Ever wanted to know what the Church thought of your favourite horror movie? Then check out The Vatican Versus Horror Movies.

This new book from academic and horror fanatic Matt Rogerson is a deep dive into the fascinating history of how the Catholic Church tried to protect their flock from the corruption of genre film. The Segnalazioni Cinematografiche, a dedicated Catholic pamphlet, analysed and critiqued both home-grown Italian and international genre films in order to determine their ‘safety’ for its followers. Though the Catholic Church acknowledged the importance of film (including genre film), Rogerson shows how quick they were to dismiss significant pieces, through examining different key films in a variety of sub-genres. 

Rogerson has truly thrown all of his passion for this subject into his book, with an impressive amount of research, time and dedication put into it. It references the historical context of pertinent events that feature in the films mentioned, boasts a great selection of illustrations (produced by the author himself), and curates a great list of iconic films that were shunned by the Church. The examinations are extensive but are still easy to digest, with full translations of the Segnalazioni Cinematografiche to back up Rogerson’s points. 

If you have an interest in genre films, especially Italian ones, or are just curious to learn about a shadowy side of the Catholic Church’s involvement in culture, then this book should be at the top of your reading list. It is a fascinating and insightful exploration, and will allow you to step into this dark and secretive part of history. 

The Vatican Versus Horror Movies is available now, published by McFarland.