This new edition of the authoritative guide to the golden years of science fiction builds even further upon the exhaustive critiques, reviews, and anecdotes that it has boasted since its first appearance. This ‘21st Century Edition’ features several new entries on films previously excluded from the text, and also revisits, revises, and expands upon every film that was included in the previous editions. Entries are now organized in alphabetical order regardless of the film’s year of release, and the work includes a single comprehensive index, allowing readers to easily locate a given film. The book is filled with witty, in-depth critiques of science fiction classics and cult hits released between 1950 and 1962, from
Abbott
and Costello Go to Mars
to
X the Unknown , with hundreds of films in between. Readers both returning and new will appreciate the meticulously detailed critiques, which allow science fiction fans to relive, or experience for the first time, an era when the price of a bargain matinee allowed filmgoers to scare themselves silly with zombified teenagers, freakishly tall aliens, and all the other weird things that kept dropping in from outer space. In addition to detailed plot synopses and production data, good and bad reviews from the period are cited, and analysis of how a film stands up over time is provided. There are seven appendices, including a list of films in order of release, an in-depth look at the films of the Bowery Boys, and a discussion of notable science fiction posters of the period.