The Cinema Sewer series is an exhaustive, visual-overload history lesson on in-the-gutter cinematic filth that will school even die-hard fans of obscure smut. Have you ever seen the poster art for Ilsa the She Wolf of the SS? Have you ever read an essay comparing crying to orgasm? Did you know the director of Deep Throat made a puppet porno movie in the ’70s? You will now. And more. A mind-bending assortment of cult-film advertisements, gonzo writing, graphic renderings and never-before-seen-by-human-eyes interviews await the reader looking for many things insane, grotesque and obscene in the flick world. In terms of the layout, classic-porn imagery intermingles with grindhouse and exploitation-pic snapshots, in addition to horror-film graphics; the writing is cleverly rendered in graphic-novel type. Though sometimes it reads like stream-of-consciousness commentary, the text is always entertaining, informative and funny to boot. Editor Robin Bougie’s unrivaled enthusiasm for and knowledge of the material is what really sets these volumes apart from other attempts at covering the material. Lovers of authentic cinema sleaze, or those just wanting to be better versed in the matter, look no further.

Retailing: If you have a goth/horror crowd that shops your store, point this out to them.

MSRP: $$

Niche: Cinema guide

Display: Shelf