"Horror in Silent Films" by Roy Kinnard

Roy Kinnard and McFarland Publishing bring us the "Horror in Silent Films" book.  At 20.00 dollars average price, this work is hard to beat.  Films of the genre are covered from the earliest efforts around 1896 to the end of the silent era in 1929.  Many obscure and hard to find films are given great attention (for instance, did you know there was a werewolf movie made in 1923?!).  

     Some people aren't fans of these chronology-list type books...I can never get enough of them, especially one that has as many rare photos and details as this one.  Many of the movies listed have very little plot synopsis information, but that's excusable considering the rarity of the works listed, and the fact that many of these movies are not available at this time.  

     This book would serve as a great checklist and research tool for the silent horror movie collector.  Perhaps the best feature is the fact that the book not only covers all of the big-league silent monster movies, but goes further by covering those really rare ones that most of us have little knowledge of (films like "The Sorrows of Satan" and "The Haunted Bedroom").  Since horror as a genre really didn't exist at the time, mysteries, dramas, comedies and even animated features are included.  Personally, I like this since I am interested in any film of this era related to the subject.  The research that went into this work is impressive.  Mr. Kinnard imbues the work with the sense of someone with a passion for these films; in other words, the book comes across as a "good read" and not just another "list" book.  I grabbed my copy at www.creepyclassics.com.  They can also fix you up on many of the films listed in the book.