Midnight Media is putting out some nice little "readers digest" size pamphlets based on various genres and themes. I say pamphlets because they're 44 pages long and bound in a semi-gloss paper.
Slash Hits, as you might've guessed, is their guide to North American slasher films. So far there are two volumes, vol. 1 beginning from the advent of the modern slashers (PEEPING TOM/PSYCHO) to 1979, and vol. 2 taking a look at the heyday of the slasher, 1980-1982.
The titles are grouped alphabetically within year of release. There is no synopsis to speak of, instead, in some cases, short reviews on the films. In other cases, Halloween for example, films are covered more in depth, demanding up to two pages of text. The reviews seem to be fair and concise, but the big surprise here is that the Slash Hits volumes "score" their content with "breasts & blood". Yes, you read correctly. The more boobs in the review, the more boobs are displayed in the film. And so it goes for the blood and gore....The writers make no qualms about it! No uptight, holier than thou attitude on parade here. They know what the core audience of such a genre wants and the reviews are based on this. I whole heartily applaud them in their honesty.
Organizing these volumes based on "era" is really a novel approach. The reader gets a "feel" for the generational context of the films this way. Screen shots, press ads, posters, and photos abound within. The paper is of good quality, too. Very important for the pics! All around the quality of the package is thumbs-up.
Really, there are only a few, minor nit-picks. Release edition information is absent. Some films state a running time while others do not. And my personal biggest nit to pick, no aspect ratio information.
While Slash Hits vol.1 & 2 may be a bit too concise for some, one must remember that this is also part of its attractiveness, allowing for more content to be covered. They are both available from FAB press at a price of $10 American. They are worth every penny.
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