The Horror of It All: One Moviegoer's Love Affair With Masked Maniacs, Frightened Virgins, and the Living Dead…

Written by Adam Rockoff

Narrated by R.C. Bray

Horror films have simultaneously captivated and terrified audiences for generations, racking up billions of dollars at the box office and infusing our nightmares with unrelenting zombies, chain saw-wielding madmen, and myriad incarnations of ghosts, ghouls, and the devil himself. Despite evolving modes of storytelling and the fluctuating popularity of other genres, horror endures. The Horror of It All is a memoir from the front lines of the industry that dissects (and occasionally defends) the hugely popular phenomenon of scary movies.

Author Adam Rockoff traces the highs and lows of the horror genre through the lens of his own obsessive fandom, born in the aisles of his local video store and nurtured with a steady diet of cable trash. From Siskel and Ebert's crusade against slasher films to horror's renaissance in the wake of Scream, Rockoff mines the rich history of the genre, braiding critical analysis with his own firsthand experiences. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781494577728

Reviews for The Horror of It All

[Dave Dreher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. Insightful, entertaining, informative, and fun. Highly recommended. Give it a read or listen.

[Matt C · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! Couldn't stop listening. Very relatable and entertaining! A great read/listen for any horror fan.

[mstrust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fun yet knowledgeable look at horror movies that focuses mostly on the slashers of the 80's. Rockoff is a life-long fan of horror who has written the screenplays for a couple himself, so he has a lot of insider knowledge and connections with people who make their living in the horror genre. He is especially a fan of the low-budget only-four-people-have-ever-heard-of-it type of movie, the vast majority of which, based on his descriptions, I would never watch. He covers all different types of scary movies from about the last 40 years, including the ones that are still putting out sequel after sequel right now. But he doesn't stick just to discussing movies. He talks about spending second grade with a mean teacher, his parents' video store, the PMRC hearings of the 80's, Al Gore's business dealings and the reception to his college class film. Rockoff is a self-deprecating guy who often makes fun of his own writing, yet is a strident feminist who, throughout the book, points out gender inequality. With all these surprises, I really liked this one.