Book review – “The Remarkable Michael Reeves” by John B Murray

Some film directors have long distinguished careers and never get a bio; Michael Reeves made only three features and gets two. It helps that he died young of course, only 25, and that he worked in the horror field, with its devoted fans. I would have thought that Brian Halligan’s excellent work was enough to satisfy them but Murray’s piece is well worth looking at too; Halligan’s was more of a critical study, this fleshes out the personality of Reeves considerably more. There’s lots more information about his family and girlfriend and the sort of things he did; lots of oral history from his friends, particularly Ian Ogilvy, Nicky Henson, Diana Ogilvy, Paul Ferris. Sometimes it feels like it needed an edit (eg including letters from people who didn't want to be interviewed, repetition) but it's a work of passion and insight and really helps explain Reeves.