In the year 1612, the gloomy fortress of Cobweb Castle cast an ominous shadow over the surrounding lands. Its master, Lord Reginald Winslow, was a cruel and tyrannical ruler who governed his subjects with an iron fist. The people lived in constant fear of his wrath, suffering under his oppressive regime of taxation and punishment. Within the castle walls, Lord Winslow's family – his wife Mary and children Kate and Johnny – existed in a gilded cage, prisoners to his domineering ways. "Father, must you tax the peasants so heavily?" young Kate once dared to ask during a tense family dinner. "They have so little to begin with." Lord Winslow slammed his fist on the table, causing the silver platters to rattle. "Mind your tongue, girl! It is by my iron rule alone that this land knows any order. The rabble should be grateful for my leadership, however harsh it may be." His wife Mary shrank back, trembling. "P-Please, my lord... The child means no offense." "See that it does not happen again," Winslow growled, his eyes smoldering with cruelty. As the years dragged on, the oppression only worsened. Mothers wept as their sons were arrested and hanged for the most trivial of crimes. Farmers had their crops seized to pay exorbitant taxes, leaving their families to starve.

This eclectic overview of horror cinema offers up a collection of horror films for practically any occasion and literally every day of the year. For example, the author recommends commemorating United Nations Day (October 24) with a screening of The Colossus of New York, whose startling climax takes place at the U.N. Building. Each day-by-day entry includes the movie title, production year, plot summary and critique, along with a brief explanation of how the film fits into the history of that particular day and interesting anecdotes on the film's production.

No other movie guide offers you 24,000 movie reviews (1,000 more than last year) or in-depth indexes--sure to help you settle that office bet, complete the crossword, experience find-the-movie serendipity, or impress friends, family and complete strangers with your fountain of movie trivia. We make our book (the big orange one you presumably have in your hands right now) easy to find and easy to use for a reason--your movie-watching enjoyment is one thing we take seriously. Book jacket.

The alternative life raft in a sea of similarity, VideoHound competes on content, categories, and indexing, but the dramatic difference is the attitude. Irreverent, slightly tongue-in-cheek, the Hound never takes himself too seriously. The 1997 edition, fully expanded and updated with 1,000 new entries, provides information and opinions on 22,000-plus videos--more than any other guide on the market--including documentaties, made-for-TV movies, and animated features. Includes Web site entertainment directory.

Legends from the Mist and Other Told Tales is a collection of short stories that weaves the transient with the intransient, places of lights and regions of shadows, dominions of spirits and of angels. It is the first and the last place, where all is lost, only to be found again. From the darkness of these tales springs forth the illuminating experience of the human spirit and human imagination. These are our tales, tales that reflect the less worthy side of humanity, the secret tales that no one talks about. They are legends from the mist whispered from the rich subconscious of our dreams.

Mrs. Gabrielle Margaret Vere Long ne Campbell (1885-1952), who wrote under the pseudonym of Marjorie Bowen, was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and biography. Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the 'Bowen' pseudonym. She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye and Margaret Campbell. As Joseph Shearing, she wrote several sinister gothic romances full of terror and mystery. Many of these stories were published as Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films. Her books are much sought after by aficianados of gothic horror and received praise from critics. Her works include: The Viper of Milan: A Romance of Lombardy (1906), The Glen O' Weeping (1907), The Sword Decides (1908), The Leopard and the Lily (1909), I Will Maintain (1910), Defender of the Faith (1911), God and the King (1911), Lover's Knots (1912), The Quest of Glory (1912), The Rake's Progress (1912), The Soldier From Virginia (1912), God's Playthings (1912), The Governor of England (1913) and A Knight of Spain (1913).