Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: Janisse Delivers Folk Horror History Lesson

Cinema | April 17th, 2023

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@hpr1.com

References to more than 200 films and dozens of insights from scholars, programmers, filmmakers, authors and others justify the more than three-hour running time of Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies founder Kier-La Janisse’s engrossing documentary “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror.”

Originally conceived by the director as a much shorter bonus featurette to accompany Severin’s restoration of “The Blood on Satan’s Claw,” the sprawling, near comprehensive overview is a must for horror hounds and cinephiles. Following a 2021 South by Southwest premiere, the film is available as a standalone physical media release. It also anchors Severin’s handsome Blu-ray box set “All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror.”

Divided into chapters, the film begins with an overview of the “unholy trinity” of genre/mode influences. Piers Haggard’s “The Blood on Satan’s Claw,” Michael Reeves’s “Witchfinder General,” and Robin Hardy’s “The Wicker Man” spoke to Vietnam War-era anxieties and powerful anti-authoritarian sentiments. Whether real or imagined, witches and witchcraft as vehicles for the feminist rebuke of the patriarchy set down deep thematic roots. Other core folk horror tropes, like ritual sacrifice and explorations of paganism and the Old Gods as manifested in the pastoral and the agrarian, would go on to inspire future moviemakers.

Determined to accept the largest number of potential titles, Janisse operates with a spirit of inclusiveness that welcomes all kinds of things that might be better (or at least more commonly) categorized in other popular horror subgenres. For example, folk horror isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when assessing Herschell Gordon Lewis’s “Two Thousand Maniacs” or Alan Parker’s “Angel Heart” or Bernard Rose’s “Candyman,” but Janisse and her interview subjects make a reasonable case for their consideration.

The wide net cast by “Woodlands Dark” snares international films of many types and vintages. Extending the big tent approach, happy listmakers will find entries from Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Serbia, the former Soviet Union and others, alongside the heavy presence of material originating in the United Kingdom and the United States. Theatrical features share the conversation with made-for-TV movies and individual episodes of series such as “Doctor Who,” “The Waltons,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Tales From the Darkside,” “Thriller,” and several more.

The sheer breadth of Janisse’s labors means that only a handful of the huge catalog receives the kind of deep dive that many viewers crave. It’s a minor complaint, though, given the expertise that radiates so passionately from the parade of assembled enthusiasts. By the time we reach the end, which lifts up the contributions of Ben Wheatley, Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, and a handful of other contemporary practitioners, Janisse has convincingly shown us the ancestors and origins of “A Field in England,” “The Witch,” and “Midsommar.” By this point, we have been asked to wrestle with the largest definition of folk horror to date. Academic Dawn Keetley offers one of the best summaries: “As our world becomes more urban, global, complex, and virtual, our nostalgia for a life that is more rooted, rural, and embodied increases exponentially.” 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…

By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu I would like to recognize some of the scholarly Germans from Russia from Canada and USA shared on the GRHC website. There are additional names not included here. If you have suggestions…

Friday, October 31, doors 8 p.m. show starts at 8:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe annual Aquarium Halloween Cover Show is back and it is stacked. And this time there are a limited amount of presale…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comThat old time religion, filled with love, is no longer good enough In the first “Inherit the Wind” movie about religion and evolution starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly, the…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Now available on Amazon Prime following its world premiere last month as the opening night selection of the Toronto International Film Festival’s golden anniversary, “John Candy: I Like…

By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…

Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership  As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…