Tension. Fear. Exhilaration. Atmospheric synthesizers. You’re in John Carpenter territory.

One of the most iconic directors of American cinema John Carpenter has astonished audiences the world over with his tightly crafted horror, thriller and science-fiction films. Not just a director, Carpenter’s talents also extend to writing the screenplays and soundtracks to many of his films.

From the existential comedy classic Dark Star through to the terrifying smash hit Halloween, the taut siege of Assault on Precinct 13 to the visceral Vampires there’s action and tension all around. But it’s not all ghosts from The Fog or horrific mutations in The Thing, there’s time for romance in the science-fiction road movie Starman and even for The King himself in the superior bio-pic Elvis – The Movie. John Carpenter’s films are always memorable, distinctive and unashamed of their genre roots.

The John Carpenter Kamera Book explores his films and his work as a director, composer, writer and producer. It examines Carpenter’s influences and style and the films that have, in turn, been influenced by him. An indispensable guide to the ultimate cult auteur.

‘Informative and easy to understand…A recommended read’
– Becky Bartlett, FrightFest eMagazine

‘the authors are passionate fans’
– Jamie Russell, Total Film 

A ghostly figure at the window. The smash of glass. The glint of light on the edge of a knife. A row of gnashing teeth, dripping with blood. A flash of lightning. A gut wrenching scream. Horror films have proven to be among the highest grossing yet most maligned films ever made. Dismissed as juvenile and unworthy of attention by critics, what is it that brings people the world over to part with their money time and again for the privilege of being scared?

In the Horror Films Kamera Book you will find out what makes a successful horror film. There is also a history of the genre from the silent era to the present day including reviews of the landmark films that defined major trends. And there is a closer look at 10 key movers in the field, including Wes Craven, Clive Barker, George A Romero, Dario Argento, Tod Browning and David Cronenberg.

Packed to the gills with scary facts and gruesome goings on, let the Kamera Horror Films be your guide to the dark side of the silver screen. So join us on a journey into terror. Some of you may never return…

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Internationally renowned, David Lynch is America’s premier purveyor of the surreal, an artist whose work in cinema and television has exposed the world to his highly personalised view of society. This book examines his entire work, from the cult surrealism of his debut feature Eraserhead to his latest mystery, Inland Empire, considering the themes, motifs and stories behind his incredible works.

In Lynch’s world the mundane and the fantastical collide, often with terrifying consequences. It is a place where the abnormal is normal, where the respectable becomes sinister, where innocence is lost and redemption gained at a terrible price. And there’s always music in the air. From the deserts of a distant world to an ordinary backyard, at the breakneck speed of Lost Highway or the sedate determination of The Straight Story, readers will experience amateur sleuths, messiahs, giants and dwarves, chanteuses, psychopaths, cherry pie and damn fine coffee. David Lynch is your guide to this other world… and this is your guide to David Lynch

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Japanese animation, or anime, is a cultural phenomenon that has fundamentally altered the way that we view animated film. No longer the preserve of a few enthusiastic fans in the West, anime has now been embraced by the mainstream and is enormously popular worldwide. The strength of the form lies in its diversity. With its distinctive style and rich array of genres and themes, anime is worthy of serious attention as an art form. With anime’s emergence as a cultural and aesthetic force in world media the Anime Kamera Book explores its origins and history and presents overviews of its key creators. It includes reviews of a wide range of feature films, video animations and television series from early productions to the present day. From contemporary high school shenanigans to terrifying dystopian futures, from hilarious quirky comedy to deeply moving drama, sophisticated avant-garde innovation to wonderfully imaginative fantasies, from the outrageously reprehensible to the irrepressibly cute, this Kamera Book will introduce you to the extraordinary world of anime.

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More here at Oldcastle Books