Twenty horror and science fiction moviemakers--both in front of and behind the camera--reminisce about some of their great (and not so great!) films. Merry Anders, Charles Bennett, Ben Chapman, Herman Cohen, Robert Day, Val Guest, Susan Hart, Candace Hilligoss, Rose Hobart, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Jacques Marquette, Cameron Mitchell, Ed Nelson, William Phipps, Vincent Price, Ann Robinson, Herbert Rudley, Harry Spalding, Kenneth Tobey, and Lupita Tovar reflect on their work in such movies as Berserk, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Cat-Women of the Moon and many other movies. Some interviews were previously published.

This whopping big McFarland Classic brings together 43 interviews with horror and science fiction movie writers, producers, directors and the men and women who saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, robots, zombies, and other sinister, stumbling threats--in the movies, at least. The interviewees reminisce about some of their great (and not so great!) films and tell their stories. This classic volume represents the union of two previous volumes: 1994's Attack of the Monster Movie Makers ("anecdotes are frank and revealing"--Video Watchdog); and 1995's They Fought in the Creature Features ("a fun book for all SF film enthusiasts"--Interzone). Together at last, this combined collection of interviews offers a candid and delightful perspective on the movies that still make audiences howl and squeal (though fear has long been replaced with sweet nostalgia).

Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's uncle in Star Wars, said, "In my long life in films, there are ones I'm proud of and those I'm not proud of. The Jungle Captive and Weird Woman fall into the latter category." House of Wax co-star Paul Picerni was fired by the film's director when he refused to put his head in a working guillotine during a climactic fight scene. Packed with wonderful tidbits, this volume collects 22 interviews with the moviemakers responsible for bringing such films as This Island Earth, The Haunting, Carnival of Souls, Pit and the Pendulum, House of Wax, Tarzan the Ape Man, The Black Cat, Them! and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the movie screen. Faith Domergue, Michael Forest, Anne Helm, Candace Hilligoss, Suzanna Leigh, Norman Lloyd, Maureen O'Sullivan, Shirley Ulmer, Dana Wynter and many more are interviewed.

For fans of SF and horror films, will there ever be a decade to compare with the 1950s? Actors, directors, producers, and crews prevailed over microbudgets and four-day shooting schedules to create enduring films. This book turns a long-overdue spotlight on many who made memorable contributions to that crowded, exhilarating filmmaking scene. John Agar, Beverly Garland, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Gene Corman, and two dozen more reminisce about the most popular genre titles of the era. Lengthy, in-depth interviews feature canny questions, pointed observations, rare photos, and good fun.

The people who directed, produced, and starred in the scary and fantastic movies of the genre heyday over thirty years ago created memorable experiences as well as memorable movies. This McFarland Classic brings together over fifty interviews with the directors, producers, actors, and make-up artists of science fiction and horror films of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. From B movies to classics, Samuel Z. Arkoff to Acquanetta, these veteran vampire baits, swamp monsters, and flying saucers attackees share their memories. This classic volume represents the union of two previous volumes: Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers ("more fun than the lovably cheap movies that inspired it"--Booklist/RBB); and Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes ("candid...a must" --ARBA). Together at last, this combined collection of interviews offers a candid and delightful perspective on the movies that still make audiences squeal with fear, and occasionally, howl with laughter.

Universal Studios created the first cinematic universe of monsters--Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and others became household names during the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1950s, more modern monsters were created for the Atomic Age, including one-eyed globs from outer space, mutants from the planet Metaluna, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the 100-foot high horror known as Tarantula. This over-the-top history is the definitive retrospective on Universal's horror and science fiction movies of 1951-1955. Standing as a sequel to Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas's Universal Horrors (Second Edition, 2007), it covers eight films: The Strange Door, The Black Castle, It Came from Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, Cult of the Cobra and Tarantula. Each receives a richly detailed critical analysis, day-by-day production history, interviews with filmmakers, release information, an essay on the score, and many photographs, including rare behind-the-scenes shots.

Back in the era of black-and-white horror and sci-fi movies, "we didn't have special effects, or the money for 'em," says Peter Graves, one of the genre's most popular stars. "But in those days, an unlimited amount of money wouldn't have gotten us much better special effects, because they didn't exist. We had to go with the stories and try to make them as believable as possible, and flash the outlandish things by quickly, so the audience never got a good, in-focus look at them!" Perhaps no films attracted more rabid fans and less critical acclaim than the genre movies of that era. The men and women who made the characters come to life are interviewed here, talking about their work, the behind-the-scenes action, and the impact the movies had on their careers. The interviewees are Gene Barry, Gary Clarke, Gary Conway, Merian C. Cooper, Robert Dix, Donnie Dunagan, Alex Gordon, Peter Graves, Gary Gray, Arch Hall, Jr., Stephen Kandel, Carolyn Kearney, Ken Kolb, Robert L. Lippert, Jr., Jan Merlin, Mary Mitchel, Elliott Reid, Stanley Rubin, Frankie Thomas and Burt Topper. Extensively illustrated.