In a stark opening scene, composed largely from a colour palette of black, white, and tiny amounts of red – a young woman awakens. She is in a mysterious room, has crippling injuries to her legs, and is clearly shocked and confused by her predicament. As soon as she wakes up, she’s addressed by a […]
As horror is increasingly picked up by the academic community, with more seminars, papers and conferences emerging yearly, it’s little surprise that the renewed interest in folk horror is also making its way into print via this new wave of academia and its authors. Adam Scovell’s book, Hours Dreadful and Things Strange, is a meticulous […]
“COMPLETE US THE CIRCLE!” STORIES OF STANDING STONES The numerous standing stones of Britain are familiar, beloved points on our landscape: Stonehenge is now an integral part of the British tourism trade, for instance, bringing in visitors from around the world. There are examples of monoliths and circles throughout the country – over 300 in […]
Idylls are not idylls in the British folk horror world, and the land itself hides a multitude of sins – even if ‘sins’ are a relatively modern phenomenon, by its standards. This small, but significant sub-genre derives a great deal of its power by examining the deep unease generated by Britain’s ancient history: the palpable, […]
Strange, isolated houses, villages and islands; closed communities, whose initial friendliness seems to mask something deeply sinister; people who have rejected modernity, or have simply been passed over by it; ritual practices; the uncanny; dark magic; pagan symbols; the threat of the old ways spilling over into the new, with devastating consequences… Welcome to a […]
Review by Keri O’Shea Good ghost stories are hard to find on film these days – and directors, I would argue, know as much. Of course, there are myriad reasons for the glut of endurance horrors we have had in recent years, but at least part of that must stem from the fact that it […]
The Glass Man (2011) Directed by: Christian Solimeno Starring: Andy Nyman, James Cosmo, Neve Campbell, Christian Solimeno Review by: Ben Bussey At a glance, Martin (Nyman) would appear to be the man who has everything. He wears fine bespoke suits and an expensive watch, drives a top-of-the-range car, and lives in a well-furnished town house with […]
Bane (2009) Distributor: Saefcracker Pictures DVD Release Date (UK): 18th July 2011 Directed by: James Eaves Starring: Sophia Dawnay, Tina Barnes, Lisa Devlin, Sylvia Robson Review by: Ben Bussey Picture the scene I am about to describe; it shouldn’t be too hard to do so, as it’s a scene that’s been played out a great […]
Slaughter High AKA The Jolly Killer (1986) Distributor: Arrow Video DVD Release Date: 11 July 2011 Directed by: George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, Peter Litten Starring: Caroline Munro, Simon Scuddamore, Carmine Iannaconne, Donna Yeager Review by: Ben Bussey Good afternoon class. Can I have your attention please? Don’t give me that look, I’m just as anxious […]
Siren (2010) Distributor: Matchbox Films DVD/Blu-ray Release Date (UK): 27th June 2011 Directed by: Andrew Hull Starring: Eoin Macken, Anna Skellern, Tereza Srbova, Anthony Jabre Review by: Nia Edwards-Behi To say that the cover for this DVD is a little misleading might be a bit of an understatement. To say that it’s got absolutely sod-all […]
Distributor: Odeon Entertainment DVD Release Date: 7th March 2011 Directed by: Robert Hartford-Davis Starring: Patrick Magee, Tony Beckley, Ann Todd, Suzanna Leigh Review by: Ben Bussey A small congregation sits in a crumbling suburban church. All clad in garments drab and dirty enough to have stepped directly out of a Charles Dickens novel, they are […]