Making Monsters Reveals Horror Craft

Making Monsters, a new book by Howard Berger and Marshall Julius, compiles behind-the-scenes stories and personal photos from the creators of Hollywood's most iconic creatures, with contributions and interviews from figures such as Wes Craven and John Carpenter. The book emphasizes the craft of horror filmmaking and makeup—how atmosphere, misdirection, shadows, and character reaction make scares effective. Critics and contributors highlighted classic films like Jacques Tourneur's Cat People and Ridley Scott's Alien (notably the chestburster sequence) as exemplars of off-screen terror and genre-blending excellence. It also notes modern low-budget breakthroughs, citing James Wan's Saw as a tightly constructed, visceral film that reshaped contemporary horror. The collection situates these filmmaking histories within broader pop culture, including a sidebar on Marvel villain Thanos' comic-book debut in 1972.