Made specifically for the small screen, the TV movie served as an introduction to genre films, most notably horror. Beginning in the sixties, and reaching its golden period in the seventies, these cultural artefacts often dismissed as junk entertainment were usually a place to tackle contemporary problems such as drugs, prostitution, sexual violence and even the threat of nuclear war. In this meticulously well researched TV guide Amanda Reyes transports her readers back to a time when film and TV fans were compelled to repeat the same ritual week after week: carefully reading through the week’s TV guide to make sure you didn’t miss a rare showing of a classic film or episode of your favourite TV show. Totalling over 300 pages, the films and essays presented within are as eclectic as the bizarre sub-heading: “Growing Up With gargoyles, Giant Turtles, Valerie Harper, The Cold War, Stephen King & Co-Ed Call Girls.”
Starting in 1964 and finishing in 1999, the compendium is split into two sections. The first half is a collection of essays, but it is the reviews that make up the second part that cult TV fans will enjoy dissecting most. Included in the reviews is a whole chapter on the TV adaptations of Horror author Stephen King’s works. The rest of the reviews are organised by date. One of the most infamous TV films reviewed is the truly terrible Star Wars Holiday Special. Also covered is Amityville: The Evil Escapes, the fourth Amityville film, as well as lots more.
ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE? / AUTHOR: AMANDA REYES / PUBLISHER: HEADPRESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
