The Teenage Slasher Movie Book, by J. A. Kerswell

I often sit out of convention panels, and I don't read a lot of horror journalism. When I try these things I am generally bored or irritated. I have little patience with so-called experts who know a lot less about this stuff than me.

Fangoria used to mean everything to me. This was back in the mid-eighties and the early Timpone years. I craved every tidbit about horror I could find. It wasn't everywhere back then. I dutifully signed up for the new incarnation of the magazine. I was almost immediately disappointed in the content and I barely even made it through a single piece. One article, a worthless column about sluts in horror, was the catalyst that made me throw in the towel for good. A sexually active woman is a slut? I guess I just don't get it. If that was the kind of journalism I could expect from Fangoria, it is definitely no longer the resource for me.

I don't hate all the horror reportage out there. Sometimes a writer wins me over. One instance is J.A. Kerswell's The Teenage Slasher Movie Book. Unlike me, Kerswell wasn't there in the slasher heyday, but he has definitely done his homework, he has genuine passion for the subject, and he knows how to write.

The Teenage Movie Slasher Book is an affectionate, endearing look at the history of the slasher movie. From the pre-Hallween era, through the Golden Age, to the era of sequels and comedies, the revival brought on by Scream, and on to later slasher movie productions.

Kerswell obviously loves this stuff as much as I do. He gives deserved credit to the best the subgenre has to offer, and while he does not give blind praise to the worst of the movies, there is little or no rancor in the book. Like me he holds even the lowest of the low from the Golden Age with fondness.

He also has the good sense to agree with me at nearly every turn. Kerswell wisely dismisses Rob Zombie's Halloween movies, which scores big points with me. He doesn't like Mountaintop Motel Massacre as much as I like it, but I can forgive minor transgressions like that.

I don't know J. A. Kerswell, but I consider him a blood brother. I'd love to sit down and talk slashers with the guy. He knows his stuff and has probably even seen more of the later materials than I have.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Teenage Slasher Movie Book. It was a true pleasure taking a stroll down Elm Street with Kerswell. I loved going back to the windy streets of Haddonfield with him, and it was a lot of fun sitting around the campfire at Camp Crystal Lake with a fellow admirer of this creaky little breed of movie.

I only have two minor complaints. The design of the book was frustrating. Each chapter is printed upon different color paper. It gave a glare on the page, which made it a real pain in the ass to read. Second, I wish the book had been longer. I would have liked to see more attention on some of the movies he briefly touched upon.

Written by Mark Sieber