Mums + Sons: An Examination of the Child/Parent Relationship 

New horror analysis pocketbook by Rebecca McCallum available from 15 April 

A fresh, intellectual perspective on mother-son relationships in three essential horror films comes from author Rebecca McCallum in her pocketbook Mums + Sons: An Examination of the Child/Parent Relationship. 

McCallum’s analysis offers a detailed, insightful and critical examination of the often-overlooked familial relationships in three landmark films that span five decades. The pocketbook is available in a sleek and stylish design with artwork from Ken Wynne (Editor-in-Chief at Attack from Planet B). 

The book uses three stages of life reflected in these films. We begin in The Babadook with childhood, move to teenage years in Hereditary and finally reach adulthood in Psycho. McCallum guides the reader through these films to highlight the difference and similarities of the mother/son dynamic. 

Each of the eight chapters shines a light onto an array of themes, including family trauma, the damaging nature of secrets, notions of doubling and duality and the ultimate taboo, the horror of motherhood. 

Independent press house Plastic Brain Press present this book with eye-catching artwork by the talented Ken Wynne, making Mums + Sons a must-have for horror enthusiasts and to anyone with an interest in film analysis.

About the Author 

Mums and Sons is the first feature length publication by Rebecca McCallum, an established writer of horror think-pieces who combines feminist thinking with close film analysis. She is also Assistant Editor at Ghouls Magazine. Rebecca previously published with Rue Morgue a four-part series ‘Women of the Jack the Ripper Films’ and has been published with Dread Central, Evolution of Horror, Jumpcut Online. She also published print essays in print on women in horror for Grim Journal and for Hear Us Scream-Horror Anthology, Volume 1. She has an ongoing series with Moving Pictures Film Club on the ‘Women in Hitchcock’s Films’ and has written several articles for Ghouls Magazine and Zobo with a Shotgun. 

Advance praise for Mums + Sons: 

‘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 of 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 

Early copies are available on request (please note limited) for reviews. To request a copy please contact Rebecca McCallum at pumpkinpendle@gmail.com 

Pre Order from 15 April 2022 https://linktr.ee/plasticbrainpress  

Publish Date 6 May 2022 

Retails @ £7.00 

Contact and links: 

Rebecca McCallum | pumpkinpendle@gmail.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PendlePumpkin 

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

Linktree: @PendlePumpkin | Linktree

VINCENT’S ARCHIVE – MUMS + SONS