Behind the Couch

On this day, ten years ago (!), my book on the films of Dario Argento was published by Kamera Books (part of the Oldcastle Books group). I initially pitched the book at the beginning of 2008 and was commissioned to write it in March. My aim was to write an accessible introduction to Argento’s body of work – much had of course already been written about his films, but generally speaking, it was very academic (which is fine, obviously, but I wanted to bridge a gap) – and to examine each of his films and identify key themes and motifs throughout. I was able to look at everything up to Giallo (2009), the premiere of which I checked out at the Edinburgh Film Festival in June 2009. Argento's last film, to date, was Dracula 3D (2012), so it remains the only film not included.   Initially the book was intended to be part of the Pocket Essentials series, however that series was later transformed into ' Kamera Books ', in part as a response to bookshops commenting that th...

I recently came across this beautiful artwork by Lorenzo Princi on an Australian website - it's an alternative cover concept for my book on the films of Dario Argento. While it’s, sadly, not an official cover design, I love it – it’s very reminiscent of the old Mondadori giallo book covers. Check out more of the designer's work here . Beautiful stuff. Shameless self promotion alert.  If you haven’t already picked up a copy of my book, you can do so here . 

A few reviews of my book Dario Argento have been appearing in various magazines and websites over the past month... I just thought I'd post them here and keep track of what folks are saying about it. So far, so good - it has been garnering mainly quite positive feedback. Which is great! I'll add links to more reviews as they appear. The first review of the book appeared on the Danish website  Uncut . There's an English translation  here ... Reviewer Lars Gorzelak Pedersen said he 'devoured' the book and " it will be welcome from both experienced Argento enthusiasts as horror fans who just want to know what the hype is about, or who want to enrich their experience of the director's films with new perspectives."  According to the latest  FrightFest emagazine , ' Dario Argento ' (Kamera Books) by James Gracey is not only " Well written and comprehensive ," it is also "' An invaluable guide for die-hard fans and recent  convert...

The latest review of my book,  Dario Argento,  is courtesy of Horrorview . According to the website, Dario Argento is a "meticulously detailed but vividly written piece of work." The reviewer then goes on to say that the book will "prove invaluable to even seasoned fans... a compellingly written analysis of the films, pitched at a level that will enthuse rather than confuse the interested newer fan." Fancy winning a copy of the book? Simple. Head over to Paracinema and pre-order a copy of issue 9 before April 18th. Your name will then be entered into a draw and you'll not only have a copy of the new issue of Paracinema, but also be in with the chance to win a copy of my book, described by Horrorview as "an enthusiastic and intelligently written appreciation of one of the most iconic names in modern horror." Also, stay tuned for my exclusive interview with Dario Argento himself... Coming soon. 

My book Dario Argento (Kamera Books) hits shelves throughout the UK today! You can of course purchase it online from hive.co.uk   or wordery.com - it's even on ebay  - but it's always good to support your local bookshop. The book should be available in the States in May.  Here's the blurb: The stylistic and bloody excesses of the films of Dario Argento are instantly recognisable. Vivid, baroque and nightmarish, his films lock violent deaths in a twisted embrace with an almost sexual beauty. Narrative and logic are often lost in a constant bombardment of atmosphere, technical mastery and provocative imagery. It's a body of work which deals explicitly with death and violence, all the while revelling in perversely alluring stylistics and shot through with an unflinching intensity. Setting the tone with earlier gialli such as The Animal Trilogy and Deep Red , Argento has steadily pushed the boundaries; through his elaborately gothic fairytales Suspiria and Inferno ,...

March looks set to be a good month for fans of Dario Argento.  My book , an introductory guide to his film work, is due out on the 25th. It examines his entire output to date: from his earlier gialli such as The Animal Trilogy and Deep Red , through his elaborately gothic fairytales Suspiria and Inferno , right up to his more recent contributions to TV's Masters of Horror , the conclusion of his Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of Tears , and his latest thriller, Giallo . I also look at his work as producer, including titles such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead , Lamberto Bava's Demons and Michele Soavi's The Church .  This month also sees the publication of a new edition of author and film critic Maitland McDonagh's seminal book,  Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento. I recently chatted to Maitland about the new edition and her love of Argento films. Stay tuned for my interview with her, which I'll post later in the month.  Stay...

A brief email from my publishers, Kamera Books , informed me that my Argento book is to be published on 25th March 2010. Once again I have been assured that all is well and the book is being published. Apparently a certain amount of 'dues' (that's pre-orders to you and I) need to be obtained from commercial outlets before we can go to print; something that has proved more difficult than usual given the current recession and the recent closure of too many bookshops, particularly larger names such as Borders. Keep checking back here at Behind the Couch for updates – which I shall post as and when I have them. Sanguis Gratia Artis!

I received an email from the publishers (Kamera Books) to say they’ve had to stall on the publication of my book, Dario Argento . I’ve been assured that all is well and the book will be published and available soon. Apparently this is quite normal in the world of publishing. A bit last notice, to say the least, so all I can do is apologise for posting incorrect information about the publication date a couple of days ago. Keep checking back here at Behind the Couch for updates – which I shall post as and when I receive them. Thank you for your patience. Sanguis Gratia Artis!

My first book - a guide to the films of Dario Argento - is due out this month courtesy of Kamera Books . It is my hope that it will act as an accessible introduction to a general readership of Argento’s work – and that it will also appeal to his hardcore fan base. You can pick up a copy from your local library or bookshop, or from either of these fine places: Hive: hive.co.uk   Wordery: wordery.com   Written last summer, it examines Argento's entire output to date: from his earlier gialli such as The Animal Trilogy and Deep Red , through his elaborately gothic fairytales Suspiria and Inferno , right up to his more recent contributions to TV's Masters of Horror , the conclusion of his Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of Tears , and his latest thriller, Giallo . I also look at his work as producer, including titles such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead , Lamberto Bava's Demons and Michele Soavi's The Church .  The book is the result of painstaking researc...