The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film, by Michael J. Weldon

The Psychotronic Video Guide, by Michael J. Weldon

Review by Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film, by Michael J. Weldon

Buy The Psychotronic Video Guide, by Michael J. Weldon

Weldon should be praised for his unique take on film criticism. He's not interested in anything prestigious or noble or respectable. You won't find reviews of Dances With Wolves or Howards End here. You will find reviews for, not only horror films and b-movies like Night of the Living Dead, Black Sunday, and Sorority Girls in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama, but also Hitchcock films, Herzog films, Kubrick films, Scorsese films, and, Weldon's favorite, Luis Bunuel films. Weldon writes in a simple, straight-ahead style with little fanfare (and lots of parentheses). Fans have to buy both books to get a complete perspective. Weldon is against simply updating one volume and making readers throw the first volume away. There are thousands upon thousands of films here, many of them rare or lost, with director, screenwriter, and producer information, but unfortunately, a fairly incomplete index. I find that I reference these books more than just about any other book. The only drawback is that the first book only goes up to 1983 and the second book only goes up to 1994. I hope we don't have to wait another eleven years for volume 3!

Note: As of 2005, we have now waited another 11 years with no new Weldon book in sight.

Return to Great Film Books