Times of great uncertainty and bloodshed have always seemed to bolster paranoia and irrational thought. Change offers to dispose of the unconscionable practices of the past, but even as old beliefs and practices are on the verge of being swept away, people still to seek them out, retreating into watchful suggestibility any time the pace […]
By Nia Edwards-Behi and Keri O’Shea Keri: When Universal Pictures set about cementing the developing horror genre with a series of tales – both old and embellished – the small country of Wales, in the United Kingdom, was oddly integral to this process. The ‘Old Dark House’ (1932) was set in deepest, darkest Wales, the […]
Editor’s note: this article contains a full discussion of Night of the Eagle and as such contains spoilers. “I DO NOT BELIEVE” are the first words both spoken and seen in Night of the Eagle. These words are the crux of a lecture being given by Professor Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde), a rational man who […]
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 […]
Folk horror movies are a bit of an odd duck. Based on the folklore of the country from which the movie originates, the genre relies heavily on the unique landscape of its audience’s heritage and history to divvy out the scares. Examples are much more common in Asian horror such as Sadako from The Ring, […]
“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 […]
Wake Wood (2011) Distributor: Dark Sky Films DVD Release Date: July 5, 201 Directed by: David Keating Starring: Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall, Ella Connolly Review by: Keri O’Shea Ah, Hammer. I must admit that seeing that Hammer logo appear on the big screen – replete with a brief montage of classic Hammer poster art […]
Witchfinder General (AKA The Conqueror Worm) (1968) Distributor: Odeon Entertainment Ltd Blu-Ray release date: 13th June (UK) Directed by: Michael Reeves Starring: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Hilary Heath Review by: Stephanie Scaife I only just recently got myself an HD TV and Blu-Ray player (I know, I know… I’m way behind) so I’m still at […]
Husk (2011) Distributor: After Dark Originals DVD Release Date: 21st March 2011 (UK), 29 March 2011 (USA) Directed by: Brett Simmons Starring: Devon Graye, Wes Chatham, C J Thomason, Tammin Sursok Review by: Ben Bussey Scarecrows; surely one of the most powerful, yet astonishingly underused boogie men in horror film history. In many respects they’re not too […]