Eleanor Johnson (4)

A soft pick on this one. It was fun to read about classic horror films interpreted through a feminist lens, but I found the amount of recapping the author does fatiguing. Although I like the way she uses modern films to show how domestic horror has evolved with the culture, the 21st century films Johnson references aren't really in the class of Rosemary's Baby, Alien, or The Shining.

Also, Tony lives in Danny's mouth, not his finger.

I absolutely loved this book. The author, Eleanor Johnson, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, has managed to write a fascinating book about six horror films that can be tied into the fight for women's rights in the United States.

I'm a huge fan of horror films and the films discussed are some of my favorites. However, with the exception of The Stepford Wives, I never realized the feminist interests involved.

At one point, Johnson states that "We are still show more living in Stepford. 2025 is looking a whole lot like 1975." She is not wrong which is why this is such an important book.

*ARC provided by Edelweiss+* show less

I had an excellent time reading this book -- I turned it into a multi-day movie marathon with my husband where we would watch the film the chapter was about, then read the chapter. That said, i DO NOT recommend reading the book this way, as much of the chapter wordcounts are spent recapping key scenes in the film.

At times, it feels like Johnson is reaching a little far to make her point, but in much of the book her points are succinct and clearly aligned with the public consciousness. My show more favorite part of Scream With Me is actually the introduction, where Johnson introduces the context in which the book was written, but also defines the terminology used throughout the piece in order to ensure readers are on the same page. I will definitely be seeking out more of Johnson's work, and I will also be seeking out similar books that bundle films thematically, because that was a super fun marathon! show less

3.75/5