Let’s Get Ready to Rumble…

 

COCKFIGHT: A FABLE OF FAILURE by Kier-La Janisse (2025 Fab Press / 296 pages)

For her latest deep dive into cinematic obscurity, Janisse (HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN) not only spent time with director Monte Hellman, but also several years attending a brutal (now illegal) sport in person, bringing COCKFIGHT: A FABLE OF FAILURE to a whole new level of monographic ingenuity.

After an early 2000s viewing, COCKFIGHTER (1974) sunk its spurs into the author and set her on a mission to dissect this controversial and (initially) poorly received film (the director himself is not even a fan). Before I finished reading the first chapter, a look at the 1962 novel by Charles Willeford which the film is based on, I was inspired to get a copy. After scoring a 1974 movie tie-in edition, I went back into COCKFIGHT and was continually amazed at the level of research and exposition on display in each chapter. From personal experiences to the strangest mined-nugget of detail, Janisse leaves nothing unturned in her quest to bring not only the film, but the meaning of the sport itself into understanding.

With a great look at star Warren Oates as well as the women of the film, an interview with the legendary Roger Corman (and others from the cast and crew), details about its release, premiere, and legacy, COCKFIGHT once again displays Janisse’s skill in creating interest (and importance) around a film most may have never heard of. You get the feeling this book doubles as the author’s own sparring match with the reader in getting them to want to watch (or reassess) this now cult-status 70s gem. I know I’ll be revisiting the film as soon as I finish Willeford’s novel.

Fab Press has presented this work in its second edition (the first was a limited run in 2024 from the author’s own press) on high quality glossy paper, full of eye-catching graphics (my only gripe are the footnotes, which are so small I’ll bet those with perfect vision will need to squint). Even if you’ve never seen (or heard of) COCKFIGHTER, this book is must reading for those interested in film commentary of the highest order.

(Available from FAB PRESS now and on Amazon July, 2025)

Watching EVIL DEAD

 

WATCHING EVIL DEAD: UNEARTHING THE RADIANT ARTIST WITHIN by Josh Malerman (to be released 9/16/25 by Del Rey / 224 pages)

I’ve only read one novel by Malerman (INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE), and as a horror fiction fan for close to 50 years, it was one of the few horror novels that managed to scare me. I became an instant fan, and when I heard he had a non fiction book coming dedicated to Sam Raimi’s EVIL DEAD, I was all in.

When Malerman discovered his girlfriend had never seen EVIL DEAD, he went on a mission to share it with her. This book is an account of the night they watched the film with another couple, as Josh gives us a history of his life on the road as a musician who had always found time to write. After finally selling his debut novel BIRD BOX, Malerman faced the fears all artists face, and his chronicles of it here are at times funny, often deeply heartfelt, and ultimately, ridiculously inspiring. This also doubles as one man’s love letter to his fiancé, who (thankfully) ended up being an EVIL DEAD fan, too.

WATCHING EVIL DEAD is a quick, fun time. During the book, the author asks, a few times, “What were people thinking watching this when first released?” I’ll tell you: we were *enthralled.* I’m betting most readers of this book will be, too.

I Spit on Your Celluloid

 

I SPIT ON YOUR CELLULOID by Heidi Honeycutt (2024 Headpress Publishing / 464 pages)

This history of women-directed horror films is painstakingly exhaustive and the fruit of 20 years of research. Covering films from as far back as 1896, the first two chapters are particularity informative, especially when the author gets into 1950s/60s television.

Doris Wishman and Roberta Finley are looked at in-depth, as are more unknown directors from the 60s- the 90s, many who were hired by the great Roger Corman. Fans of the grindhouse-era of cinema are in for a treat, with lots of surprising statistics and seldom heard facts.

The last three chapters deal with modern/recent films, and we’re left with a positive sense we may see the day where female directors won’t be looked upon, by some, as novelties.

An entertaining and useful read that deserves a place on any film lover’s shelf, I’m sure late directors such as Barbara Loden and Christina Hornisher would’ve championed this work as a major victory.

Grab a copy HERE

DARK DREAMS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S NIGHTMARE

My second film book, DARK DREAMS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S NIGHTMARE, will be released soon from Headpress, who also published my debut film book SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE in 2019. This is a deep dive into NIGHTMARE (1981), one of the most notorious slasher films of all time, which was also known as NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN, and several more discussed in the book.

Among the table of contents is my commentary on every second of the film, interviews with producer Bill Milling, and for the first time anywhere, star Kathleen Ferguson, guest contributions from fellow Nighmarians Andre Duza, Jerome Reuter, Gary McMahon, Philip Lopresti, and 42nd Street Pete, plus an interview with NIGHTMARE novelization author Michael Gingold.

Capping things off are plenty of rare photos, including many from super collector Marc Leppla.

Follow Headpress on all social media, and keep your eye on their website (Headpress.com) for announcements. Here are a couple of early reviews:

"A book on Nightmare? Now we're talking!  Nick Cato never disappoints, and his exploration of Romano Scavolini's much maligned masterpiece is about as exhaustive (and entertaining) as it gets.  Add this book to your library now!"

-John Szpunar, editor-in-chief, DEEP RED Magazine

“After over four decades, it seems like horror fans have scoured every single detail about their most beloved slasher films. As it turns out, there's still a wealth left to explore when it comes to Nightmare, one of the most reviled of the decade's unrated splatter shockers. It's a grungy, haunting, mean mongrel of a film that's never let go of author Nick Cato, and he uses that to deliver a compelling mixture of in-depth research, personal experience, and a meticulous eye for detail. There's no way you can read this book and avoid watching the film right away, whether it's your first time or your 20th.”

-Nathaniel Thompson, mondo-digital.com