Mums + Sons in The Babadook, Hereditary and Psycho is the Latest Release From Rebecca McCallum

Welcome to our 2nd Annual Birthday Bash as Divination Hollow Reviews!

We’ll be celebrating all month long with a series of posts by our team and esteemed colleagues and this year’s theme is “Going to the Movies!” Join us as we share themed content with special “tickets” for each category inspired by cinema.

Celebrate with us!

Exploring familial relationships in new horror analysis pocketbook  Mums + Sons in The Babadook, Hereditary and Psycho 

From Rebecca McCallum,
Assistant Editor at Ghouls Magazine, contributor to Rue  Morgue,
Moving Pics Film Club, Dread Central and Grim Journal 

Mums + Sons: An Examination of the Child/Parent Relationship pocketbook New horror analysis pocketbook from Rebecca McCallum available now! 

A new, fresh and intellectual perspective on the relationships between mothers and sons in some of the most  popular horror films comes from author Rebecca McCallum in her pocketbook Mums + Sons: An Examination of the  Child/Parent Relationship. 

This analysis stands apart for its scope, breadth and detailed look at the often-overlooked familial relationships in  three landmark films that span across five decades. The pocketbook is available in a slickly designed format with  artwork from Ken Wynne (Editor-in-Chief at Attack from Planet B). 

Using three stages of life reflected in The Babadook (childhood), Hereditary (teenage years) and finally Psycho  (adulthood) to highlight both the difference and similarities of the mother /son dynamic. The work is split into eight  chapters that each seek to shine a light on a series of themes. This includes family trauma, the damaging nature of  secrets, notions of doubling and duality and, the ultimate taboo, the horror of motherhood. 

Published by independent press house, Plastic Brain Press and with accompanying eye-catching artwork by the  talented Ken Wynne, Mums + Sons is a must for horror enthusiasts across all platforms and more broadly to anyone  with an interest in film analysis.

About the Author 

Mums and Sons is the first feature length publication by Rebecca McCallum, writer of horror think  pieces which have a feminist leaning and take an analytical approach. She is also Assistant Editor at  Ghouls Magazine. Rebecca has a four part series on the Women of the Jack the Ripper films with  Rue Morgue and has been published with Dread Central, Evolution of Horror, Jumpcut Online as  well as several essays in print on women in horror for Grim Journal and for Hear Us Scream-Horror  Anthology, Volume 1. She also has an ongoing series on the Women in Hitchcocks' Films with  Moving Pictures Film Club and has written several articles for Ghouls Magazine and Zobo with a  Shotgun. 

Praise for Mums + Sons: 

Hear Us Scream : 5 Stars!

Ghouls Magazine : 5 Stars!

 Total Film Magazine:  3 Stars!

“Mums and Sons explores the idea that motherhood doesn't always smell of roses through the medium of three  well-known horror films. It is an interesting and fresh look at a topic that is not spoken about enough - what if  the bond between mother and son is broken, or fails to exist at all? Combining an academic approach with  knowledge of these classic horror narratives, McCallum offers an insight into the phenomenon that not all  women were born with maternal instincts.” 

Janine Pipe - author of Sausages - The Making of Dog Soldiers 

"If you think you know all there is to know about The Babadook, Hereditary, and Psycho, think again. In Mums  and Sons, Rebecca McCallum examines the relationships between mothers and their sons, taking readers on a  journey through three stages of complex emotional development: childhood, teenhood, and adulthood. Crafted  

with the voice of someone who is deeply reverent to horror's psychological intricacies, and with gorgeous  illustrations by Ken Wynne, McCallum proves herself an essential voice in the realm of horror scholarship." Mae Murray, Freelance writer and Editor of The Book of Queer Saints Horror Anthology 

“Insightful, inquisitive and forensic - Rebecca McCallum is an important emerging voice in horror criticism,  and Mothers and Sons represents some of her best work to date.” 

Tim Coleman, Editor Moving Pictures Film Club 

'Mums and Sons is a stunningly cohesive analysis of three of horror’s most devastating and disturbing takes on  the terrifying institution of family. Rebecca's passion for genre cinema is palpable in every word of this well crafted and thoughtful piece. Rebecca has woven relevant thematic strands from all three films into a poignant  tapestry that tackles the difficult topics of parental grief and oft-fraught relationships between mothers and  sons with sensitivity and detailed understanding.' 

Amber T -Ghouls Magazine 

Published by Plastic Bran Press Mums & Sons by Rebecca McCallum (plastic-brain-press.com) retailing at £7.00

Contact and links: 

Rebecca McCallum | pumpkinpendle@gmail.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PendlePumpkin 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pendlepumpkin/ 

Linktree: @PendlePumpkin | Linktree