Amicus Horrors: Tales from the Filmmaker's Crypt

by Brian McFadden

Midnight Marquee Press & Luminary Press (series)

It is ironic that one of two film production companies most responsible for the so-called Golden Age of British Horror was actually owned by Americans. Amicus was second only to Hammer in producing impressive horror hits, yet it was Hammer that received most of the publicity, while Amicus kept a low profile, content with high box-office returns. Today, so many years later, it remains the same. While many books are devoted to Hammer, coverage on Amicus is mostly found only in books that deal with British horror films in general, where the studio is treated as just one of many independent production companies that turned out genre films. However, Amicus was anything but. This book provides a snapshot of a time and place that will never come again ? a London where a company owned by two New Yorkers could set up shop, produce glossy horror films with major stars, keep the budgets low and turn a tidy profit. Author McFadden visited Amicus at a time when the company, founded by Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg, was producing many of the better horror films to come out of Britain. He watched as some of these films were being made and spoke with the people involved in all aspects of the production. This volume allows McFadden a chance to share those experiences with classic horror film fans?both young and old.