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David Goudsward
& Scott T. Goudsward
"Being
a native Floridian myself, I thought I knew my home-state well. I was wrong and
pleasantly surprised. Over and over again."
"David Goudsward
and Scott Goudsward have once again delivered a fantastic resource for fans
and researchers of the fantastic and macabre."
"Shadows Over Florida
is detailed and comprehensive, but simultaneously breezy and easy to read." |
New review of SOF in the current issue of Shock Totem.
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In the 1960s and into the 1970s, if you made films designed for general release, you filmed in Hollywood. If you made grindhouse films, nudie cuties, exploitation extravaganzas or straight to drive-in obscurities, you filmed in Florida. Films shot in Florida range from Blood Feast, the landmark film by Herschell Gordon Lewis that paved the visceral way for Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to the less influential but memorable (for all the wrong reasons) Blood Freak with its pro-Christian, anti-drug message starring a mutant turkey vampire motorcyclist. Filming aside, the print version of a Floridian horror story reflects an intrinsic Floridian compulsion to bulldoze the past beneath a new shiny future. But beneath that overpriced façade of new construction is the Florida of old, the one the mouse-bound tourists conveniently overlook, a hellish landscape of swamps that range from brackish to fœtid, flora and fauna that range from deadly to carnivorous and locals that range from surly to anthropophagous. | ||
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“So you thought
Florida was just orange juice ads? Wrong - Florida's motion picture industry
is booming! Not just the big guys either; the independent movie makers are
always busy! I moved to Florida in 1972 and had a camera in my hand by the
end of the week (a super 8 camera, but a camera all the same). Teamed with
my next door neighbor Tim Ritter, we shot a little VHS movie called
Twisted Illusions that helped secure investors for our first feature
Truth or Dare - A Critical Madness. Almost 30 years later, we still
shoot in Florida: the swamps and jungles of Endangered Species, the
sunny skies of Screaming for Sanity and so many other great locations
for so many movies (I’ve done over 40, mostly here in Florida). So the next
time someone says to you "Ahh, they don't do nothing’ in Flori-duh,” tell
them to read Shadows Over Florida.” -- Joel D. Wynkoop, actor, “King of the B Movies”
“Whether you read it from beginning to end or skip around through the
fascinating entries, Shadows Over Florida is a wildly entertaining
look at horror in the most insane state in the union! Even if you’re scared
to visit Florida itself, this book is highly recommended!”
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“Tourists think of Florida as beaches, sun and
fun. Few know that blood, guts and monsters prospered during the Grindhouse
days of Florida film making. Shadows Over Florida vividly captures the
history of these films and credits a lot of my crazy friends that gave birth
to independent film making. After making over a dozen films in Florida since
the late 1950's, I thought I knew film history. After reading Dave and
Scott's book, I feel like a novice. I highly recommend Shadows over
Florida.” The Brothers Goudsward have
created yet another hex-cellent travel guide. First they escorted us
through the spooky backroads of Haunted New England. Now, let them take you
by the hand as they guide you into the terrifying realm known as
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