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FAB Press Exclusive Signed and Numbered "Silver Shine" Collector's Edition
STARBURST – The Complete Alan Jones Film Reviews 1977-2008
with Special Introductions written by Edgar Wright, Neil Marshall, Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson
Special Features UNIQUE to the Signed & Numbered Collector's Edition of STARBURST, only available direct from FAB Press:
- Stunning SILVER page edges
- Individually numbered limited edition – each Collector's Edition book will have its own unique-numbered Alan Jones signature plate on the title page
STARBURST – The Complete Alan Jones Film Reviews 1977-2008
Three decades of thrillingly incisive writing from a true pioneer of horror, science fiction and fantasy film journalism – outspoken, opinionated and endlessly readable. Alan Jones led the way – the rest of us followed... (Mark Kermode)
When genre fandom was blossoming, one trail-blazing film critic vented, glorified, and called attention to the quirky sci-fi blockbuster, the oddball fantasy, the radical shocker, the future cult classic and his favoured Italian horror with forensic attention to detail, outrageous bluntness and honest integrity.
For more than 30 years, Alan Jones was the principal reviewer for the British movie magazine Starburst. Within its seminal pages he pioneered a no-holds-barred critical stance with an authentic fanboy voice filtered through his punk attitude and a keen genre sensibility. Jones built a reputation as a critic of heft who often ruffled industry feathers but gained a legion of fans whilst expanding the language of fantasy film analysis. Finally, Jones has collated his entire body of Starburst reviews into one extraordinary volume, without editing the original texts which shone like a beacon during some of the darkest of times for the British genre lover.
Starburst: The Complete Alan Jones Film Reviews 1977-2008 is a record of many of the most influential fantasy and horror movies of all time. It also documents how the genre grew in stature from lowly poor relation to box office powerhouse. With his signature Starburst house style – considered something of a brand novelty at the time – Jones was at the forefront of every new trend with his enlightening reviews covering every UK fantasy release in his eagerly anticipated monthly column.
From the rise and fall and rise again of stalk-and-slash, the heyday of practical gore effects, the animation revival and the found footage phenomenon to the science fiction tent-pole, the superhero blockbuster takeover, and the CGI revolution, Jones commented on it all while divulging unique facts, film industry gossip, and vital contemporary details.
Being a key genre commentator meant Jones played an unexpectedly gratifying role in firing the creative imaginations of many of today’s top film industry names. Here, directors Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Last Night in Soho), Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent), Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories, ‘Derren Brown: Infamous’) and writer Jeremy Dyson (‘The League of Gentlemen’, ‘Killing Eve’) share their life-changing memories of the magazine, and how Jones’s beloved reviews engendered their own devotion to the horror fantasy genre.
Together with a history of the magazine’s genesis and Jones’s role within it, this mighty tome is not only a genre reference bible about the most significant movies ever made, but also a glorious time machine taking readers back to an unforgettable era, fuelling the early days of fantasy fandom.
- 1,250 films reviewed!
- 660,000 words!
- 2,000 illustrations!
- 648 large format pages!
The most significant single-authored genre film encyclopedia of the 21st Century, this unique publication is a month-by-month record of the development and progression of science fiction, fantasy and horror films, all told in the compelling words of someone who was there every step of the way, recording it all for posterity. A lucid, controversial and always entertaining read that will have fans everywhere adding copious numbers of movie titles to their "Must-See" lists!
About the Author
Alan Jones has written for Cinefantastique, Starburst, Empire, Fangoria, Neon, Heat, GQ, Vogue, FHM, Film Review, Vox, Preview, Shivers, Femme Fatales, The Independent, The Guardian, Premiere and Radio Times. He has been a member of the critic's jury at the Sitges, Fantasporto, Paris, Rome and Avoriaz fantasy festivals and, after co-presenting the legendary Shock Around The Clock festival in London, and Fantasm at the National Film Theatre, is now co-organizer of the London FrightFest.
Technical Details
Trimmed Page Size: 300mm x 215mm
Binding: Hardcover with Silver Page Edges (FAB Press Exclusive Special Edition only)
Extent: 648 pages, including over 2,000 colour & b/w illustrations
ISBN: 978-1-913051-35-8
Publication date: 23 August 2024
Trade Edition street date: TBC, late 2024
Market: Cinema
Book package weight: 3,420g
Edition: First Pressing, Special Edition
