Horror poster art - Tony Nourmand|Graham Marsh

This splendid, if scary, collection of movie posters covers over 80 years of horror films and features all the classics of the genre from early silents such as Nosferatu (illustrated here with a hitherto unpublished poster) or The Cabinet of Dr Caligari to contemporary blockbusters like Silence of the Lambs. Within a broadly chronological framework, the films are grouped by categories, such as Universal Studios' uniquely rich hoard of horror, the products of British horror specialists Hammer Films, Japanese horror movies, horror spoofs such as An American Werewolf in London, or serial killer movies. Also featured is the work of directors who are wholly or partly remembered for their contribution to the genre, like Roman Polanski (Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby), Alfred Hitchcock (The Birds and Psycho), David Cronenberg (The Fly) or Brian de Palma (Carrie and Sisters). Horror, perhaps more than any other genre, offers the poster artist the opportunity to create an image that is both disturbing and memorable, this book shows just how rich is the tradition upon which movie-goers can draw for their nightmares.