Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film

by Rebecca Booth (Editor), Valeska Griffiths (Editor), Erin Thompson (Editor)

Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film is an anthology exploring religious and supernatural themes across the pantheon of horror cinema. From atheism in Lovecraft’s cinematic adaptations, to martyrdom in modern-day horror, to the relationship between the feline-fatale and zoolatry, the book traces the historical landscape carved by religion, folklore and the cinematic church of horror—culminating in analyses of contemporary, and specifically mainstream, trends. The first in a small series dedicated to religion in the horror film from House of Leaves Publishing, the book includes a foreword by Doug Bradley—“Pinhead” himself—and contributions from myriad leading film critics, historians and writers.

First edition (limited to 100 copies with a numbered certificate).

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Film

401 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2020

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal collection from a diverse group of film theorists and critics, Scared Sacred examines the ways that horror films distill and reflect wider cultural opinions on religion and theology.

It certainly includes the films you'd expect to see (Exorcist, Amityville, Hellraiser) but also dives deeper, spanning films from the dawn of cinema to recent releases, and looking at how theology is treated in films from around the world.

The entire book is professional, well-designed from the eye-catching cover to the moody wood-block inspired artwork throughout. The essays are all high-quality and thoughtful (there were two I marked to read later, as they discuss films I'm planning on seeing soon).

Scared Sacred is a great addition to any film lover's library!

[Mark Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent set of essays about the intersection of horror and religion, with each covering one or two movies on a common theme.

[Dave Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding collection. Every essay is worth reading; my favorites were about the Hellraiser series, The Omen, and Seytan & Jinn.

[Kevin Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit more academic and dry than I expected, although that fault lies with myself, this is an excellent collection of essays looking at religion and religiosity in horror movies. A minor error or two may cause some to become wary, and there are some readings extrapolating historical data in ways that feel very much like a bit of reverse-engineering, but the lengthy examination of Ganja & Hess is one of the best essays of its type I have read, and a near-perfect celebration of an important film that doesn’t always receive the love and attention it deserves.