Simply put, Moonchild is the most comprehensive, insightful book dealing with the genius of Kenneth Anger, avant-garde filmmaker and modern day magus. Dealing with themes throughout Anger's Magick Lantern Cycle such as myth and symbolism as well as the occult, clearly laying out their profound importance within the Anger oeuvre, Moonchild should be purchased by anyone wanting to gain true insight into the mind of Anger - what a frighteningly beautiful place - as well as a deeper understanding of his films and their highly complex, fine-tuned structures. A must have.

Offensive films is the definative scourse for info on the movies of Binema Vomitif. The only book of its kind on these kinds of flicks, it is original in the fact that it doesn't just give a run down of the films, but a complete history of its making, the makers, and its impact on the genere in general. For those who love these types of films for any reason. GREAT.

Hollywood Hex is fascinating reading and gives especially indepth analyses of events surrounding The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and Twilight Zone" The Movie. The Exorcist chapters describe in detail all the strange deaths and other incidents which occurred during and after filming. Not to mention the unprecedented audience reaction which is now legend (fainting, vomiting, insanity, etc.) The only conclusion is that something is happening beyond coincidence, the question is is it a "curse" or is it the power of suggestion. This section also gives very insightful analysis into the film's theme and it's relation to the audience and human frailty. What's really troubling is the fact that in the end it's only a movie, but that fact is lost on so many in the audience, and unfortunately some in the cast and crew. Also of interest is the across the board condemnation of the film from Christians (you would think they would consider the film pro-Christian propaganda, but NOOOOO.)
Rosemary's Baby also has it's own "hex". Obviously the relation to the Manson murders, but also some deaths of cast and crew, and of course John Lennon at the Dakota entrance (where the film was set).
But the most disturbing chapter is Twilight Zone: The Movie which gives details of the negligence that killed Vic Morrow and 2 child actors. And all for a poor rip-off of a TV series.
When you read this book, you'll know show biz is dangerous biz. Onset accidents, wacko members of the public who threaten actors (whether or not they play the bad guy roles), drug ODs, crime victims, suicide. Finally any movie that seems more than just a movie should be attributed to the talent of the cast and crew...any other conclusion is irrational.

Mikita Brottman has done it again! Following her charming andexquisitely detailed "Meat is Murder!", Brottman offers"Hollywood Hex", a book brimming with so much information your head will explode if you read too quickly. Intelligent, delightful, and quite simply, unsurpassable. Whether you like movies or just like to read, this book is recommended to everyone!

A good book. Fun. Some parts better than others. Other reviews good at pointing of what's best and worst. Recommended.

I bought this book because of Julian Darius's essay, "Car Crash Crucifixion Culture", which I'd heard about online on message boards. I thought it was great, and that the book was good overall, though I agree that it was inconsistent.

I agree with the previous reviewer that this is a mixed bag. Some of the essays are extremely technical; others extremely autobiographical. A number of them relate only tangentally. BUT all of them do relate, and the result is like a collage, adding to our understanding. Brotman, the editor, seems to have included what was interesting, even if it was a little off-topic. the book has a taste for the selacious at times, and I think this is what the criticisms of it boil down to. Some of the essays are just plain fun, and really enjoyable. In this large and varied book, there's an essay by Kenneth Anger, a section on crimes, and a fun section on conspiracies involving car crashes. The worst essays are so bizarre (like Ulmer's "Prototype for a MEmorial") or excessively dry (like T. Williams' "Heart Like a Wheel" chapter) and can easily be skipped. But the best (like S.J. Schneider's essay on how Jackson Pollock's crash ironically and morbidly reflected his art, or Julian Darius' intoxicatingly allusive "Car Crash Crucifixion Culture") are truly fascinating reads. Brotman himself has an essay and a half (one is a collaboration) in the CAR CRASH CINEMA section. In conclusion, this is hardly a definitive look at car crashes, but I don't think that it pretends to be. It's highs are fantastically high and will stick with you. Its lows can be skimmed or skipped.

Hope this helps.

MEAT IS MURDER contains facts and anecdotes that an ape couldn't make unintersting; however, Mikita Brottman sure comes close. I'm obsessed with cannibal culture. I love reading the horrific accounts of factual cannibalism, and I froth over any film using it as subject matter, from Italian greats by Umberto Lenzi and Ruggero Deodato, to Bob Balaban's hardly related PARENTS. Therefore, I absorb MEAT IS MURDER's parables voraciously, but with extreme resentment. I don't know how Brottman slipped by Jack Sargeant's keen eye for brilliance, but her "style" borders on tedious, and is completely soulless and without voice. This one's for extreme fans only. A little creativity would've been much appreciated.

Wow...I don't really know what I expected from this book, but it's certainly much more informative than it has to be. From instances of criminal and hunger-forced cannibalism in the 20th century to a look at the shared themes of horror movies and fairy tales, this book delivers again and again. There are quite a few typos that I found distracting, and some of the photos look like they were digitized to be put into the book, but not restored to photographic quality. This makes some of the photos look like old Atari graphics. Those minor yet annoying flaws are what keeps this from being a five star book.

Mikita Brottman's book "Meat is Murder!" is a terrific book. Brottman's vivacious descriptions of many films about or including cannibalism create an astounding piece of literature that is pure enjoyment to read. A must for fans of any genre of films!