Eye on Science Fiction

The march of the monster movie makers continues in Tom Weaver’s ninth book of in-depth interviews with the men and women who made the horror and sci-fi favorites of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. Actors (including Mike Connors, Brett Halsey, Natalie Trundy and Richard Kiel), writers, producers and directors recall legendary genre figures Lugosi, Chaney, Jr., Tod Browning and James Whale; films ranging in quality from The Thing to Macumba Love and Eegah; behind-the-scenes tales of cult TV series (Twilight Zone, Batman, Lost in Space, more) and serials; and, of course, the usual barrage of outlandish movie menaces, this time including the Fly, Flesh Eaters, Monolith Monsters, ape men, voodoo women and spider babies! And all in the candid, no-holds-barred style that has made Weaver “king of the interviewers” (Classic Images)!

Tom Weaver lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and has been interviewing moviemakers since the early 1980s. The New York Times called him one of the leading scholars in the horror field and USA Today has described him as the king of the monster hunters. Classic Images called him “the best interviewer we have today.” He is a frequent contributor to numerous film magazines and has been featured in the prestigious Best American Movie Writing. A frequent DVD audio commentator, he is the author of numerous reference and other nonfiction books about American popular culture.

Tom Weaver
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 384
Bibliographic Info: 134 photos, filmographies, index
Copyright Date: 2007 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3028-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Herman Cohen on Lon Chaney, Jr      1

Mike Connors      16

Susan Douglas on Five      36

Arnold Drake on The Flesh Eaters      51

Robert M Fresco      73

Alex Gordon on The Atomic Submarine      94

Brett Halsey      114

John Hart      140

David Hedison on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea      156

Russ Jones on Dr Terror’s Gallery of Horrors      175

Richard Kiel on Eegah      192

Kay Linaker on Tod Browning and James Whale      215

Teala Loring      234

Robert Nichols      243

Ted Post on Bela Lugosi      258

William Self      269

Natalie Trundy      302

Martin Varno on Night of the Blood Beast      318

Beverly Washburn      332

William Wellman, Jr      347

Index      365

“one of the leading scholars in the horror field”—New York Times; “the king of the monster hunters”—USA Today; “one of our foremost fantasy film historians”— Sight & Sound; “amazing grouping of spirited talks…Weaver’s interviewing style is a thing to envy…an addictive, informative, entertaining experience”—Classic Images; “excellent material from his interviewees”—Film Review; “Tom Weaver has enjoyed a lengthy career writing about the horror genre through his reference guides and countless magazine contributions. His interviews are thorough and informative but presented conversationally, as though he is simply visiting with an old friend. Weaver expertly guides the talk in a way that allows him to ask his questions in an informal manner, and likely he received a more detailed answer than if he had approached the subject as a journalist would”—horrortalk.com; “great…one of the best books ever done by Weaver…Weaver scores again!”—Little Shoppe of Horrors; “another thoroughly addictive collection of candid interviews…no one in genredom has mastered the art of the interview better than Weaver, his Eye will keep your peepers glued to the page from start to finish”—VideoScope; “belong[s] on the shelf of any ardent horror/science fiction fan…Tom Weaver continues to be our premier oral historian, and his peerless interviewing technique is truly exemplified in [this book]…highly informative…fascinating”—Monsters from the Vault; “buy the book…a must-have…handsome cover”—E-Zine Newsletter; “highly recommended…especially fun and informative reading for dedicated fans of great old-time science fiction and horror movies”—Midwest Book Review; “will probably find much use for Eye on Science Fiction…names famous, infamous and on the fringes”—Rue Morgue.