This is my third read by DiLouie. I really liked the other two, and this book was pretty good, too, but lesser than. And here are my thoughts as to why:

First off, I absolutely love horror movies and books AND books about horror movies. So from that perspective alone, this was fun.
But then you get into the context and have to contend with the idea that Max, one of the two protagonists, the obsessed movie director with a killer camera (literally a killer camera), Max, who is clearly meant to be one of the stand-ins for the public (and perhaps the author’s) preoccupation with the genre, Max meant to embody a lot of this love letter to the genre, is in fact a man whose idea of real horror is real-life gross-out, brutal deaths on camera.
To me, and perhaps to you too, horror is a great many things, but, above all, it is psychological. The monster hiding in the shadows (inside your nightmares / under your bed / staring back at you from in the mirror) is infinitely more interesting than a lunatic with a camera that makes slice and dice come to life.
Granted, the movie is set in the eighties, when presumably creators didn’t know any better, and slashers were all the rage, but still ...
After a while, it’s just silly, and people laugh, and ... well, that’s actually part of the story and of Max’s dilemma.
There are many things the novel gets right, from movie production to Sally Priest, the plucky, ambitious Final Girl, but at the same time it is peculiarly overindulgent. This is especially noticeable in the end that just will not end, as if a page count had to be hit. Overall, the novel is entertaining, if somewhat uneven. It isn’t quite as literary as I remember the author’s other books to be. Occasionally schlocky to match the schlock of the eighties’ horror movie scene, presumably. Repetitive at times, rambling at others. Could have been shorter and punchier. Someone should have tightened the focus on this baby (there, my one camera pun!)
Thanks Netgalley!

This was an interesting take on the regular horror tropes. The cursed camera plot was an interesting way to build on the rumours about the Poltergeist and Exorcist being curses. While most of the characters in this weren't likeable, the main one had a lot of depth. It was also very clear who was intended to be the likeable character that readers were supposed to root for. I enjoyed the fast pace and the ending was mostly satisfying. Most of the loose ends felt tied up, but there was definitely one I wish had been resolved that wasn't...

"Horror is as healthy as eating carrots. It's therapy for the human condition"

As a self-proclaimed horror girlie this book really appealed to me. However, fell a little short.
It follows Max Maurey, a horror director who has a successful franchise under his belt but is determined to make his perfect artistic real horror film. His obsession with an old movie and the cursed camera that filmed it, aid him in his determination to make his perfect movie. When he meets Sally Priest, an actress determined to become a Final Girl, this sets his movie in motion, leading to a thrilling finale.

If you are a big horror fan, I think that you will enjoy this. Sprinkled with nods to horror movies and quotes from horror directors, it would make any horror fan appreciate these moments.
What I had a problem with however, was the pacing and the overall timing of the events. Over half of the book is set up to Max creating the movie, his obsession with the cursed camera, and the filming of the movie doesn't happen until over halfway into the book.
I really wished there would have been more plot around the filming of the movie, because besides the finale, there were little scenes of that, and those meta scenes is what I really enjoyed. A movie within a book, showing all the behind the scenes working of filming a movie.

I did really enjoy the ending, it was over the top and fun, just how I love my horror movies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We follow horror director Max as he tries to make the perfect horror movie even if it kills him (Haha get it). He enlists Sally Priest, a horror actress who always ends up playing the Bad Girl but wants her turn at being the Final Girl. When Max and Sally find a camera used to film the biggest tragedy in the horror genre things start to get a little spooky. Who will survive the making of Max's perfect horror film?

The concept of this book had me hooked from the start. However it did fall a little flat for me. I did still have a good time reading it but some parts were a little slow and I found myself having to push myself through to get to the good stuff.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC!

Thank you to the publishers for an early copy in exchange for a review. Unfortunately, this is a DNF (3 star rating as I did not finish it and nothing offensive was found). To start off with, the characters were full of stereotypes and pretty plain Jane, maybe it was meant to be that way but didn't work well for me at the start of a book. The whole start is about how awful and sexualized the movie industry is which is fine and true, however there was not much else pulling me into where we were going with the story. All in all it felt like a missed opportunity, the story never really got going and I just didn't enjoy it enough to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook Books as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #RedhookBooks #CraigDiLouie #HowToMakeAHorrorMovieAndSurvive

Title: How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive
Author: Craig DiLouie
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Redhook Books
Publication Date: June 18,2024

Themes: horror movies, paranormal, curses, Hollywood,
Trigger Warnings: murder, suicide, animal death, curses, hauntings, gore, car accidents, explosion, mental illness

This book was great! It’s about a successful horror director, Max Maurey, who is frustrated with his audience. He’s tired of making successful schlock that makes people laugh instead of scream. He wants to make something truly terrifying. When he meets actress Sally Priest, she unlocks something in him. When the two of them find an old camera at the estate sale of a famous horror director with a cult following, horror follows quickly, just as Max wanted. Is there something wrong with the camera, or has Max truly found his horror?

Craig DiLouie is criminally underrated. I’ve read several of his books and have loved every one. This one is no exception. This book is a love note to the horror film and everything involved in making one from the impossible diva to the craft services table. I thought the story was fun and moved along at a good pace. The kills/deaths were epic. Yes, the dog dies but worry not. You’ll see why. The writing is impeccable and the characters are compelling. I almost felt complicit in some of these murders. This book wou;d be great for film students to read if they’re interested in horror OR if they need more respect for the genre that many of us love. I loved all the horror movie references throughout the book.

The pacing was good for the most part, although I do think this book could have been a tad shorter. This wasn’t a big deal for me at all though. I think Mr. DiLouie needs more recognition as he is a great writer with a lot of unique ideas.

All in all, a fun and compelling read. Read this. Then read his other books. Report back when done.

I was not a fan of this book.

Didn't keep you engaged and I just did not find it to make me want to keep Reading.

I wanted to like this book and i was so excited for this book. It was just MEH for me and I it just was not for me.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers!
I am a horror fan, so I know I was definitely the target audience. But this book was so smart and well put together, that lots of people will hopefully find it and enjoy it. Several crazy kills that made me put down my Kindle and clutch my pearls! Well done!

I’m a horror movie fan and was excited to read this just from the title. It didn’t disappoint! What a fun ride! If you love horror and the 80s, this book is for you. It has some real laugh out loud moments, I adored Max, the director who wants to create something more than a slasher film, and Sally who is a perfect “Final Girl.” I’ve been recommending to all my horror buddies. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a campy horror novel and that's what DiLouie delivers in this new novel!

The "cursed film" trope is one that I really enjoy and I thought that this self-aware take on it was a lot of fun. The gruesome, often on-the-nose, deaths of the characters were both disturbing and funny in their absurdity and cliche manner. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for DiLouie's backlist, which I will be reading soon.

Thanks for the complimentary copy!

This has everything you need in a slasher. Movies, a horror director, and a final girl. And the cover - OMG! Grab this and have a blast with it.

I love the premise of this book. It's truly a love letter to the horror genre. It's fun and interesting to look at the reason people love horror and what makes it work. The beginning did a great job of catching my interest and setting up our characters, including the demonic camera. However, I didn't get invested in Max, the director, and I think that contributed a lot to why the middle of this book dragged for me. I didn't really care about his dedication to making the perfect horror film and it took too long to get everything set up for the final confrontation. I had a great time with the end of this book though! Once the final confrontation starts the pace ramped up and I felt more invested in how everything would turn out. Overall a good time, but not my favorite by Craig DiLouie.

2.5 ⭐ I wanted to love this, but unfortunately the writing style wasn't for me. Aside from that, this was an awesome premise for this story about a cursed camera that gets in the hands of a horror director. He seeks out to make the scariest horror movie ever made. I don't want to give anything away, I think it's better to go into this book blind. I still recommend this story and I hope other's will love it and vibe with the story better than I did.

No matter what subject this author chooses to explore in his novels, one can be assured of a gripping and engaging story: this new novel blends very successfully horror themes with the story of a descent into hell of a movie director for whom the horror genre in movies looks almost like a religion, the kind of faith he's ready to sacrifice anything and anyone to. There is also a very intriguing commentary on the Hollywood movie scene and the emptiness lurking behind the glitter, which adds a note of sad reality to the more outlandish themes of the novel. Another successful work from an author who never disappoints.

I was really looking forward to this book as I enjoyed his last book, Episode Thirteen. Unfortunately, I was disappointed as half the book I found to be rather boring although the end did help me enjoy it more.

Dnf @ 20%
the interest is just not there for me personally, I'm not feeling the characters or the story. Overall, I'm just bored and can't force myself to carry on reading.

I've read Craigs Episode Thirteen which I enjoyed but this one How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive is just not for me personally.

Thank you to Redhook books and Netgalley for sharing a digital copy. As always, opinions are my own.

Max will do whatever it takes to make the perfect horror film. WHATEVER it takes. Throw in a cursed camera and a very kill-off-able cast, and you’ve got a fun, freaky homage to the 80’s horror wave that will leave you laughing and shrieking at the same time. I am a HUGE film buff and I love a behind-the-scenes perspective and a good genre analysis. But there is a fine line between satire and getting reeeeeeally preachy towards the reader. Much of this book is the characters’ inner dialogue, so the action comes in bursts. But there is action, for sure. The pacing is a little erratic and the characters can get very mired down in their own thoughts. Regardless, this is a fun, campy ride I was glad to take.

My first Craig DiLouie and I look forward to reading more!

What if a director hears their audience cheering and whooping for the killer versus covering their eyes and fleeing the theater? Well, Max decides to just kill everyone off in his final pièce de résistance. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive is a slow burn horror that strives to parallel the goals of artsy atmospheric films, but does fulfill some slasher checkboxes. The novel is an examination of a movie director's descent into creative madness and cheekily adds in some horror comedy aspects.

This one is balances humour and darkness effectively for me, but may not be for more people due to the pacing. The majority of the characters are unlikeable, and their deaths are both brutal and satisfying. Once the movie filming begins, there is no going back.

CW: death, animal death, blood, gore, body horror, car accident, murder, alcohol, drug use, sexism, fire, sexual harassment, bullying

I thought there were some great parts to the story where the horror was really horrorin', but for the most part it seemed unnecessarily long. I think the first 70% could have been majorly cut down and the last 30% could have had more to it, with the exception of the ending. There were about 4 separate times that I said 'that should have been the ending'. It just felt like it was drawn out way too much. I think I could have appreciated this more if I hadn't been reading so much horror lately, but I just couldn't really get into this one.

I was so excited and really wanted to love this book, but it just fell a bit flat for me. I think that there was a lack of character development and which then I did not feel and invested in the characters. Thank you to netgalley and redhook for an earc
3 star