Spiders Know These Things is a collection of work from horror film enthusiast Darrell Buxton. His third publication of this type, this one includes reviews, lectures, reports, interviews and the like, all revolving around fringe cinema and popular culture.
Opening with his reports on the annual Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films; an event featuring screenings and interviews of a wide variety of horror, science-fiction and fantasy films, it goes on to include reviews, articles and interviews from publications of Samhain, Giallo Pages, From Beyond, Offbeat: British Cinema’s Curiosities, Obscurities and Forgotten Gems, We Belong Dead, Revealed/An Alternative Derby, and Shivers. In addition to websites like The Spinning Image, Hysteria Lives!, and Shite and Sound, all written by Darrell (bar one interview which is an interview of the author himself about a previous book he has written). The book also includes lectures from the Derby QUAD sessions, run by Darrell and a guest lecture on censorship at Derby University.
Being a compilation work, Spiders Know These Things is an easy read, giving the reader the opportunity to skip and return to features at his or her own will. It offers a niche look at British horror films, as well as some better-known features like The Hateful Eight and Scream. The lecture on censorship provides an interesting look at the restrictions it imposes on film and other texts as an art form, and the Derby QUAD introductions and festival reviews will make you want to attend the events for the atmosphere and great debate after the film screenings. While there is no doubt that Darrell knows his films, and the amount and variety of features clearly show this, but as many of them are opinion pieces, you will find yourself either agreeing or disagreeing with his comment. The book should be considered a reference point for those who are not familiar with the British horror films, and there are plenty included here. And for anyone wanting to explore the genre, the comprehensive list of films included is more than a good enough starting point. A good addition to any British horror film fans collection.
SPIDERS KNOW THESE THINGS / AUTHOR: DARRELL BUXTON / PUBLISHER: RAMPAGE PRESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
