Home › Books › Scream With Me: Horror Films and the Rise of Amer…
Scream With Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism, 1968-1980
by
41/99
Critics' Rating Index
54/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
51/99
Volume of Reviews
76/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A compelling, intelligent, and timely exploration of the horror genre from one of Columbia University's most popular professors, shedding light on how classic horror films demonstrate larger cultural attitudes about women's rights, bodily autonomy, and more. In May of 2022, Columbia University's Dr. Eleanor Johnson watched along with her students as the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. At the same time, her class was studying the 1968 horror film Rosemary's Baby and Johnson had a sudden epiphany: horror cinema engages directly with the combustive politics of women's rights and offers a light through the darkness and an outlet to scream. With a voice as persuasive as it is insightful, Johnson reveals how classics like Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, and The Shining expose and critique issues of reproductive control, domestic violence, and patriarchal oppression. Scream With Me weaves these iconic films into the fabric of American feminism, revealing that true horror often lies not in the supernatural, but in the familiar confines of the home, exposing the deep-seated fears and realities of women's lives. While on the one hand a joyful celebration of seminal and beloved horror films, Scream With Me is also an unflinching and timely recognition of the power of this genre to shape and reflect cultural dialogues about gender and power.
Reviews
"This astute survey will fire up readers to fight back against the patriarchy."
"Spawned from an impassioned college lecture on Rosemary's Baby after the Dobbs decision, Johnson's book is accessible and thought-provoking."
"Scream With Me reads urgently and persuasively, showing how horror's domestic terrors—from Rosemary's Baby to Alien—have persistently mirrored and magnified women's real-world subjugation."
"Johnson entertains and educates as she dissects six films, detailing domestic and reproductive violence, misogyny and patriarchy with wit and relish ..."
"This commentary on the horror genre's ability to shape and echo the political landscape is riveting, enlightening, and occasionally scream-inducing in its reminders of the not-so-long past."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!