Buy new:
$24.95
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$24.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 9 hrs 56 mins
In Stock
$$24.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$24.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$19.01
Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! See less
$3.99 delivery May 13 - 17. Details
Or fastest delivery May 9 - 14. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$24.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$24.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by Half Price Books Inc.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Cryptid Cinema: Meditations on Bigfoot, Bayou Beasts & Backwoods Bogeymen of the Movies Paperback – November 3, 2017

by Stephen R Bissette (Author), Tim Paxton (Author), Steve Fenton (Editor),
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$24.95","priceAmount":24.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"24","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"j%2BSr5u3K1T2l4rTIi6vzew8KkrsIgQ9Yg86Z6OzrUIKERO0UWAG9cdNr6m6hVpUApAs2j8osdhGeUWOGDJdzrsERXgXPeKBRI%2FqdlBUYkaEF8nbQsyOuEPDvvG7GyH0XXn%2ByzrnIBYLQTldWmAv0Tw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$19.01","priceAmount":19.01,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"01","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"j%2BSr5u3K1T2l4rTIi6vzew8KkrsIgQ9YWRkUfPt0G4kYkXu2wjgxdrn%2BWuzAl7nKX9iH8j%2BEfO3tFCz0nJhDgLBHuQbof387eSggM1JwREz1V0nkAzT4HEPwhkpff34Js2MWSuEO1c9YJnJgYGvr3jQ%2F2%2BbqxpQfLObY8jtmatwbP3Dj9L1ksfLJHv77hQTU","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Awarded Best Popular Culture Cryptid Book of the Year in the Top Ten Best Cryptozoology Books of the 2017 by America's Premiere Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman (at cryptozoonews)!

Enter, if you dare, the realm of Cryptid Cinema™...the Movie-land of Sasquatch, Bigfoot, Bayou Beasts, Backwoods Bogeymen and Bloodwater Brutes!

From filmland’s fear & fun-filled real & ‘reel’ history, SWAMP THING artist & CONSTANTINE co-creator Stephen R. Bissette (Rondo Award 'Monster Kid Hall of Fame' winner, 2012) presents an astonishing, fully-illustrated menagerie of monstrosities, curiosities, and wild & woolly weirdos from the 1950s to the present day! In these pages, you'll find celluloid and TV incarnations of 'real world' cryptids like the Yeti, Sasquatch, and the Jersey Devil, 'reel world' critters from THE KILLER SHREWS to the Demogorgon of STRANGER THINGS, and all manner of bizarre swamp-and-bayou beings from the Gillman to the Nutria-Man, from the reviled CREATURE to the revelatory THE SHAPE OF WATER.

CRYPTID CINEMA™ covers cryptid appearances in TV series from ONE STEP BEYOND to STRANGER THINGS (offering a complete 'study & viewing guide' to the first season), as well as comic books, toys, action figures, and other media. In these pages, you'll meet a host of eccentric creators like (and the creations of) H.P. Lovecraft, Ron & June Ormond, Jerry Warren, Arthur C. Pierce, Virgil W. Vogel, Janos Prohaska, and others, on up to today's trail-blazers like Kevin Smith, Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler, and the Duffer Brothers!

This isn’t a comprehensive guide or history book—it is an illustrated celebration of Cryptid Cinema™ via in-depth essays on a few favorite (and often long-forgotten) film fiends, designed and written for older readers (there is some mature content in this first volume, given the nature of the 1960s and 1970s Bigfoot novels, movies and comics). Independent filmmakers and low-budget 'grindhouse' and drive-in exploitation features are given special attention, as are the first-ever Bigfoot documentaries. Read about the stop-motion animation 'amateur' movie that could, EQUINOX; the behind-the-scenes secrets of the rare direct-to-video Upper New York State gem THE GLASSHEAD; the backstories behind the Swedish-American extraterrestrial Yeti opus TERROR IN THE MIDNIGHT SUN, the made-in-Florida Walking Catfish-Man epic ZAAT (aka BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z), and the surgically-created Walrus-Man movie, TUSK!

This jam-packed 245-page extravaganza is just the first in a series of books on Cryptid Cinema™ and Paleo Pop™ Culture from an author and artist who knows & loves monsters!

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    CRYPTID CINEMA™
  2. Print length
    264 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 3, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.6 x 11 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1975938135
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1975938130
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

Cryptid Cinema: Meditations on Bigfoot, Bayou Beasts & Backwoods Bogeymen of the Movies
$24.95
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
S. R. Bissette's Thoughtful Creatures
$14.95
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 3, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1975938135
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1975938130
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.6 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
92 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bob Deis
5.0 out of 5 stars A book to savor! One of the most fascinating books about either cult movies or legendary monsters that you'll ever read.
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a book to savor! It’s a deep, fascinating dive into movies about monsters, cryptozoology lore and the amazing mind of legendary artist, writer and cult movie maven Stephen Bissette. It took me a while to finish reading this book because every chapter is chock full of info about movies I wanted to watch or rewatch and people and books I wanted to check out online as they were mentioned by Bissette. I’ve been a fan of his since his days doing artwork for classic SWAMP THING comics, so it’s great that he includes some old and new examples of his own artwork in CRYPTID CINEMA (including the eye-catching cover painting). But there’s so much more to enjoy in this book that it makes brief descriptions difficult. I was wowed starting with the first sections, which explore films featuring Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Abominable Snowman and other manlike monsters. Like every part of the book, this part is chock full of intriguing facts and trivia about the movies and the actors, directors and producers involved, and lushly illustrated with movie stills, posters, vintage newspaper ads, newsclips and artwork. Like every part of the book, the sections about manlike monsters include Bissette’s highly-informed, wittily-written, often sharp-edged opinions on various things, like the veracity of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film and why an obscure 1959 Swedish horror movie released as INVASION OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE in the U.S. is seminal and worthy of seeking out. And, yes, I did seek out INVASION online when I read what Bissette wrote about it, along with several other films featuring manlike monsters he covers in the early chapters of the book. In fact, each night as I read the text in a chapter and the equally fascinating trivia in captions and sidebars, I’d get sidetracked looking for and watching streaming copies of movies I hadn’t seen, like THE GLASSHEAD, or by rewatching old favorites that Bissette mentions, like THE KILLER SHREWS. It made CRYPTID CINEMA a multi-dimensional, multimedia experience – and one of the most enjoyable books about either cult movies or legendary monsters I’ve ever read. I’d give it more than five stars if I could.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Rickpru
5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know from cryptids, but this is a fun book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Confession: When I first read of this book, I wondered, “what does ‘cryptid’ mean?” I had no idea. But, now that I know, Mr. Bissette’s book surprises me a bit by straying so far and often from the promise of his title. I expected page after page of Bigfeets and Boggy Creekers and Nessies and Yetis...and we get quite a bit of that. But we wander off a lot too.

Several pages are offered on Lovecraftian films, which seem not to really fit ‘cryptid’. (Bissette admits that this is “an uneasy fit in these pages”.) It’s interesting, but non-cryptidian.

Then several pages on EQUINOX. Again, straying away, but frankly quite wonderful. Bissette’s take is enthusiastic and very personal. Many Monster Kids are enormously fond of EQUINOX -- I am not one of them. Still, Bissette’s warm remembrances carried me along with him and it was a delightful chapter.

The author’s love for another non-cryptid, 2011’s CREATURE, goes down easier with me since I rather enjoyed that movie myself. But the truly, epically, great thing about this chapter is the manner in which Bissette takes out after the carping of online “fan-critics.” He seriously lights into those who take such glee in trashing movies they haven’t seen, movies which haven’t been released, or even movies which haven’t been made, and every sentence made me want to cheer.

You can find this sort of (ahem) criticism easily enough. Folks are all too ready -- all too eager -- to jump on a movie they’ve only heard or read about or seen a trailer or know that it stars (fill-in-the-name) Tom Cruise/Tom Hanks/Tom Hardy/whoever or they don’t like the title or it’s a remake of a great movie or a remake of a terrible movie or...you get the idea.

Could I, I’d institute these guidelines: if you’ve only heard or read about a movie, then you may comment--very carefully--on your take on the comments; if you’ve seen a trailer or commercial, you may comment that it looks promising or not, but -- you must tread lightly; if all you know is that you don’t like the star and/or if the movie hasn’t even been made yet --SHUT UP !

That’s pretty much the approach Steve Bissette takes and after reading that chapter, I wanted to shake the man’s hand.

You certainly can’t accuse Bissette of a lack of enthusiasm for his subject. The fervor comes through the zippy prose. This is about 90% great. But that other 10% had me retracing my steps to figure out what he was talking about. On occasion he’d get up such a head of steam that it was easy to get lost.

A few pages on early comic book cryptids will doubtless please others as much as they bored me. But that’s me.

The history of TEENAGERS BATTLE THE THING is confusing enough without the author making it worse. Bissette tells us that an actress in the film “pegs the production...as having gone down in 1959.” In the next paragraph, he quotes the actress saying, “This was filmed during the summer of 1958…” Evidently, this is not a typo, but actually what the lady said. Maybe Bissette should have noted the discrepancy. Now, of course, this doesn’t matter. It’s TEENAGERS BATTLE THE THING, after all. But Bissette attempts, in this chapter, to find the chronological truth of the movie’s production and release, so a thing like this plops a muddy Bigfoot track right in the middle of his careful research.

The author tells us that NUTRIAMAN was also known as TERROR IN THE SWAMP. He tells us this three times in less than a page (four times if you include a picture caption). But I suspect this is not a mistake but simply evidence of Bissette’s delight in merely typing those titles. Can’t say I blame him: NUTRIAMAN...TERROR IN THE SWAMP...NUTRIAMAN… TERROR IN THE SWAMP...Fun!

He notes that the nutria isn’t well-known outside the south, which reminds me of my own viewing of TERROR IN THE SWAMP on tape in the ‘80s. I understood that the man-sized monster was fictional, but I thought at first that the li’l nutria itself had been invented for the movie. I knew that creatures existed of which I was unaware, but a native American creature named the nutria? How could I not know that? And, even more, who on earth other than a movie writer would call something like that a nutria? That’s a science-fiction word, not swamp talk.

And where else, seriously --where else?--are you going to find more than twenty deep-diving, meticulously-researched, jet-propelled pages on ZAAT? I’m no fan of this movie, but this long chapter is irresistible. Fascinating in the depth of information, entertaining in the sheer lunacy of it, and contagious in the author’s obvious fervent delight. Incredibly, Bissette actually makes me want to watch this sad little disaster again.

Very rare for me, I did not read every page of the book under discussion. I started reading, switched to skimming, and finally skipped altogether about ten pages on the toys and trifles pertaining to SWAMP THING. Bissette worked on the comic, so his interest is earned. Myself, I care little for SWAMP THING and not even slightly for the toys appertaining thereto. I mention this not as a criticism but because I am dead-dang positive that, for many folks around these parts, this might be the highlight of the entire volume.

Something worth pondering...Bissette gives us almost 40 pages, just about ⅙ of the book on...wait for it...THE GLASSHEAD(!). Yes, you read that right -- THE GLASSHEAD(!!)

This long venture into the truly unknown allows the author room to discuss aspects of the Civil War, gastric juices, the production of porcelain, and the pleasant, chronic mendacity of Bruce Dern, as well as the history of THE GLASSHEAD (!!!)

There’s no way of knowing his reasoning, but every time Bissette mentions the Civil War (frequently in the pages on THE GLASSHEAD [!!!!]), he refers to “the War Between the States/the Civil War.” Perhaps this is the author’s natural choice, or perhaps he’s trying to appease or not offend someone. Either way, lemme make it easier for you, Steve -- it’s The Civil War. Period. Or, if you prefer, it’s The War Between the States. Period. Or The War of the Rebellion. Period. Or...whatever. Make a damn choice, man!

For this reader, things go a bit south (not a Civil War comment, I promise) after the lengthy discussion of THE GLASSHEAD (!!!!!). First are a few pages on TUSK. Okay. Sure. It’s a movie which I strenuously disliked, but… ehh. Then comes several pages on TV’s Stranger Things. I don’t dislike this series, I’ve just never seen it and have no interest in it. Again...it’s not you, Steve, it’s me.

I will say that I appreciated the way Bissette tied TUSK to older films such as EYES WITHOUT A FACE, SSSSSSS, all the way back to THE MONSTER (1925). On the other hand, his painful contortions to avoid handing out spoilers render much of the article almost incomprehensible even to someone who has already seen the movie.

So much is so good about this book that it’s easy for me to accept the pages devoted to SWAMP THING, TUSK, and Stranger Things. As I hope I made clear, these pages might be infinitely more interesting to other readers.

The eclectic nature of this book’s offerings genuinely means that there is something here for everyone. But conversely, there’s stuff here that’s NOT for everyone. In addition to those examples already mentioned, Bissette’s pages on How to Draw a Bigfoot (he’s a professional artist) may be fascinating to those with an artistic bent, but for me, a guy who can’t tell one end of a pencil from the other, it’s wasted space. Bissette might as well have sold those pages for Aflac ads. That would interest me just as much.

Though it doesn’t really bother me -- or maybe it does, or I wouldn’t mention it -- I kind of wish the book was called something like CRYPTID CINEMA (AND OTHER STUFF). Because, no matter how he stretches his definition, Bissette has included a ton of material here which is just simply not Cryptidian. Is that a word? Did I just make up a word? Oh, I hope I hope I hope so.

But, again and again, where this carping is concerned -- that’s me. There’s a ton of stuff here which is just great, fun, generally smart reading. And Steve Bissette’s undisguised enthusiasm is contagious. Well done. Well done indeed.

One More Time … THE GLASSHEAD (!!!!!!!!!!)
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
A great book, written with a lot of affection and expertise. It's very reminiscent of the monster magazines of the '60's. A terrific, fun read!
Report
Richard Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars sprawling journey into the depths of genre cinema with a guide who is eminently qualified to lead readers into these weird and wonderful backwaters. Stephen Bissette's passion for his subject is ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Cryptid Cinema is a dense, sprawling journey into the depths of genre cinema with a guide who is eminently qualified to lead readers into these weird and wonderful backwaters. Stephen Bissette's passion for his subject is clear and he brings the same wit, extensive research and sharp critical eye to the oddities of Cryptid Cinema as in his earlier writings on film. There's a real joy to following the tales he tells and the connections he makes in the essays in this book - like any good guide, he will lead you into the deepest, strangest places and make every step clear.

Attractively designed by Tim Paxton and printed and bound by Amazon's CreateSpace service, this is at the sharp edge of print-on-demand too; art and photographs are reproduced well, and the whole package looks great.

Highly recommended!
Report
Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent ouvrage de Stephen Bissette concernant les Yéti, Bigfoot et autres créatures fantastiques
Reviewed in France on November 22, 2017
Verified Purchase
En 248 pages très illustrées l'auteur et illustrateur S. Bissette aborde un aspect négligé du cinéma fantastique : les créatures dont l'existence fait l'objet de recherches continuelles et qui ont donné le jour à de nombreux films passionnants. On parle ici des Yétis, Bigfoot, Sasquatch et autres Abominables Hommes des neiges et consorts... Il aborde le sujet sous plusieurs angles, notamment en traitant de films méconnus tels EQUINOX, ZAAT, KILLER SHREWS, BIGFOOT... chacun évoqué en détail et profondeur. Ce n'est pas un ouvrage que l'on lit d'une traite, il propose des ouvertures, des digressions, des anecdotes, des perspectives, des directions de recherche... stimulantes. L'iconographie est riche et souvent rare et rien qu'à feuilleter, le livre est un régal pour l'oeil. Si j'ai aimé ? c'est peu de le dire, j'ai adoré et il y aura probablement une suite que je guette impatiemment.
Report
Joe Moggs
5.0 out of 5 stars Cryptid Cinema is a cracking read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
A comprehensive and engrossing read, Stephen R. Bissette's Cryptic Cinema: Meditations on Bigfoot is a terrific exploration of an often over-looked subgenre of horror. Sadly, other than being dismissed in a hostile capsule review, the 2013 found footage film Willow Creek (a highwater mark as far as this reviewer is concerned) is ignored whereas other films of less value and interest are celebrated. Despite this small caveat, Cryptid Cinema is a worthwhile purchase for anybody with a vested interest in Bigfoot movies, and is complimented by a plethora of illustrations.
Report
Shinobi Venom
5.0 out of 5 stars Cryptid Cinema is a wonderfully written and researched collection of essays
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
Combining cryptozoology and movies , Cryptid Cinema is a wonderfully written and researched collection of essays , featuring “real” monsters and the movies they have been portrayed in. Stephen Bissette is an extremely readable writer , with plenty of bits of trivia that would satisfy even the most jaded film fan . Highly recommended a great read!
Report