European Sex & Horror Movies 1956-1984
Written by Cathal Tohill and Pete Tombs.
Paperback Reprint edition (October 1995)
Published by St. Martin's Press
Book Description
During the 1960s and '70s, the European horror film went totally
crazy. It began to go kinky -- creating a new type of cinema that
blended eroticism and terror. "Immoral Tales" illuminates an
entire world of sexy, gory, arty and sleazy films that are only
now gaining recognition in the U.S.
Photos, many in color.
AMAZON.COM review
"I urge you: learn how to look at 'bad' films, they are so often
sublime." This remark by Ado Kyrou heads up the introduction to
"Immoral Tales", from which horror and exploitation film fans,
especially Americans, can learn much indeed. Not so much a movie
guide as an insightful critical overview of European sex/horror
films (there is much overlap between the two genres), this book
is elegantly organized into a sequence of essays proceeding from
general themes (the history of horrific art, the surgical
metaphor), to regional styles (Italian, German, French, Spanish),
to individual directors (Jesus Franco, Jean Rollin, José Larraz,
José Bénazéraf, Walerian Borowczyk, Alain Robbe-Grillet).
The writing is intelligent, engaging, and packed with fascinating
historical and technical details. The book includes plenty of
photos and poster art (including many in color), a useful
appendix covering miscellaneous actors and directors, an index,
and a bibliography. "Immoral Tales" was a finalist for the 1995
Bram Stoker Award in Nonfiction.