Shock Express Winter 1988/89

Another from my own modest collection of old magazines.  Back in the day, Shock Xpress was one of the UK magazines you had to read if you wanted to discuss exploitation films seriously.  By the time I started to get interested in the wider world of exploitation, (having started with an interest in horror movies), however, it was pretty much defunct as a magazine.  My introduction to the pleasures of Shock Xpress came via the continuation series of large format paperbacks, (although the third and final edition of this incarnation was simply titled Shock, for legal reasons).  Eclectic in their choice of subject matter and incredibly informative, these paperbacks certainly expanded my knowledge of exploitation films, setting me off on a quest to learn more, not to mention to start tracking down the films in question.  

I was also able to obtain a handful of old issues of the magazine, including this one.  The cover gives a pretty good idea of the breadth of its coverage: apart from an interview with Ken Russell, his Lair of the White Worm having recently been released, there is an interview with David Cronenberg, an appreciation of the recently deceased John Carradine and interviews with Christopher Wicking and Ray Dennis Steckler.  In addition, there's a feature on biker movies, a piece about Reggero Deodato and his cannibal movies, a look at George Kuchar's films and a plethora of reviews and other regular features.  The writers include Alan Jones and Kim Newman, which should give some idea of the magazine's quality.  In common with many other publications of the period focused on exploitation films, Shock Xpress was, in essence, a semi-professional publication, but of an incredibly high standard.  It was a huge inspiration for my interest in the genre - indeed, it inspired me enough that, for a while, I had an exploitation movie podcast titled 'Schlock Express' in homage.  (A podcast that might yet be revived).