I knew it! Horror really does make you happy and healthy.

S.A. Bradley's book is the Danse Macabre for Generation X and later. Chapter after chapter, Bradley discusses different subgenres of horror film, how each affected him on his personal journey, as well as the general psychologies of the eras in which they were produced. Bradley is well-read, articulate, and witty as he guides the reader through horror and, in the end, explains why it is an important yet vastly underrated benefit to humanity.

I've been a listener to Bradley's Hellbent For Horror podcast for quite some time now. Much of what has been discussed throughout the run of the podcast is revisited in some form in the book. However, the book is not a replacement for the podcast, nor is it a simple rehash. They are companions.

I highly recommend this book for any fan of horror flicks, especially if you've ever felt like an outcast because of your fandoms. ( )

Sometimes the only thing more disdained than horror films, is horror film fans. If, like me, you have been one for life, then you know what I am talking about, the roll of the eyes, the dismissive groan, the “I hate those movies” retort when you mention that THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE SHINING are among your favorite films, and God help you when you say you’ve got the DVDs and have watched them dozens of times, that automatically makes you fit company for psycho killers. But the great consolation to all that withering scorn is other horror fans, and the joy that comes from meeting someone who shares your passions, someone who has suffered the derision of those who refuse to get it, and who understands why we love to be scared in the most wonderful way possible again and again. S.A. Bradley, to paraphrase the classic film FREAKS, is “one of us,” and his book, SCREAMING FOR PLEASURE, is a love letter to the misunderstood genre we revere so much, but more than that, a full throttled defense of horror films, music and books, and the people who are drawn to these works of art.

I have been a fan of Scott Bradley’s podcast, Hellbent for Horror, for several years now, and this book is a good companion to the show, where he discusses the many aspects of the genre, and what it is about them that speaks to us so strongly. It is also a deeply personal book, as Scott details how a passion for horror films and books helped him through a less than ideal childhood, and some rough patches as an adult, and along the way gained a deep understanding of why horror connected with him, and more importantly, how it helped him cope with life. Scott also has a keen eye for why the genre has endured, how a film like THE EXORCIST spoke to the anxieties of the 1970’s, or how the 2004 remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD commented on the response to 9/11. He also does not waste time defending the un-defendable, such as the endless rip offs of HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH that glutted the slasher subgenre in the 80’s. He gives due deference to George Romero, Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg, discussing their innovative works in detail, showing how they were onto something at a time when most other film makers had blinders on. There is a chapter devoted to the “Satanic Panic” of the 70’s and 80’s, when the likes of Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Black Sabbath horrified parents and teachers everywhere, and as someone who is not a fan of Metal music, I found this chapter most enlightening. Scott makes the case that horror is alive and well in the 21st Century, and shows how it has changed with the times, appealing to a new audience, now with the help of women directors who often bring a unique perspective to the horror films they make.

The book is easy to read, there is no section that is not on point, or a view not coherently explained in plain language. Though many films are discussed in detail, Scott does not give away any spoilers, even to classics that have been out for decades, he clearly wants the uninitiated to seek them out for themselves and find out what he means. Both the podcast and this book have given me more than a few titles that have prompted a Netflix search, and I am certain more than one reader of SCREAMING FOR PLEASURE will do the same. I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE are but two horror masterpieces I probably would never have seen if Scott Bradley had not put me on to them first. The book is also filled with more than one great anecdote, but I think my favorite is Scott’s account of being taken by his father to see Carpenter’s remake of THE THING in 1982, and why the excursion did not turn out as expected. I loved his take on Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, and why it is a much better film about race relations in America than Kathryn Bigelow’s heavy handed drama DETROIT, while making the point that it is perfectly okay to enjoy the former as a straight up horror film and forget about the social commentary. Personally, I think GET OUT was overrated as both, and that is the kind of discussion SCREAMING FOR PLEASURE is trying to provoke.

So rejoice horror fans, read SCREAMING FOR PLEASURE and go online and find Hellbent for Horror, you will be right at home. ( )