• How To Survive a Horror Movie

  • All the Skills to Dodge the Kills
  • By: Seth Grahame-Smith
  • Narrated by: Johnny Heller
  • Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (807 ratings)

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How To Survive a Horror Movie  By  cover art

How To Survive a Horror Movie

By: Seth Grahame-Smith
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
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Publisher's summary

Seth Grahame-Smith delivers the definitive, essential guide to making it through a horror movie in one piece. As hilarious as it is useful (if you’re trapped in a scary flick, that is), How to Survive a Horror Movie covers all the bases. Trapped in a haunted house? Check. Stalked by an evil doll? Check. Wandering aimlessly through the remains of the old world as a plague of zombies sweeps over the planet? Check. Grahame-Smith's delightfully gruesome guide is just the thing for horror buffs and anyone who has ever watched a scary movie.

©2007 Quirk Productions, Inc. (P)2008 Recorded Books,LLC

What listeners say about How To Survive a Horror Movie

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Entertaining. What I expected

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nope, he has it covered.

Was How To Survive a Horror Movie worth the listening time?

Yes, I didn't listen to it as I would a normal audiobook. I would listen to a chapter or two a morning as my day was getting started for some amusement. Then, when it was easier to focus my attention or listen in longer chunks of time I would switch to whatever else I was listening to for more serious "reading". I bought it during a sale on audible and am happy I did. However, I would not spend a whole credit on it. But since the question is "is it worth the listening time", I will say yes. Just understand what kind of book it is first, though, or you may be disappointed.

Any additional comments?

The book was a fun listen overall. I thought it was narrated very well. I often found myself chuckling at one thing or another. At other times I felt like the author was reaching a bit to be humorous and stretch the length of the book.Do not go into this book thinking there is an actual story. It is written in the format of any other kind of survival manual only I am even less likely of needing this one than my zombie apocalypse survival manual (wouldn't have thought that possible). So, it could be a bit tedious to listen to for long periods at a time.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Useful to escape demonic alien psychopaths

I was trapped in a horror movie with devil worshipping psychopaths from another dimension who wanted to destroy earth by casting a curse that would kill everybody in seven days. This book worked great!

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Short but hilarious!

If I watch a horror movie, I want to be scared--not startled. One of my biggest pet peeves is a horror movie that confuses the two. Worse yet is one that can't even startle me because they practically hold up a warning sign right before the startling thing happens. Example: Somebody says, "We'll be safe here." right before the "scary thing" comes bursting into the scene.

This book points out those warning signs so that you can tell whether or not you are in a horror movie and, if so, how to thwart the screenwriters and save yourself. I think it's a riot!

Some of the chapter titles are even funnier than the text. I think my favorite chapter title was, "What to Do if There are Children in Your Corn." At times like those, I could practically "see" the narrator moving his tongue into his cheek to keep from laughing, himself.

Highly recommended if you need a few hours of "the best medicine."

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Funny, but not fantastic

This is a good listen if you're into horror movies and you know a lot of the clichés and common tropes in those movies - its entire content is about playing off those things. It has chapters called things like "How to Find Out What Type of Horror Movie You're In" and is full of tongue-in-cheek advice on how to stay alive. It is funny and clever, but it's not particularly original. Good for a quick, light listen, but nothing special.

I don't mind the narrator but I do wonder if he was the best pick for this particular book - he sounds like an old-school radio DJ à la Casey Kasem and it doesn't really go with the content about zombies, slasher movies, etc. I think it could have been better with a different style of narration, but it's not too distracting as is.

Overall, it does succeed at being funny and we enjoyed listening to it, but there's nothing in it you wouldn't expect. It was just okay; not bad, but nothing you'll remember in any detail a few days after you listen to it.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

In love

If you think you need the book for the one or two visuals don't bother. The visuals in the book are just lacking and the reader trumps them by a mile. He really gets into the character that 'wrote' the book and its just awesome. I think he made the audible.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Fun :)

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. Like my headline says, this book is great fun. It would have been great to read anyway, but Johnny Heller's narration was fabulous and made it extra special.

What other book might you compare How To Survive a Horror Movie to and why?

Haven't read or listened to anything like this before...

Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not to my knowledge, but I'll be looking for his name in future.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Lots of laughs and smiles here for me. As soon as I finished listening to it I went back and started it again. This will get multiple listens.

Any additional comments?

If you're looking for something fun, this is for you.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Glad I didn't pay full price.

Would you try another book from Seth Grahame-Smith and/or Johnny Heller?

Oh sure, I like the novels ok. Loved Lincoln. I was just expecting to really laugh out loud and it never got to that point.

Would you recommend How To Survive a Horror Movie to your friends? Why or why not?

probably not, unless they were already a fan.

What three words best describe Johnny Heller’s voice?

Unforgettable? Regular guy? I can't remember it being outstanding in any way.

Was How To Survive a Horror Movie worth the listening time?

So-so.

Any additional comments?

I'm glad I didn't pay full price, it was ok but not something I thought about later at all, didn't find it all that funny or interesting. And I LOVE the idea of it. Sorry!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good for what it is.

This was a short fun book with a lot of laughs. Hardcore horror fans are sure to love it as he nails a lot of the cliche horror movie happenings. This book pokes fun at horror movies and itself and that's something we all need to be able to do.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The perfect survival guide

There are all kinds of survival guides in this world ranging from living in the frozen tundra to not being baked or eaten alive if you have to make an emergency landing in the Sahara. But none of these even come close to preparing you for what awaits you in life like How To Survive a Horror Movie.

If you enjoy horror and want to get a tongue-in-cheek look at how to deal with some of your old faves, you will enjoy this richly presented audio version of this wonderful book.

Also, listening before bed may help alleviate nightmares since the steps within can be converted to dealing with those also.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wildly funny and very well read

This one really comes together. The text is great. It covers all the standard cliches of horror movie writing and it's read in one of the best ways of reading it: with the tough, weary cynicism of a veteran.

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3 people found this helpful