Book Review: Fright Favorites by David J. Skal

Fright Favorites: 31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond by David J. Skal

This non-comprehensive list provides thirty-one horror films that would make a sort of "daily devotional" for October. The book is published in part by Turner Classic Movies and features films from the silent era (Nosferatu) all the way to the 2010s (Get Out). Each film is described in a few pages, both the plot and the cultural impact, along with pictures from the film and from the production (posters and behind-the-scenes photos). Each film as a sidebar "if you liked this, you might also enjoy...", for example, after discussing Beetlejuice, they recommend Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.

The descriptions are entertaining, involving stories about the productions that you may or may not have heard before. For movie fans, especially horror fans, this is a fun read. I've seen all the main recommendations except for Mystery of the Wax Museum, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, and Hocus Pocus. I guess I have some catching up to do.

Mildly recommended.