Folk Horror

[ramonmercado]

Showing again on the Horror Channel Saturday 18th December at 11.05 PM.

Sacrifice: Midsommar meets The Wicker Man with a twist of Lovecraft. Isaac along with his pregnant partner Emma go to remote Norwegian Island where Isaac lived as a child, to claim his family home. Taken at first as American tourists the locals are hostile, even violent towards Isaac but when they discover he's a native islander they get him drunk. The local police chief shocks Isaac with news about his departure from the island 25 years before, his past has changed and it will have future implications. Emma has strange dreams but to what extent are they reflecting what is really going on? The islanders are Pagans who worship a deity which slumbers in the deep waters and sometimes dreams. Sound familiar? Much of the strangeness involves water, in baths, in sinks, in the sea. Tentacles appear in the visions and dreams. White-robed Pagans participate in full immersion baptism sacraments and inveigle Isaac into taking the plunge. A couple of plot twists keep the narrative motoring along. More could have been done with a bigger budget and a more adventurous screenplay but this is certainly a watchable horror film and at 87 minutes doesn't outstay it's welcome. Co-Directed /Co-Written by Andy Collier and Tor Mian (based on the short story Men of the Cloth by Paul Kane). 6/10.

 

[GNC]

Isn't Barbara Crampton in Sacrifice? Worth a mention!

 

[ramonmercado]

Isn't Barbara Crampton in Sacrifice? Worth a mention!

Yeah, she's the police chief/pagan priestess.

 

[ramonmercado]

Lamb: While this film is based on Icelandic folklore it is also influenced by Director Valdimar Jóhannsson's childhood experiences on his grandparents farm The quotidian experiences of farm life are shown as couple Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) share the chores, sometimes he drives the tractor, on other occasions she does. Life is quite, they seem relatively happy but a lot seems unsaid. The strangeness is present from Lamb's opening scenes though, a creature trudges through a blizzard breathing heavily, scattering a herd of wild ponies. A ram watches through a window as the entity approaches a shed. It enters and the ewes are disturbed. The next day Maria and Ingvar see a ewe give birth to a hybrid sheep/human, while they are surprised, they are not shocked. The film presupposes a reality where such things occur. When Ingvar's brother Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) arrives at the farm he is flabbergasted and disturbed to discover that they are raising the hybrid (Ada) as a child but is sanguine about it's very existence. At times the narrative of the film unfolds like a soap and might flippantly be described as Emmerdale/Glenroe with Weresheep. But it is far stranger than such a facile interpretation. Ada is intelligent and though she cannot speak understands what the humans say. There are some disturbing scenes, a few of stark horror but most of this occurs in the final twenty minutes of the film. An intriguing tale set in the beautiful Icelandic mountain scenery where the farm abuts a mountain whose crags and peaks look suitably sinister in the mist. Directed & Co-Written by Valdimar Jóhannsson. 8/10.

In cinemas.

 

[GNC]

I can see why some would quibble with Lamb being called a horror movie, but I don't know what else you'd call it. Mark Kermode pointed out the days never get dark, I hadn't noticed, but that far north I think he's right. The ending was truly freaky, but I guess there needed to be some retribution for what they did to Ada's actual mother.

 

[ramonmercado]

I can see why some would quibble with Lamb being called a horror movie, but I don't know what else you'd call it. Mark Kermode pointed out the days never get dark, I hadn't noticed, but that far north I think he's right. The ending was truly freaky, but I guess there needed to be some retribution for what they did to Ada's actual mother.

Ewe said it, they did a baad thing.

 

[GNC]

Ewe said it, they did a baad thing.

They thought they were ovine a laff, but ended up sheepish.

 

[brownmane]

Just finished watching “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror” on Shudder. It explores folk horror in film and features many film clips from international movies along with interviews with filmmakers, authors and folk lore scholars. Quite interesting. It is divided into chapters and, while I didn’t really start to pay attention to the discussions until much further into the movie, the latter half did keep my attention enough that, I am considering rewatching the first half.

The first chapter of the documentary was predictably focussed on British folk horror movies and themes, with the second chapter focussed on American folk horror. Once it directed the discussion to international folk horror, I definitely started to pay attention.

I don’t have an opinion on what defines folk horror, but found the different ideas on what others see as folk horror very interesting. I did realize that, despite folk horror seeming to be defined (to me) as old ways conflicting with new, these “old ways” are ever changing and so folk horror continues evolving. That is an obvious idea as I write it, but I never really thought much about folk horror per se.

The biggest thing I discovered is that there are innumerable films that I have never seen, and now want to find. And while I am not advertising for Shudder, it has now added some of the international films mentioned in the documentary. Looking forward to watching more of these movies.

 

[GNC]

I agree, one of the best things about Woodlands Dark is I can imagine thousands of viewers pausing it frequently to take a note of the films they discuss! I thought it would be a slog, but it was so absorbing the time flew by, it's not exactly an essay documentary like Mark Cousins makes because you're getting different points of view, but it has the same effect of drawing you in. Worth a look, even if you don't agree with some of the inclusions.

 

[ramonmercado]

Amulet: The eponymous amulet/figurine is found by Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) in a forest in the Balkans during a war. Tomaz has frequent nightmares regarding those times, he was a soldier and while he avoided most of the ethnic cleansing he carries guilt for some acts he committed. Now in London his work as a day labour only allows him to live in a squat. Losing even these digs he encounters an enigmatic nun (Imelda Staunton) who asks him to stay with a young woman, Magda (Carla Juri) who is looking after her mother in a decrepit house. He reluctantly agrees but starts to develop a relationship with Magda. The "Mother" in the attic is strange, wails, bites Magda.

This is a dark tale of demons, possession, ancient guardians, revenge, with frightening even nauseating scenes of horror. Some of the worst horror though is in the flashbacks to the Balkans war, much of it is between the lines, as the ethnic cleansing is suggested rather than shown. The mundane is sometimes more disturbing than the mondo. The amulet plays a part in this but you'll have to watch the full film to understand it as the narrative unfolds. There are a few plot twists which cannot be revealed but they do allow you to view events in a new light. This film is both perplexing and unsettling, very much for adults who are not faint of heart or squeamish. Written and Directed by Romola Garai 8/10.

In cinemas.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Just watched 2021 Spanish movie El Páramo (The Wasteland) on Netflix.
In a desolate part of the Spanish countryside, some time in the 19th century, a peasant family ekes out a wretched existence, set against a background where legends of la bestia maligna (the evil beast) are used to frighten children - or could they have some basis in fact?
The movie is slow on action but big on atmosphere and keeps you guessing throughout as to whether something supernatural is on the prowl or could it just be a manifestation of stress, mental illness, superstition and privation.
The slow pace may try your patience, but I found it ultimately rewarding and quite memorable.
A 7/10 from me.

 

[ramonmercado]

Just watched 2021 Spanish movie El Páramo (The Wasteland) on Netflix.
In a desolate part of the Spanish countryside, some time in the 19th century, a peasant family ekes out a wretched existence, set against a background where legends of la bestia maligna (the evil beast) are used to frighten children - or could they have some basis in fact?
The movie is slow on action but big on atmosphere and keeps you guessing throughout as to whether something supernatural is on the prowl or could it just be a manifestation of stress, mental illness, superstition and privation.
The slow pace may try your patience, but I found it ultimately rewarding and quite memorable.
A 7/10 from me.

Agree with your analysis, I gave it 6/10.

 

[GNC]

Amulet: The eponymous amulet/figurine is found by Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) in a forest in the Balkans during a war. Tomaz has frequent nightmares regarding those times, he was a soldier and while he avoided most of the ethnic cleansing he carries guilt for some acts he committed. Now in London his work as a day labour only allows him to live in a squat. Losing even these digs he encounters an enigmatic nun (Imelda Staunton) who asks him to stay with a young woman, Magda (Carla Juri) who is looking after her mother in a decrepit house. He reluctantly agrees but starts to develop a relationship with Magda. The "Mother" in the attic is strange, wails, bites Magda.

This is a dark tale of demons, possession, ancient guardians, revenge, with frightening even nauseating scenes of horror. Some of the worst horror though is in the flashbacks to the Balkans war, much of it is between the lines, as the ethnic cleansing is suggested rather than shown. The mundane is sometimes more disturbing than the mondo. The amulet plays a part in this but you'll have to watch the full film to understand it as the narrative unfolds. There are a few plot twists which cannot be revealed but they do allow you to view events in a new light. This film is both perplexing and unsettling, very much for adults who are not faint of heart or squeamish. Written and Directed by Romola Garai 8/10.

In cinemas.

I watched this for over an hour and was thinking, yeah, yeah, Romola, you've got the atmosphere down pat, but when is anything going to happen? I needn't have worried, the last 20 minutes are absolutely insane! Stick with this one, it's crazy (in a good way)!

 

[Swifty]

An interesting choice of title from the established director Alex Garland, MEN is being touted as a folk horror (because of the green man pictured in the church?). I'll wait until I watch it before jumping to the conclusion that's it's just some sort of anti men film because Alex Garland's more intelligent than that .. but here's the details and teaser trailer for it anyway ..

https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/4...VZLQ564S07FnxxHRF0Kj9ipP-8wej0EM1JXw--6PSMZpI

 

[ramonmercado]

An interesting choice of title from the established director Alex Garland, MEN is being touted as a folk horror (because of the green man pictured in the church?). I'll wait until I watch it before jumping to the conclusion that's it's just some sort of anti men film because Alex Garland's more intelligent than that .. but here's the details and teaser trailer for it anyway ..

https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/4...VZLQ564S07FnxxHRF0Kj9ipP-8wej0EM1JXw--6PSMZpI

Looks promising, starring Jessie Buckley.

 

[skinny]

Tasty. Loved Annihilation. Love Jessie B. A24 production.
Can't wait.

 

[brownmane]

Tasty. Loved Annihilation. Love Jessie B. A24 production.
Can't wait.

Annihilation was very well done. It was pretty close to Jeff Vandermeer's novel. One of the few times imo that a movie has done well telling the author's original story.

 

[ramonmercado]

You Are Not My Mother: An Irish film steeped in Folklore which also explores the issues of mental illness and bullying. Char (Hazel Doupe) is academically bright but bullied at school, her mother, Angela (Bracken), who is bipolar disappears. She returns after a few days but will not say where she was, Her behaviour changes, she becomes elated, threatening, violent, even homicidal. Char's grandmother, Rita (Ingrid Craigie) sees this as being due to something other than a manic phase. Throughout the film Rita is seen making amulets constructed of twigs and herbs to ward off evil. In the opening scene she performs a ritual involving Char as a baby. The narrative is unsettling from beginning to end as the sense of dread builds. While most of the horror is psychological there are some unsettling scenes involving creatures from the other realm but unsurprisingly the mundane bullying of char by other teens are perhaps the most disturbing. Great performances by Diupe, Craigie, Bracken and Jordanne Jones as Suzanne, a bully turned friend. Reminiscent (in different ways) of Outcast, The Hole In The Ground and The Wicker Man; even the song Elf Call by Steeleye Span but it's very much it's own film. Written and Directed by Kate Dolan in her triumphant debut as a feature Director. 8/10.

In cinemas.

 

[ramonmercado]

You Are Not My Mother: An Irish film steeped in Folklore which also explores the issues of mental illness and bullying. Char (Hazel Doupe) is academically bright but bullied at school, her mother, Angela Carolyn Bracken), who is bipolar disappears. She returns after a few days but will not say where she was, Her behaviour changes, she becomes elated, threatening, violent, even homicidal. Char's grandmother, Rita (Ingrid Craigie) sees this as being due to something other than a manic phase. Throughout the film Rita is seen making amulets constructed of twigs and herbs to ward off evil. In the opening scene she performs a ritual involving Char as a baby. The narrative is unsettling from beginning to end as the sense of dread builds. While most of the horror is psychological there are some unsettling scenes involving creatures from the other realm but unsurprisingly the mundane bullying of char by other teens are perhaps the most disturbing. Great performances by Diupe, Craigie, Bracken and Jordanne Jones as Suzanne, a bully turned friend. Reminiscent (in different ways) of Outcast, The Hole In The Ground and The Wicker Man; even the song Elf Call by Steeleye Span but it's very much it's own film. Written and Directed by Kate Dolan in her triumphant debut as a feature Director. 8/10.

In cinemas.

I love this song.

 

[GNC]

You Are Not My Mother: An Irish film steeped in Folklore which also explores the issues of mental illness and bullying. Char (Hazel Doupe) is academically bright but bullied at school, her mother, Angela (Bracken), who is bipolar disappears. She returns after a few days but will not say where she was, Her behaviour changes, she becomes elated, threatening, violent, even homicidal. Char's grandmother, Rita (Ingrid Craigie) sees this as being due to something other than a manic phase. Throughout the film Rita is seen making amulets constructed of twigs and herbs to ward off evil. In the opening scene she performs a ritual involving Char as a baby. The narrative is unsettling from beginning to end as the sense of dread builds. While most of the horror is psychological there are some unsettling scenes involving creatures from the other realm but unsurprisingly the mundane bullying of char by other teens are perhaps the most disturbing. Great performances by Diupe, Craigie, Bracken and Jordanne Jones as Suzanne, a bully turned friend. Reminiscent (in different ways) of Outcast, The Hole In The Ground and The Wicker Man; even the song Elf Call by Steeleye Span but it's very much it's own film. Written and Directed by Kate Dolan in her triumphant debut as a feature Director. 8/10.

In cinemas.

Glad you finally saw it, and enjoyed it! It's out in the UK in April, I think.

 

[ramonmercado]

Cracow Monsters: Alex/Aitwar drinks to deal with past traumas. She is accepted as a student by the pathology department of a medical school. But her professor and some of his students fight demons and monsters. A demon comes from the other side and possesses a dead boy, he controls people to attack Alex but she also has powers from her contact with Aitvaras, the nature spirit.. The boy turns Cracow city morgue into Zombie Central as he raises the dead to fight the professor and his team. A dark series involving rituals to ward off demons and to cleanse adepts after contact with them. A clash of the good and bad entities from a Pagan Canon with the professor and his acolytes following spirits of light. But it's a bit more complicated than that that with many monsters (including water demons) being summoned up. Another mystery to be explored is Ales's past, how her mother died and through what agency did she achieve her special powers. Directed by Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas, Written by Gaja Grzegorzewska, Magdalena Lankosz and Anna Sienska. Eight episodes on Netflix. Two episodes in I'm giving it 8/10.

 

[ramonmercado]

Umma: Korean Folk Horror this time. Sandra Oh plays Amanda, a Korean-American who lives on an isolated ranch with her home schooled daughter Chrissy (Fivel Stewart), producing organic honey, Amanda is somehow allergic to electricity. Their tranquility is disturbed when Amanda's uncle delivers her mother's ashes. But not just the ashes, her mother's vengeful ghost also arrives. Why Amanda fled from her mother us crucial to the development of the narrative, we are given clues, though the eventual revelations are shocking. Possession and deception are used by the spirit to overcome Amanda. Some interesting Korean Folk Lore on how these vengeful entities operate and the rituals necessary to propitiate or/and defeat them. The story doesn't totally live up to it's original promise even with it's moments of shock and horror but it;s certainly worth watching. Written & Directed by Iris K. Shim. 7/10.

In cinemas.

 

[brownmane]

Umma: Korean Folk Horror this time. Sandra Oh plays Amanda, a Korean-American who lives on an isolated ranch with her home schooled daughter Chrissy (Fivel Stewart), producing organic honey, Amanda is somehow allergic to electricity. Their tranquility is disturbed when Amanda's uncle delivers her mother's ashes. But not just the ashes, her mother's vengeful ghost also arrives. Why Amanda fled from her mother us crucial to the development of the narrative, we are given clues, though the eventual revelations are shocking. Possession and deception are used by the spirit to overcome Amanda. Some interesting Korean Folk Lore on how these vengeful entities operate and the rituals necessary to propitiate or/and defeat them. The story doesn't totally live up to it's original promise even with it's moments of shock and horror but it;s certainly worth watching. Written & Directed by Iris K. Shim. 7/10.

In cinemas.

I'm glad to see Sandra Oh getting so much work. She's a great actor.

 

[GNC]

I'm glad to see Sandra Oh getting so much work. She's a great actor.

I first saw her in the strangely moving, 90s end of the world drama Last Night, and she stood out immediately. It's always been nice to see her since.

 

[ramonmercado]

Cracow Monsters: Alex/Aitwar drinks to deal with past traumas. She is accepted as a student by the pathology department of a medical school. But her professor and some of his students fight demons and monsters. A demon comes from the other side and possesses a dead boy, he controls people to attack Alex but she also has powers from her contact with Aitvaras, the nature spirit.. The boy turns Cracow city morgue into Zombie Central as he raises the dead to fight the professor and his team. A dark series involving rituals to ward off demons and to cleanse adepts after contact with them. A clash of the good and bad entities from a Pagan Canon with the professor and his acolytes following spirits of light. But it's a bit more complicated than that that with many monsters (including water demons) being summoned up. Another mystery to be explored is Ales's past, how her mother died and through what agency did she achieve her special powers. Directed by Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas, Written by Gaja Grzegorzewska, Magdalena Lankosz and Anna Sienska. Eight episodes on Netflix. Two episodes in I'm giving it 8/10.

Updated review.

Cracow Monsters: Alex/Aitwar drinks to deal with past traumas. She is accepted as a student by the pathology department of a medical school. But her professor and some of his students fight demons and monsters. A demon comes from the other side and possesses a dead boy, he controls people to attack Alex but she also has powers from her contact with Aitvaras, the nature spirit.. The boy turns Cracow city morgue into Zombie Central as he raises the dead to fight the professor and his team. A dark series involving rituals to ward off demons and to cleanse adepts after contact with them. A clash of the righteous and malevolent entities results in a proxy war with the professor and his acolytes following spirits of light. But it's a bit more complicated than that that with many monsters (including water demons) being summoned up. Best perhaps is Winter Spas, a bit like Krampus on speed. In some ways the series is similar to Feria with Pantheons of Good and Evil deities, underground temples and gateways.. Cracow Monsters though is based on Slavic mythology rather than Gnosticism. Another mystery to be explored is Ales's past, from literally the opening moments of episode 1 Alex has nightmares about her mother's death. It doesn't quite live up to the promise of it's opening episodes but is a worthy addition to the TV Folk Horror Canon. Directed by Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas, Written by Gaja Grzegorzewska, Magdalena Lankosz and Anna Sienska. Eight episodes on Netflix. 7/10.

 

[ramonmercado]

We have an arrangement where we watch films etc together

But one of us will be doing something else - in my case it's audiobook-through-headphones and embroidery. Mr Frideswide has noise cancelling headphones and a book. Both of us enjoy taking a bijou napette...

Try these headphones, they'll also protect you from pollution & sneak gas attacks!

NO, THIS IS not an elaborate April fool. This is the Dyson Zone, a personal air-purifying mask and noise-canceling headphone doohickey that started life well before the Covid-19 pandemic made masks mainstream.

Available globally sometime next autumn, the Zone has taken six years to develop and represents either a bold new world of personal pollution protection or an economic and PR disaster for Dyson. Frankly, we're not sure which it will be.

What Is the Dyson Zone?
It’s a head-mounted, fan-powered, personal air purifier with over-ear headphones, obviously. On each ear a brilliantly engineered miniature fan—essentially a shrunken version of the type found on the brand's Cool and Hot range of home air purifiers—sucks in dirty air, trapping the nasty stuff in an elaborate series of filters, before squirting a smooth stream of clean air across the wearer’s mouth and nose.


The reasoning behind the Dyson Zone is a somber one. Globally, air pollution kills an estimated 7 million people every year. Data from the World Health Organization shows that 99 percent of the global population breathes air that exceeds guideline limits on pollution, with, unsurprisingly, low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.

According to the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, both China and India suffer from over 1.2 million air-pollution-related deaths each year, while Public Health England states that air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, with 28,000 to 36,000 deaths a year attributed to long-term exposure. ...

https://www.wired.com/story/the-bizarre-dyson-zone-pollution-mask-doubles-as-headphones

 

[Frideswide]

Try these headphones, they'll also protect you from pollution & sneak gas attacks!

I want them!!!!!!

 

[ramonmercado]

Robert Eggers' new film The Northman looks as if it may have strong Folk Horror elements. It's certainly been a lucrative catch for the NI film industry.

It's billed as a brutal tale of betrayal and revenge - and while The Northman may mostly be set in Iceland, the Viking saga is another feather in Northern Ireland's filming cap.

Directed by Robert Eggers, and featuring an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke and Alexander Skarsgård, the project was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2020, employing nearly 450 locally-resident crew.

It was produced by Mark Huffam, the Ballyclare-born producer who helped to bring Game of Thrones to Northern Ireland. He was instrumental in convincing Eggers, whose previous directorial efforts The Witch and The Lighthouse were critically acclaimed, to make the film in Belfast and beyond.

"The film takes place in northern Scotland, Ukraine, and Iceland," Eggers told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme. "And Mark Huffam said: 'I can find all that for you in Northern Ireland.' I mean, there were certain things we had to shoot in Iceland that can only be Iceland, but there's a lot of Northern Ireland for Iceland. A lot more, in fact, than I originally wanted, but because of Covid the main unit couldn't shoot there. You know, me and Alex (Skarsgård) and Anya (Taylor-Joy) didn't get to Iceland until after we'd wrapped principal photography. But the landscapes in Northern Ireland were completely incredible. To be able to build these massive sets, like on Torr Head - it's kind of a dream come true." ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61100466

 

[ramonmercado]

The Northman: Not just another Viking tale, based on the Hamlet source material this is an epic. Viking Magic and the Norse Gods are an important part of everyday life in the unfolding of this narrative, In 895 AD the young Amleth goes through a rite of passage ceremony accompanied by his father King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), they both act and howl like wolves, the King's Jester Heimir (Willem Dafoe) presides over the ritual. A Seeress appears to the adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) and foretells his destiny, something he is as bound by as any Predestination believing Calvinist. Throughout the film this outcast prince comes into contact with mediums who guide him on his way and put him in contact with the dead. Physical objects are brought back from these supernatural encounters.

After Amleth's father is slain by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) he flees promising to avenge his father and to free his mother, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), who Fjölnir has taken as his wife. He is raised by a band of Berserkers, we see the Berserker Priest (Magne Osnes) lead the ritual in which his clan put themselves into a trance whereby they see themselves as bear-wolves. After a battle in Russia Amleth discovers that Fjölnir is now in iceland with Gudrún, disguising himself as a slave he sets off to fulfil his destiny. He meets and falls in love with Olga (Anna Taylor-Joy) a Rus Sorceress who is also a slave.

The violence in this film is shocking at times but it reflects the age in which it was set, life was cheap. Even during Fjölnir's coup ordinary people are killed because they literally were in the way. During a Berserker rage Amleth bites the throat out of a Rus warrior but after the battle other Vikings in cold blood slay women and children who aren't useful as slaves. Slaves who mightn't last the winter are slain by Viking farmers. Gore flows through this saga and if you are squeamish or faint of heart then it is best to avoid The Northman. A thrilling story of adventure, betrayal, a thirst for revenge and the acceptance of a fate which is inevitable because it is foretold by the Norns. A few twists add to the tension which permeates the film. Great performances by Skarsgård, Taylor-Joy, Dafoe, Bangs and Kidman. Directed by Robert Eggers, co-Written by Eggers and Sjón. 9/10.

 

[skinny]

Trying not to read or view anything about it. I see your 9/10 and am jeed up even more. Eggers and Aster are the vanguard of a fantastic new wave in this genre. Love everything they’ve done so far.