Amicus: An Illustrated History Magazine

Product Description

Scheduled for October 2024 publication and shipping.

Relive an unforgettable chapter in the history of horror cinema with Amicus: An Illustrated History, a luxurious 84-page journey through the formation and output of the small studio that made a huge impact on the horror movie landscape. This Amicus movie guide leads you through the studio’s storied history, illuminating its creation and evolution – and, naturally, is bursting with glorious stills from its evergreen movies. An essential for any Amicus fan, this is another stunning addition to the Classic Monsters collection.

In the wake of the fifties science fiction boom, horror movies were ripe for a reinvention. Popular culture focuses on the lurid shockers of Hammer Horror, but Hammer’s 1957 breakthrough The Curse of Frankenstein owed a not insignificant debt to Americans Milton Subotsky and Max J Rosenberg, a creative pairing that might not reach the headline-grabbing status of their British rivals, but would nonetheless tell some of the genre’s most compelling stories. Amicus: An Illustrated History takes you back to before the Amicus name was even used, with 1960 chiller The City of the Dead released under the Vulcan appellation yet bearing many of the hallmarks of what became the Amicus approach – slick, compact and irresistible.

As you explore the pages of this Amicus horror movie guide, you’ll gain a greater understanding of how this underdog studio came into being, and how it reflected changing societal norms with a focus on how evil could exist in the most ordinary of domestic settings. In a world that had seen plenty of real-life horrors since the relative innocence of Universal’s golden age in the thirties, Amicus went all out to shock, challenging their rivals with all manner of zombies, disembowelments and bloody acts of vengeance – sometimes all in the same film. Amicus: An Illustrated History looks at the context in which these remarkable movies came into being.

And what movies they were. Many fans know Amicus best for their portmanteau horrors, those darkly wondrous collections of short stories stitched together, Frankenstein-like, with a frame narrative. Each one is packed with memorable moments, from the hellish train journey of Dr Terror’s House of Horrors in 1965 to the dismembered body parts and crazed imaginary friends of 1972’s Asylum. However, a wealth of standalone films, including 1965’s The Skull, the gothic shocks of 1973’s And Now the Screaming Starts! and the adventure of 1974’s The Land that Time Forgot, showed that full-length thrills were also equally possible. This Amicus history magazine recounts the part each film played in the studio’s wider story, and its significance for movie lovers.

Amicus: An Illustrated History is a timeless treasure for your collection of movie memorabilia. Produced to A4 size (297 x 210mm) in PUR square bound format with a sumptuous gloss cover, it’s simply packed with information, written in the accessible yet enlightening style that makes Classic Monsters publications a must. A sleek, unfussy design makes for an enthralling reading experience and allows you to focus on the fascinating content.

Amicus: An Illustrated History immerses you deep into the many horrific images crafted by the studio, with beautifully restored stills bringing each moment to life as you’ve never seen it. Our commitment to the finest image reproduction means we don’t rely on cheaper newspaper-style printing: every page of this Amicus movie history guide is produced using full-colour processes, so even black and white stills have a vibrant depth and range of tones that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. This really is an Amicus film guide like you’ve never seen.

This engagingly-written and fact-filled Amicus movie guide also explores the studio’s savvy approach to finances – while star quality from the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Burgess Meredith added big-name cachet to each film, the presence of such noted actors didn’t have to break the bank. Amicus: An Illustrated History shows how a little resourcefulness went a long way. You’ll also learn that a lack of financial clout was no barrier to creative expression, such as the experiments with 3-D processes during the making of 1971’s I, Monster.

This Amicus movie guide also introduces the talented team whose combined efforts brought such beloved motion pictures to the screen. Founders Subotsky and Rosenberg assembled a skilled group of colleagues, with regulars such as Freddie Francis displaying the skills more often celebrated in their higher-profile projects for other companies. Key to Amicus: An Illustrated History is a love for the movies produced by this small yet perfectly formed film studio – with a winning combination of high production values, passion and first-rate image reproduction, this is the perfect way to rediscover the creativity and enduring horror that made the Amicus name synonymous with a particularly thrilling brand of chills.

Or, if you’d prefer something extra special, click here to check out the exclusive limited hardback edition – there are only 50 in the world!

• 84 pages
• Full colour throughout
• Packed with stills, posters, articles and info
• Printed and finished to the highest standard
• Luxury gloss laminated cover