American International Pictures

American International Pictures (AIP) was an independent film production and distributor studio formed in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff to capitalize on the teenage market. In its 25-year history, AIP created the beach party genre, inspired the outlaw bike film genre, and fostered Roger Corman's prolific career. This annotated filmography by writer and unabashed AIP fan Craig compiles all the movies produced or distributed by AIP, including, for the first time, those released to television networks. However, the author admits to speculating about determining the role AIP played in some films. Then he presents an abbreviated history of the company (for an in-depth chronicle, see Thomas McGee's Fast and Furious: The Story of American International Pictures), followed by an alphabetical listing of the films, with citations and annotations as well as a list of the American International Television syndication catalog. Craig's annotations place each film in context and provide useful commentary on the quality, reception, and historical significance of each picture within AIP's oeuvre, though the entries are littered with qualifiers such as "fairly" that renders the prose less precise. VERDICT As the only complete criticism of AIP's catalog, this work will be invaluable for film historians of this era and AIP's voracious fans.--Amanda Westfall, Emmet O'Neal P.L., Mountain Brook, AL