How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive by Craig DiLouie
Redhook (June 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin
“Horror is cathartic medicine.”
Max Murray is on top of the world with the release of the third film in his popular slasher series, Jack The Knife. But when he notices laughter in the audience at the film’s premiere, something shifts within him. There’s a new and profound desperation to create real horror and to be taken seriously at all costs.
Sally Priest, an eager up-and-coming actress, longs for the starring role in a horror film, but not as the bad girl again. She wants to be the final girl.
When Max discovers a legendary camera at a yard sale that captured a real and violent Hollywood tragedy, he knows he has to use it to shoot his next film… and Sally lands a role! But there’s more to this camera. There’s evil within it.
How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive by Craig DiLouie is a fun and stylish meta-horror story that will thrill genre fans. The book includes nods to horror filmmakers, genre tropes, and movies. Each section begins with a quote from horror icons like Dario Argento (director of Suspiria) and David Cronenberg (director of Scanners). I appreciated this detail.
DiLouie’s dark comedy is a fantastic exploration of filmmaking that comes with a generous dose of Hollywood satire. I loved the entanglement of these subjects through the lens of 1980s-like horror. It was one of the most amusing things about this read.
Another thing I enjoyed in How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive was the feeling that I, the reader, was sometimes sitting with a friend discussing our love of horror. DiLouie’s passion for the genre is the beating heart beneath this daunting and humorous book. When the pacing slowed, this was what kept me on the line.
The kills in this book are creative, surprising, and fabulously gory, and they’ll leave your jaw on the floor. Tossed between feeling impressed — like that little glee horror fans feel when they appreciate a character’s horrific demise — and shock, DiLouie makes readers antsy with anticipation. Who’s next?
I enjoyed the characters in this book but didn’t feel particularly attached to any of them. I favored Max’s point of view, and there were a few places, particularly within Sally’s chapters, where I was eager to get back to Max. However, both had strong character arcs that made for a satisfying conclusion that has stuck with me since reading How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive.
Readers who enjoyed Silvia Moreno Garcia’s Silver Nitrate, Tim Waggoner’s novelization of Ti West’s X trilogy, or Paul Tremblay’s Horror Movie will love How To Make A Horror Movie and Survive.
I look forward to reading DiLouie’s Bram Stoker Award-nominated novel Suffer the Children.
