Screaming and Conjuring

CLARK COLLIS is a British entertainment journalist who has contributed to The Guardian, Empire, Q, Mojo, and Entertainment Weekly, where he was a senior writer for 18 years. He grew up in Wells, Somerset, and studied history at Cambridge University. Collis is the author of the 2021 book You've Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life and 2025's Screaming and Conjuring: The Resurrection and Unstoppable Rise of the Modern Horror Movie. He is also co-head of acquisitions at the streaming service BloodStream.

Praise for SCREAMING AND CONJURING:“One of the best books of the year.” — Sight and Sound / BFI (British Film Institute)#5 on the Entertainment Weekly "MUST LIST" in September, 2025. "Clark Collis explores a true golden age of modern horror by exhuming the bloody great era between the first Scream and Conjuring films via in-depth interviews and rarely seen photos.“ — Entertainment Weekly“An amazing account of one of the wildest, blood-soaked periods in modern cinema. A treasure chest of bloody good memories and stories from everyone who lived through it. A must-read for any horror fan who wants to know how the sausage is disemboweled.” — Eli Roth (director, Thanksgiving / Hostel / Cabin Fever)“The breadth and depth of this horror history is impressive…There’s deep, rich research here, and a clutch of new interviews, from scream queens (Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell) to behind-the-scenes legends (Sam Raimi, Greg Nicotero). Collis unearths some fun stories, too: Jamie Kennedy’s dad having hummus with Steven Seagal at the Scream premiere; Kevin Bacon having Vaseline rubbed onto his penis for Hollow Man; [Wes] Craven’s love of birdwatching [and more].” — Empire“The veteran entertainment journalist dives deep. With fascinating tidbits, interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, it’s a must-have for any genre fan.“ — Variety“The Substance (2024), a body-horror flick, was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in March; Michael B. Jordan and Amy Madigan are attracting Oscar buzz for their performances in Sinners and Weapons, respectively. This is a golden age for horror films. Why and how did it come about? Clark Collis addresses the second question in Screaming and Conjuring, a deeply reported account of the genre’s reanimation." — The Economist“Clark Collis has been one of the most consistent champions of horror films I’ve ever met in my life. This is a definite recommendation if you are a horror fan.” — Jeffrey Reddick (creator of the Final Destination film franchise)“If you love horror movies, you can't *not* read Clark Collis' new book. Totally definitive!“ — Rhett Reese (co-writer, Zombieland series / Deadpool series)“A must-have…and it doesn’t hurt when the book itself is a gorgeous work of art.” — Rue Morgue“Screaming and Conjuring is the definitive, five-hundred page history of the modern horror film.” — Fangoria“[Screaming and Conjuring] is engaging, thoroughly researched, bursting with knowledge, and in the best possible way, scholarly. It’s one of the best books on modern horror available. 4/4 stars.“ – The Dark Side“No mere coffee table book, this is a dense, scary, deeply researched 500 pages on how horror rose to dominate the 21st century. EVERYONE is in there somewhere.” — C. Robert Cargill (screenwriter, The Black Phone series / Sinister series)“A thoroughly definitive, comprehensive, and meticulous assembly of horrors.“ — Corin Hardy (director, The Nun)“Clark Collis weaves his way through the movies released between Scream and The Conjuring with impeccable research and remarkable clarity. Scream changed the game. The Conjuring launched the biggest horror franchise of all time. Screaming and Conjuring is a wonderful time capsule of everything that happened in the horror world in between.“ — John Squires (editor-in-chief, Bloody Disgusting)“Not only does Screaming and Conjuring define the era that defined an era, this in-depth autopsy maps out the entire circulatory system of horror, painstakingly cataloguing every blood cell of celluloid.” — Clay McLeod Chapman (author, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes)“A delicious account of horror from the '90s to present day.“ — Larry Fessenden (writer and director, Habit and The Last Winter)“A well-researched and engaging look at this era.“ — Library JournalAcclaim for Clark Collis' previous book YOU'VE GOT RED ON YOU:“Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and more offer unique insights into the making of their 2004 zombie comedy classic, Shaun of the Dead. The 424-page book traces the film’s story, from late-night pub conversations about surviving the zombie apocalypse to an unexpected hit at Comic-Con 2004.” — Rolling Stone“A sharply written, thorough, and loving tribute to a modern-day cinema classic.“ — Kirkus, starred review“You've Got Red on You is a must-buy.” — Fangoria“Witty and deeply researched. What a wonderful, fun, fascinating read.“ — MovieMaker“An exemplary movie retrospective, one which combines an astonishing amount of research with a real flair for storytelling. 5/5 stars.“ — SFX“Just look at Clark Collis's stunning book on the making of Shaun Of The Dead. The red metallic page edging, the cover art, the inside... it's a thing of beauty. In other words: how's that for a slice of fried gold?” — Ali Plumb, BBC Radio 1“A really entertaining read and, if you’re a fan of the film, very illuminating on the struggles to not only get it made, but also to have the film be taken seriously. If you’ve ever wanted to make a movie, you’ll learn a lot in You’ve Got Red on You.” — Shaun of the Dead co-writer/director Edgar Wright“So many relationships grow and expand over the course of Collis' book that readers will find themselves falling in love with Shaun of the Dead – to say nothing of Wright, Pegg, and Frost – all over again, twenty years on. 4/4 stars.“ — Starburst“[You've Got Red on You] gives unparalleled access to near everyone involved with the movie, plus sketches, script drafts, storyboards, and BTS photos aplenty.“ — Total Film“One of the best books of the year.“ — Buzz Magazine“If you’re a fan of Shaun of the Dead or a filmmaker influenced by the films of Wright this is essential reading. It is so good we read it twice before this review.” — Screen Anarchy

• IntroductionChapter 1: “What’s your favorite scary movie?”Chapter 2: “The way I see it, someone's out to make a sequel.”Chapter 3: “I see dead people.”Chapter 4: “You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?”Chapter 5: “Sometimes the world of the living gets mixed up with the world of the dead.”Chapter 6: “There was something in the blood.”Chapter 7: “I want to play a game.”Chapter 8: “Demons exist, whether you believe in them or not.”Chapter 9: “Well, now that is some fucked-up shit.”Chapter 10: “My mother told me to be wary of fauns.”Chapter 11: “There’s something in the mist.”Chapter 12: “Because you were home.”Chapter 13: “Game over.”Chapter 14: “There is something horrible happening in my house.”Epilogue: “Who gives a f*ck about the movies?!”AcknowledgmentsImage CreditsIndexAbout the Author