delivery is 12/10. Guy's £13.99 (roughly $23), Girl's £13.99 from giallo-tshirts.com.
Thirst (2009), DVD, Universal International, November 2009. A vampire film from the director of Oldboy, based on Zola's Thérèse Raquin, was always an intriguing proposition and while this doesn't quite soar to the heights of Let the Right One In, it is one of the most intelligent, funny, and bloody horror films of the last few years. $19.99 from amazon.com. Read my review here.
The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, Peter Ackroyd, Hardback, Nan A Talese, October 2009. Peter Ackroyd writes densely detailed but highly accessible historical novels (Chatterton, Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem) and biographies (including those of London and the Thames) and his latest places Victor Frankenstein alongside Mary Shelley at the Villa Diodati. The New York Times calls it "…entertaining and bracingly intelligent." $17.79 from amazon.com.
Rue Morgue: Horror in Culture and Entertainment, Marrs Media Inc. and Paracinema Magazine, Subscriptions. The most intelligent horror mags on the market. Rue Morgue, $59.70 for six issues, or $74.95 for 11 issues, from the Rue Morgue Website, Paracinema $14 for two issues, or $25 for four issues from the Paracinema Website.
The Shining Hooded Top (sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL) and All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy Limited Edition Screenprint by Mike Ford. Show your love of Kubrick and/or Stephen King with this "Overlook Hotel" Hoodie (also available as a Tee) and Mike Ford's A2 (16.54" x 23.39") homage to Jack Nicholson's typing skills, available in a strictly limited edition of 50. Hoodie £30 (roughly $50), Print £45 (roughly $75) from Last Exit to Nowhere (last mailing date from the UK is 12/10).
Li'l Edgar Allan Poe Posable Plastic Figure. Edgar Allan is 2-3/4" tall (think a Lego Person with substance-abuse problems) and comes with a 12-page mini comic book. $2.50 from Archie McPhee.
Edgar Allan Poe Tee (sizes: M, XL, XXL). Fear Shop have several excellent movie-related designs (see The Exorcist Tee, above), but we think this EA Poe illustration is one of their best. M and XL $12.99, XXL, $18.99 from fearshop.com.
Paranormal Activity (2009), Blu-ray and DVD, Paramount, December 29th 2009. For those willing to wait, the most talked-about movie of the year comes to disc between the Christmas and New Year holidays (an odd decision, but we can hardly fault Paramount's marketing thus far). Click the links to pre-order (they will arrive on the day of release): Blu-Ray $27.99, DVD $16.99 from amazon.com.
Hopefully this provides enough good ideas to put the fear under your tree this holiday season. Anything we missed? We'd love to hear from you. Happy gift-giving.
All prices correct at time of going to press, no considerations were received or requested in the writing of this piece.
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