“Essential Horror Movies: Matinee Monsters to Cult Classics” by Michael Mallory is a wonderful coffee table book, with a great range of classic-must-see horror movies, from the start of film making to the modern day. It contains excellent photos, concise descriptions of film plots, and reasons why they deserve to be in the book. Yes I know that some horror buffs will be disappointed that film “x” wasn’t included, but it does not claim to be an encyclopaedia of the horror genre (hmm good idea for a book project there). As a horror movie devotee, I am always interested in books on the subject, and found this one to be both entertaining and informative. (I still find it amazing that after all these years, even still photos of Linda Blaire from The Exorcist – 1973, yeah really 1973 – continue to manage to give me the willies.)