Studio of Screams

by Stephen R. Bissette, Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon

AN ANTHOLOGY of inter-conected stories by Stephen R. Bissette, Mark Morris, Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon, Stephen Volk.

“I think it’s true to say,” says horror wunderkind Stephen Volk, “that many of us horror writers of a certain generation have treasured memories of Hammer Films, Amicus Productions and their ilk. In fact, their output of genre classics is so important that some of us have secretly longed for a way to relive and recapture the excitement we had when we first experienced them.

"That was my exact impulse when I first talked to Mark Morris about a book proposal entitled The Blythewood Horror Film Omnibus—an unashamed homage to John Burke’s Hammer Horror Film Omnibus, a fat paperback that came out in the sixties, comprising four novellas based on upcoming horror films. The difference being that our “Blythewood” would be a studio that never existed. Our four films would be movies that we’d invent from scratch. Movies we wished we could have seen as feature films when we were growing up. And now we can – in book form – thanks to PS."

CONTENTS

* Prologue (by Stephen R. Bissette)
* Sword of the Demon (by Mark Morris)
* Interview the First (by Stephen R. Bissette)
* The Devil's Circus (by Christopher Golden)
* Interview the Second (by Stephen R. Bissette)
* Castle of the Lost (by Tim Lebbon)
* Interview the Third (by Stephen R. Bissette)
* The Squeamish (by Stephen Volk)
* Interview the Fourth & Epilogue (by Stephen R. Bissette)

417 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

Stephen R. Bissette is an American comics artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is best known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC comic Swamp Thing in the 1980s.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blythewood, a studio held in the same high regard as Hammer and Amicus.

Studio Of Screams brings together the authorised novelizations of four Blythewood classic horror films

After each story there's a delightful interview which reveals more about the studio and the movies.

1) Sword Of The Demon

The classic cursed tomb/object theme is brought to life brilliantly by Mark Morris. The pre/post story interview is a joy.

2) The Devil's Circus

A superbly claustrophobic tale of missing kids, the circus and freaky clowns.

I couldn't get Tod Browning's Freaks out of my head as I read this. Not sure if that was Christopher Golden's intention but it worked beautifully for me.

3) Castle Of The Lost

Well that escalated quickly 😲

Blythewood adds gratuitous sex and violence to its movies in this tale of a war veteran returning to his childhood home with his own family.

Another superb story & interview.

4) The Squeamish

My favourite story in the book.

A superb tale about censorship and the battle between director and the dreaded scissors.

Nunsploitation!

Wonderfully entertaining and along with the interview this is a must read.

Studio Of Screams is a wonderful read. It captures the essence of what I love about those old Amicus movies perfectly. I really enjoyed how the stories escalate in sex and violence as times/attitudes change.

I thoroughly recommend you buy this book from PS Publishing. It also works as the perfect companion to another brilliant PS book, England's Screaming.

I really do hope we get to see more movies from Blythewood as Studio Of Screams is a brilliant read.

[Kit Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly suspect I’d have enjoyed this superb book in any year I’d encountered it; but I have to say, in 2020, it was a particular delight. A heady mix of escapism, fake film history blended with fact (and I must tip my hat to the genius idea of casting real players, an audacious idea that for my money paid off perfectly), and a metanarrative that lands a decidedly uncozy punch, this book was exactly what I was craving. Four superb novella-length yarns by four world-class horror writers, each giving their own loving tribute to a very particular moment in British cinema history. Add in PS Publishing’s usual outstanding production values on the hardback, including gorgeous artwork for the cover of each ‘novelization’, and you have what was hands-down one of my straight-up happiest reading experiences of the year.

Full review at: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/fictio...

[Anthony Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all four novellas in here - with my favourite probably Mark Morris' for the way it truly captured the feel of the original films on which the stories are modelled.
I enjoyed the linking narrative too - with its clever use of real films and people to add verisimilitude (although it's Derren, not Darren, Nesbitt - right up until the final "twist" which lacked any kind of wow factor and actually felt a bit naff. Shame, as the book was hugely enjoyable up to that point and would have gotten the full five stars otherwise.

[Jason Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the novellas are better than others (I generally thought they got better with each one), but overall I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The connecting story is a mystery that's not fully resolved until the last page, and I got a kick out of the final reveal. Definitely recommended if you're a fan of 70's cinema, as you'll get all the references.

[Ian Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute hoot. Loved every minute..... This would make a great 4 part series. Come on netflix