Christopher Carton

A brisk and enthusiastic overview of one of my favourite genres in gaming. Carton explains the importance and popularity of the best-remembered games from the genre (Monkey Island, Myst, The Walking Dead, while also delving into some of the less well-remembered but still interesting titles (Shivers, the CSI games, er, Softporn Adventure). The book is well illustrated, with most entries getting at least one screengrab that captures the mood and style of the game.

However, it could have done with more of a story and more behind-the-scenes info and contextualisation; it often feels like a collection of summaries rather than a coherent narrative that traces the evolution and innovation of the genre. Some entries are a little under developed – the entry on Sherlock Holmes games, in particular, feels like an intro for a chapter that wasn't.

Of course, wanting more isn't the worst criticism and this really is a fun little book that left me feeling quite warm and nostalgic. It'd be a great introduction to the genre for newcomers, while more seasoned fans will appreciate the warm tone and the reminder of some titles that might not have thought about for a while.… (más)

"Just ok", is about the best I can give The Ultimate Guide to Movie Monsters. First of all, it's not an "ultimate guide" and it doesn't contain an index. It's not a very long book and it glosses over a number of famous film favorites in exchange for pages on Krull, Harry Potter, Critters, and so on. It seemed to be the kind of book that a publisher rushed an author to finish. There's not a lot of in-depth information and not much background or research. Just a list by chapter of what author Carton believes are members of the cinematic all-star movie monster team.
For this reviewer, the book spent way too much time and emphasis on more modern films, and not enough on the classics. C'mon, the Sta-Puft Marshmellow Man, the Corpse Bride, Coraline, and the Hocus Pocus witches movie monsters? Really?… (más)

The Ultimate Guide to Movie Monsters by Christopher Carton is a quick stroll through the many creatures and entities that we have come to love/hate as movie monsters.

As the title says, this is a guide, not an analytical assessment nor an attempt at finding something new for no reason. besides, who in their right mind expects "new" pictures from movies that have been viewed millions of times and are far too old to still be finding unknown behind the scenes pictures. Yes, the pictures are things we have seen, did you think Carton could travel back in time and maybe take a couple selfies with the stars of movies made over 50 years ago? Really?

The strength of this book is in bringing the various types of monsters together into one book for both casual reference and for those who might want to find movies they haven't seen. I was surprised at just how many sequels some of these lesser known movies had. I was also reminded of some movies I enjoyed years ago but had forgotten about, though I am curious to see how some of them may have aged for me.

All in all a fun read and a handy book to have for when you want to find yet another vampire movie. Recommended for those who like reference type books that are also good reads, well, unless you think there are a lot of undiscovered "new" photographs of all the movies, then you'll be disappointed (like your parents, no doubt).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (más)