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.

Average story rating: 3.86

I love horror films so the general concept of this collection worked very well for me. Lots of film related urban legends, infamous B-movie actresses and film shoot shenanigans. Some stories were stronger and some were more average but the last few really ended the collection on a high note for me.

Favourite stories:
Snuff in Six Scenes
This one was just short and punchy and to the point with some fun developments. Maybe some of the interactions weren't the most realistic but he characters were fun and it worked.

Many Mouths to Make a Meal
The setting and characters were fleshed out super well and quickly for being a short story. It had a Lovecrafty feel to it not just because of the horror parts but also the semi-noire style narrative and general mood.

Altered Beast, Altered Me
This is possibly my favourite of them all. I love whenever a story is told in a less conventional format and the e-mails in this one were super fun. It manages to create the slightly ominous feeling of you being able to read between the lines and guess what is going on but then having to watch the characters you're reading about be oblivious to it and figure it out on their own. Not having any other content beside the characters' thoughts really puts you in their headspace more. I also enjoyed this story going a bit more into detail with the research and writing the characters were doing, it fleshed out the concept a bit more.

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!