On August 19, 2025, entertainment journalist Ashley Cullins delivers the definitive insider’s guide to the Scream saga with Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror. Drawing on new interviews with over eighty pivotal contributors—ranging from Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox to creator Kevin Williamson and voice of Ghostface Roger L. Jackson—Cullins dissects how a modest slasher flick transformed a dying genre into a cultural juggernaut.
Cullins opens with the original 1996 smash, charting writer Kevin Williamson’s teenaged obsession with Halloween and his self-aware screenplay that balanced gruesome kills with razor-sharp wit. As Library Journal praises, “Cullins offers the most comprehensive look at a very self-aware slasher series, providing knowledgeable fans with even more insight and a glimpse of Scream’s future.”
Inside Woodsboro’s Hidden Horror
Fans will revel in anecdotes from the set: Parker Posey on improvising meta quips, Matthew Lillard on the origins of his iconic “Stu” persona, and Jack Quaid recalling the technical hurdles of Ghostface’s garrote gag. Even horror veteran Courteney Cox reflects on navigating drama scenes under Wes Craven’s exacting eye.
Cullins frames Scream as the blueprint for modern horror’s hybrid identity. As Kevin Williamson himself raves in the book, “Your Favorite Scary Movie is the definitive story of Scream, a true bible of its history and legacy. I learned so much about this franchise that I never knew. Brilliant!” This critical endorsement underlines how the series fused self-reflexive humor with edge-of-your-seat suspense, a formula now imitated across Hollywood.
In an exclusive quote for HelloSidney.com, Cullins reflected on her personal journey writing the book:
“Scream was my first favorite movie, scary or otherwise, so working on this book has been a delightful and surreal experience. I decided early on that the best way to approach covering 30 years of cinematic history was to lean into the moments that were most memorable and important to the people who made these films. That often meant embracing unexpected detours in conversations — like the elaborate prank Wes Craven pulled on the set of Music of the Heart, or his quick thinking when Carrie Fisher’s Scream 3 dialogue got a little too meta. Whether you’ve been a Scream fan since the 90’s and want to hear untold stories, or you’re a movie lover interested in what John Carpenter thinks about the psychology of fear, I think you’ll enjoy the ride. I know I did.”
The book also brings a fresh perspective by featuring voices not directly involved with the franchise — like filmmaker John Carpenter, who knew Wes Craven personally and offers insight into the psychology of fear. Cullins also spoke with fellow directors and film scholars to round out the larger cultural and academic context of Scream’s impact.
Echoes of the Killer
In a fitting twist, Ghostface himself—via Roger L. Jackson—brings this history to life with the audiobook narration. Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter, “It is my hope that everyone who listens to this audiobook enjoys it as much as I enjoyed reading it. So well written, with depth and nuance… This is essential reading for anyone interested in Scream.” His voice adds an extra layer of authenticity to every chilling anecdote.
From its #1 bestseller status in Amazon’s Horror Movies, to rave reviews from Kevin Williamson and New York Times’ Riley Sager (“I devoured it like it was a bowl of Jiffy Pop.”), Cullins’ tome cements Scream’s place in pop-culture lore. It’s a must-read for cinephiles, horror aficionados, and anyone curious how a cheeky slasher rewrote the rulebook—and continues to haunt our screens.
