Behind the Couch

So the new Halloween trailer was officially released today, and you can check it out here . From what we know of this new instalment of the Halloween series, it’s set 40 years after the original, ignores events depicted in all the subsequent sequels (which essentially creates a cool sort of ‘ choose your own adventure ’ of the series as a whole, with at least three distinct narratives/timelines), features the much-loved character of Laurie Strode, now a mother and grandmother, and is being scored (and executive-produced) by John Carpenter himself. Sadly however, he will not be joined by Debra Hill, who produced and co-wrote the original Halloween back in 1978, and whose vital contributions to the film are so often overlooked, as she passed away in 2005. Carpenter and Hill had no involvement with the series past the third film , so his involvement here is hopefully an indication of the film’s quality. He noted: ‘Thirty-eight years after the original Halloween , I'm going to he...

The past returns to haunt the present when a young Polish groom is possessed by the unquiet spirit of a young Jewish woman on his wedding day. Based upon Piotr Rowicki’s stage play Clinging , Demon is Polish director Marcin Wrona’s third and, sadly, final film (he took his own life in 2015). A deeply moody allegory, it unravels as an exploration of the national guilt stemming from Poland’s direct and indirect complicity with crimes committed against its Jewish citizens during the Holocaust. Head over to Exquisite Terror to read my full review .

The latest review of my Devil’s Advocates book on The Company of Wolves comes courtesy of the lovely folks over at FrightFest , and it’s another really positive one. According to critic Steven West, book is a ‘multi-faceted, intelligent and highly accessible study’. I’ve copied the full review below, and you can also check it out (along with a wealth of other film related reviews, news and features) over at FrightFest … Review The early 80’s saw a mini-boom of werewolf movies reflecting the revolutionary advances in transformative make-up effects, which ensured that David Naughton did not have to disappear behind a conveniently placed desk while morphing into AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. The John Landis movie and Joe Dante’s THE HOWLING brought a substantial degree of self-awareness and knockabout character-based humour to the sub-genre and have endured as modern horror classics. Other wolfman movies from the same period have enjoyed less latter-day attention, including...

The latest review of my Devil’s Advocates book on The Company of Wolves comes courtesy of the lovely folks over at Warped Perspective (formerly Brutal as Hell ). And I’m absolutely delighted that it’s another good one! According to critic Keri O’Shea, book is ‘lucid, detailed and meticulous, with exhaustive knowledge of the film, its inception and its interpretation [...] effectively crosses the divide between academia and fandom.’ I’ve copied the full review below, and you can also check it out (along with a wealth of other film related reviews, news and features) over at Warped Perspective . The Company of Wolves (1984) really is a force of nature – a vivid array of stories-within-stories which capture the insurrectionist tendencies of Angela Carter’s book, The Bloody Chamber, a collection of familiar fairy stories reworked into unfamiliar forms. The film brings several of Carter’s tales to the screen, albeit via a new, modern framing device, one which links the humdrum wit...

A bronze statue of Frankenstein's Creature created by Geneva artist collective KLAT, not only represents the fictional character, but “the figure of the vagrant or the marginal.” Published in January 1818, Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel Frankenstein turns 200 years old this month. It tells of Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young scientist whose highly unorthodox experiments create a living, sentient creature assembled from the parts of stolen human cadavers. Horrified by his creation, Victor rejects and abandons the creature, who eventually seeks revenge on his creator. Mary began writing what would become her debut novel when she was 18. Published several years later, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus became one of the cornerstones of Gothic literature. With its themes concerning the destructive pursuit of knowledge and dangerous ambition, morality regarding scientific/technological advancement, existentialism and societal isolation, Frankenstein continues to...

While things may have been quite quiet on Behind the Couch for the past year, elsewhere I’ve been keeping myself very busy indeed (and berating myself for all but neglecting this blog). 2017 was my Year of the Wolf - I finally completed my second book (a monograph on the Gothic fantasy film The Company of Wolves ) which was published by Auteur , as part of their Devil’s Advocates series, in the spring, and launched at the Gothic Feminism Conference at the University of Kent in late May. In a review of the book, Starburst said: The litmus test of any study like this is how much it makes you want to watch the film(s) it analyses. Gracey’s writing is so insightful, and his enthusiasm for Wolves so infectious, that you will want to do just that. The Company of Wolves is ripe for re-evaluation and Gracey does it ample justice. Few film books can claim to be as definitive. You can pick up a copy of my book from your local library or bookshop, or from any of these fine places: H...

“Wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,  Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!”  - John Greenleaf Whittier  Happy Halloween everyone!

Published just in time for readers to enjoy through the ever-darkening nights of October, SelfMadeHero’s latest offering is a second volume of graphic adaptations of the tales of MR James: a medievalist scholar and provost of King’s College, Cambridge, who is remembered today as the finest purveyor of ghost stories in the English language. Adapted by Leah Moore and John Reppion, and featuring the illustrations of Meghan Hetrick, Abigail Larson, Al Davison and George Kambadais, the tales adapted for this volume include some of his best known work. Head over to Exquisite Terror to read my full review . Read my review of Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Vol. I here .

The third issue of Sargasso: The Journal of William Hope Hodgson Studies is now available. Well, it’s actually been available for quite some time, but I only just found out about it. Like previous issues of the journal, this issue includes in-depth essays on Hodgson's life and work, including Utter Quiet in All the Land: A Recurring Motif by Ryan Jefferson, The House on the Borderland: The Ultimate Horror Novel by Liam Garriock, Ye Hogge: Liminality and the Motif of the Monstrous Pig in Hodgson’s The Hog and The House on the Borderland by Leigh Blackmore, and The House on the Burren: The Physical and Psychological Foundations of The House on the Borderland by Joseph Hinton. There’s also poetry inspired by the author’s work, and several short stories, including my own short story A Hideous Communion . This story was previously published in Carnacki: The Lost Cases , an anthology that took the mysterious cases hinted at by ‘Ghost-Finder’ Thomas Carnacki (a fictional occult...

Today is the last day to enter a competition to win a copy of my Devil's Advocates book on The Company of Wolves . Simply head over to FolkloreThursday.com and subscribe to their lovely (and completely free) newsletter (just underneath my article on the evolution of the tale of Red Riding Hood) for the chance to win a copy (valid August 2017; UK & ROI only). There are other folksy goodies to be won, including beautiful Wicker Man tea-towels designed by Hare & Tabor , and a copy of Kevan Manwaring's new book Ballad Tales: An Anthology of British Ballads Retold.  

First Wes, then George. Now Tobe, who passed away yesterday at the age of 74. I thought it might be appropriate to share a few words I wrote about Tobe from issue 20 of Diabolique, back 2014… Tobe Hooper is a name seared onto the landscape of horror cinema. [F]rom classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (a scathing deconstruction of post Watergate/post Vietnam American culture and politics, and a nightmarish study of the breakdown of the family unit), Poltergeist, Salem’s Lot and the underrated slasher flick The Funhouse , to bargain-basement fodder such as Crocodile, The Mangler and Night Terrors – not to mention his plethora of TV work, including I’m Dangerous Tonight and episodes of Dark Skies – [his is] a fascinating, chaotic and unrestrained body of work, throughout which floats a dark, primordial anxiety. When he is on top form, few can muster a sense of stifling, claustrophobic dread better than Hooper; all sense of logic is dispelled and the viewer is plunged in...

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge by Paul Merwart Of all the folk and fairy tales known to us, the tale of Little Red Riding Hood is perhaps one of the most enduring and provocative. In its most basic form it is a tale of good vs. evil, and it is generally regarded as one of the most effective expressions of sexual curiosity and the ultimate loss of innocence. I recently wrote an article exploring the evolution of the tale and how its meaning changed throughout the years - from its supposed origins as an oral folktale warning girls of the dangers of predators, to Charles Perrault's literary fairy tale adaptation warning young women against exploring their sexual desires. Head over to Folklore Thursday to read the article, and for the chance to win thyself a copy of my Devil's Advocates book on The Company of Wolves (Neil Jordan's Gothic fantasy film based on Angela Carter's feminist reworking of Red Riding Hood). After you’ve read the article, simply subscribe to F...

If you go down to the woods today, be sure to pick up a copy of my new book on Neil Jordan's Gothic fantasy The Company of Wolves . The book is part of Auteur’s Devil’s Advocates series, and can be bought from any of these fine places: Hive: hive.co.uk Wordery: wordery.com Columbia University Press: cup.columbia.edu A recent review (courtesy of author and critic Jon Towlson over at Starburst) said it was 'A meticulously researched, beautifully written and fascinating book...' Book includes chapters on the ‘making of’ the film, the evolution of folk and fairy tales in our culture, an examination of the tale of Red Riding Hood, the figure of the werewolf in folklore, literature and cinema, the powerful feminist message of the film (and the short stories by Angela Carter upon which it is based), and the representation of female monsters and werewolves in literature and cinema. Stay tuned for news of how you can enter a competition to win a copy of the book (cou...

Stephen King’s tenth novel, Cujo (1981), tells of a young woman and her infant son who are trapped in their car at an isolated farmhouse when confronted by a rabid dog. It was adapted for film by Lewis Teague in 1983 and the adaptation features all the sweltering claustrophobia and intensity that made King's novel so gripping. Teague’s adaptation - which, like King's novel, also explores themes such as addiction, free will, childhood fears, adultery and familial dysfunction - is the subject of a new book by Melbourne based author and film historian, Lee Gambin. Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo (BearManor Media) is a staggeringly detailed work featuring academic scene-by-scene analyses alongside in-depth interviews with key members of the cast and crew, including stars Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Danny Pintauro, director Lewis Teague, and composer Charles Bernstein. I recently had the pleasure of chatting to Gambin about his new book and the unyielding...

Diabolique is a lavishly illustrated print and digital magazine exploring every aspect of horror film, literature and art. It brings fresh perspective to subjects old and new, foreign and domestic – from ancient folklore and Gothic classics to contemporary film releases and modern literary gems. Each issue brims with insightful commentary, analysis and engrossing information complemented by photos, illustrations and handsome, full-color design. Issue 27 (July/August), now available to pre-order, is entirely dedicated to witchcraft, magick and folk and fairy tales. Within its pages you’ll find in-depth explorations of the occult inspired works of Norman J Warren, ‘occult gialli’, the late George A Romero’s Season of the Witch , The Craft and the history of the witch trials seen in Ken Russell’s The Devils . There are also essays dedicated to the urban myths and lore of Candyman and the cinematic counterparts of Eastern European folk and fairy tales such as Little Otik and Viy ....

Film director George A. Romero has died at the age of 77. He died in his sleep last night (Sunday 16th July) after a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer. His agent, Chris Roe, said Romero’s wife and daughter were with him and that he passed away listening to the score of The Quiet Man , one of his favourite films. As the director of Night of the Living Dead (1968), Romero will be remembered as one of the major pioneers of the modern horror film. A truly groundbreaking work, it took horror out of the realms of the supernatural, away from a far flung Gothic locale and posited it directly on our doorsteps. Released just eight years after Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) it similarly suggested that horror can exit right next door to us. Indeed, that it is us. Commenting on his vision of zombies as a metaphor for society, Romero commented ‘All I did was I took them out of ‘exotica’ and I made them the neighbors. I thought there’s nothing scarier than the neighbors!’ Prior to Rome...

Born from a love of horror, ponderous thoughts and meandering topics, Exquisite Terror is a periodical that takes a more academic approach to the genre, featuring exclusive art, script analysis and in-depth essays. Like all good things that come to those who wait, issue 5 – after the shedding of much blood, sweat and tears - is now available to pre-order. And it’s really been worth the wait… Now featuring even more content than before, inside this issue you'll find in-depth essays and analyses on the likes of The Shining, The Omen, Silence of the Lambs and the werewolf (as a representation of 'coming out') in horror cinema, plus interviews with Uncle Bob Martin and Ramsey Campbell. Elsewhere, author and critic Jon Towlson delves into the world of film director Michael Reeves, while I explore the relationship between eroticism and death in the films of Dario Argento*. Every essay and article is accompanied by original and beautiful artwork (including some gorgeous il...

The first review of my Devil’s Advocates monograph on The Company of Wolves is in, courtesy of Starburst . And it’s a good one! According to author and critic Jon Towlson, it is ‘ a meticulously researched, beautifully written and fascinating book .’ I’ve copied the full review below, and you can also check it out (along with a wealth of other film related reviews, news and features) over at Starburst , the world’s longest running magazine of cult entertainment. At the time of its release in 1984, Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves received mixed reviews: it’s not a children’s film, critics complained, but it’s about fairytales; werewolves feature heavily but it’s not a horror film. Indeed, it’s a strange beast, as pointed out in this excellent new study by James Gracey (author of Kamera Books’ Dario Argento). ‘Part fairy tale, part werewolf film, part horror film, part feminist coming of age allegory’, Gracey approaches his monograph from all these angles; and from a beguiling...

The feature directorial debut from Irish filmmaker Zoe Kavanagh, Demon Hunter (2016) tells of Taryn (Niamh Hogan), a young woman whose sister is kidnapped and ritualistically sacrificed by members of a creepy demonic sect. Taryn joins forces with a gang of demon hunters to rid Dublin of the diabolical fiends, but when she is arrested for murder, the covert operation is at risk of exposure and she must convince a cynical cop of the existence of real evil before it is too late. Head over to Exquisite Terror to read my full review . 

My monograph on The Company of Wolves was launched this weekend at the Gothic Feminism Conference in Kent. Auteur Publishing had a stall with a selection of titles on Gothic horror from their Devil's Advocates series, including advance copies of my contribution. Gothic Feminism is a research project based at the University of Kent which ‘ seeks to re-engage with theories of the Gothic and reflect specifically upon the depiction of the Gothic heroine in film. The project raises questions of representation, interpretation and feminist enquiry in relation to the Gothic heroine throughout film history including present day incarnations. This project will illuminate the concerns, contradictions and challenges posed by the Gothic heroine on-screen. ’ This year’s conference, the second, took place on 24th – 26th May. Entitled Women-in-Peril or Final Girls? Representing Women in Gothic and Horror Cinema , it featured a plethora of papers and presentations including: ‘The Pres...