A smart, engaging and wonderfully told story any horror lover would enjoy. Perfect for this time of year and something I will be revisiting.

Loved this look at horror and its intended or unintended feminist roots, with movies evolving (or devolving) alongside politics. Johnson does a wonderful job summarizing the films and making her arguments. As a feminist and a horror lover, I was enthralled.

I've always been a fan of horror and I remember watching The Stepford Wives for the first time and realizing how unabashedly feminist it was, and what an amazing vehicle horror could be to tell those stories. I thought this was a very enlightening. emotional and well written study of how this era of horror intsersected with different key moments in feminist history. Itw as very accessible film analysis and made me wan to movie marathon all of the titles, alas not all were on streaming. I guess I could....rent them? The analysis of Paranormal Activity and Creep were also very interesting, as I never understood those to be particularly feminist films. At times I wondered if some of the analyses may have been a stretch, but overall they were pretty convincing. Except re Apartment 7a....that movie was not good.

As a horror girly this was Really interesting book. I will definitely be re-reading it in the future and purchasing it in the future!

Scream With Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism, 1968-1980, by Eleanor Johnson is one of those books that readers will either love (like I did!) or loathe. It is a critical and unstinting look at six seminal horror films from (mostly) the 1970s, viewed through the lens of Second-Wave feminism. Johnson posits that the films in question, including Rosemary’s Baby and Alien, must be viewed with an eye to what the films say about women’s rights, women’s places in society, women’s reproductive autonomy, and domestic violence. She often frames her cogent analyses through a discussion of the political climate at the time of the films’ releases and she even addresses the fact that some of the films have been made by men with less than stellar track records when it comes to their treatment of women. It’s well-written and it made me think a lot about the continual subtext of horror as a genre in both film and literature. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy of a stunning book.

This was exactly what I look for in a nonfiction. It’s easily digestible, it connects multiple interests, and isn’t bogged down with tons of info-dumping. I truly enjoyed learning as I was reading, and never felt bored or that it needed trimmed. I have SO many highlighted passages that I will be buying a physical copy once it’s released!

This is a great blend of: movie description, theme dissection, and how it connects to and affected women’s rights. Scream With Me is not only a look at the past, but a commentary on current women’s rights and how truly good horror has and continues to change with them; because the true horror is closer to home than most want to acknowledge. 5 ⭐️!

Scream With Me is an introspective narrative of horror as feminist defiance. This collection of essays describes the countless ways domestic horror and a cult horror have defined the American way. Johnson essay collections portray this as perpetuating harm on women’s rights. Horror is the critique because it is the demonization of the very ideas that confine women into boxes defined by society itself.
This is a fast-paced inspection of horror that appeared in the 60s and 80s that inspired a modern generation of feminist-based horror. She focuses on the way men took the way society treats women and made it into a horror. Johnson further critiques the way the men themselves (directors and screen writers) were perpetuating harm behind the scenes. An interesting duality to the paradigm that creates this feminist wave in horror. Indulges a deep appreciation for Rosemary’s Baby that I was not thinking about from a 1960s American perspective.
These essays focus on the fascination of possession, demonic, and religious cult horror. The way the church and religious ideals are littered through American ideals that women are forced to take part in against their will. She makes great thesis statements about the feminist outline of horror. I would have loved to see an elaboration on The Omen, but she does a wonderful job connecting each of the essays. Reminding us, the readers that these ideas are always connected to forge a feminist thesis of why this harms society.
I appreciated the in-depth acknowledgment and analysis of Shelley Duvall’s treatment on set and after screen reviews. Johnson describes the perfect example of directors who exploited the misogyny of the industry for the sake of their art. Where are the boundaries in art? Think of the way domestic horror deploys these concepts and that is the analysis you will grab from this narrative. Soak in the impact of the classics to appreciate the modern. Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for this advanced digital narrative in exchange for a review!

For more reviews, ARCS reactions, and recommendations please visit https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com

This book far exceeded my expectations and gave me a new way to look at six classic horror films. The story that stuck with me the most was about the first movie, Rosemary’s Baby.

On screen, viewers are shown a woman (who represented the Virgin Mary) who is raped by the Devil and forced to give birth to his baby. What it was ultimately about, though, was how American women suffered by not being able to hold their husbands legally accountable for rape and how they also couldn’t get an abortion. It asked Roman Catholics to answer a question: would you still deny a woman an abortion if her baby was going to be the antichrist?

This type of insight filled the book, and the author made it clear exactly how everything linked together. And yet people STILL insist on saying that horror isn’t political. I’ve got news for you — it’s not only political, but it has the power to change what’s happening in the real world.

If you’re even slightly feminist, this book is highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This book contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I just wrapped up *Scream with Me* by Eleanor Johnson, and honestly, it grabbed me from page one with its vibrant energy. Johnson has this uncanny ability to make every character feel like someone you could bump into at a coffee shop, yet they’re layered enough to keep your curiosity buzzing. The plot twists are both clever and emotionally resonant—I kept whispering “wow” under my breath. I especially loved how the author dives into the messy, heartfelt moments without ever losing that spark of humor that keeps things from getting too heavy. The pacing felt just right; there’s enough tension to make you stay glued to your seat, but also plenty of those quiet, beautiful moments that let you catch your breath. It’s the kind of book that has you both laughing out loud and reaching for a tissue in the same chapter. If you're in for a ride that’s equal parts heartwarming and thrilling, *Scream with Me* is exactly the kind of read you didn’t know you needed.

My halloween started earlier than usual this year– mid-July– and I found myself wanting a non-fiction book on horror movies to read alongside all the horror movies I was binging. I didn’t find anything that really piqued my interest, so imagine my surprise a couple weeks later when I stumbled across this gem on NetGalley while requesting a totally different title. I immediately downloaded it and started reading.

In Scream With Me, Dr. Eleanor Johnson takes the reader through a series of 6 horror movies released from 1968-1980 and analyzes them through a feminist lens while contextualizing them within their respective contemporary sociopolitical landscapes. Johnson analyzes how each of these films tackled and perhaps helped progress the issues of second wave feminism, with heavy emphasis on reproductive rights and the many, many forms domestic abuse can take. She also touches on some more recent films that deal with domestic abuse, as well as some modern horror films that took inspiration from the original six. Johnson was inspired to write this book by the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and it’s deeply unsettling that this book is just as timely and poignant now as those 6 films were 50 years ago.

I’m a big horror movie girlie, but usually don’t delve into the classics– frankly, I typically find them too long, too slow, and not scary. Because of that, I actually ended up watching several of these films for the first time as I read through the book. This is definitely not necessary– Johnson explains the plot of each movie and makes sure to emphasize the parts that are most important to her overall narrative– but I was going to watch all of these one day, so I might as well make that day today and not spoil myself via the book. I really enjoyed the structure of the book, analyzing and contextualizing each movie in its own chapter, and moving through them chronologically as part of the larger overarching narrative.

My one criticism of the book, and it’s not a particularly strong criticism, is that Johnson’s interpretation of the feminist commentary present in these films occasionally feels like a bit of a stretch. I largely felt this in her discussion of The Exorcist. While I understand her logic and I don’t begrudge her any of her interpretations, it sometimes felt to me like she was reading coincidence as intent and correlation as causation. That said, I did find the vast majority of her analysis spot-on and interesting and always looked forward to picking up the book again after finishing each of the movies.

For what it’s worth, after watching 5 of the 6 movies (plus Creep & Creep 2) for the first time– I’m a longtime fan of The Shining– I have to admit that The Stepford Wives swooped in as the dark horse for both the most disturbing and my favorite of the five. I can’t quite put my finger on why the movie with the campiest premise hit me the hardest, but it absolutely did.

Scream With Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism is a forthcoming collection of essays by professor and author Eleanor Johnson which analyzes feminist themes in massively popular horror film from 1968-1980, specifically the very popular Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Stepford Wives, The Omen, Alien, and The Shining. In the book, Johnson also explores horror movies released post-Dobbs as a comparison. It was really fascinating to look at these movies through a feminist lens. Johnson's research and analysis proves interesting and informative.

“What’s so important about [domestic horror films] is that they make viewers carry the fear and vulnerability embodied by the women in the films home with them. They center on a woman’s perspective, making audiences feel wracking physiological and psychological compassion for the women characters that are abused and terrorized. The films… invite readers into the lived embodied experiences of abused women; women barred from power, barred from speaking for themselves, barred from defending themselves, women who weren’t taken seriously by the people from whom they sought aid.”

*Quotes are pulled from an advanced reader copy and are subject to change prior to publication*

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note in reviews that your ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love how Eleanor Johnson digs into how these iconic films grapple with control over women’s bodies, domestic abuse, and patriarchal power, while also showing how they mirrored and fueled feminist conversations from the late ’60s through the early ’80s. What I loved most is that this isn’t just academic theory, its that it’s passionate, accessible, and written for anyone who loves horror but also wants to understand the deeper cultural tremors beneath the scares. The connection Johnson draws between Rosemary’s Baby and the overturning of Roe v. Wade hit especially hard, showing that these stories are as urgent now as ever.

Highly recommended for horror fans, film buffs, and anyone who wants to see how a scream on screen can be an act of resistance.

This book is absolutely fascinating. I do not read or watch horror--I'm too much of a scaredy-cat, and even Johnson's plot summaries sometimes kept me awake at night--but I am very interested in the cultural phenomenon of horror. This book gave me a chance to explore that and to learn more about the genre, as well as providing a terrific historical analysis of the feminist movements of fifty years ago--and how the issues behind them have sung around to affect us again today. Johnson is an excellent writer, and gives us a breadth of information that has me talking to all my friends about these topics, and will keep me thinking for a long time to come.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh idkkkkkkkkkkkk

This was just ok. Kinda boring. Wanted more from it. Needed more from it. Left me wanting more.

4.5 - I love horror. I love reading about horror. I love thinking about the ways that horror can reflect and comment on aspects of society. So basically this book was made for me. Scream With Me takes six iconic horror movies from the 60s-80s and analyzes the feminist themes within the stories and connects them to real life events and progress that was being made in the women’s movement.

Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Stepford Wives, The Omen, Alien, and The Shining all provide ways to discuss reproductive rights, abusive relationships, the Equal Rights Amendment, and patriarchy in general. Some of the analyses are pretty on the surface, but then other ones are things that I haven’t thought of before. I really appreciated how much historical information was brought in to relate to what was going on at the times that these films were released. It was also cool to see the author’s discussion of some films that have come out more recently and how they connect to the legacy of domestic horror.

This was so close to being 5 stars for me, but I felt like it was a tiny bit lacking in acknowledging how these movies and movements were focusing on a narrow subset of women. I feel like discussions of inclusivity or intersectionality could’ve really elevated the book.

But overall I had such a great time reading this. I’d highly recommend it to people who are interested in horror film criticism and/or the history of American feminism. It’s a very compelling read that connects the history of domestic horror to our present day.

This was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed in a historical nonfiction book in the horror genre. I was invested in learning how horror movies can demonstrate women's rights and other concepts. It was a learning experience and was written in a way that worked to keep the reader engaged. I enjoyed how good Eleanor Johnson wrote this and hope to read more.

In Scream With Me, Eleanor Johnson performs a close analysis of six domestic (as in home and family related) horror films released between 1968 and 1980 to demonstrate how they reflect the horrors American women experienced during those years. Now, it is highly unlikely that the screenwriters and directors of these films intended to comment on the everyday struggles of women. However, the horrors experienced by American women (and not just American women, obviously) were so pervasive at the time, they found their way into the material by osmosis. The terrible conditions for American women during this time were so acceptable, the writers and directors did not have to make a dedicated effort to include them.

Johnson starts with 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby as an example of reproductive violence: Rosemary is drugged by her husband and neighbors, raped and impregnated by Satan, and forced to carry the pregnancy to term. She’s denied access to her own doctors, gaslighted, and constantly surveilled. From here, Johnson moves on to The Exorcist (1973; domestic violence, the shaming of unmarried and working mothers, the dangers of women’s liberation, and the sexualization of a child), and The Stepford Wives (1975; more fear of women’s liberation and working outside the home, mirroring the current “trad wives” trend).

The Omen (1976) showcases more reproductive violence and what Johnson calls “benign patriarchy gone malignant”: when Robert Thorn is “just trying to do the right thing” and “help” his wife Katherine by making decisions about her body without her consent. In this case, not letting his wife know that her baby (apparently) died at birth, instead substituting a baby from a mother who died during childbirth. Of course, the baby turns out to be the Antichrist, but goshdarnit, Robert was just trying to do the right thing for her! She didn’t need to know that Damien wasn’t really her baby - who’s it really going to hurt?

Alien (1979) at first might seem like an odd fit with the other films mentioned, since it is science fiction and Ripley does make it off the Nostromo alive, but Alien “... asks male viewers to imagine a world in which they had no agency over their reproductive lives, even when their lives, in point of fact, were on the line.” The alien does not discriminate, just looking for a warm body to reproduce - men are as vulnerable as women to rape (ie, face hugging). In addition to reproductive violence, Alien also touches on domestic violence, when Ash the android brutally attacks Ripley to ensure that he completes the mission for the company, to bring back alien specimens, even if he must force them down her throat.

Johnson ends by considering The Shining (1980), another film about domestic abuse (Wendy and Danny both victims of Jack Torrance), the difficulties of leaving an abuser, and the need for someone who will listen and help them escape from the abuse. This chapter is especially horrifying because it describes the terrible treatment of Shelley Duvall by director Stanley Kubrick, breaking her down until she was barely functioning.

After the analysis of these six films, Johnson concludes with two important chapters: a chapter on “bad men making good films” (ie, Polanski, Friedkin, Kubrick) and films critical to the rebirth of the domestic horror genre (Paranormal Activity, Creep, and Creep 2); and a chapter on domestic horror films since Roe fell, including two prequels directed by women (The First Omen and Apartment 7A (Rosemary’s Baby)).

Scream With Me is one of the most solid feminist studies of horror films since Men, Women and Chainsaws by Carol Clover, first published in 1992. It’s a highly accessible read, since many people know these films. I appreciate and applaud Johnson’s unique approach to domestic horror, and hope it finds a wide audience in and out of the film classroom. Johnson's analysis matters and needs to be heard. .

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book that looks at acclaimed horror movies of the 70's and the way the reflecting the growth of feminism and the changing role of how society viewed women, and how these rights have been taken away in our new uglier modern world.

Having an illegal cable box meant that I had access to a grand amount of movies that a person my age should never have had access to. Italian zombi movies, Emmanuelle movies, stoner comedy and others sorts. Most of these I watched with my Dad, well not the Emmanuelle movies. My father worked nights, so on his days off it took him a long time to go to sleep. So I would stay up an watch movies with him. Watching movies with my Dad was never a quiet event. He talked through films constantly, laughing, repeating jokes, making new jokes, pointing out references, other films and anything else that crossed his mind. Dad was pretty free about what we watched, the commentary being a lesson sometimes. What he did not like was movies that were violent to women. Which was a lot. I remember a lot of flicks where he would say, well that guy hates women, and flip to another channel, looking for Cheech and Chong films, his favorite. Reading this book, I thought a lot about those films that I used to watch, and began to think of them in new ways. My father would have enjoyed this book, not because of the film discussion, nor the writing which is really good, but because Dr. Johnson takes a new view of classic films, and makes them new in ways that are uncomfortable, but fascinating. Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (1968-1980) by Dr. Eleanor Johnson is a look at six well known films of the 70's and how these films reflect the way women were viewed, the battles for abortions and equal rights, freedom, and how easily it can be taken away.

The book begins with Dr. Johnson about to view Rosemary's Baby with her class, just as the Supreme Court in 2022 decided to strike down Roe Vs. Wade, thereby ending abortion access for many people. The book focuses on six movies, many considered the best in the genre of horror, movies that have been written and studied on all levels. Johnson looks at these films as a mirror to what women had dealt with, and continued to deal with, even as many of these issues were still being discussed. The movies are Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives, The Exorcist, The Omen, Alien and The Shining. Johnson looks at all of them, discussing domestic abuse, female autonomy, the fear of male assault, and of males being made as fearful, even the roles of women in society. The book looks at the modern role of horror as being a mirror, discussing recent films and how women becoming directors, stars and writers of horror, along with all the problems going on in the world have changed the medium.

A book that made me look at movies I have watched, read about, watched documentaries and commentaries on seem new and different. And in some places a little uglier. Johnson is a great writer, a passionate lover of rights for women and of the power of cinema. I must admit to a little bit of trepidation as I have read countless things about this movies, but Johnson points out things I never noticed, tied it into to history, and really opened my eyes in many ways. More than once I annoyed some workmates with comments, which I love in a book. Johnson really understands film and has done a lot of research, finding interviews, looking at casts and where movies where filmed, along with dropping a lot of information about the lives of women I knew but never really contemplated.

A new way of looking at movies that are familiar, and still hold up. I enjoyed Johnson's discourse on the sequels and aslo the mentions made of new kinds of horror movies that I have missed. A book I enjoyed for the film information, the history and the writing. I can't wait to read more by Dr. Johnson.

Scream With Me is a visually rich and nostalgia-heavy tribute to the heyday of horror paperbacks, but it occasionally prioritizes fanboy enthusiasm over deeper critical analysis. While the book excels at capturing the energy and aesthetic of 80s and 90s horror publishing—complete with garish cover art and pulpy plotlines—it often skirts meaningful engagement with the cultural and literary impact of the genre. It's a fun lookback for horror fans.

This book intrigued me from the second I saw the cover. I have always had an appreciation for horror movies and this book took it up a notch. Looking at movies like The Shining and The Omen from a feminist point of view really makes you think and process the movies a little differently. I appreciated the insights that the author brought to the genre and would highly recommend this to anyone who loves horror movies and has an interest in women's rights and issues that still plague us today.