Grande Dame Guignol Cinema - by Peter Shelley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This critically analytical filmography examines 45 movies featuring "grande dames" in horror settings. Following a history of women in horror before 1962's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, which launched the "Grande Dame Guignol" subgenre of older women featured as morally ambiguous leading ladies, are all such films (mostly U.S.) that came after that landmark release. The filmographic data includes cast, crew, reviews, synopses, and production notes, as well as recurring motifs and each role's effect on the star's career.

Review Quotes

"Kudos to author Shelley for coming up with a great idea, Highlighting some classics in horror cinema that some of them I feel tend to be left behind. Shelley writes in the preface, "for me the sign of good writing about films is that it compels one to see the movie under discussion. I hope my book does this for my readers." Not only do I completely agree with this statement, but there are more than a few titles discussed in this book are now on my Need-to Watch-AGAIN List...admirable job."-Kitley's Krypt.

About the Author

Peter Shelley is a playwright, screenwriter and author of several film books. He lives in Gosford, Australia.