By Keri O’Shea
Just when we might have thought that the rise and rise of the internet and the proliferation of new types of technology might eventually edge out older media altogether, we’ve been proved wrong: I certainly never expected to see audio tapes making such a comeback, for instance, and – more to the point here – even though there are now more film sites than you can feasibly keep up with in any given day (ahem), print media is still out there, and it’s still very much prized. Editor Naila Scargill’s magazine Exquisite Terror is now in its third year and its fourth edition. As is clear from the contents page (and the fact that there is a contents page), this is by no means a ‘zine in the style of a (literally) cut ‘n’ pasted effort; this is pitched at a much more academic level generally, with a range of contributors offering intelligent and enlightening content on a range of genres and themes.
We start with James Gracey’s feature on the folkloric tradition of the vampire, refracted through our key cultural referent of Dracula, but extending far beyond it in the process. It’s a pacy piece, readable and knowledgeable with some nice little literary flourishes of its own (describing vampirism as ‘congealing’ in culture, for example). We also get a neat potted history of the development of the vampire as a recognisable figure in literature, with some very interesting knowledge of Bram Stoker’s possible and probable influences from a range of sources, both historical and more fantastical. Some of these were news to me, too, and it’s always nice to pick up more knowledge along the way. Continuing with the examination of Dracula, Darmon Richter takes a look at the reasons for the association of Transylvania’s Castle Bran with the real-life Dracula, as well as offering some other possible candidates. Again, it’s a pacy read, although I thought Richter might have mentioned the likelihood of Stoker having seen pictures of Castle Bran in some of the materials which were very likely to have been known to him, and as a route into the often-convoluted politics surrounding the figure of Vlad Dracula it’s an excellent introduction.
Rich Wilson’s conversation with filmmaker Jim Van Bebber acts as a moment of brevity in amongst the rest of the articles, being so different from them in tone. Van Bebber is an affable, overblown figure, who was happy to chat about the effects of the internet on the craft of filmmaking (he is very clear that he considers it as such) and he offers an entertaining explanation of his own ‘adapt, overcome, improvise’ model for dealing with this changing arena. He also makes plenty of interesting points on topics such as celluloid vs digital; how to deal with the luck of the draw which can make or break a career; how some indie filmmakers go mainstream and some go to the wall. In a lot of ways I can appreciate that this interview wasn’t an easy one but it gives great copy.
Next up, writer Ed Pope discusses his upcoming project The Herd, and how it relates to the ethos behind his original short story of the same title. For those not in the know, The Herd, to be directed by British director Melanie Light, will use as its plot basis the idea of women being used as factory animals (dairy cows) and Pope highlights the ways he will compare the treatment of the women in the film to the ways in which animals are treated in this industry; it’s clearly a commentary on certain farming practices coming from a vegan perspective and he tells us as much, although I’d quibble slightly with the equivocation of human lactation with bovine (as for instance, and here are some words I never thought I’d be typing today, human lactation tends to prevent pregnancy, not depend upon it as with dairy herds). Although Pope makes his points in an assured, non-hysterical way which can, on occasion, characterise this kind of discourse, I did feel that this discussion had a defensive tone in places which felt like a response to an attack. However, if his intention is to make people think, then he has been successful so far, and it will be interesting to see how much the end product dodges the ‘torture porn’ vibe he’s rightfully keen to avoid. Following Pope’s feature, Bernardo Sena’s description of the German ‘Horror Workshop’ project read rather like press copy – but again, it will be interesting to see what comes out of it, and how well it matches up to its noble aims of reinvigorating the German horror tradition.
The rest of Exquisite Terror #4 is devoted to some considered and engaging explorations of two horror classics. Jim Reader’s feature on Silence of the Lambs and how Buffalo Bill achieves the complete dehumanisation of his victims draws together an academic approach with a side-by-side comparison of original text with movie. Next, Rich Wilson’s examination of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is probably my favourite piece in the whole magazine. A compelling though sharp dissection of the film, Wilson recognises not only what made the film so effective (for instance, how it benefited from the distinct lack of spoilers and an exhaustive ad campaign) but also how it reflected its troubled times, and how it even now makes people feel they have seen graphic violence on-screen when they have not. This is academic film writing at its best – insightful, pithy and most importantly of all, accessible. Lloyd Haynes’ follow-up feature on TCM, in which he comments on why the script is so effective, is more of a summary (some illustrative excerpts would have been useful perhaps) but it is equally well-written.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay to Exquisite Terror is to say that its good quality content and high production values – featuring original artwork from Paul McCaffrey, Cal Reader and Leonardo Gonzalez – is inspirational. It boasts a high calibre of authorial voices and although it tends towards the more studied approach, it doesn’t strive to lock any readers out – only to give them a more in-depth approach to film and literature, which is commendable. Naila Scargill (who doesn’t put herself up-front here with an editorial or anything similar, choosing to do her work behind the scenes) has done a great job, turning out an attractive-looking publication which is meticulously well-edited throughout. Although I’d perhaps like a page of mini-bios in the magazine itself to add a bit of background knowledge for readers, I otherwise wouldn’t fault this project and at just over 40 pages, it’s a recommended and accessible read. If you like to get beneath the surface of the horror genre and do it in style, check it out.
You can find out more about Exquisite Terror, including how to order, here.