Horror is one of the most popular and influential genres in cinema, a perennial favorite that just won't stay dead. It is traditionally the province of adventurous, low-budget filmmakers, and the irreverence this encourages is part of its appeal, with taboo-busting swipes at everything from organized religion to the sanctity of family. It's no wonder, then, that it has had a rough ride from the establishment. But the genre's inventiveness and imaginative flair mean that the films listed in this volume will continue to shock and delight viewers for decades to come. A genre as enduring and wide-ranging as horror is full of neglected gems, and the increased availability of genre material from countries as far afield as Japan and Brazil has meant that experimenting with unseen films has become something of a minefield. That's where this book comes in: here a team of seasoned, top horror experts lead the way through a century of fear with authority, humor and encyclopedic knowledge. Packed with photographs of the most terrifying scenes in cinema history, this unique, definitive, comprehensive guide traces the story of horror, decade-by-decade, and provides a witty and informative critique of over 300 films from all over the world, plus many TV series and literature that informed them, offering a superb introduction for beginners as well as something new for the die-hard horror fan.