Tag: Folk Horror

[Fantasia 2021] A History on Folk Horror in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary Review

Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble with this review of Woodlands: Dark and Days Bewitched. A History on Folk Horror

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Movie PosterAvailable to view on demand
For local screenings, please visit the official webpage

Clocking in at over three hours, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a very detailed examination of what defines folk horror and on what the seminal films are. Kier-La Janisse certainly knows the cinematic realm to the tee, and I’d have to rewatch this work to catalogue all the movies referenced. I’d take breaks just because there’s a lot of terrific information to soak in.

The Unholy Trinity of “Witchfinder General,” “Blood on Satan’s Claw,” and “The Wicker Man” are referenced and rightly so. They helped define this new genre of cinematic folk horror. And thankfully, instead of focusing on the output from one country, many other worlds are looked at. Not every film is examined, and neither is every movie noted. The runtime doesn’t do the look at world cinema justice. Continue reading “[Fantasia 2021] A History on Folk Horror in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched Documentary Review”

Folk-Horror and Kyrsyä–Tuftland

The beauty of the countryside of Finland is the spotlight in Kyrsyä–Tuftland, a melodramatic piece of Folk Horror by director-producer Roope Olenius.

Kyrsyä–TuftlandBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The beauty of the countryside of Finland is the spotlight in Kyrsyä–Tuftland, a melodramatic piece of Folk Horror by director-producer Roope Olenius. This work is his first feature film and his attention to detail does more to emphasize a hidden terror than provide supernatural scares. Billed as Rosemary’s Baby meets Wicker Man, this hook was enough to get me interested in examining this film. Darkside Releasing made this title available in Canada last month. In the States, it’s now available on VOD with thanks to Subliminal Films.

Irina Vaahtera (Veera W. Vilo) is this film’s protagonist, and she’s feeling very lost, especially after finding out her boyfriend cheated on her. She’s not doing too well in school either, and she simply decided to get away from it all, by taking a summer internship in a small town which specializes in making a special embroidery.

Continue reading “Folk-Horror and Kyrsyä–Tuftland”