Through the lens of horror--from Halloween to Hereditary--queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences.

Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes--such as the circumspect and resilient final girl, body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet--spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world.

It Came from the Closet features twenty-five essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on Jennifer's Body, Jude Ellison S. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.

2024 Bram Stoker Award(R)️ Nominee for Superior Achievement in Long Nonfiction

A smart, funny crash course in 25 iconic horror movies, from Psycho to Hereditary, for people who love getting the reference but hate being scared.

You don't have to miss out just because you don't like to be frightened! Stop trying to read nonsensical Wikipedia plot summaries (we know you're doing it), and let an expert tell you everything you need to know about the most influential horror films of the past 60 years--without a single jump scare or a drop of gore.

With a rundown of the history and significance of horror cinema, explanations of common tropes, and detailed entries on 25 important movies ranging from Night of the Living Dead to The Blair Witch Project to Get Out, Horror for Weenies will turn even the scarediest of cats into a confident connoisseur.

Each entry includes:

• A detailed plot summary, with enough jokes that it won't freak you out
• Smart, illuminating analysis of the film's themes and cultural significance
• Descriptions of iconic scenes you definitely do not want to look at
• Talking points for impressing even the biggest scary-movie buffs

Horror for Weenies is the first installment in the Outsider's Guide series, which offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal. Never get left out of a conversation again!

A jubilant celebration of the greatest VHS cover art in all its gory, glory -- which inspired, scared, and delighted generations of movie-goers.

For anyone who frequented a video store in the '80s or '90s, the styles are instantly recognizable: surprisingly beautiful paintings of fanged and winged monsters; ridiculously lurid depictions of young men and women in peril; illustrations so incompetently drawn as to qualify as outsider art; absurdly overstuffed photomontages. The home video revolution was accompanied by an explosion of all kinds of cover art, embodying the anything-goes ethos of an era when obscure, cheaply produced movies--usually with supernatural storylines and bottom-drawer special effects--could be distributed throughout the world and watched from the comfort of one's living room.

Videotapes from Hell provides a fascinating illustrated history of VHS cover art in all its glory, from direct-to-video oddities to major studio releases. Drawing on the expansive collection of world-renowned horror expert Stephen Jones, it collects nearly 500 pieces of period artwork, accompanied by detailed captions that give the history of the movie and its release dates in video format. In addition to front-cover images and full-sleeve spreads, it includes examples of promotional posters and freestanding original artwork that was incorporated into box designs.

Including a foreword from beloved cult director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The 'Burbs) and commentary from horror luminaries such as Ramsey Campbell, Mick Garris, Stephen King and many more, Videotapes from Hell is a garish and jubilant celebration of a lost genre ripe for rediscovery.

The Shining may be the first movie that ever made its audience jump with a title that simply says, 'Tuesday, ' proclaimed The New York Times. Never has a film evoked so much dread in its audience with so little gore than Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the 1977 novel by the master of terror himself, Stephen King, where true horror lies in the darkest corners of domesticity and isolation.

Equally a study of the intricate mechanics of Kubrick's genius as an in-depth look at the making of a visual masterpiece, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining gathers hundreds of hours of exclusive new interviews with the cast and crew in an unprecedented look at the 1980 cult classic. Slip in through the back door of The Overlook Hotel to witness Kubrick's endless rounds of script rewrites, his revolutionary use of the Steadicam, the mechanics behind the infamous blood elevator, the mysterious mid-filming fire at Elstree Studios, and the countless takes needed to satisfy the meticulous force that was Kubrick.

Conceived and edited by Academy Award-winning director Lee Unkrich, dubbed by The Hollywood Reporter as the world's foremost Shining aficionado, with text by best-selling author J.W. Rinzler and a foreword by Steven Spielberg, this is the definitive compendium of the film that transformed the horror genre.

The two-volume collection designed by M/M Paris includes hundreds of never-before-seen production photographs from the Stanley Kubrick Archive and the personal collections of cast and crew, rare documents and correspondence, conceptual art, an exclusive look at deleted scenes, and more.

THE SHINING and all related characters and elements (c) & (TM) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s22)

The behind-the-scenes story of the film that continues to make generations of beach-goers think twice before they go swimming.

45th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Includes a new chapter and more photos, many never before seen, highlighting

THE MOST STUNNING FILM-MAKING ADVENTURE OF ALL TIME

Think you know everything there is to know about Hammer Films, the fabled Studio that Dripped Blood? The lowdown on all the imperishable classics of horror, like The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Devil Rides Out? What about the company's less blood-curdling back catalog? What about the musicals, comedies and travelogues, the fantasies and historical epics--not to mention the pirate adventures? This lavishly illustrated encyclopedia covers every Hammer film and television production in thorough detail, including budgets, shooting schedules, publicity and more, along with all the actors, supporting players, writers, directors, producers, composers and technicians. Packed with quotes, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, credit lists and production specifics, this all-inclusive reference work is the last word on this cherished cinematic institution.

A definitive and surprising exploration of the history of Black horror films, after the rising success of Get Out, Candyman, and Lovecraft Country from creators behind the acclaimed documentary, Horror Noire.

The Black Guy Dies First explores the Black journey in modern horror cinema, from the fodder epitomized by Spider Baby to the Oscar-​winning cinematic heights of Get Out and beyond. This eye-opening book delves into the themes, tropes, and traits that have come to characterize Black roles in horror since 1968, a year in which race made national headlines in iconic moments from the enactment of the 1968 Civil Rights Act and Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in April. This timely book is a must-read for cinema and horror fans alike.

From the beginning, horror has been part of the cinema landscape. Despite some of the earliest genre films with gay directors such as F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and James Whale (Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein), LGBTQIA characters have rarely been portrayed in full view. For decades, filmmakers have included coded content in their films with the homosexual experience translated into censor-friendly subtext for consumption by general audiences. Gradually, LGBTQIA characters and themes have moved from the background to the foreground as the horror genre has grown along with its audience's tastes and attitudes. Likewise, more and more LGBTQIA writers and directors have begun to offer their queer-centric takes on scary movies and today, queer horror is a thriving film genre.

With more than 900 entries, this critical filmography is a comprehensive, critical, yet playful examination of the history of LGBTQIA content in horror films. Eight journalistic contributors dig into every era of scary movies, including the early silents, pre- and post-Hays Code content, grindhouse sleaze, LGBTQIA indies, and megaplex studio releases. From Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) to Don Mancini's Chucky films and everything in between, this collection explores what can be found at the intersection of LGBTQIA and horror in the film industry.

In 1996, a movie came along that changed the face of horror films forever. Initial signs indicated Scream being a flop upon its release in theaters, but it quickly became a word-of-mouth phenomenon spawning multiple sequels, a television series, and countless imitators.

Twenty-five years later, the impact of Scream is still being felt in films and pop culture. For the first time, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it took to make the beloved films-from the people who were there.

With 30 interviews from cast and crew members, It All Began with a Scream provides readers with an unauthorized look at the franchise. From a bidding war for the original script and studio meddling to on-set romances, script leaks, lawsuits, and a beloved director who created a family atmosphere for everyone on his set, find out the story behind Scream.

It All Began with a Scream is a must-read for horror aficionados, film buffs, and anyone fascinated by Hollywood.

Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth is a pop-science look at fear, how and why horror films get under our skin, and why we keep coming back for more.

Do you like scary movies?
Have you ever wondered why?

Nina Nesseth knows what scares you. She also knows why.

In Nightmare Fuel, Nesseth explores the strange and often unexpected science of fear through the lenses of psychology and physiology. How do horror films get under our skin? What about them keeps us up at night, even days later? And why do we keep coming back for more?

Horror films promise an experience: fear. From monsters that hide in plain sight to tension-building scores, every aspect of a horror film is crafted to make your skin crawl. But how exactly do filmmakers pull this off? The truth is, there's more to it than just loud noises and creepy images.

With the affection of a true horror fan and the critical analysis of a scientist, Nesseth explains how audiences engage horror with both their brains and bodies, and teases apart the elements that make horror films tick. Nightmare Fuel covers everything from jump scares to creature features, serial killers to the undead, and the fears that stick around to those that fade over time.

With in-depth discussions and spotlight features of some of horror's most popular films--from classics like The Exorcist to modern hits like Hereditary--and interviews with directors, film editors, composers, and horror academics, Nightmare Fuel is a deep dive into the science of fear, a celebration of the genre, and a survival guide for going to bed after the credits roll.

An invaluable resource, a history of the horror genre, a love letter to the scary movie--it belongs on any horror reader's bookshelf. --Lisa Kröger, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Monster, She Wrote

From the silent-film era to the blockbusters of today, Horror Unmasked is a fun-filled, highly illustrated dive into the past influences and present popularity of the horror film genre.

The horror film's pop-culture importance is undeniable, from its early influences to today's most significant and exciting developments in the genre. Since 1990, the production of horror films has risen exponentially worldwide, resulting in impressive ticket sales in the modern day, not to mention how the genre has expanded into books, fashion, music, and other media throughout the world.

Horror has long been the most popular film genre, and more horror movies have been made than any other kind. We need them. We need to be scared, to test ourselves, laugh inappropriately, scream, and flinch. We need to get through them and come out, blinking, still in one piece. This comprehensive guide features:

• A thorough discussion on monster movies and B-movies (The Thing; It Came from Outer Space; The Blob)
• The destruction of the American censorship system (Blood Feast; The Night of the Living Dead; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
• International horror, zombies, horror comedies, and horror in the new millennium (Matango; Suspiria; Ghostbusters)
• A dissection of the critical reception of modern horror (Neon Demon; Pan's Labyrinth; Funny Games)
• Stunning movie posters and film stills, plus fan-made tributes to some of the most lauded horror franchises in the world (Aliens; the Evil Dead; The Hills Have Eyes; Scream)

A perfect reference and informational book for horror fans and those interested in its cultural influence worldwide, Horror Unmasked provides a general introduction to the genre, serves as a guidebook to its film highlights, and celebrates its practitioners, trends, and stories.

Get ready for aliens, kaiju, monsters, and movie maniacs galore!

From author, editor, amateur film scholar, and skeleton Orrin Grey comes Glowing in the Dark, collecting more than a decade of Grey's best writing on film, from Saturday-matinee schlock to award-winning classics, as he explores the silver screen through insightful reviews and enlightening essays.

Titles considered under Grey's lens include The Andromeda Strain, The Dunwich Horror, The Mad Magician, Pacific Rim, Suspiria, Tremors, and many more.

As the house lights begin to dim, sit back and get ready to clutch your popcorn. The show is about to begin...

In the late 1970s, Stephen King had the idea of selling his short stories for ONE DOLLAR and a contract to let young filmmakers make their own films based on his works. After King's approval, these films were only available for viewing at film festivals around the world. For the last forty-plus years and over hundreds of films made, The Dollar Baby program has made a serious impact not only on the Stephen King world, but the film industry itself.

Unfortunately, for Stephen King fans, unless you attended these film festivals, you basically would never be able to see them. In fact, most Stephen King fans have never even heard of the Dollar Baby program. Well, that's where I come in. I have been interviewing Dollar Baby filmmakers and reviewing their films for eight years. During that time, not only have I also hosted two Dollar Baby Film fests at Crypticon Horror Con in Minnesota, but I also built a trust, a bond, and a friendship with all of the Dollar Baby community.

As a major Stephen King fan, I decided it was time to pull the curtain back and show the fans just what they have been missing. In this book, readers will learn all about the Dollar Baby program, fun facts, trivia, personal stories from the fans themselves, special guests contributors, essays, Where Are They Now?, 55 exclusive interviews with the Dollar Baby filmmakers and reviews of their films, and a whole lot more I cover every possible angle of the Dollar Baby program and it's all here to enjoy So, sit back, relax, and get ready to go behind the exclusive curtain and prepare yourselves to enter...Stephen King Dollar Baby: The Book

In all the vast and unknown depths of Hollywood - how could there be only one?

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of one of the most popular and influential movie sequels, the updated and expanded edition of Jaws 2: The Making of the Hollywood Sequel contains more facts, more interviews and almost 200 new photos, many never seen before, shared by the cast, crew and fans.

Just when you thought it was safe to turn the page again...the story continues

The complete history of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, with many, many pictures, behind the scenes information from Tom Weaver, and the complete shooting script of the movie. From MagicImage Filmbooks, now a BearManor Media company.

Horror movies can reveal much more than we realize about psychological disorders--and clinical psychology has a lot to teach us about horror.
Our fears--mortality, failure, loneliness--can be just as motivating as our wishes or desires. Horror movie characters uniquely reveal all of these to a wide audience. If explored in an honest and serious manner, our fears have the potential to teach us a great deal about ourselves, our culture, and certainly other people.
From psychologist, researcher, and horror film enthusiast Brian A. Sharpless comes Monsters on the Couch, an exploration into the real-life psychological disorders behind famous horror movies. Accounts of clinical syndromes every bit as dramatic as those on the silver screen are juxtaposed with fascinating forays into the science and folklore behind our favorite movie monsters.
Horror fans may be obsessed with vampires, werewolves, zombies, and the human replacements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but even many medical professions may not know about the corresponding conditions of Renfield's syndrome, clinical lycanthropy, Cotard's syndrome, and the misidentification delusions.
Some of these disorders are surprisingly common in the general population. For instance, a number of people experience isolated sleep paralysis, a disorder implicated in ghost and alien abduction beliefs.
As these tales unfold, readers not only learn state-of-the-art psychological science but also gain a better understanding of history, folklore, and how Hollywood often--but not always--gets it wrong when tackling these complex topics.

There was just something special about the '80s when you're talking about movies, and even more so when you're talking about genre pictures. It's arguably the most important era for horror and sci-fi, with a large chunk of the output of the decade helping to define where their futures would lead. Sure, the '30s were essentially the birthplace of horror, what with the Universal monsters rearing their heads. Sure, the '50s would explode the sci-fi boom with the fear of technological advances and growing interest in space exploration. Sure, the '70s would legitimize horror by allowing auteurs to dare to infuse a level of high art into their narratives and explore deeper themes. But, none of those could touch the '80s.The '80s Project is my effort to relive the experience of the timeframe in which the films that shaped my infatuation with horror and sci-fi flourished. I decided to make an effort to watch all of the horror and sci-fi films released in the decade, in order of when they were released. Now, for the sake of brevity, and let's face it, my sanity, i can't watch EVERYTHING. So I had to create some ground rules for how this would all work. First off, i eliminated short films. To get on the Project, it would have to be a feature length film. Secondly, i cast aside the vast majority of TV movies, although I chose to include some. Third, i had to get rid of some of the international entries, mainly due to just being irrelevant through an American perspective, but also due to availability. In order to watch them and include them here, I had to be able to find them, and let's face it, some of the more obscure Indonesian horror films aren't exactly at our fingertips. That being said, I didn't want to only stick to US theatrical releases, since that would eliminate a large number of important films. So I developed a fool proof system. I included them if I felt like it. I mainly stuck to things that I felt were either important to horror/sci-fi cinema in general, or just to my own personal experiences of nostalgia. This volume encompasses the releases of 1980 that fall under the category of horror. Each film entry will give you some detailed information about the film itself and the basic plot setup, although I've tried to keep spoilers or major plot twists out of it in order to preserve some mystery should you choose to seek these out for yourselves. I'll also give you my personal rating on each one, based on a five star system. I feel like I'm a bit stingy with my ratings, and reserve 5 stars for films that I consider the best of the best. They're pretty few, and far between. I will also rate the film based on a Cultural Significance, which I realize is a bit of an arbitrary rating, but I'll evaluate each film on how much of an impact it had on its specific genre. The interesting thing about that consideration is that it generally doesn't reflect my personal opinion on it. It may have had a massive impact on the film world, and yet not been a great film, or vice versa. The final rating each film will get is a simple recommendation. Sort of a too long, didn't read and will sum up each one with a suggestion to watch it, don't watch it, or maybe watch it. There's definitely films out there that I believe SHOULD be watched, even if they don't sound exactly like something that would be up one's alley, and also ones that I'm pretty confident that most people will not enjoy whatsoever. But there's a certain contingency of

films that I know that some people will like, and others will not, so those will be the ones given the maybes.

It's Me Billy: Black Christmas Revisited is a brand-new definitive book chronicling the making of Bob Clark's seminal 1974 Christmas slasher film. which is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary while still being acclaimed by critics around the world as well as loved by a cult fanbase.

Featuring interviews with both cast and crew of the ground-breaking original film, as well as delving into the making of the film and an exploration of its themes and characters, It's Me Billy brings you the ultimate behind the scenes account of both the 1974 classic, as well as the remakes and spin offs that have all continued the legacy of the infamous Billy.

It's Me Billy is the ultimate resource for fans of Bob Clark's influential horror film & its extraordinary legacy.

As featured in Fangoria, Movieweb, ComingSoon, Queerty, Rue Morgue, Yahoo News, Bloody Disgusting, and more!

In 1983, Robert Hiltzik's Sleepaway Camp was quickly disregarded by film reviewers. Variety called it a tired version of teen oriented horror film formulas, The Philadelphia Enquirer had more thrills untangling paper clips, and The Cincinnati Post branded it more horrible than horrifying.

But fans saw something different. Very different. 40 years since its release, the film's unique blend of horror, tongue-in-cheek comedy, sexuality, and gender roles--along with an ending to end all endings, was seemingly ahead of its time. Sleepaway Camp is now discussed and debated more than when it was initially released.

Longtime official Sleepaway Camp webmaster, writer, and filmmaker Jeff Hayes goes behind the scenes like never before, revealing the development and making of the film, its immediate aftermath, and the more than four decades of fandom since its release. This definitive Sleepaway Camp compendium includes interviews with much of the cast and crew (with many new exclusives), more than 75 production and memorabilia images (including previously unreleased on-set stills), and takes you backstage to the reunions, retro screenings, and convention events that have united fans and reignited interest in this beloved horror tale.

Two sequels later, plus Hiltzik's retcon film Return to Sleepaway Camp, Sleepaway Camp continues to resonate in a big way with '80s film buffs, global horror fans, and the LGBT community, all of whom enjoy their horror films...with a twist.

Welcome to Sleepaway Camp. Meet you at the waterfront, after the social.

What contemporary horror films teach us about the cruelties of capitalist society

Capitalism Hates You uses the horror film genre as a tool to diagnose and expose the hostile conditions of life under capitalism. Through incisive critical analyses of popular films such as Get Out, Drag Me to Hell, Hereditary, The Babadook, and many others, Joshua Gooch draws connections between Marxist theory and contemporary narratives of psychological unease.

Gooch highlights the work of women, trans, and nonwhite filmmakers to show how the remarkable diversity of twenty-first-century horror cinema can provide an expansive catalog of capitalism's varying forms of oppression. Studying films that interrogate such urgent topics as gentrification, climate change, and reproductive labor, he demonstrates how contemporary horror films give affective shape to the negative undercurrents of our present socioeconomic system.

Capitalism Hates You argues that these films and their material conditions can deepen our understanding of essential concepts in contemporary Marxism, from the theory of value and changing forms of commodification to the labor of social reproduction, the abolition of the family, and the necessity of ecosocialism. Synthesizing various strands of Marxist thought, Gooch sheds light on the growing field of socially conscious horror films, examining how they pinpoint and exaggerate latent feelings of dread and discomfort to reflect the ills of society.

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