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Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema (Paperback)

by Jamie Russell (Author)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: FAB Press (1 Sep 2005)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1903254337
ISBN-13: 978-1903254332
Product Dimensions: 25 x 19.2 x 2.4 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 20,695 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:

#9 in	Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > History of Film > United States
#20 in	Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Guides & Reference
#21 in	Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Criticism & Theory

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Product Description

Book Description

The dead walk in this exhaustive look at the cinematic history of the zombie!

One of cinema’s most enduring monsters, the zombie has been terrifying audiences around the world for decades. Book of the Dead charts the ghoulish history of zombie cinema, from the creature’s origins in Haitian voodoo to its cinematic debut in 1932’s White Zombie, George A. Romero’s trilogy (which includes the two acknowledged classics of the genre, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead) and recent blockbuster hits like 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead and Land of the Dead.

Covering hundreds of movies from America, Europe and Asia, this exhaustive history chronicles the zombie’s on-screen evolution from Caribbean bogeyman to flesh-eating corpse. Along the way, Book of the Dead takes in Bela Lugosi B-movies, Italian gore films, Asian zombies, British zombies, blind monk zombies, shot-on-video backyard epics and the videogame phenomenon of Resident Evil. Spanning seven decades of horror movie history with hundreds of stills, artwork, and a comprehensive filmography, Book of the Dead explains why we continue to be so fascinated by these fugitives from the undertaker.

Detailed analysis of the entire history of zombie cinema puts the current spate of living dead movies into context.

More than 300 rare illustrations, many never seen in print before.

An exhaustively researched filmography covering every single important and/or accessible zombie film ever made.

About the Author

Jamie Russell is a busy freelance film journalist. His work appears in such magazines as Sight & Sound, Total Film, Hotdog, FHM, DVD Review, and the BBC Film website. He has also broadcast on television and radio. Jamie has previously written books on William S. Burroughs, The Beat Generation and Vietnam War Movies.

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential purchase !, 13 Oct 2005

By	Mr. Ae Rayner "ecw rules" (hampton, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I got Book of the dead with it's clever front cover picture homage to Fulci's City of the living dead, I thought it might be an in depth survey of Italian movies but the subtitle makes everything clear ! It is indeed the complete history of Zombie cinema, tracing the roots right back to the first use of the word zombie in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1819 ! This is the most comprehensive and obviously painstakingly researched book that takes the reader on a journey from the 1930's when the first zombie movie came out of Hollywood, right up to the present day with George Romero's Land of the dead ! It would seem that the inspiration for the first zombie film came from a disturbed writer who had researched his subject in Haiti, long associated with voodoo. You'll have to read the book to find out what this writer was in to ! Along the way we learn that those who tried to cash in on the success of the first zombie film ( White Zombie ) were sadly Poverty Row productions, a somewhat demeaning term for studios working on miniscule budgets. There is detailed coverage about all the different countries who produced zombie related movies and, of course, those wonderful Italian films are given plenty of space ! No book on this subject would be complete without extensive reference to George Romero's contribution to zombie 'culture' and he sure gets good coverage! Probably the most stunning of all the sections in the book is the one from page 96 to 129 - the inclusion of a gallery of lovingly reproduced photos of rare video sleeves and stills - these pictures are mostly foreign versions of the films and absolutely fascinating ! I thought I knew a bit about zombie movies but after reading this book I acknowledge that I knew very little - not any more ! One word to sum up this outstanding work - ESSENTIAL !

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead and Loving it, 27 Feb 2007

By	Ms. Kl O'shea "the_bad_blood" (Bristol UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book provides a comprehensive history of the zombie in modern popular culture, going above and beyond the place of the zombie in horror cinema to include the emergence of the monster in the English language, how it first came to be known, and what the earliest understanding of the term was - needless to say, this book is engaging, exhaustive and hugely interesting.

Russell begins his analysis by looking at the West's earliest encounters with the 'zombie', citing travel writer and occultist William Seabrook as a key figure in the zombie's introduction, thanks to his tales from the 'wilderness on the American doorstep' that was/is Haiti. His writing came at an opportune time (for him), as his expeditions there coincided with a huge surge of public interest in the country, not least because of the USA's military involvement with the much-troubled island nation. As a readership, the American public devoured information on Haiti with the same gusto that the cannibalistic movie zombies would devour the living in later incarnations - and it didn't hurt to make those formative accounts pretty salacious. Hence, tales of undead workers, mind control and voodoo were gladly received. With the inception of cinema, and the industry's liking for creature features, it wasn't long before the zombie began to emerge on screen - albeit with varying degrees of creepiness, and notwithstanding some pretty crappy efforts during the 'Poverty Row' development of the zombie genre, which regressed considerably from the genuine unease of Lugosi's White Zombie.

Russell then charts the development of the zombie creature through some fairly rough times during the end of the 1940s and 1950s, and its radical transformation, by a filmmaker by the name of George A. Romero in the late 1960s. Romero's Night of the Living Dead breathed, err, new life into a flailing genre where the zombies were becoming little more than jaded stooges used to 'terrify' the likes of Bob Hope! Romero happened upon the now-seemingly-so-obvious idea of making the zombies not just undead henchmen, but flesh-eaters - previously, the walking dead had stuck with strangulation. Using the zombie (although not then using the term) Romero was able to appall his audience as well as injecting a hefty dose of social commentary, and Russell makes the point, with which I agree, that no other on-screen monster has ever been used to such an extent for these ends.

As you would expect, a great deal of time and space is devoted to the director who pretty much created the zombie flick. Russell contextualises this, though, so you are not simply given an homage to a great director devoid of any notion of horror available to him at the time. The author also gives an outstanding study of the Italian zombie cycle of the 1970s, as well as the second regression of the zombie-into-stooge during the 80s and the massive popularity/renaissance attributable to the East, home of Resident Evil as well as a huge surge in living dead filmmaking.

Russell is a discriminating writer who mixes just the right amount of analysis and contemporary sociological/psychological/textual theory with an obvious genuine love of the genre, and this is apparent in his writing at all times, as well as in the endearing footnote where he explains his first contact with these films, and what it meant to him - something that'll be familiar with horror afficionados everywhere. Complete with a thorough filmography section and some great rare posters, stills and video artwork, this book is an absolute must.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BOOK FOR ZOMBIE FANS, 6 April 2006

By	stuart "s.vernon" (MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This book is brilliant and i'm glad I bought it.
This book explains everything from what the word zombie means, where the word zombie comes from and examines most zombie films in the history of cinema.
Going from the first ever zombie film WHITE ZOMBIE up until recent films 28 DAYS LATER, SHAUN OF THE DEAD & LAND OF THE DEAD. This even goes on to describe the B - MOVIES (CHILDREN OF THE LIVING DEAD). At the back of the book there is a filmography of all the films talked about in the book and many more.
The Italian films are given a full chapter (even the legendary NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD & DAY OF THE DEAD are in here.
All in all a must have for horror/zombies fans everywhere

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead but not buried.
This is a work penned by an author who obviously knows his stuff and is pasionate about the subject and it really shows. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Andrew Harrison

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, detailed and fun
This is a well informed and enjoyable book, with lots of great pictures and a good span of knowledge. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Mr W

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs one more addition!
Yes, Deathday by Eugene Bruce will have to be included once we're done with it - please check out the book while you're here; Deathday by Eugene Bruce Hey big thanks!

Published 15 months ago by E. Bruce

4.0 out of 5 stars Handsome book on the genre
Movie journalist Jamie Russell has produced an impeccably researched filmography covering every example of the genre from dire to dazzling. Read more

Published on 9 Aug 2007 by C. O'Brien

4.0 out of 5 stars good book
if you like zombie movies this is an essential purchase,even the really bad ones are in here.also a history of the zombie origin.its a great read with some great pics. Read more

Published on 26 Feb 2006 by glennwilson377

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential purchase !
When I got Book of the dead with it's clever front cover picture homage to Fulci's City of the living dead, I thought it might be an in depth survey of Italian movies but the... Read more

Published on 25 Oct 2005 by Mr. Ae Rayner

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