Book Review: Horror for Weenies

Emily C. Hughes, Horror for weenies: everything you need to know about the films you are too scared to watch. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781683694250.

Do you feel left out because your family and/or friends like horror movies and you don't?

Do you feel isolated at gatherings when people talk about horror movies, and you stay silent because you don't watch horror films?

Well, worry no more. Here is a book to help you learn about classics in the genre so you can fit in better with your horror loving friends. 

Horror for Weenies is your guide to the horror film genre. It is written for folks who are not into the genre so they can learn enough to be conversant. Let me note up front that movie spoilers are included, so read accordingly. This book is part of a new series to help demystify different genres in pop culture. Based on this book, I may look for the others in time. 

The book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction: Why Horror Matters.
• Preface: Horror Cinema's Early Years.
• The 1960s and 1970s.
• The 1980s and 1990s.
• The 2000s and 2010s.
• More Horror Resources. 

The book discusses 25 movies in total. These are pretty popular films that most folks will at least recognize. Each movie entry includes: 

• The Basic Idea. A couple of sentences on what the movie is about. Think of this as the elevator pitch. 
• You Might Actually Want to Watch If. A reason you may want to actually see it. 
• But You Should Definitely Avoid If. Reason not to watch. This could be a specific issue, a trigger, or other reason. 
• Okay, Here's Exactly What Happens. This plot summary tells you exactly what happens. No detail is left out, and spoilers are included. If you are planning on watching this movie, skip this part if spoilers bother you. 
• Why It Matters. A discussion of a film's significance and place in pop culture.
• Iconic Moments. 
• Can't Watch It? Read These Instead. A short list of books you can ready instead in the genre. If a movie is based on a book, that movie book is included in the list. 
• Throughout the entries and the book you get "pop ups" and insets with tropes and other trivia.

This is a fun book to read. It is not comprehensive; it is not meant to be. The 25 movies it does cover are discussed very well. Usually I am not a fan of movie explications. I just want to watch and enjoy a movie. I did enough criticism in past days, so I prefer to avoid it. The book presents film criticism and explication in an easy to read and fun way. It does not feel academic at all, and that is a good thing. If you are a "weenie," someone not into the genre, you will learn a bit in an accessible and at times humorous way. Movie fans may appreciate some of the trivia and details presented, maybe learn a new bit of movie history too. 

If you want to learn more and delve deeper, the resources list includes documentaries and books that may be of interest. 

Overall, I really liked this book. It is a great book to browse, but you can also read it cover to cover and get a pretty good history of horror films. Recommended for all libraries, especially public libraries. Just place it next to the movies collection. Academic librarians with strong popular culture collections may want to add it. I'd consider it for our collection as recreational reading.

5 out of 5 stars. 

Additional reading notes: 

The author spends a lot of time thinking about horror: 

"But coming to the genre with new eyes, I found myself fascinated by the craft of horror, the storytelling methods and cinematography tricks employed by filmmakers to evoke fear, dread, and anxiety" (9). 

This is in contrast to me. While I enjoy at times thinking about the craft of horror, I am not obsessive about it. For the most part, I don't want to spend time thinking and taking films apart or other minutiae. I mostly just want to watch or read it, enjoy it, and done. I do not feel the need to write the thesis after experiencing it. It does not mean I could not write such a thesis; I do have the academic timing to do so. I just don't want to do it. 

A bit on how the author chose the movies: 

"I did my best to focus on influence over popularity; the vast majority of the movies in this book are those that founded, defined, or irrevocably changed a subgenre, the entire genre, or even the artistic landscape of cinema overall. They're also, yes, generally scary, disturbing, disgusting, unnerving, or some combination of the above" (10). 

This book qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenge: