This is a great collection of horror short stories. With all anthologies, not every story will work for every author. However, there is something here for everyone and quite a few stories were very well done. Definitely recommend. Ellen Datlow is an expert editor and the authors included are top of the line.

-- This review is several years past the release date due to the many issues of 2020, but a huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of the book.

First, I must disclose that I am a horror movie fanatic, and a person who is absolutely obsessed with Alfred Hitchcock. As such a person, clearly this book was going to appeal to me. But I want to stress that even if you are not a horror movie fan, and are more of a thriller buff, this is a great read.

An incredibly fun collection of horror-film inspired stories. But very diverse - from podcasts to filmmaking to monsters, to serial killers and necromancers - this compilation is not only a must for any horror movie fan, but a great book for any thriller reader. Like all short story collections, some tales are better than others, but there are some real standouts here. I loved "Drunk Physics," a ghost story about a drunken podcast whose host may or may not be responsible for a death; "Scream Queen," a horrifying tribute to the slasher genre with commentary on how the genre affects the women it has routinely exploited; and "A Ben Evans Film," just a super weird, quirky, hilarious take on an amateur horror movie director who seems like a nice guy, but may be a little Norman Bates-ey. This book is well worth your time if you are any kind of horror fan, and a great short story compilation for mystery fans. I'd love to read more short story collections by this editor. Most of the authors were new to me, ,and I found a few whose work I am going to explore more!

Big thanks to Penguin Randomhouse, the editor, and NetGalley for this very fun book! Side note: this book is published by Blumhouse Books. As a horror movie freak, I get excited to see Blumhouse on the production end of horror movies because they are a quality name responsible for some great movies like The Invisible Man. Good to know that quality extends to books as well.

2 ⭐⭐
Final Cuts is a horror anthology collection from 18 different authors, and edited by Ellen Datlow.
I was very hyped for this collection. You have horror dealing with Hollywood, film,books,etc... Who would not be excited. Unfortunately, this collection not a hit with me. I only really liked 1 of the 18 stories. That was:
Drunk Physics by Kelley Armstrong.
I kept reading hoping I would love more, but that is not the case. I feel that majority of these stories were not scary or entertaining. I found myself wishing some of them would just be done. I found several of the stories way too long for an anthology. I also feel that some of the authors way over-reached when trying to connect the story to a hollywood/film moment.
Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

As with every anthology of Ellen Datlow, this one is absolutely fabulous! A wealth of fine stories here.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It's a great collection of quality stories, some of which really scared the bejeezus out of me. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

* I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I was very excited to receive a copy of Ellen Datlow's Final Cuts, a collection of short stories that revolve around the film industry. As a big fan of horror movies and really anything scary, I was very excited to get the chance to read this.

As with most collections like this, some stories are great... and some stories are okay, with a lot of stories falling in the middle. I really enjoyed the range of how the stories were told, everything from the first-person narrative to email and interview transcripts. The stories that really stood out for me were Drunk Physics by Kelley Armstrong (this really made me want to read more of her work), Scream Queen by Nathan Ballingrud, and Cut Frame by Gemma Files.

I highly recommend this book if you like to be scared or are interested in the film industry.

I was worried this would be all Hollywood tales, which I'm not usually a big fan of, but this collection pleasantly surprised me. There were a lot of stories that had interesting connections to film/movies/videos. Of course with any collection you gave good & not so good ones, but Ellen Datlow usually puts together a good collection overall.

Loved this collection. Actually received on Edelwiess first, but am double-posting my review here. (in the attached link, book review is at end of video)

Final Cuts is a new anthology with fresh stories from some great writers. There is something for everyone in here. Anthologies are always about middle of the road for me. I never like all of the stories, but can usually find a few that stick with me. The stories all revolve around films, movies and videos.

Of the set, one my favorite ones was Drunk Physics by Kelley Armstrong. I also enjoyed From the Balcony of the Idawolf Arms by Jeffery Ford. As well as Lords of the Matinee by Stephen Graham Jones. There were a couple that I didn't get what was going on, like The One We Tell the Bad Children by Laird Barron and Das Gesicht by Dale Bailey. I can also say that the one by Josh Malerman, A Ben Evans Film, confirmed for me that Bird Box is probably going to be the only book I will ever enjoy by him. If you like horror anthologies, give this one a try. There is a wide variety of horror to be found in here.

Ellen Datlow is a master of compiling these anthologies. Even the weaker of these stories was easily 4 stars. This was such a fun concept for a horror anthology and there were so many creative takes on it.

I am usually sceptical when it comes to compilation books. I have read some other books edited by Ellen Datlow where only 15% of the stories are good. This book was a pleasant surprise though as most of the stories were absolutely great and I will definitely be recommending this book.

I was super excited to receive an advanced galley of Ellen Datlow's Final Cuts, which is a collection of short horror stories centered around one singular topic: movies. From real life films to fictional ones, home movies, snuff films, and big budget premieres, Datlow's latest anthology has a couple of shining gems, a few clunkers, and a whole lot of middle of the road offerings ... only several of which were actually scary.

As a loyal reader, I have my favorite authors who I know will give me an excellent read. But I'm always looking for new authors too. Anthologies are the perfect "sampler" to introduce you to a variety of authors flexing their skills and sharing the little stories in their libraries too. These 18 stories were all good, some better than others, but still all good. The theme is horror stories, but there is a little of everything mixed in with the horror. A really good book to travel with since the stories are short but good.

Final Cuts is an anthology of eighteen “all new dark and strange fiction inspired by cinema and television.”

As with all anthologies, the stories vary in skill-level. However, these tales also swing wildly in genre. All have horror settings or themes. But some are also thrillers, fantasy, and romances. My two favorites are like tiny perfectly crafted novels in compact form.

“Drunk Physics” is the tale of a YouTube channel haunted by an hazy image who also posts comments on their YouTube page. Is it a ghost, a hacker, or one of the two female vloggers?

“Altered Beast, Altered Me” is the longest story in the collection making up 17% of the book. It’s an epistolary tale of how the auctioned treasures of a defunct vampire museum may be more than just movie props.

These two stories are my personal favorites. However, there is something for everyone within Final Cuts. It is highly recommended and a favorite. 5 stars!

Thanks to Anchor, Knopf and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Final Cuts is perfect for the horror fan. Eighteen horror stories all drawing an inspiration from Hollywood will have readers entertained through and through. Highly recommended especially for around Halloween.

Ellen Datlow is undoubtedly the queen of horror anthologies. I’ve read almost all of the anthologies edited by her.

Her latest anthology is about the horrors of television, the silver screen and related media. She has rounded up some of horror’s greatest talents for this anthology’s 18 tales of terror, which are inspired by creepy movies, web series, grind-house flicks, and even snuff films.

Although I liked every story in this collection, I had a few favorites, which I thought were really great.

I’ll pen down my thoughts on some of the stories that stood out for me.

I loved Nathan Ballingrud’s “Scream Queen” and Gemma Files’ “Cut Frame.” They’re both tales of Hollywood actresses, whose reel life creeps into their real life off-camera.

Drunk Physics by Kelly Armstrong is a contemporary ghost story. She uses modern devices, to weave a very spooky tale. The twists in the story keep you guessing till the end.

Night of the Living' by Paul Cornell is another story I found really enjoyable. An employee at a cinema plays a 70’s horror movie for old folks. The story line is interesting and makes a unique, eerie tale.

If you love watching horror movies and tv series, you’ll enjoy this anthology. Ellen Datlow has another hit on her hands, with this great collection of stories.
I would recommend it for fans of all types of horror.

Thank you to the editor, the publisher, the authors, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy, for an honest review.

Ellen Datlow has written a solid and engrossing page turner of a read with Final Cuts! Well worth your time.

A fun read. If you love horror, and movies this is for you. Edited well together, every stories is great. Some stronger then others, but that’s normal with an anthology of stories. I loved the Classic Hollywood themes. It well worth reading.

Ellen Datlow has a remarkable skill as an editor. She knows how to pick the best of the best stories for her anthologies, and this one is no exception. Every story was top notch, and I loved how each one was related to movies. This is a wonderful collection from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

Horror fiction (as a genre) owes a lot to cinema. This relationship is often mutually beneficial, though not always. As literature informed the early days of terror on the silver screen, the evolutions and trends of on-screen horror raised and informed the writers that toil away in its fertile soil. With Ellen Datlow’s newest anthology Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror, I think we can see true evidence of that. The language and images within this book capture some of those terrors in their own unique fashion.

I enjoyed every story in the collection. I think that some are stronger than others, but as I always state in my anthology reviews, this is to be expected. I’ve captured some thoughts on individual stories here, but know that Ellen Datlow has once again assembled a marvelous TOC.

We start the anthology off with Dale Bailey’s Das Gesicht. It’s a poignant remembrance of the early days of the film industry, which makes a lot of sense considering this book’s subject matter. I love that the horror on display here isn’t overtly supernatural; the mistakes and pain we create during our short lives are horrific enough.
Kelley Armstrong (Drunk Physics) next gives us a modern ghost tale that uses the complications of the Youtube age to great effect. This is a relatable character piece that has some memorable twists on the way to its conclusion. Nothing ground-breaking, but I enjoyed this contemporary tale quite a bit.

I also enjoyed the multi-layered madness of both Insanity Among Penguins (Brian Hodge) and Altered Beast, Altered Me (John Langan). I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the devastating Folie À Deux, Or the Ticking Hourglass written by Usman T. Malik. This story is about the horrific melding of memory and trauma; the fears we have as children that we must now witness as adults. Like many of the stories in Final Cuts, this one focuses on the vile actions of a murderer. This is a powerful and vengeful piece, and may very well be the stand-out of the collection.

Nathan Ballingrud’s Scream Queen and Gemma Files’ story Cut Frame offer up compelling views of women in the world of film. Each story is about the horrors these women have to endure and the wild harm that comes from vile (men) people. Hungry Girls also plays in this same realm, told with Cassandra Khaw’s lyrical style. This is where we see the major theme crop up for this book: the horrors that Hollywood can inflict on women. Most of the aforementioned stories (including Garth Nix’s pulp-tastic Many Mouths to Make a Meal) have overt variations on this. In the age of the Me-Too Movement, this anthology comes at the right time. Bravo and yes.
For those of us that love to watch cinema and fiction mix, Final Cuts is a treat. It’s a timely work that truly brings something for everyone.