Top 10 Folk Horror Films Of All Time
Welcome to that time of year where we look at another horror sub genre and sit down with the ancient gods and unearth some cursed gems that will make your eyes bleed. Just pray you don’t upset the locals.
Let’s be honest, it’s a foregone conclusion. The Wicker Man wins hands down.
But what constitutes Folk Horror? Folk Horror simply would not exist without The Wicker Man that birthed an entire horror sub genre by setting horror within a religious conspiracy in rural communities - a symbiotic relationship between horror and a conflict of idealogies that leads to collective madness. I would argue that mythology sits at the heart of some of the best folk horror films where ancient gods must be appeased by sacrifice to guarantee local survival with a bountiful harvest, the grieving are granted their loved ones resurrection, religious persecution is rife, or people are spared an old testament threat when morality is questioned.
Still, it could be argued that the UK is not the only country to have evolved its own folklore traditions, religious persecutions, and collective madness, so welcome to that time of year where we look at another horror sub genre and sit down with the ancient gods and unearth some cursed gems that will make your eyes bleed. Just pray you don’t upset the locals.
Watch the Top 10 folk horror movies below.
In descending order of greatness:
10. KILL LIST
Ben Wheatley’s Kill List is a deceptive film that starts off as a cheap-looking British revenge thriller, and like most good folk horrors, descends into a different genre en route to hell.
Starring Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley, Kill List is an underated gem about two hit men take on a mysterious job that may or may not lead to their redemption, if they can live long enough. The final sacrificial scenes are strangely reminiscent of the infamous bohemian grove undercover documentary about George Bush’s membership of the skull and bones society’s worship of Moloch, the owl god, which no doubt influenced the director.
9. VIY [1967]
This obscure and beautifully shot early 1960’s fantasy horror was directed by Konstantin Ershov and based on russian folklore. It begins when a monk is summoned to keep a three night vigil of a local dead woman and the woman is revealed to be a witch who returns to life and invites the forces of hell to test his faith. Although not overtly similar to The Wicker Man, the main character has to endure a test of his faith, much like Edward Woodward, through the lens of russian folk tales.
8.The Witchfinder General [1968]
The Witchfinder General is the third in the unholy trinity of folk horror films first identified by genre scholar and author Adam Scovell.
Let’s not forget that according to early english religious belief systems, people really did believe that witches existed within society and were a threat from within. Women were maligned, drowned and burnt at the stake for practicing early medicines or denounced for not following strict moral codes laid down by the church and a patriacharal state. A collective madness which saw the introduction of witch finders in rural communities.
To be honest, I’ve always found this film a bit dour and boring in comparison to the superior Mark Of The Devil (also starring Vincent Price) which some of you may recognise as a Freudstein song. However, it’s Vincent Price’s villainous portrayal of the real life exploits of 17th-century witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins, that is worth the price of admission alone.
7. The Witch [2015]
The Witch was Robert Eggers breakout success which excelled at subtlety and confusion to obsfucate the viewer as a puritan family encounter a witch.
The film centres on Christian pilgrim settlers in 1630s New England as they seek to survive amid a new harsh and alien landscape where religious persecution is a threat from within. Anna Taylor Joy gives a pitch perfect performance, in her first big role, as a young girl who may or may not be a witch, in this atmospheric and psychological horor.
6. The Blair Witch Project [1999]
The Blair Witch Project is so infamous its almost too easy to dismiss it as just another 90’s horror film, but look closer and you’ll spot some of the tropes of folk horror, albeit an americanised version.
Local mythology tempts a group of teenager to dare to spend the night camping in the local woods where, rumour has is it, a witch still lurks in the lost village of Blair. They encounter pagan symbols tied to trees and something moving through the forest at night, and slowly descend into a collective madness.
The film’s low fi use of found footage catapaulted the film into the national consciousness and even created its own urban myths with a marketing campaign when the actors were listed as deceased on the internet and the found footage concept, first alluded to in Cannibal Holocaust, was reborn.
5. A Field In England [2013]
Ben Wheatley’s second entry into our top 10, A Field In England, is perhaps his most psychedelic period piece which literally take place in a field during the English Civil War. The folk horror trope of rural environments, religious persecution and a threat from within are all present but what makes this film so haunting is the creeping paranoia and terrifying performance from Reece Shearsmith.
This low budget black and white film is perhaps Wheatley’s most personal project with its focus on characters and dialogue as the characters slowly detach from reality due to shell-shock, religious beliefs, and some local magic mushrooms.
4. Midsommer [2019]
Midsommer is a direct descendent of The Wicker Man and is one of my favourite films directed by the talented, Ari Aster, who also made the harrowing Heriditary.
In many ways Midsommer is an inbred relative of The Wicker Man with a similar fish out of water tale that echoes the original when a group of teenagers travel to a Swedish mid-summer festival. It’s a modern take on the folk horror genre with a fictional swedish pagan mythology used to trap its victims in a cult as the festival slowly builds to a horrific, if somewhat predictable climax.
I particularly love the fact that the film, unlike most horror films, employs bright colours and comforting day time scenes to lure the viewer into safety, when horror resides in plain sight.
3. The Blood On Satan’s Claw
This often overlooked Hammer Horror classic, Blood On Satan’s Claw, is the second in the unholy trinity of folk horror films first identified by genre scholar and author Adam Scovell.
Blood On Satan’s claw is a Hammer Horror classic B movie with its creeping, mysterious atmosphere building to a crescendo as a teenage occult worship develops in Medieval England. The isolated rural setting and strange belief systems are ever present as timeless fears of teenagers and the corruption of youth from outside forces cause adults seek to fear and uproot the threat from within.
2. The Shout [1978]
The Shout is a relatively unknown British cult classic starrring John Hurt, Alan Bates and Susannah York. I would argue that this an unconventional folk horror which begins as a simple love triangle when a stranger enters a couples lives, hell bent on stealing the main protagonist’s wife, then descends into a meditation on magic and loss based on aboriginal folk lore.
The stranger, played by Alan Bates, who may or not be a magician, is a spellbinding presence who threatens the protagonist’s morality in a small rural village. His refusal to leave their home leads to a plot twist and finale that is incredibly subtle, quintisesentially english, and ahead of its time with the use of a unconventional narrative struture.
Madness or magic? Although there is no larger conspiracy at play on the part of the local village, the rural setting and heavy leanings towards psychological horror, magic and folklore, make this worthy of cannon.
The Wicker Man
It’s no surprise to find Robin Hardy’s debut film at the top of our list. This is the first in the unholy trinity of folk horror films first identified by genre scholar and author Adam Scovell. The Wicker Man was based on David Pinner's 1967 novel, Ritual, and its unpredictable climax is so memorable its like psychological lightning in a bottle.
The film perfectly sets out the first tropes of folk horror with its literal slow burning execution, when a Christian policeman (Edward Woodward) is sent to a remote rural community in the outer hebrides to investigate the disappearance of a local girl, when his faith is tested. He soon encounters pagan beliefs and meets Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), an atypical villain who is neither fearsome nor dramatic, but an eloquently spoken and thoughful cult leader, concerned for the survival of his community.
The Wicker Man features a wonderful soundtrack composed by Paul Giovanni which was so convincingly conceived that the songs and lyrics are believable as traditional english folk songs about fertility and sacrifice. It’s a personal favourite.
The Wicker Man is so steeped in english folklore and psychological horror that it seems believable that somewhere out there a community of Summerisle pagans still exists, practicing ancient sacrifices to ward off bad harvests, famine and evil. It is a reminder of our recent past, our collective madness, that makes you question if society really has progressed past its prejudices and old belief systems. Are we really so enlightened?
Watch it and burn.
Top 10 Horror Comedies Of All Time
So what makes a good horror comedy? Perhaps it’s the well worn horror genre tropes dragged out of the shadows and into the light when our protagonist inevitably ventures into the eerie basement, or teenagers take a vacation in a cabin in the woods. Or maybe it’s the laughable narratives of slasher films where teenagers have sex and die, or zombies always stalk loved ones after being exposed to toxic waste.
So what makes a good horror comedy?
Perhaps it’s the well worn horror genre tropes dragged out of the shadows and into the light when our protagonist inevitably ventures into the eerie basement, or teenagers take a vacation in a cabin in the woods. Or maybe it’s the laughable narratives of slasher films where teenagers have sex and die, or zombies always stalk loved ones after being exposed to toxic waste.
I would argue that the perfect horror comedy pays homage to the pioneers of modern day horror films by side stepping our expectations with gore or humour at the most inappropriate moment, so we don’t know whether to laugh or vomit. I mean, even Freddy Kreuger had a sense of humour. And these days it’s not that hard or expensive to direct a meta take on horror films, but once in a while, lightning strikes, and someone finds comedy gold in the british suburbs or nazi gold in the alps.
So welcome to that time of year again where we look at another horror sub genre and laugh ourselves to death or get chased into the woods by a chainsaw wielding maniac. Or perhaps both. At the same time.
In descending order of greatness:
10. What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi’s debut film demonstrated that alongside Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste, New Zealanders have the best absurdist humour next to Monty Python, and they aren’t afraid of gore. Taika’s film is a family friendly affair and so funny and gothic baiting that it spawned a classic TV series. Now in it’s fifth season, it continues to impress audiences with its gore and humour. I never miss an episode.
9. John Dies At The End (2011)
Do you know the secret of the universe? It’s in the soy sauce. Directed by the much overlooked Don Coscarelli of Phantasm horror fame, John Dies At The End is based on the book of the same name by David Wong. It follows the exploits of David Wong as he embarks on a misadventure to discover the secrets of the universe and have a decent meal along the way. It’s a surrealist steak of entertainment, peppered with humour, horror and soy sauce. A cult classic.
8. The Blackening [2023]
The Blackening is a great take on horror film tropes from an african american perspective and isn’t scared to throw them all into blender. We all know the obvious one - where the black actor traditionally dies first - but this adds a few more by lampooning the slasher genre and Friday the 13th series.
It begins when seven friends reunite in a cabin in the woods, only to find themselves the target of serial killer. Maybe it’s not the scariest or goriest film on the list but it deserves a mention because this modern low budget movie nails the slasher genre with its throat cutting humour.
7. Young Frankenstein [1974]
You know, I was tempted to include Zombieland or Scream in this list because they reinvigorated the horror genre with their meta take on the slasher and zombie genres. But Mel Brooks’s underated masterpiece, Young Frankenstein, literally invented the horror film parody, long before it was fashionable. It cleverly channelled James Whale’s black and white Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein aesthetics and practically recreated every scene with the brilliant Gene Wilder as Dr Frankenstein. I’m a fan of Universal Studios monsters and while this parody has few scares or gore, it’s a love letter to the black and white originals and never fails to make me laugh.
6. Return Of The Living Dead (1985)
I saw this film when I was a teenager living in the 1980’s and the humour went over my head and the toxic sludge went into my eyeballs. Having rewatched it again I can appreciate it’s something of a classic with american punks breaking into a graveyard, having sex on tombstones, and being eaten alive in teenage zombie town…
5. Bad Taste (1987)
Before there was Lord Of The Rings, there was Bad Taste. Peter Jackson’s low budget New Zealand comedy horror was his first foray into the genre. The film is incredibly funny and incredibly gory so its something of a mystery how the director used this as a calling card for Hollywood and forged a film industry in his native country by bringing us a fantasy trilogy that could never be bettered. But this is where it all began - with buckets of fake blood, gun totting aliens and geeks wielding lawnmowers.
4. Dead Snow (2009)
Ratcheting up the horror, Dead Snow surprised everyone with its zombie lake inspired nazi zombies who somehow survived WWII after being frozen in ice. It’s not until a group of medical students stumble upon nazi gold in the alps that they realise the zombies and will stop at nothing to protect it.
Director Tommy Wirkola brought us horror gold with dangerously scary nazi zombies and so many no hold barred outrageous moments where you don’t know whether to laugh or vomit. He later went on to direct that other snow filled charming Christmas classic, Violent Night.
3. Re-animator (1985)
Based on a HP Lovecraft tale called ‘Herbert West–Reanimator,’ this Stuart Gordon cult classic is steeped in black humour and gore. Jeffrey Coombes’s commitment to the role as Herbert West, a medical student attempting to discover the secret to life after death, makes this film so compelling. His serious portrayal pefectly underplays moments of hilarity amid the over the top gore, straddling the line between comic and disgusting. A stone cold classic.
2. Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead almost single handedly wrote the BBFC Video Nasties List in the 1980’s and became the must see horror film for a generation of home video teenagers. For his next trick, Raimi combined his love of The Three Stooges humour with all the horror and tension a bigger budget movie could muster in Evil Dead II. It’s literally eye-popping fun.
Thanks to Bruce Campbell’s acting genius he would go on to star in a career spanning series of Evil Dead inspired films and TV series. Hail to the franchise that will not die. Hail to the king!
1. Shaun Of The Dead [2004]
Shaun Of The Dead kickstarted the zombie revival that brought us twenty years of cultural zombification and converted everyone’s grandmother into a Walking Dead fan. It’s hard to quantify the impact of this low budget UK classic which charmed the world with its irreverant humour and lovingly inspired George Romero set pieces. Shaun Of The Dead is a cult classic that conquered the world and spawned a million imitations - it has never been bettered - and was later joined by the excellent Cornetto Trilogy of Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. Long live our intrepid cricket bat wielding, zombie ass kicking heroes.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were real life friends who honed their buddy roles after meeting director Edgar Wright on Channel 4’s Spaced TV series - which even featured a Resident Evil inspired zombie episode.
Christmas Antidote : Watch Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)
Confused about what Christmas festive film you should be watching? How about none of them. Bah Humbug. Instead, watch the classically deranged low budget cult horror classic, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things for free, courtesy of our annual Merry Horror Christmas link.
Confused about what Christmas festive film you should be watching? How about none of them. Bah Humbug. Instead, watch the classically deranged low budget cult horror classic, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things for free, courtesy of our annual Merry Horror Christmas link.
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things’s narrative follows the classic horror movie trope of bored and stupid teenagers (in this case hippies) doing things they shouldn’t and end up getting killed, chased or cursed. We’ve all been there before, and some of us even ended up in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Friday The 13th. I digress…
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things is a cult horror classic that begins when a group of young hippies excavate a corpse at the local cemetary, then perform a fake satanic ritual for fun, and things go very wrong. Although obviously inspired by Night Of The Living Dead it has enough moments of cinematic genius, unintentionally hilarious dialogue, dead hippies, and atmospheric dread that make it a perfect antidote to the Christmas classic.
Ho Ho Horror.
Watch the Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrwAJWGYdqY
Watch the FREE full movie on Youtube below:
Top 10 Haunted House Movies Of All Time
What's always intriqued me about the haunted house genre isn't so much the ghosts and monsters who lie in wait when the electricity fails and the lights begin to flicker, it's the concept that the house itself is alive. In the best entries on this list, the house becomes a malevolent force, manifested by grief or madness as the residents become quietly unhinged. It feeds on their deepest fears, reflecting them back like a mirror.
How much money would convince you to spend the night in a haunted house?
It's a simple but effective premise which has been the main trope of the haunted house genre for years. Typically, a group of sceptical guests are invited to spend the night at a mysterious benefactor's haunted house in order to collect a huge prize. But what if the house really was haunted? Another trope involves new homeowners who discover they have to exorcise its ghosts by solving the riddle of a past, heinous crime. Whether its the solution to a decades old murder that took place there or the discovery of the house being illegally built on hallowed ground.
But what if a house was haunted by its guests?
What's always intriqued me about the haunted house genre isn't so much the ghosts and monsters who lie in wait when the electricity fails and the lights begin to flicker, it's the concept that the house itself is alive. In the best of the genre, the house becomes a malevolent force, manifested by grief or madness as the residents become quietly unhinged. It feeds on their deepest fears, reflecting them back like a mirror. Driving them to leave or die.
Watch the Top 10 haunted house movies below and pray you’ll still be alive, and sane enough, to collect the prize in the morning.
In descending order of greatness:
10. House (1985)
I remember watching this film when it first came out on direct to video when I was barely a teenager, and it certainly wasn’t age appropriate. The orginal House film was hugely entertaining and a runaway home video success that spawned countless sequels which never bettered the original formula of one man alone in a haunted house that he could never escape.
The sheer inventiveness of the practical effects on display and creativity was pretty astounding for a low budget straight to video affair. In fact, the bathroom scene where the protagonist breaks the bathroom mirror and finds a portal to an alternative dimension on the other side freaked me out for years. I’ve never liked shaving ever since.
9. The Innocents (1961)
Despite the same title, this early classic is not to be confused with the excellent Norwegian film The Innocents from 2022.
This original The Innocents (1963) film is a slow burning creepy British classic based on an original ghost story by Henry James. It concerns a governess hired to look after two children who experience disturbing events which may or may not be in their own imagination.
8. The Amityville Horror (1979)
It’s a long time since I’ve watched this horror movie which was rumoured to have been based on a true story. It begins when a newly married couple purchase a house whose previous owners were murdered in their sleep. Evil still dwells in the house, invading the owners thoughts until they are no longer safe from each other. They obviously didn’t know about mindfulness in the 1970s.
Even now I wonder if I imagined the basement scene with James Brolin when the walls start to bleed. It horrified me for years. Either way, this 1970’s film is surpisingly bleak and oppressive, even now.
7. Poltergeist (1982)
Directed by Tobe Hooper of The Texas Chainsaw movie fame, Poltergeist is ostensibly a family friendly film until the family’s youngest daughter, Carole Anne, seemingly becomes possessed. In the infamous night time scene, she communciates with the static of their TV set to a dead channel, revealing the house has been possessed by a poltergeist.
This big budget horror film was written by Steven Spielberg and succeeds on many levels. It even spawned a catalogue of sequels with the memorable medium who communicated with Carole Anne once she was sucked into the after life by the spirits of the house. The sequel was even weirder and the series entered into social myth after the death of its young leading actress and other cast members.
6. The Legend Of Hell House (1973)
This film could almost be described as a modern remake of the original The Haunting film from 1963. There are so many similarities, it’s uncanny. Both films share the same premise when a group of people with varying motives enter a haunted house to investigate the possibility of life after death.
Roddy McDowell gives a compelling performance, as always, and the climax ramps up the sheer tension with crazy sound effects and over the top hysterics, buts its oddly compelling.
5. Hausu (1977)
I have to admit that this crazy Japanese movie is the least scariest haunted house film on the list, but it deserves a special mention thanks to its wild and creative take on the genre. A group of school girls are forced to spend the night in a haunted house and are murdered by ghosts they have disturbed in more and more bizarre ways. I mean, for gods sake, it features an animated sequence of disembodied fingers playing a piano that devours its victims.
I’ve probably watched this film about three or four times just to reassure myself that it actually exists. It’s truly bonkers and you would be forgiven for thinking Director Tim Burton directed this quirky little number, despite predating his career by twenty years.
4. Dark Water (2002)
From director Hideo Nakata of the original Japanese Ringu ‘Ring’ (1998) film, comes Dark Water, his natural and logical progression within the genre. This oppressive haunted house film takes the viewer on a journey through one woman’s grief as she searches for her lost daughter in an apartment building.
Dark Water is a precursor to The Babadook and Heriditary which would later use the themes of externalising inner grief with supernatural demons some 12 years later. It was easily ahead of its time and a truly harrowing emotional experience.
Nakata’s film is a better and more atmospheric film than the original Ringu film, and one that has been sadly overlooked.
3. The Shining (1980)
Some would argue that Kubrick’s The Shining is the greatest horror film of all time. But I would argue that it isn’t the greatest haunted house movie of all time. Sure, its incredibly atmospheric with Kubrick’s cold and technical use of tracking shots and pure, unadulterated tension, but the ghosts are subtly pushed to the background. Right up until the moment the viewer sees the final shot of the Ballroom photo from over a hundred years ago and you realise Jack Nicholson has been here before, and is actually haunting himself. For me, this film is more about the breakdown of the family unit and the fear generated from within, explored through the fearful eyes of Danny. The Overlook Hotel is the catalyst to domestic abuse. It’s one hell of a movie and one of my favourite films of all time.
Stephen King famously hated this film because of its cold, clinical interpretation of his story and characters, which deviates from his original novel.
2. The House By The Cemetery (1981)
It would be remiss of Freudstein if this list didn’t mention the classic movie which inspired our band name and all our musical death dreams, The House By The Cemetery.
This isn’t an orthodox haunted house genre film because Italian Horror simply doesn’t play by the rules. Lucio Fulci’s masterpiece features more scares for your money with a haunted house, zombie serial killer, incredible soundtrack, shocking deaths and buckets of realistic gore. The story follows the familiar trope of a family moving into a house in Boston only to discover there’s something lurking in the basement, and soon realise their new home was built on the site of an old graveyard. The protagonist’s son, Bob, is also receiving premonitions much like the character of Danny in The Shining.
House By The Cemetery is the third in Lucio Fulci’s Gates Of Hell Trilogy and features amazing practical effects, a wild and sometimes incoherent storyline, and one of the best zombie monsters in living dead history.
Dr Jacob Freudstein is ready to see you in the basement, now.
A stone cold classic.
1. The Haunting (1963)
Based on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel, The Haunting (1963) is a film steeped in dread atmosphere and sheer tension with its use of skewed camera angles, fish eye camera lenses, and eerie sounds effects to summon the supernatural. These techniques epitomise the haunted house genre as it slowly, and believably, disorientates its viewers. We experience the world from the house’s point of view through the eyes of Eleanor as she descends into madness, and we come to believe the house is truly alive. And in control.
Some may decry the lack of horror and violence in this creaking old classic. The director, Robert Wise, instead implied the presence of a house possessed, and never revealed the ghosts which drive its residents to madness and despair. Instead he leaves this up to our own imagination, using camera work that Sam Raimi, the original director of the Evil Dead, would go on to borrow when he relocated the story to that other famous trope, the cabin in the woods.
![David Cronenberg's Crimes Of The Future [2022]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f0389c0020b9b483cd2de67/1650313045305-XEUNT8A7ZTYFA36W8P1H/Crimes_Of_The_Future_2022_V1.jpg)
David Cronenberg's Crimes Of The Future [2022]
David Cronenberg returns with his first new feature film in eight years, Crimes Of The Future [2022]. According to the synopsis, Crimes Of The Future, takes place in the near future as humankind attempts to biologically adapt and evolve to keep pace with technology.
David Cronenberg returns with his first new feature film in eight years, Crimes Of The Future [2022].
According to the synopsis, Crimes Of The Future, takes place in the near future as humankind attempts to biologically adapt and evolve to keep pace with technology. The title alludes to Cronenberg’s early 1970 experimental short film of the same name, which may have been an influence, and sees the director coming full circle not with a remake, but a possible return to his roots.
In recent years, David Cronenberg has taken a backseat to directorial duties and watched his son, Brandon Cronenberg, flourish with his own excellent productions, Antiviral [2012] and Possessor [2020]. Now fans of the auteur will be excited to learn he has returned to the directors chair with classic Cronenberg sci fi horror preoccupations. Fears of technology’s effect on the human body and psyche are explored throughout most of his early work, including Videodrome [1983], The Fly [1986], and Existenz [1996]. These themes look set to continue in his latest work.
Crimes Of The Future reunites Cronenberg with his long time collaborator, actor Viggo Mortensen, and also includes Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.
Watch the teaser trailer here:
![Folk Horror - Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary [2022]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f0389c0020b9b483cd2de67/1645714434156-87SF9RRFA7PJNL84BGZG/Blood_On_Satans_Claw_V1.jpg)
Folk Horror - Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary [2022]
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a new Folk Horror documentary which maintains that this genre is not uniquely rooted in the UK, but is in fact a global phenomenon, albeit one that has often been culturally overlooked.
What Is Folk Horror?
Folk Horror is a term often used to describe rural horror in isolated places, from pagan cults to folklore to collective mania, often forged in our ancestors’ past.
In recent years this genre has gained traction in literary fiction with anthologies such as The Fiend In The Furrows, Andrew Michael Hurley’s The Loney, The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers, and not forgetting Shirley Jackson’s classic short story The Lottery. But perhaps its greatest influence has been in British film and TV, famously with The Wicker Man [1973], Penda’s Fen [1974], and my personal favourite, the BBC’s Robin Redbreast [1970]. Recently there has been an explosion in filmmakers discovering and revising Folk Horror for modern audiences with the excellent A Field In England [2013], Midsommar [2019], and In The Earth [2021].
To most it is a pecularly British genre built on myth and magic in the darkest regions of the human mind. But Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a new documentary which challenges this notion and maintains it is not a uniquely UK phenomenon, but is in fact a global genre, albeit one that has often been culturally overlooked.
The Unholy Trinity Of Folk Horror
Beginning with the unholy cinematic trinity of The Wicker Man, Blood On Satan's Claw and Witchfinder General - originally conceived by Mark Gatiss - Woodlands Dark Days Betwitched explores cultural mythology by studying over 200 film gems from all over the world. It investigates how Folk Horror has dripped blood from the earth to the silver screen as we attempt to come to terms with our own past beliefs in a bid to try and understand our world.
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched
As much as an exploration as an explanation of the Folk Horror phenomenon, this excellent documentary is available to view on Shudder or on DVD with a runtime of 3 hours and a huge cast of interviewees. It comes highly recommended for horror fans wanting to expand their Folk Horror knowledge or personal film collection wishlist.
Visit the website to purchase the DVD :
https://woodlandsdarkanddaysbewitched.com
Watch the full trailer :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSYBpdDSh9A
Santa Claus is coming : Watch Christmas Evil (1980)
You’d better watch out ‘cause Santa Claus is coming to town and this year he’s in a bad mood. He knows where you live and he’s carrying an axe. He’s checking his list to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. In fact, he’s checking it twice…
Watch Evil Christmas [1980]
You’d better watch out ‘cause Santa Claus is coming to town and this year he’s in a bad mood. He knows where you live and he’s carrying an axe. He’s checking his list to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. In fact, he’s checking it twice…
Ive often heard a rumour about a half decent retro horror film featuring a deranged Santa Claus serial killer. Can it be true? Yes, count me in. Its a simple premise, which in the wrong director’s hands could become ridiculous, or just enjoyably ridiculous - like Christmas Evil (1980).
Also known as You Better Watch Out, Christmas Evil’s narrative follows the classic horror file trope where the central protagonist suffers a traumatic childhood event which haunts him for the rest of his life - I’m talking to you Michael Myers. Laughably, in Christmas Evil, this occurs after a small boy is traumatised when he learns that Santa isn’t real. Following a nervous breakdown as an adult, he then goes on to commit a vengeful Christmas killing spree dressed as Santa Claus. (Thanks go out to Vinegar Syndrome for the film tip and trailer). Merry Bloody Christmas…
Watch the Christmas Evil trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zPRNgzBrM
Watch the FREE full movie on Youtube below:
Top 10 Giallos Of All Time
Who is the mysterious killer in black leather gloves lurking in the shadows? Welcome to the annual Halloween top 10 list of horror movies, which this year looks at the Giallo genre.
Who is the mysterious serial killer in black leather gloves?
This is the ultimate premise of every Giallo movie, which begins when the main protagonist stumbles upon a murder and the mysterious killer escapes. The witness then conducts their own investigation into the murderer’s motives while their friends and associaties are picked off one by one - as the killer closes in for the kill.
Giallo translates as the Italian word Yellow, a reference to the unique cover designs for Italian Mondadori pulp murder mystery paperback novels popular in the 1930’s. Giallo’s inception as a film genre began with Mario Bava’s stylistic reinvention of Film Noir as Horror with the Hitchcock influenced The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Although Bava and Lucio Fulci improved on this formula with later films, their work was perfected by Dario Argento who freed it from early genre tropes to create blood soaked celluloid dripping with lurid colours and murder set pieces where no-one - including men - were safe.
But no one does it quite like Argento. Or do they?
In descending order of greatness:
10. The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)
Mario Bava’s reinvention of the film noir distilled Hitchcock’s master of suspense into a new genre which dominated Italian cinema for decades. Say hello to Giallo.
9. Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
Dario Argento’s early Animal Trilogy began with The Bird With The Crystal Plummage, followed by Four Flies On Grey Velvet, then Cat O Nine Tales. This, the second in the trilogy, is perhaps its best and notably features another soundtrack by Ennio Morricone before Argento later embarked on collaborations with the Goblin and some of his best known films and soundtracks.
8. Your Vice IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (1972)
Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key has to be one of the longest film titles in history. But having said that, this obscure classic has an excellent soundtrack and great use of cinematography that makes this one of the best examples of early and bloodless Giallos.
7. Dressed To Kill (1982)
You can’t mention Giallo without recognising its cinematic influence on Hollwood thrillers which sought to emulate box office returns in the 1980’s with that strange beast, the American Giallo. Although Brian De Palma’s grimy Dressed To Kill is a controversial entry into our list, it proved that not all of them were bad.
6. Tenebrae (1982)
Its a hard choice between including Opera or Tenebrae on this list but Tenebrae is Dario Argento at the technical peak of his mastery with incredible visuals, a Goblin soundtrack, and a wholly original and better ending that you never see coming.
5. Blood And Black Lace (1964)
Mario Bava improved on The Girl Who Knew Too Much with Blood And Black Lace the following year to mix murder and high fashion into one of the genre’s most exquisite and influential contributions.
4. Don’t Torture A Duckling (1971)
Lucio Fulci wrote and directed this dark and disturbing classic about that unspoken rule of cinema - dont kill children.
3. The New York Ripper (1982)
Although it is not often considered a true Giallo, this dark and nihlistic Lucio Fulci classic contains many of the main elements and is much like its central serial killer, murderous and relentless. The New York Ripper’s lurid mysogyny depicts an unforgiving New York awash with sleaze and danger at every turn as women are terrorised and murdered by a killer bizarrely laughing and quacking like a duck. Somehow Fulci makes this madness disturbingly plausible, and the film leaves you feeling as grimy and unhinged as its New York killer.
2. What Have You Done To Solange (1971)
Massimo Dallamano was the cinematographer responsible for A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More so his eye for the camera was legendary even before his directorial debut, the classic What Have You Done To Solange. With its 1970’s soft colour pallete and slow subdued atmosphere Dallamano expertly ramps up the sleaze, tension and intrique as a predatory school teacher is accused of killing his students, only to mount his own investigation into the lives of Convent girls who may not be as wholesome as they seem. The story is loaded with Freudian symbology and takes an unexpected turn in its third act with a memorable ending full of pathos for the main characters, including the killer.
1. Deep Red (1975)
Straight in at number one like a knife from the dark comes Dario Argento’s Deep Red. Like Tenebrae before it, Deep Red follows the life of another musician, David Hemmings, when he witnesses a murder in a neighbour’s apartment only to find himself the next target. This is perhaps the greatest Giallo ever made with great characters, incredible cinematography, shocking gore and masterful suspense that builds to an ever twisting narrative climax. Argento arguably made a catalogue of popular Giallos with bigger budgets and more intricate murder set pieces but Deep Red distills the genre to its raw, bloody, and strangely accessible ingredients.
Rumour has it that Dario Argento himself even donned the famous black gloves of the serial killer in all his movies.
Top 10 Werewolf Movies Of All Time
Zombies are overrated. Let's be honest, a werewolf could defeat a slow moving zombie any night of the living dead. Provided there was a full moon.
Zombies are overrated. Let's be honest, a werewolf could defeat a slow moving zombie any night of the living dead. Provided there was a full moon.
Ive always loved werewolf movies so I thought this neglected genre was long overdue an appraisal. So sit back and bark at the moon with the top 10 hair raising werewolf movies of all time. Watch these 10 trailers then have a virtual movie marathon of your own, and remember: Stay On The Path, Beware Of The Moon.
In descending order of greatness:
10. Wolfcop (2004)
A fun little cult B-movie werewolf comedy that never takes itself too seriously. Like a violent version of Teen Wolf. Sort of.
9. Dog Soldiers (2002)
A fantastic low budget British production with an original story and special effects to rival Hollywood.
8. Silver Bullet (1985)
Probably Stephen King's finest and only werewolf adaptation, which isnt that bad once you look past the child protagonist. (Stephen King's protagonists are always either authors or children). Enjoy its gloriously over the top eighties charm.
7. Werewolf Of London (1935)
The original black and White classic which kickstarted the movie genre.
6. The Wolfman (1941)
Lon Chaney Junior is the archetypal everyman Jekyll / Hyde in this classic Universal Studios black and white movie that improved on the original Werewolf Of London. One of the best werewolf movies ever made and a milestone in the genre's cinematic evolution.
5. The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961)
Oliver Reed tears up the screen as he wrestles his inner beast on heat in this lusty Hammer classic.
4. Wolfen (1981)
A dark and gritty eighties new york werewolf cult classic that somehow never received the respect it deserved.
3. The Howling (1985)
This stylish entry was directed by Joe Dante of Gremlins fame with a slow burning storyline and great acting from Dee Wallace. Its also well worth checking out the campy B movie sequel, if you dare, with Sybil Danning as the werewolf leader.
2. The Beast Must Die (1974)
A classic Amicus curio that blends Blaxspoitation and Agatha Christie murder mystery drama with its famous Werewolf Break novelty guessing game. "One of these eight people will turn into a werewolf." Can you guess which one?
1. An American Werewolf In London (1981)
This cold stone horror classic claws its way to the number one spot with its black ghoulish humour, great storyline, and countless iconic and gorey moments. I've watched this John Landis movie a ridiculous amount of times, and never tire of it. Even now the dream sequence of Nazi Werewolves with machine guns makes me shiver with fear and excitement. Not to mention the Picadilly Square set piece ending, which is unequaled.
At the time, Rick Baker's werewolf transformation special effects won an Oscar, and rightly so. A werewolf movie set in England with pitch perfect humour and gore that has never been surpassed in the genre, which somehow leads us back to the cinematic roots of Werewolf Of London.
Remember: Stay On The Path, Beware Of The moon.