'Epic' films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200s and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Arguably the master of the genre, Cecil B. DeMille hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions.Each of the 355 alphabetically arranged entries in this book includes casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. This second edition is accompanied by all new photographs.

There has been a tremendous amount of renewed interest in the output of Britain's Hammer Films. But there remain a great number of worthwhile British horror films, made at the same time by other companies that have received little attention. The author provides a comprehensive listing of British horror films - including science fiction, fantasy, and suspense films containing horror-genre elements - that were released between 1956 and 1976, the ""Golden Age"" of British horror. Entries are listed alphabetically by original British title, from Vincent Price in ""The Abominable Dr. Phibes"" (1971) to ""Zeta One"" (1969). Entries also include American title, release information, a critique of the film, and the film's video availability. The book is filled with photographs and contains interviews with four key figures: Max J. Rosenberg, cofounder of Amicus Productions, one of the period's major studios; Louis M. Heyward, former writer, film executive and producer; Aida Young, film and television producer; and Gordon Hessler, director of such films as ""The Oblong Box"" and ""Murders in the Rue Morgue"".