Horror and exploitation movies have played a significant role both in America and world cinema by producing a number of challenging, controversial, horrifying and surreal visions from renegade filmmakers. This collection looks to champion and speak to those filmmakers who dare to defy the conventions as laid down by Hollywood and commercial cinema, by shedding light on their films, and careers, that push the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable on screen.

The interviews in the collection give insight into these unique visions and the realities of working on underground and exploitative films. The book includes 23 diverse and illuminating interviews from a number of exciting horror film directors from across the globe, including cult favorites Alfred Sole (Alice, Sweet, Alice) Romano Scavolini (Nightmares in a Damaged Brain), Stu Segall (Drive-in Massacre), Joseph Ellison (Don’t Go in the House), David Paulsen (Savage Weekend, Schizoid), Jorg Buttgereit (Nekromantik, Schramm), Jack Sholder (Alone in the Dark, The Hidden) to a number of surrealistic horror filmmakers like Marinao Baino’s Lovecraftian shocker Dark Waters, Yoshihiko Matsui of Noisy Requiem fame and Jamil Dehlavi’s Islamic horror Born of Fire. The book also champions the new vanguard of horror filmmakers-such as Dante Tomaselli, Scott Schrimer and Rodrigo Gudino-and the struggles and pitfalls they have to endure to realize their twisted visions. The book also includes more than 100 photographs, including many rare-behind the scenes images of the filmmakers on set.