Unreal #4
126 x 202 mm, 116 pages
London, UK
Quarterly
First published in 2025
Editor & art director: Steven Gregor
From longtime magazine-lover Steven Gregor (think Gym Class Magazine) comes a zine dedicated to the slasher movie, a subgenre kept alive by obsessive directors and viewers alike. As Steven, a self-described ‘proud fag’ and slasher fan says: ‘Expect unabashed fandom, sure—but also machete-sharp critique.’
Shapeshifting once again—a time-honoured trick in horror’s wheelhouse—this fourth edition for ‘Summerween’ 2026 arrives in a bookish format, whilst retaining the same uber-glossy cover design introduced last issue. Marking five decades since its premiere, the issue leads with a cover story on Brian de Palma’s cult classic ‘Carrie’, adapted from the eponymous 1974 Stephen King novel; inside, London-based film programmer and critic Michael Blyth speaks to Unreal about the lasting impression ‘its portrait of teenage torment’ left on him, after first viewing it as a queer adolescent. Elsewhere, Richard Scott Larson draws parallels between his closeted suburban childhood and the masked young antagonist of John Carpenter’s 1978 slasher feature ‘Halloween’, and seasoned fans of the subgenre, Justin Kerswell and Erik Threlfall—co-hosts of ‘The Hysteria Continues’ podcast—recommend four thrilling favourites to sink your teeth into this summer.