This afternoon, after months of interviews (and more still to come), I sat down to begin work on The New Horror Handbook; the chapter on Eli Roth to be exact. Wish me luck, New Horribles.

When I tell people that one of the films covered in The New Horror Handbook is Ginger Snaps, reactions range from “I love that movie!” to “That’s a pretty obscure choice there, fellah.” Both views are understandable. But chances are that if you connected with that flick at all, it’s because Ginger Snaps has a strong emotional component to it, and lends itself to a very real-world interpretation: growing apart from someone you love. It is the same approach that earned the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer millions of fans the world over.

That said, you might also have enjoyed that film for another reason. At least to my mind, it was the first werewolf film that didn’t feel two-dimensional. Until seeing it, I could safely say that none of the “monster” movies I’ve seen ever did anything for me: vampires, werewolves, mummies, you name it. Looking back on it now, I think that’s because they never enticed me to be vested in them emotionally.

Which brings me to the subject of this post [um, finally]. Swedish director Tomas Alfredson may have finally brought some much needed depth to the vampire tale with his 2008 release Lat den ratte komma in, known as both Let the Right One In and Let Me In. (I’m afraid this trailer isn’t subtitled, but you’ll certainly get the gist.)

Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, the film follows the relationship between 12-year-old bully-magnet Oskar and Eli, a child seemingly of the same age who turns out to be a vampire with a taste for lowlifes. By all accounts an emotional tale (I have yet to find it, I’m afraid), it does raise the hope that at last there might finally be a vampire film that fits the “new horror” mold — a film with true emotional depth.

For those who were bowled over by Vincenzo Natali’s 1997 feature Cube, prepare yourself for that director’s next foray into the SCI-FI/horror realm: Splice.

The film, starring Adrien Brody [The Village, The Jacket, the forthcoming Giallo] and Sarah Polley [Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake], follows the exploits of two rebellious scientists who create a woman-animal hybrid, and the psychological drama that plays out between the three.

Like Ginger Snaps and many other films covered in the pages of The New Horror Handbook, Splice, due out in 2009, seems poised to utilize trappings of the horror genre to address larger societal issues — a prime quality of the “new horror” movement. Natali is particularly adept at infusing stock cinematic situations (e.g., a handful of characters trapped in a structure) with insights into trends and events that impact us all.

Stay tuned to this blog for highlights from my interview with Mr. Natali. And for the complete behind-the-scenes look at Cube, order your copy of the Handbook today!

A frenzied and well-deserved clap of the leather-gloved hands for horror author Scott Sigler who has managed to sell over 5,000 copies of his novel Infected in the first two weeks it’s been available.

Sigler, whose story is told in The New Horror Handbook, beat the New York publishing companies at their own game when he worked his butt off producing high-quality podcasts of his terror tales for years before finally landing a traditional publishing deal with Crown. Check out any of his many podcasts on iTunes to get a feel for Sigler’s unique brand of gore, beasts and playful monomania.

As exciting as it’s been to speak with big name horror film directors like Greg McLean and Eli Roth, The New Horror Handbook also will be introducing you to some up-and-comers who prove what the “new horror” is all about.

Emily Hagins made her first feature film, Pathogen, at the age of 12. She didn’t just shoot some footage one weekend with her friends and abandon the whole project once something good came on TV. She cast it, did the makeup effects, convinced stores and schools to let her shoot on their premises, landed a grant, and saw the whole thing through to DVD sales.

If that wasn’t wild enough, she had a trio of filmmakers following her around from Day One — to make a documentary about her! Zombie Girl is coming your way soon. Check out this trailer, and later this year, the behind-the-scenes stories of Emily and the Zombie Girl crew in the pages of The New Horror Handbook!