Baal Of's Reviews > Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror

Given how much I love a lot of the horror movies covered in this book it was inevitable that I would like it, but this book went beyond my expectations. The thoughtfulness with which the author approached the subject hit the right tone for me, and I thought he did a good job contrasting the artistic intentions of the film makers against the desires to just make something cool. As is often the case, I was struck by just how much contingency affected the outcomes of many of the films I love, and how in retrospect it seems amazing that some of these films even exist. I still think The Exorcist is overrated, and not at all scary, but it was interesting getting some background on just why it had the impact that it did. Of all the films discussed, the one mentioned the most that I still haven't seen is The Last House On The Left; I should probably remedy that situation.

Addendum:
Jokes on me, turns out I had already seen The Last House On The Left. It's a good thing I have external memory storage, although if I ever lose my Netflix I'm going to be screwed.