Now Read This: Seasonal Screams

Adrian Roe’s enlightening “Seasonal Screams: A History Of Holiday Horror” is a sweet stocking stuffer for genre lovers and cinephiles.

Adrian Roe is something of a Horror journalism maestro in the UK. He is widely known for his informative Horror compendium series, The First Scream To The Last, which includes books covering Horror movies from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Adrian’s latest release, Seasonal Screams: A History Of Holiday Horror, to enjoy over Halloween, and I would like to explore why this book is a must-read for genre fans seeking out holiday-themed movies to delve into during their favorite season.

The book opens with a nice introduction from the author, laden with personal nostalgic anecdotes and a wealth of information regarding the history and tradition of where the craze for holiday-themed movies grew. Adrian covers a lot in just a few paragraphs, including important movies outside of the Horror genre, such as Albert Smith’s Santa Claus, which is believed to be the first Christmas movie, dating all the way back to 1898.

From here, the author effortlessly flows through the different decades of holiday-themed Horror, feeding us tidbits about how OG movies like Black Christmas put the Christmas Horror genre on the map (it is also considered the first Slasher film). Adrian comments upon the irony of associating such wholesome times of the year with wanton violence and murder and how this clever plot vehicle also gifts the film a timeless appeal.

For a director to associate a movie maniac with Christmas (a perfect example being Billy in Silent Night, Deadly Night) guarantees repeat viewings each and every holiday season from loyal Horror fans (we love to incorporate movies into our holidays as heavily as we do the associated foods and traditions).

Chapter one of the book dives into New Year-themed Horror movies, beginning with a look at Roger Spottiswoode’s Terror Train, described by journalists upon its release as ‘’Halloween on a train.’’

We then swiftly move on to Valentine’s Day, and the author includes an in-chapter interview with Neil Affleck from 2013, in which he divulges some interesting insights from behind the scenes during his time working on My Bloody Valentine 3D. The book is abundant in these sneak peeks into the filmmaking process for many Cult classics, including a comprehensive interview with Jaime Blanks, the director of Valentine.

While previously published in Roe’s earlier film guidebooks, these Q&As provide unique insight for new readers, offering a plethora of insider knowledge regarding the genre’s favorite cult classics.

From Valentine’s Day, we weave our way through the holidays and pass through Mother’s Day, April Fool’s Day, and Easter. The Easter chapter opens with every old-school fan’s favorite Easter movie: Critters 2, which would happen to be the last theatrical release in the Crites saga.

While this chapter does not include interviews or Q&As, the author still includes a lot of easily digestible information about more Indie fare, such as The Night Before Easter and Easter Sunday, proving that no genre movie is overlooked regardless of whether it obtained a box office release.

Chapter three explores every Horror fanatic’s most revered annual holiday, Halloween, and we explore the 1978 OG classic from John Carpenter.

While the author remarks, ‘’Let’s be honest, the Halloween season deserves an entire book dedicated to its importance within the genre,’’ he still succeeds in exploring the spectrum of films this most beloved sub-genre has to offer.

During this section, we are treated to a Q&A with Ellie Cornell, who played Rachel Carruthers in Halloween 4. This is an interesting insight into how women navigated the film industry during the 1980s. It also includes a beautiful recollection of her time working with Donald Pleasance and how graceful he was in his treatment of everyone, from aspiring actresses like Ellie to the crew.

The Halloween trilogy and its respective spin-off movies take up a large chunk of this chapter. However, lesser-discussed favorites like the French New Wave Extremity-adjacent Livide or the cult anthology film Trick ‘R Treat are given the spotlight, resulting in a varied inclusion of films that have something for every flavor of Horror fan.

This chapter also includes Horror Comedies such as Satan’s Little Helper, which has a fantastic interview with B-Movie legend Jeff Liebermann, where he provides insights into his creative process when taking on a movie and the enduring legacy of Satire in the Horror/ Comedy sub-genre.

Seasonal Screams ebbs and flows with the seasons as you work your way through your favorite annual holiday, and everything from Thanksgiving to Birthday Horror is given the spotlight.

Author Adrian Roe

You may use this book as a watchlist to source potential new movies for the holiday season, or it may also double as a ‘Snail Letterbox’ where one can keep a private film diary and track what has already been viewed alongside still-to-watch lists.

Despite the author’s wealth of cinematic knowledge, there is no clunky Cinephile-esque lingo here: reading Seasonal Screams feels akin to discussing your favorite movies with an old friend over cocoa, thanks to the accessible use of language and personal anecdotes.

I felt an overwhelming nostalgia for bygone holidays; there is something special in adopting a particular movie to enjoy solely during a particular season. I found myself reminiscing over Christmas times of old, and in particular, the movies that nourish my soul during this often-dark time of the year.

Whether you love to indulge in Thanksgiving or Christmas, Seasonal Screams offers a cozy corner to indulge and immerse oneself in the holiday alongside a movie marathon, and there are rarely-discussed insights provided by the actors and filmmakers involved in your favorite seasonal movie to pore over long after the festivities have ended.

Whether you’re a dark romantic seeking out some blood with your Valentine’s roses or you’re a Christmas Gremlin who finds chaotic pleasure in the juxtaposition of the season’s darker history, Seasonal Screams has a chapter for you.