WHEN Tony Earnshaw started out on the film critic circuit 20 years ago, he was determined to make his voice heard. "When it came to bagging a question at a press conference or round table interview it was often a matter of grabbing the attention of the moderator. That and asking an intelligent question," he says. "There were scores of regional writers and broadcasters in those days, yet on many occasions it fell to just a handful to handle the interview.

"Two decades on, most of the old faces are gone. The landscape has changed, too. Blogs and websites have largely replaced newspapers and magazines as the darlings of the film PR’s world. And citizen journalism via Twitter and Facebook has become the norm when film companies seek a friendly quote for their advertising campaign. What price then the humble film critic? The evidence to the contrary is here in this book."

In Fantastique, Tony explores the genre of horror, sci-fi and fantasy, told in the words of the people who made them.

Some of his interviews with filmmakers are in-depth, others are briefer. Some are laced with banter and laughter. And all offer intriguing insights into 30 of the fantasy genre’s greatest movies.

It's a fascinating collection of recollections, reminiscences and candid commentaries by the directors and, occasionally, leading men and women of films such as The Exorcist, Men in Black, Sleepy Hollow, Twelve Monkeys, The Others and Hot Fuzz.

William Friedkin rubs shoulders with Barry Sonnenfeld and Will Smith. Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam recall the creation of their projects. John Carpenter looks back at The Thing, once misunderstood, now lauded as a masterpiece. Zombie king George A Romero retraces the corpse-strewn road that led to his return to movies with Land of the Dead. Quentin Tarantino talks passionately about the ‘Grindhouse’ experiment of Death Proof. And acclaimed British newcomer Ben Wheatley, hailed as the saviour of new, off-kilter British horror, reveals the background to Kill List.

Tony has interviewed hundreds of film personalities, for a range of publications, and has appeared as a film critic on TV and radio. He was head of film programming at the National Media Museum and artistic director of Bradford International Film Festival from 2000 to 2011, and created the Fantastic Films Weekend.

Tony's interviews presented in Fantastique took place over a 20-year period. Several were conducted at press conferences, others in the more intimate round-table format, and the remainder were one-on-one conversations exclusive to Tony.

As well as rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest stars in the world, he has enjoyed encounters with an array of filmmakers - "directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, composers, editors, special effects technicians, location scouts and other equally vital denizens of the film set".

Some of them can be found within the pages of his book.

"They walk the world of the 'fantastique' and they share a love of the genre," says Tony. "Perhaps most interesting is the tracing of the lineage - the films and directors that inspired them. You will find the same names and film titles appearing again and again.

"The 30 interviews included in this volume include personal favourites such as George A Romero, William Friedkin and John Carpenter but also newcomers who, at the time the interviews took place, were just breaking through. Rising stars like Neil (The Descent) Marshall and Ben (Kill List) Wheatley.

"It is a fascinating exercise to talk with such individuals, to find common ground, identify shared influences and swap stories of the beloved films of one’s youth. And in doing so to gain a deeper and sometimes intimate understanding of the mechanics of filmmaking."

* Fantastique by Tony Earnshaw, published by BearManor Media, priced £24.69 (hardback), £19.81 (paperback) and £6.93 (Kindle)