Let this review serve as proof positive that my love affair with the UK's FAB Press is due to the consistently excellent nature of their books, and not simply due to the fact that publisher Harvey Fenton and company tend to send me a free review copy of damned-near every book that they publish. No, in the case of "Nightmare USA", FAB's new book by Stephen Thrower, I bought this sucker myself. I proudly (but, I will admit, with some trepidation at the almost scarily high price of this almost Macedonic book, not to mention the 20 bones it cost just to get the thing shipped to me from the UK) preordered this book many months ago...long before the oft-delayed book came out. So, suffice it to say, my relationship with FAB is one that demands commitment. So, were my fears (and dollars spent) all for naught? Or, did FAB come through yet again with another book that will be destined to become a priceless addition to my horror and cinema-related library? Read on...
Many of you are familiar with FAB Press' "standard" format...large-scale books crammed to bursting with thoughtful, witty editorials and articles, stills, candid shots, promotional materials, and in-depth reviews. It's no secret that this very website is designed to somewhat emulate FAB's "style", and for good reason. Nobody does horror/exploitation reference books better than FAB. It really is as simple as that. This is a fact of which the good folks at FAB are no doubt aware, and I hope they consistently pat themselves on their backs in richly-deserved self-congratulatory gestures. Hell, if they don't, I'll do it for them...in print. Come here, you...that's a boy...*pat pat pat*...who's a good fellow, then? OK. Now that that's out of the way, let's actually take a look at the book itself, shall we? "Nightmare USA" is structured like many of FAB's books. If you are a fan of this kind of thing (and let's face it, you probably wouldn't be reading this if you weren't), you'll find much to chew on. As with his previous cyclopean tome "Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci", Stephen Thrower is at the top of his game in "Nightmare USA". His observations are always valid, and even if you don't always agree with his opinions, there's no getting around the fact that the guy simply knows whereof he writes. A keen familiarity with his subject matter might be enough for some publishers, perhaps, but not FAB...oh ho ho no. Instead, they demand that their stable of writers be witty and unpretentious, too. Thankfully, Thrower fits the bill nicely.
It's almost impossible to write a review about a book like "Nightmare USA", if only because the depth and breadth of the thing is so immense, while still sticking to such a particular niche that it keeps fans/readers happy and interested throughout the book. Lest this review consist solely of gushing fanboy hyperbole, I feel I must point out one or two "sections" (not so much "chapters") as particular favorites. Maybe it's a cop-out, but the "Introduction" itself (clocking in at over sixty pages!) is as good an overview of independent American horror and exploitation cinema in the 1970's and 1980's as has ever...or ever will be...put into print. It reads like a fucking doctoral thesis, for crying out loud. Yet, it's always entertaining. Again, I can't stress this enough, if you're hungry for knowledge, then this book is like a ever-lovin' Super Sized Meal 'o' Horror. Also of note (and by "of note" I of course mean "of incredibly high merit") is the chapter entitled "It Came from New Jersey!" which deals with Douglas McKeown's struggles to get his film (fan favorite The Deadly Spawn) off the ground. It's a beautifully-written and executed piece, filled with the kind of anecdotes and remembrances that pretty much guarantee that McKeown will fade into history with an almost Ed Wood-ish aura of mystery, goofiness, and love for cinema.
Probably the most interesting thing about "Nightmare USA" is how effectively and neatly puts all other stabs at this subject matter to eternal shame. I mean, let's face it...this is very likely the best book ever written about the golden era of American independent horror cinema, and it was written and published by the English. So, not only is this an important book when taken for its own merits, it totally calls out the American indie horror community to take notice of stuff that's happened on their own turf! Why the venerable Chas. Balun never wrote a book of this magnitude and/or breadth is totally beyond me. I love the guy, but I guess he was too busy (like most of the rest of us from that era) worshiping Lucio Fulci and Ruggero Deodato. I digress. The point is that "Nightmare USA" should serve, if nothing else, as a wake-up call to American fans of indie horror. It should rile a whole new generation of young filmmakers, writers, effects artists, and would-be producers to swift action. Maybe, in another twenty or thirty years, someone (Thrower himself, perhaps?) will write a book about your piece of blood-soaked Americana. It's only going to happen if we, as a community, take notice. If the Brits are taking notice, then so must we!
So, summing up, "Nightmare USA" is yet another resounding success from FAB Press. It serves as a fun read, an encyclopedic tome of arcane cinematic lore and knowledge, and it's damned attractive sitting on a coffee table. What more could you want from a horror cinema reference book? Nothing! That's right, nothing! The price tag might be steep, but trust me...this will be the best chunk of change that you've spent on a book in a dog's age. Thank you, Stephen Thrower, and thank you, FAB Press, for yet another reminder of why you folks are at the top of your game. Highest possible recommendation.
Let this review serve as proof positive that my love affair with the UK's FAB Press is due to the consistently excellent nature of their books, and not simply due to the fact that publisher Harvey Fenton and company tend to send me a free review copy of damned-near every book that they publish. No, in the case of "Nightmare USA", FAB's new book by Stephen Thrower, I bought this sucker myself. I proudly (but, I will admit, with some trepidation at the almost scarily high price of this almost Macedonic book, not to mention the 20 bones it cost just to get the thing shipped to me from the UK) preordered this book many months ago...long before the oft-delayed book came out. So, suffice it to say, my relationship with FAB is one that demands commitment. So, were my fears (and dollars spent) all for naught? Or, did FAB come through yet again with another book that will be destined to become a priceless addition to my horror and cinema-related library? Read on...