A Conversation with Richard Sargent, Author of Revenge of the Horror Movie Cookbook

Richard Sargent has been scaring his friends and feeding them well since 2017, when he set out to prove that horror was more than "pointless boobs and blood." His new book, Revenge of the Horror Movie Cookbook, pairs 46 films with recipes, cocktails, and drinking games designed for a great night, not a sloppy one. We talked with him about the project as his Halloween-season book tour kicks off.

It started as an education. "My friends told me they thought horror was just pointless boobs and blood," Sargent says. "As a lifelong student and lover of the genre, I decided to educate them." He hosted movie nights where he paired three films with dishes and drinks inspired by the content of each one. The very first pairing was two varieties of popcorn inspired by Scream, which appears in his first horror cookbook. The first night that "got out of hand" is in the new book: a recipe for The Cabin in the Woods with a THC-infused drink. "Things got a little wild with the drinking games," he says. "Everyone learned a lot about their own tolerance that night."

The recipe he is proudest of is also the one that went spectacularly wrong: the Alien Egg Pasta, inspired by the first Alien film. "I must have gone through five dozen eggs trying to get the texture of the Scotch egg just right," he says. "I might have single-handedly been responsible for the egg shortage and prices going up. My kitchen was covered in egg shells and tears. But those tears eventually turned to tears of joy when I tasted the final result."

For a first-time host who does not cook much, Sargent recommends the 4-Cent Watermelon Salad, inspired by The Blob. "All it requires is chopping and mixing. The ingredients do all the work while it's resting in the fridge. It's the perfect recipe for a hot summer day or if you need something quick to bring to a party, and it will definitely make you the star of your own movie night."

His approach to the drinking games is about knowing the films deeply. "I go into my rewatches with ideas already, but ultimately I look for things that might repeat or stand out that could be fun to point out or make for some good laughs. But there is a balance because you don't want your movie night to turn into a sloppy mess."

What sets the book apart is its commitment to real food. "You won't find surface-level, kitschy recipes like cookies shaped like ghosts in this book," Sargent says. "You'll find real food inspired by moments in the films, something they actually ate or drank, an important character, the film's setting." His pairing for Hereditary is a particular point of pride, though he admits that after all the effort he puts into each one, they all feel perfect to him.

This Halloween looks different from his usual movie night. His book tour kicks off on Halloween in Baton Rouge, so he will be working. But Louisiana's haunted history calls to him. "I hope I'll get to explore that a bit," he says. "Stop by and say hi and get some signed copies if you're in the area."

As for the classics that did not make the cut, Sargent is undaunted. "There are still hundreds of films I would consider. Because this is only the second book in my horror cookbook series, I plan on tackling all of the important classics in future books eventually."

Richard Sargent's Revenge of the Horror Movie Cookbook arrives October 13 from Library Tales Publishing, just in time for your Halloween movie nights.