Dead Evil Clothing is a grass roots start up horror & alternative apparel brand based in York, the most haunted city in Europe!
We are life long horror fans, and our mission is simple: to clothe the masses in the darkest and most spine-chilling fashion possible. We believe that true style comes from embracing your inner demons and wearing them on your sleeve (or on your t-shirt, hoodie, or hot-pants, for that matter).
Bringing a new, exciting perspective to horror & alternative fashion, our ghouls will be creating designs that celebrate the genre in a unique and memorable way. We aim to build a community of horror enthusiasts who have a passion for the genre, and who are not afraid to express their love for the macabre and unconventional.
We have big goals and aspirational plans for Dead Evil, and our focus will not only be apparel but we aim to move into home decor, a podcast, a sister alcohol brand and eventually a physical themed shop for all you ghouls out there. The final piece of the puzzle will be Dead Evil Films, who are currently underway creating their first horror short.
Alongside this we have also created the Dead Evil Initiative, a community program created to support and inspire the creative side of the alternative and horror community. Our goal is to provide a platform for horror artists, musicians, and other creatives to showcase their unique and imaginative works. Every time you buy an item you are essentially helping the horror community thrive.
As part of the initiative, we pledge to donate 5% of our yearly profit to support and promote the most innovative and boundary-pushing projects in the community. Whether it’s an underground horror film or an alternative art exhibit, we want to help make these projects a reality and push the limits of what’s possible. So join us in supporting the Dead Evil Initiative, and let’s celebrate the spirit of creativity in the horror and alternative community!
Did your rotting hearts beat at what you’ve just read, well if you’re ready to embrace your dark side, come join us at Dead Evil Clothing. We promise you won’t be disappointed – or if you are, it’s probably because one of our cursed items has possessed you. Either way, it’s a win-win in our book.
1 – One film has never made it out of the nasties list
As any horror fan will tell you, the ‘nasty’ period was brutal for the genre, with every film on the list going through rigorous censorship campaigns, resulting in many films not being released fully uncut until the mid-2000s. However, despite the times moving on, one film has still never seen the light of day in the UK. The banned culprit in discussion is Gestapo’s Last Orgy (1977), an exploitation flick centred on the horrors of war.
2 – The media’s concern went further than you could believe
In an interview regarding the nasties’ ability to infect the public’s minds, MP Graham Bright, stated that “research is taking place and it will show that these films not only affect young people, but I believe they affect dogs as well”.
3 – House of Commons goes to the cinema
As part of the NVALA (National Viewers and Listeners Association) campaign to ban the rise of horror, the organisation compiled a compilation of some of the more bloody moments from the films in question. This compilation was shown to ‘prove’ how horrid these films were, eventually convicning parliament to create laws and legislations that would change the path of horror cinema for decades to come.
4 – Real or fake – the case of Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
The infamous Cannibal Holocaust was not neccesarily the ‘worst’ film on the list. However, its use of firsthand footage and its mondo influences meant that director Ruggero Deodato was actually arrested for obscenity. The graphic material was so absurdly gruesome that the authorities eventually changed his charge to murder, as there was ‘no way’ that the performers actually went through the stunts voluntarily. Eventually, the case was settled when Deodato brought out the cast and proved that they were in fact still alive.
5 – Havoc at the video store
When the authorities were at the peak of prosecuting films, they would patrol local video shops hunting for obscene films. However, due to the officers not actually viewing the films, they did not always know which movies to lift from the shops. According to official documentation, Dolly Parton’s comedy musical ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ (1982) as well as the acclaimed Apocalypse Now (1979) was seized simply due to their names.
6 – False evidence
It was not uncommon to see newspapers and reports comment upon the nasties as being equivalent to exercises in sadism that have the potential to tarnish the minds of Britain’s youth. However, when this was actually investigated, the results pointed elsewhere. Dr Guy Cumberbath was more than hesitant over the claims, resulting in him interviewing students at primary schools about the latest nasties. Most of the kids admitted to watching these films and enjoying them, but as part of the study, Cumberbatch would ask about fake titles that didn’t actually exist, all of which the participants would claim to have consumed.
7 – The rise in popularity
The protests against the nasties were vigorous and strict, yet that did not stop the list of films gaining significant positive attention. One of the more popular nasties was Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead (1981), with the film’s first VHS release in 1983 (prior to the Video Recordings Act [1984]) garnered £100,000 in profit from its UK sales, making it both one of the quickest selling video releases in the history of home video.
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Robin HardyÕs THE WICKER MAN (1973). Courtesy: Rialto Pictures/ Studiocanal
Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER MAN (1973). Courtesy: Rialto Pictures/ Studiocanal
The lens of folk cinema captures the evil beneath the soil that haunts the land and infects those who rebel against it. Those unfortunate souls who dare taint the grounds suffer greatly, leaving devastation in its wake and causing hysteria and havoc amongst worried souls, simultaneously cultivating rich growth for the horror in lore, myth, and legends. It is an alarming yet alluring ethos that propagates the success of folk horror.
Over the years, folk horror has seen a significant boom in popular horror cinema, with the likes of The VVitch (2015) and Midsommar (2019) and the equally successful but far more underrated Kill List (2011) and The Ritual (2017). With these films holding supreme status in modern horror, a deep dive into the origins of the folk horror subgenre has never been more pertinent.
Where to begin…
Folk horror holds its roots in nearly every country. It isn’t easy to pinpoint a specific religion that holds the key to folk cinema, with the genre belonging to many cultures. Folk derives from folklore, translating to individualised mythology from various societies. What has become known in mainstream media as ‘folk horror’ with all of its iconography and archetypal symbolism is, at the crux, derivative from British lore. For example, the bones of folk horror that audiences have come to know and love today are birthed from Pagan rituals; it’s the profound meaning of life and death, the cycles of nature, and the importance of worshipping a higher power that amalgamates with the genres eerie rhetoric that provides such influential works.
The Unholy Trinity
Every reign of horror has its champions. Folk horror’s genre-defining entries can be found in The Unholy Trinity, consisting of Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973). Mark Gattis first coined the term in the BBC docu-series A History of Horror in 2010, which was soon adopted as the official definition of folk horror’s primary instigators. Each entry into the Trinity is entirely unique and somewhat different from one other despite their blanketing together (which can be quite the metaphor for how broad the scope is on folk cinema).
Michael Reeves’s Witchfinder General chronicles the self-appointed witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), following his misdeeds throughout small rural villages across East Anglia. The cruel barbarism that follows in the wake of Hopkin’s actions creates a structure that can only be described as a mob-like ruling where sovereignty is not earned and equally placed but instead stolen by whoever holds the most power. Witchfinder General depicts Hopkins as he storms in and does not simply command authority but instead takes it from his victims.
British folk horror storylines thrive in the social divide seen in the likes of Witchfinder General; the films allude to how the most significant threat does not strictly adhere to paranormal entities and ghoulish ghosts; instead, it’s the same civilisation that one belongs to. This essence of fearing your fellow neighbour and evil lying within the home is further explored in Piers Haggard’s The Blood on Satan’s Claw.
The motivations behind much of the folk horror seen in the mid-1970s surrounded the hippie counterculture that dominated the landscape during that time. The decade saw a rise in young people declaring a belief system that went against the common consensus. They protested the war, dabbled in the increasingly popular substances arriving in the common market, and openly expressed the desire to change the system. The Blood on Satan’s Claw follows a group of young people in a small village being overcome and possessed by the devil himself after a skull is found underneath the town’s ground.
The cult of demon-worshipping children is shown infiltrating and recruiting other members to the group until eventually banding together to cause ultimate destruction. The film can be easily read as an on-screen recreation of the disharmony that was arising at the time, with the notion of sudden societal uproar being one of the critical themes of the film.
Out of the trinity and the entire catalogue of British folk horror, one of the most crucial, successful, and effective films has to be The Wicker Man. Robin Hardy’s classic follows the residents of Summerisle as they complete a ritualistic sacrifice for the land to ensure a fruitful harvest. The Wicker Man remains the most influential folk film and one of the most important horror films in general across British cinema. Throughout the film, the main character is Summerisle. It’s a symbolic living and breathing organism that devotes itself to the people, and in return, the residents nourish it with sacrificial flesh, blood and bones.
Beyond The Unholy Trinity
Amidst the horticulture of the well-renowned Trinity was a string of TV specials that have become ingrained in the thesis of British folk horror. Television, possibly more so than cinema, is entirely reflective of its audience. Britain is known for its blunt and bleak outlooks and humour, meaning that much of the fictitious media to come from the country relies on the nation’s unique nihilistic framings.
Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968), Penda’s Fen (1974) and Red Shift (1978) are just some of the many television specials that captured Britain’s gloomy atmosphere with the traditional folkloric spirit. With these television specials also came a form of notoriety that allowed folk horror to be available to a broader audience than film allowed. When speaking of the times, not everyone had the time or ability to go to the cinema and view these fantastical folk films. However, many had access to a television set where these spooky entries would interrupt the standard Saturday night entertainment specials to display the most tempered and sinister of frights.
It was a time of paranoia, with the events in the news being scarier than any film or book anyone could have ever witnessed. With this, a level of immunity was stripped back, children would walk past paper stalls with the sinister headlines in full sight, and the daily news report would blare on the radio over breakfast. The presence of these shows was momentous. It was a chance for ghastly stories to enter the home and invade the keep calm and carry on attitude. Folk horror uses the presence of rural locations, familiar faces, and supposedly ‘quaint’ bonds as a vessel for actual, brutal disharmony to break through. The prettiest village harboured the most terrible secrets; ancient curses lay underneath the silent fields, and the longheld family unit could be disrupted anytime.
Today’s context
Folk horror has never been more alive. The messages and symbolism seen in the likes of the Trinity still resonate from a contemporary perspective. For example, The Wicker Man is celebrating its 50-year anniversary this year, yet its connotations are more significant now than ever. With every harvest, the Summerisle residents must offer a human sacrifice to appease the ground’s thirst. In its rawest form, the film’s discourse surrounds how society’s actions profoundly affect earthly structures; the soil beneath us is not forgiving and requires care. Similarly, if we take a look at the whole Trinity, the entire pathology of every film can be sourced back to how the ecological landscape holds great power, and with great power comes a right to respect.
This aspect of the Anthropocene is and will always be a landmark in understanding folk horror. The relationship between land and human intervention is at the heart of many folk entries. As The Wicker Man implies, the people no longer live on Summerisle as simple occupants. They are intrinsically connected to the land. They must offer a sacrifice; otherwise, their well-being will wither with the ground beneath them.
Legacy
Folk horror has birthed an entire subset of movies. Even films that do not necessarily fall into the lines of folk horror weaponise the standard folk format to convey its harrowing message. Take, for example, In the Tall Grass, the 2019 horror based on Joe Hill and Stephen King’s 2012 novella. The film implies that crops hold some form of supernatural power over those who dare to step foot on the land. Even The Blair WItch Project (1999) has a folkloric undertone, with the group of explorers being purposefully misled in a forest due to a presence that controls the woodland. Akin to nature itself, folk horror is everywhere, it’s inescapable and has never been more potent.
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Whether you’re a fresh fresh-faced youngster who’s just turned 18, new to the horror genre or a veteran fan who decided to venture from the comfort of their couch. There’s a chance you’ve never been to a horror film festival, so we’ve put together this short guide on what to expect.
At Dead Northern, we have our own unique way of doing things, but there are themes and experiences that are common to all film festivals (horror or otherwise). So whichever event you choose you’ll find a great place for fans and filmmakers alike to come together and celebrate their love of all things spooky and showcase some of the best and most unique horror films from around the world. You’ll often find special guests, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, costume contests, and other exciting activities.
Here’s what you can expect at a horror film festival:
Screenings The focus of any horror film festival will be its line-up of movie screenings so expect to see some truly terrifying movies. You’ll get to see new releases, classic favourites, and a host of shorts from up-and-coming filmmakers.
One thing that makes horror film festivals so exciting is their variety of films. Whether it’s slasher flicks, psychological thrillers, or supernatural tales, there will be something for everyone at these events. You can also expect to find some lesser-known independent films that don’t normally get much attention in mainstream media outlets. Many festivals also include short programs or themed blocks that focus on specific subgenres such as zombie films or creature features. There’s usually something new and unexpected each year!
Panels & Events Many horror film festivals also include panel discussions with filmmakers, actors, and other experts in the industry. This is a great opportunity for fans to interact directly with their favourite creators and gain insight into how they make their movies come alive on screen. Other events may include Q&As with cast members or costume contests where attendees can show off their best ghoulish looks! Don’t forget to bring a pen and a programme as the end of a Q&A can be the perfect opportunity to get some celebrity signatures.
Q&A with Charlie Adlard at ThoughtBubble 2022
Special Guests
Many horror film festivals feature special guests from the world of filmmaking who provide unique insight into their work and experiences with making scary movies. These guests often include directors, writers, actors, producers, and other industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the genre over the years.
You may also find that these special guests are there for the duration of the festival, so keep that pen and programme handy for signatures.
Just remember that because someone is famous, they’re still human beings. So, treat them with respect, no one wants a pen shoved in their face and they don’t owe you a signature.
Fun Activities & Events
Most horror film festivals go beyond just screening movies by offering fun activities like costume contests, trivia nights, scavenger hunts, escape rooms, haunted houses, and more! This is a great way for attendees to take part in some extra entertainment while celebrating their favourite genre.
At Dead Northern, we’ve hosted a Séance (pretty sure that’s a first), campfire ghost stories with the audience and A horror-themed Prom just to name a few.
Spirits with Spirits – Telling Ghost stories with audience participation
Merchandise Horror movie buffs know that merchandise is an important part of fandom culture which makes it no surprise that many horror film festivals have vendors selling memorabilia like posters, t-shirts, DVDs, collectables and more at their events. It’s always fun browsing through these booths filled with spooky goodies! Check out our Dead Northern Signature merch here or go to our Etsy page for more horror-related merch click here
Friends & Community
Like most things in life, doing them in the company of others only enhances the experience. So, if you’ve got like-minded friends book together and come as a group.
If not, it doesn’t matter if you come on your own. You’re in a cinema, and you’re going to be watching movies and likely sitting next to a stranger for days, so just say “Hi”. Ask any film festival regular and they’ll be able to point to at least one close friend they made from attending an event. And don’t worry about being shy, if one of the Dead Northern team sees you floating around on your own, we’ll come and chat with you. It’s all part of Northern hospitality!
Old and new Friends at Waxy O’conners Frightfest 2022
Networking
There’s a time and a place to be throwing business cards out like a magician, and the festival isn’t one of them. That said festivals are a hive of industry talent so talk to people (outside the screenings!). You never know, the next person you talk to may just be the scriptwriter you’ve been looking for.
Networking at Dead Northern 2022
Parties
When the movies stop the parties start! Every film festival will have a party of some sort. At Dead Northern expect live entertainment, live music, awards, and a bar that’s open ‘til the early hours. This part we love. Dead Northern was born from a beer festival, we like a party.
After party and awards at Dead Northern 2022
Atmosphere
Last but not least – don’t forget about the atmosphere when attending a horror festival! Expect lots of cosplayers dressed up in costumes inspired by characters from your favourite scary movies along with plenty of decorations throughout the venue set just the right mood for some frightful fun! Overall, if you love horror films then attending a local or international festival should definitely be on your bucket list this year! There are so many amazing experiences waiting just around the corner – all you need to do is take that first step towards discovering them yourself…
We can’t wait to meet you at one of our events but it’s only fair to give a shout-out to the other festivals scaring people up and down the country – Check out our post about the other horror film festivals in the UK.
If you’ve decided you’re going to join us at one of our events make sure to read our top ten ways to survive a horror film festival.
We had an absolute blast at Dead Northern Horror Film Festival 2022! Take a look at some of the highlights from our award day 24.09.22.
Our beloved spooky home at City Screen Picturehouse, York.Horror fans making some deathwishes with our sponsor DeadHappy – You can still use code ‘Horror’ to get your 2 months free life insurance.Our 2022 festival T-shirt from Dead Comfy Clothing
Film makers and film fans grabbing a refreshment in between screenings.
Our newest sponsor Talk Talk giving out all the free sweets for horror fansCast and crew of ‘The Stranger’ grabbing a photo before the world premiereDeadites heading into our big screen …Huge line up for the weekend!Our amazing Skeleton Crew at the Picture house Dead Northern 2021 award winners and alumni Tony Hipwell and David Yorke attending their second Dead Northen with their new short filmsOne of many Q&As over the weekendStars of The Stranger posing by our 2022 bannersDirector of Eating Miss Campbell Liam Regan striking a pose before the final Saturday screening and an energetic Q&AStar of Searching for Veslemøy posing with Dead Northern mascot ‘Walter’Energetic Q&A with cast and crew of ‘Eating Miss Campbell’Award ceremony and after party kicking off with Co-founders Josh and GarethHuge applause for the first award ‘Best local film’ sponsored by Talk TalkDirector of The Stranger picking up the award for ‘Best Local Film’Director of ‘The Lies of our Confines’ Leon Oldstrong picking up the award for ‘Best Feature’Director Louisa Bablin picking up the award for ‘Best Student Film’ for ‘No Place Like Home’Alix Austin and Kier Siewart picking up the award for ‘Best Short Film’ with the brilliant ‘Sucker’Founder Josh and sponsors DeadHappy presenting the brand new award for ‘Best Death’Winners of ‘Best Death’ Liam Regan and star of eating Miss Campbell Lyndsey CraineLive music closing out the second day of the fest, until about 3am from memory….
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In Dreams Are Monsters is the latest theme for the BFI’s Blockbusters season. Unveiling the rich history and nightmarish lore that the horror genre thrives in is the basis for this upcoming tribute to the dark world of cinema.
Deriving from the midst of macabre works is the unique sensation that horror exudes, whether that be in ghastly supernatural tales such as Japan’s Ringu (1998) or the transgressive feat of Hellraiser (1987), the film can exasperate the true terrors that lie in societies wake through a lens of obscurity and trepidation. Across the wide spectrum of audiences, the promise of fulfillment is a big statement that In Dreams Are Monsters does not falter upon. In fact, the programme braces the screen for a frightful assortment of features that takes full advantage of horror’s ubiquitous nature. There really is something for everyone.
Diving deeper into the programme unveils the vast array of themes that have been meticulously curated to conjure a tonal palette reflective of five mythical horror archetypes and the consequential themes that marinate within the models. The beast, ghost, vampire, witch, and zombie delve into the bottomless pit that horror manages to explore through a socially equipped lens, defusing the everyday with assiduously constructed terror. The patterns of the witch denote a threat to the patriarchy, redefining the grossly strict hegemonies that disavow gendered power. This sense of obscurity is also unearthed within the vampire, sucking the life out of others in a strange bid for both life and eroticism within death. Likewise, the beast, ghost, and zombie release a trajectory that aims straight for the apex of societal uphold–monsters may be mythical, but monstrosity is everywhere.
The arrangements of the programme are tailored by the likes of Micheal Blyth (BFI Festivals, senior programmer), Kelli Weston (Writer), Anna Bogutskaya (writer/broadcaster), alongside Jason Wood (BFI Executive Director of Public Programmes & Audiences).
Screening alongside triple bills featuring Blacula (1972), Ganja & Hess (1973), and Def by Temptation (1990); the showings of classic monster movies such as Frankenstein (1931), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954); and even contemporary staples namely Under the Shadow (2016) and The Lure (2015) is a range of guest appearances. Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle graces the stage for a Q&A following the 20th-anniversary screening of 28 Days Later (2002). Joining the season for conversations and commentaries are Kier-La Janisse (author of House of Psychotic Women [2012]), Lesley Manning and Stephen Volk in a Q&A for Ghostwatch (1992), and Clarence A Peters introducing the premiere of his new television drama Inside Life (2022).
The immensely packed programme also features a special edition of Mark Kermode Live In 3D, as well as the horror podcasts Evolution of Horror, Brain Rot, and The Final Girls welcoming their commentary on the impact of horror.
With In Dreams Are Monsters travelling all the way into December, selected events will be taking place, including the BFI IMAX cinema being converted into a spooky summer camp for an all-night sleepover, where guests will be marathoning cabin-themed slasher films!
More details on all the screenings and events here
An individual’s predisposition to fear is mainly connected to sound. The sudden appearance of a horror film’s threat, whether it’s a demonic creature or a knife-wielding boogeyman, their presence is always going to stir a reaction. However, it’s the audio cues that first unleash the terror and sheer panic amongst the viewer. Before Freddy Kruger makes an appearance in his victim’s dreams the faint scratching sounds of his bladed fingers arise to our attention, followed by the recurring twisted nursery rhyme of “One, Two, Freddy’s Coming For You”; the basis of reaction can all be traced back to the power of music within the film.
The 1990s were a time when horror films thrived in maximalism, ensuring that no theatrical stone was left unturned. The costumes were always exaggerative of the storyline, the background and setting were beyond dramatic, and the music was crucial in setting the tone, with an emphasis on curating a soundtrack that would be as impactful as the dynamic seen on screen.
The character of Dracula has gone through leaps and bounds of representations. The Count has been parodied and trivialized (e.g. The Monster Squad [1987] and Waxwork [1988]), and he’s also been made darker and almost feral (e.g. Dracula [1931]). Out of the countless adaptions, one film that is timelessly recalled is Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). Coppola eroticises and sensualises the entire plot by granting a god-like capacity to Dracula where his power transcends beyond blood-sucking, instead his grandness is all-encompassing to the film’s entire environment as if Dracula surpasses the barrier of the screen and has a hold on the viewer. The deliberate hazing is accented by composer Wojciech Kilar’s enigmatic score that fuses large orchestral structures to be both melodically gentle but still ostentatious and lord-like as if the music was formulated by an immortal being, Dracula himself, a character both charming and deadly.
The boastful score takes over the screen and demands nothing but full attention. In what can be considered a bold move by creating a dominating score, a sense of might is pushed towards the horror movie soundtrack, allowing for future films to spiritually feed from Coppola’s and Kilar’s forcefulness in fashioning powerful music for further films to come.
Horror as a subject can be pliable, what works for some might not work for others, however, one factor that runs throughout is the means to jolt a fright, whether that be a playful fright or a deeply souring fear is totally individualised. As the early 1990s were shaping there was an influx in ‘family horror’, films where mature audiences would feel nostalgia for their discovery days of the genre, and younger viewers would be excited to be introduced to the world of horror. Films such as Hocus Pocus (1993) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) saw phenomenal amounts of success across the board that still lasts to this day. Both of these films’ signature relies heavily upon the music featured. Hocus Pocus saw Bette Midler performing the Halloween classic “I Put a Spell on You” (Jalacy “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins), which remains a spooky season staple for many. Alongside Hocus Pocus was Danny Elfman’s composition for The Nightmare Before Christmas which was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Original Score (1993) and also featured on the US Billboard charts at No. 64.
Skipping back a few years, no matter the genre cinema was thriving on big powerful movie ballads seen in the likes of Dirty Dancing (1986), Mannequin (1987), and The Bodyguard (1992). Amidst all these love songs came a rising popularity for creating movies that revolved around its sound. That isn’t to say that other cinematic elements were being surpassed, it just meant that a strong focus was also placed upon the soundtrack.
Quentin Tarintino is the perfect example of a filmmaker who uses music as a character. And when it came to his and director Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), the music played one of the largest roles in the film. The irreverently charged horror is known for its chaotic characters, purposefully sleazy setting, plasmic-coloured green blood and gore, and a killer soundtrack. The dark southern score is laden with rock and blues anthems that keep the film from seeming like a peep show. The range of musical numbers features bands including ZZ Top, Tito & Tarantula, and The Mavericks. But the most quintessential tune that is synonymous with the film is “After Dark” (Tito & Tarantula), also known as the song that plays during Santanico Pandemonium’s (Salma Hayek) dance scene with an Albino Python. After Dark encapsulates the film’s entire ambiance, where the moody tones are spiked with velvety vocals and deadly lyrics that tell the story of forbidden wants and bumps in the night.
From Dusk Till Dawn is so engrained with the idea of music that even the scenes themselves are heavily based on the importance of music as a filmmaking tool. Particularly during the scene where the on-stage band (also played by Tito & Tarantula) start using a human torso as a guitar during a mass brawl at the infamous bar ‘The Titty Twister’.
Mary Harron’s American Psycho (2000) helped redefine and recontextualize the use of music in horror in the early 2000s. The film follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a murderous city swindler who has an odd penchant for music, especially whilst he is committing his deadly deeds. Artists including David Bowie, The Cure, Phil Collins, and New Order amongst many others appear on the bold and ambitious soundtrack that to this day is still used as a cultural reference. The film toys with the omnipotent power of Bateman who somehow carries out wildly violent acts in an open manner without much of a guise, with the film’s most fluorescent and upbeat songs (including Huey Lewis and the News’s “Hip To Be Square”) playing over his psychopathic killing/monologue scenes. To nicely meld the theme of desensitisation into the plot, the pop and New Wave music is strategically and continuously peppered throughout the film, making the surrealness of his dark actions being committed in a well-lit and mainly open environment seem even more dreamlike.
A couple of years down the line from American Psycho was 28 Days Later (2002), a rattling zombie movie that dials up the bloodcurdling terror to a ten from the very first scene. Director Danny Boyle leaves no room for air as the lightning-fast flesh-eaters are constantly on the hunt, and always capture their prey with ease. To go with such a heart-pounding, exhilarating narrative is the post-rock soundtrack that also combines orchestral swells to fill in the gaps. 28 Days Later’s setting ranges from a desolate London town to empty motorways and army barracks abandoned thanks to the ‘rage virus’ sweeping the country. The silence and stillness of the apocalyptic landscape are filled by the loud and ferocious songs composed by John Murphy consisting of electric guitars and bleak, depressive droning sounds, particularly “In the House, In a Heartbeat” which begins with deadly slow riffs before erupting into a stirring melody.
Although the following trend has been around for a while, it wasn’t until Insidious (2010) that the creepy remix of child-like songs became a popular sensation for horror marketing. Tiny Tim’s cover of the 1929 song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” features in James Wan’s Insidious as the titular theme, playing during one of the most alarming scenes from the film, showing a mysterious ghost boy dancing to the ominous song before vanishing in thin air. The distorted wave of vocals in an oddly high pitched yet masculine timbre is genuinely haunting, like something that you would hear playing in your worst nightmare. Since social media has become a playground for dance and audio trends to thrive, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” has seen a ressuragnce in popularity, particularly featuring on abandoned tour videos and paranormal excursion clips. The intense and petrifying song is rather ironically frigthening as it was originally intended to be a family friendly hit with no shadow of darkness intended. However, it just goes to show you that horror cinema really does have a power in deceiving the atmosphere with music alone.
Disasterpiece may not be a name familiar to the masses, but their scoring for David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows (2014) is a tranxfixing feat pushing the boundaries between screen and viewer. The film takes on a figuratively and literal attachment story where a curse is placed upon victims after acts of intimacy, akin to a ghostly STD. Naturally, the horror of the narrative remains closely fixated to the protagonists, keeping the terror close to home at all times, almost suffocating the audience. To meet the deep personable elements, the scoring too brings a sense of erratic tension to the forefront, where the ticking sounds reminiscent of clock chimes, combined with industrialised synth melodies mimic the overtly present themes of entrapment, doom, and unavoidable mortality.
It Follows avoids the traditionalised use of common soundscapes in favour of upsetting any sense of familiarity the viewer may have had. In a similar line to this is Jóhann Jóhannsson’s melodramatic score for Mandy (2018), which delivers a feast for the ears with every fibre of its being. The presentation seen in Mandy is on its own enough to be fully controlling and visually arresting; when the elements of music are incorporated, any means of affect are amplified to the extreme, with the tinny, industrial tones working alongside psychedelic chargings to create a phantasmagorical palette for the senses.
Powerful contemporparty soundtracks do have one goal in common, which is to stay true to classic genre scoring elements whilst employing a new flavour that is foreign to the listener’s personal soundscape. In a way, this consideration has always been the case. Take for example Fabio Frizzi’s work, the Italian composer and frequent collaborator of Lucio Fulci would consistently marry two polar opposite musical genres (band and orchestra) to birth a theme song so enriched in chaos and commotion that its impossible to break away from the horror unfolding on screen. Frizzi’s scoring for City of the Living Dead (1980) and The Beyond (1981) truly immerses cinema as an audiovisual medium, all in an ode to break away from traditionality and opting for refreshingly original scoring.
Within recent years the use of music within horror has reached a new means where the contextualisation of sound itself is a key plotpoint. This element has always been popular, with films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) thriving in the notion of music. Essentially the subject of sound has always been an integral part of horror.
Additions from modern autuers including Gaspar Noé and Edgar Wright have always relied on the impactfullness of scores to survey the depths of terror, with Noé’s dance studio based extravangaza Climax (2018) using hypnotic numbers playing over extensively long movement shots, and Wright’s nostalgic score for Last Night in Soho (2021) enlisting the help of 1950s-1960s hits to convey a twisted narrative rife with equal amounts of terror and sentimentality.
This idea of reusing hit songs in a new light has been repeated throughout cinema for decades, but when it’s done correctly the effect can be significantly influential over a film’s finished result. One horror that utilises this aspect with flawless execution is Jordan Peele’s Us (2019). Us’s composer Michael Abels remixes the 1995 song “I Got 5 on It” (Luniz), quickly becoming the film’s official theme song. Abels flawlessly highlights the hard-hitting beat and rhythmic structure at the film’s most tense moments, including the heavy home invasion scenes, almost using the beat as a siren or pounding drum that emotively and psychically jolts even the most stern-faced of viewers.
The power of music in horror can be asphyxiating, it can be deliberately troublesome, and it can completely make or break a film. For decades music has been a contraption to manipulate and assemble whatever emotion the film demands.
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Cinema challenges…it moves, it motivates, it’s humorous, it’s frightful, but most importantly it challenges. The form of which moving images bond to create a film is one that has been studied for decades, particularly in the bounds of visual vs auditory importance. Whilst imagery is a key basis for the resulting composition, film is in fact a mere spectacle without musical arrangements and instrumental structures.
Announcing the history of sound within horror goes back to silent cinema, the time when seemingly noiseless dynamics were not important in regards to the power of music in contemporary cinema. Although the finished product did not emit sound, there were melodic compositions placed over the film to fill in the silent gaps and assist in creating a sinister ambience. As cinema progressed and creatures from the night made their stage presence clear, gothic arrangements utilising the roaring tones from organ instruments became more noticeable, particularly within the Hammer retellings of the reign of villanery seen from the Universal Monsters. Yet, despite the association that classic monster movies have with horror cinema’s sound legacy, it is arguably Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) that fully opened the door for horror to be seen as an audio visual hybrid.
Hitchcock’s deceptive feat conquered the audience’s attention like no other film at the time, switching the entire plot up when it had just started getting juicy, resulting in a scene so memorable, so prolific that it will remain in the horror hall of fame for seemingly years to come. The infamous shower scene saw Janet Leigh at her most vulnerable state whilst a crazed maniac attacks her in a frenzied manner. The scene is brimming with quick cuts and various shots (over 60 of them) and is accompanied by Bernard Herrmann’s orchestral piece titled “The Murder”. Hitchcock originally intended Psycho to have a minimal amount of pieces playing, but his mind was changed once he heard Herrmann’s heightened soundtrack, equipped with screeching violas and violins screeching, almost mimicking the sound of a knife being sharpened.
Pyscho’s “The Murder” has become the theme tune for the entire film, with anyone recalling it immediately humming the slashing jabs made by the plethora of insrutments, somewhat becoming just as famous as the film itself. The idea that a film’s music is just as potent as the feature is an aspect that has continued within horror, particularly with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973).
As the 1970s kicked in, the horror market was in full swing with the rise of slashers, possession flicks, and exploitation experiments disrupting the flow of family friendly entertainment. And one film that has kept its exceedingly bold reputation throughout history is The Exorcist. Now, to denote such a monumental film’s status on one particular aspect is nonsensical, however, when it comes to this nightmarish religious journey, the score is one of the most vital factors in its ranking.
The theme consists of a strange remix of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells”, which begins with high pitched tones followed by a falling low rhythm that goes up and down like a terrifying roller coaster of sound. What makes those ringing bells so touching is the use of asymmetrical sound. Just as Oldfield follows an off-sync beat to replicate a turbulent symphony, John Carpenter also employs this technique in what can be defined as horror’s most instantly recognisable themes.
Halloween (1978) has seen a dozen films follow on in the franchise, with all of them having a defining feature whether that be halloween masks, the classic Michael Myers boiler suit, or the various returns of Jamie Lee Curtis. However, Carpenter’s alarmingly haunting score takes the number one spot! The electrical ring that bounces in and out of pitch never meets a resolution, instead a disjointed movement is created, ensuring that a sense of peace is never once felt. Carpenter could have thrown in all the bells and whistles to heighten the score, but instead opted for a simple method that delivers just as much of a startling punch as any grand orchestra.
The 1970s was possibly one of the most experimental times for horror as no particular boundaries were set when it came to creative freedom. Horror filmmakers such as Tobe Hooper, David Lynch, and Wes Craven just went for it, creating an ethos reliant upon what they want to make, not what they “should” make. Aligning with that view are the soundtracks seen within films such as Jaws (1975) and Suspiria (1977), who respectively put horror movie music on the map. Jaws’s award winning score gets right under the skin, making the listener feel as if the flesh-hungry shark is genuinely after you, with the heartbeat-like rhythm intensifying the closer the beast gets to its prey and the high register melody being almost alien to the ear.
In a similar line to the unfamiliarity heard within Jaws soundscape is Goblin’s soundtrack for Dario Argento’s Suspiria. The loose giallo flick is instantly remembered by many thanks to the haunting whispers and witchy curses heard within Goblin’s pieces. The progresive Italian rock band comprises deep baselines and continuous synth notes to not just build up intensity, but to also keep that tension going for long after watching. The film constantly messes with reality, blurring surreal barriers with the film’s actual events, forming an elixir pot for chaos to ensue. Goblin’s continuous hazing of rhythm purposely distracts and contorts the situations even further, aptly aiding in the unearthly route that Suspiria takes.
This next film holds the title for being one of the most mainstream controversial horrors to date, with Cannibal Holocaust’s (1980) hidious excursions and unspeakable exploits still accompanying the film to this date. It would be easy to believe that the film’s composer Riz Ortolani would conjure a soundtrack filled with violently smashed together tones to even further disrupt the viewer, instead Ortolani created the most surprisingly dulcet soundtrack to have ever come from a disturbing horror. The melodies are gentle, almost akin to a lullaby, lulling the viewer into a false sense of security and distorting the overall narrative to be somewhat surreal.
Cannibal Holocaust’s airy juxtaposition is not the only horror to feature an overtly drastic difference between visual and audio, with American Werewolf in London (1981) being jampacked with carefully selected tunes to set the scene. John Landis’s upbeat soundtrack had no qualms in apperaning too on-the-nose, with songs such as “Blue Moon” (Bobby Vinton) and “Bad Moon Rising” (Creedence Clearwater Revival) playing over the werewolf transformation scenes, nicely pairing the cheery songs with the mabare body horror escapades being graphically presented on screen.
As time progressed so did movie music. The 1980s still dominates pop culture to this day; the soundtrack for the decade bounced between melodic ballads and free-spirited pop to punk inspired shredding and metal mania tracks. As film largely takes shape based on the environment surrounding it, it’s safe to say that 1980s horror was brimming with some of the most creative scoring ever seen, with The Lost Boys (1987) being true to this theory in every way possible.
The Californian vampiric beachside setting of Santa Carla sets up the perfect playground for composer Thomas Newman and director Joel Schumacher to take the viewer through a creepy carnival of 80s hit songs paired against dark and stirring arrangements. The film has become synonymous with Echo & the Bunneymen’s cover of The Doors “People are Strange”, INXS and Jimmy Barnes chart topping “Good Times”, and the film’s main theme original song “Cry Little Sister” that goes above and beyond in emulating the The Lost Boys moody, leather clad aura. Not to forget to mention the absolute iconic cover of “I Still Believe” (The Call) performed by Tim Cappello, or the shirtless saxophone playing bodybuilder as many may know him.
Another section of movies that saw an influx of interest thanks to music is comedy horror, particularly those who unlike Cannibal Holocaust stayed on the lighter side. Ghostbusters (1984) may not appear on every ‘horror movie list’ as technically the supernatural ventures won’t necessarily send shivers down your spine, yet, there’s just something so classic and synonymous with the Ghostbusters theme song and halloween culture that it’s impossible to not alert the film’s significance.
Appropriately named “Ghostbusters” is Ray Parker Jr’s. smash hit that was even nominated for an Academy Award (57th) for Best Original Song, where the catchy chorus will have even the most stern audiences singing along. On a similar note is Beetlejuice’s (1988) use of Henry Belafonte’s “Day-O” in which an elegant dinner party is ruined by the guests uncontrollably singing Belafonte’s hit in a bizarre and ultimately hilarious fashion.
Over time the use of music in cinema has metamorphosed to suit the times, whether that be the inclusion of classic songs from the thirty years prior to highlight a character’s personality, or even the addition of newer musical genres to spice up the screen. However, one thing has not changed at all, and that is the integral importance and power that music holds over cinema.
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Conducting strange experiments that fuse together sci-fi and horror with a dash of absurd comedy is Troma Entertainment’s specialty. Troma is a production and distribution company that literally gives you as much bang for your buck as possible thanks to their sporadically glorious films that truly stand out amongst the rest.
During his time at Yale University, Lloyd Kaufman first dipped into the world of film when he produced his friend Robert Edelstein’s micro budget feature Rappaccini before going onto direct his first film titled The Girl Who Returned (1969), a black and white exploratory feature. Kaufman’s debut toured the film societies across the likes of Harvard, Yale, and a variety of other universities on the east coast, sparking a keen passion for cinema deep within Kaufman. During his postgraduate years, Kaufman would begin to work for Canon Films, a production company who would later produce hits such as The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). Here, Kaufman would meet John G. Avildsen (Rocky (1976) The Karate Kid (1984)) leading to their collaboration on the 1970 thriller Joe, which would be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
A short while after his introduction to film, Kaufman would direct his second feature Battle of Love’s Return (1971), receiving high praise across the board. Whilst Kaufman was setting up a budding future as a filmographer, fellow Yale student Michael Herz would begin to feel his own interest in movies emerging. Although Herz pursued a career in Law, the connection between the two sparked a growing urge to turn their passion into a much bigger venture. Leading them to work together on Sugar Cookies (1973) where Kaufman would co-write and produce, with Herz also serving on the production crew.
This collaboration was certainly a success, but no one could have known that this pairing would lead to one of America’s most notorious independent production and distribution companies.
Troma’s baby steps on their journey to triumph started off with producing racy comedies including Squeeze Play! (1979), Waitress! (1981), Stuck on You! (1982), and The First Turn-On! (1983), all of which cemented their still solidified b-movie reputation. As the years progressed so did Troma’s manifesto. To nobody’s surprise the 1980s and horror have a convoluted, but loving connection with one another, thanks to the rise in censorship, home video, and cult cinema. More importantly, the 1980s saw Troma Entertainment reach new bounds with The Toxic Avenger (1984). The film pushed Troma into the forefront with its camp tone, quick witted humour, gross-out gore, and cartoonish horror vibes that were unlike anything else at the time. From this moment on, Troma navigated away from the raunchy specials and led the way for b-movie horror to excel and become a fully fledged subgenre in its own right.
Overtime, The Toxic Avenger has spun an entire mixed media franchise including video games, multiple sequels, a stage production that premiered on Broadway as well as theatres across the globe, various action figures and merchandise, a TV series, and most recently a brand new adaption coming some time next year starring Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, and Julia Davis.
With The Toxic Avenger under their belt, Troma was set! But, their 1984 smash hit was just the beginning in a long line of farce splatterfests. With The Toxic Avenger still fresh on the scene, Troma used the lingering spotlight to crack on with a string of similarly wacky sci-fi’s with Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986) being their next feature to reach great heights. This time round the film was centred around the students of Tromaville High after their water supply is infected with toxic waste, causing them to mutate into freakish humanoids.
Within the next couple of years Troma released a string of other films including the obscure Surf Nazis Must Die (1997), Troma’s War (1988), Rabid Grannies (1988), and Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989). From the titles alone, it’s clear to see that Troma had nudged themselves nicely in a niche market of cinema that may get critically blasted as being ‘trash’, but is undeniably entertaining, devilishly memorable, and a barrel of laughs. With this impossible to categorise cinema comes a level of cult-style appreciation that may not appeal to the masses, but rather those with a taste for defiant works of colloquially misunderstood art.
As time moved on so did Troma, and with this came a quiet period for Troma’s production, but all of this changed with the release of the fan favourite Tromeo and Juliet (1975), which unsurprisingly is a very unleashed retelling of the Shakespeare tragedy that thrives less on the endearing battle of romance, hardship, and family values, and more on the ‘love’ side of the story, as well as causal doses of dismemberment, decapitation, and mutilation for good measure. And just like that, Troma was back with a vengeance. Even major media outlets notoriously difficult to please such as The New York Times and Variety saw the magic that Troma cinema withholds, granting the film with pleasant reviews and a burgeoning reputation. To make matters even more gratuitous, Tromeo and Juliet was screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, the Mar del Plata Film Festival (where it won an award for best film of 1997), and the Fantasporto festival. As the 2000s hit, Troma released another string of outrageous and courageous films including the ever so graciously named Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) that followed a batch of zombie chickens unleashing a wrath of hell.
Within the last couple of years, Troma has seen a resurgence in popularity with the remake influx booming a new generation’s interest into cinema’s most unconventional production company. Going back in time to 1980, Lloyd Kaufman’s brother Charles directed and co-wrote Mother’s Day, with Lloyd producing. Although during its initial release, the film was banned by the BBFC in the UK as part of the video nasty crusade, a remake was ordered in 2010 starring Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Briana Evigan, Deborah Ann Wolf, Shawn Ashmore, and the Kaufman brothers who made a cameo in homage to the source material. The remake performed well upon its release, even slotting itself in the UK’s top ten box office chart.
In Troma’s indisputable distinct style, they launched the TromaDance Film Festival that has very, very strict rules- there must be no V.I.P’s (everyone is treated equal), there is no entry cost, nor is there an admission fee; it’s all about the celebration of filmmaking. The event originally coincided with the esteemed Sundance Festival to even further boast their unique braveness of shedding away from the mainstream time and time again. The festival is open for submissions around the world, with the most creditable entries being released on DVD by Troma. Alongside the event, Kaufman offers workshop-esque lessons to budding filmmakers, providing teaching classes and cameos for those interested in pursuing the dark art of indie cinema.
Troma has become so infiltrated in all things cinema that many do not realise how influential the company really is, or how much of a significant part they play in kick-starting fan favourite performer’s and director’s careers. Many of their releases aided in the journey for stars such as Samuel L. Jackson in Def By Temptation (1990), James Gunn (Tromeo and Juliet), Marisa Tomei (The Toxic Avenger), and South Park (1997-) creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone via Cannibal! The Musical (1993).
As it stands Troma still thrives in the home video market, encouraging the in-person viewing experience of picking up a tape or a DVD from time to time. But, for the ‘tech-heads’, Troma has a streaming site service titled Troma Now that provides keen movie-goers with many of the greats from their company. To this day, Troma’s influence can be felt amongst the likes of current parody-based theatrics such as the Sharknado and Birdemic franchises that use immensely surreal visuals edging on the comedic side with entirely implausible narratives that will have even the most wondrously minded of viewer’s bewildered.
Even though it has been decades since their first feature, Troma shows no signs of stopping their madness just yet, with their latest feature Shakespeare’s Shitstorm (2020), a hilariously crude parody of Shakespeare’s The Tempest currently making the round at film festivals and conventions. Their ability to still churn out hit after hit just goes to show that Troma is still relishing in its ability to traumatise its viewers, ensuring a memorable experience with every filthy film watched.
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Neil Marshall, born and bred in Newcastle has long held a reputation for being both implausibly daring in his work and a true genre filmmaker. Over the past 20 years of his career, Marshall has managed to produce nothing but original work that tours every spector of horror and fantasy, exploring grizzly ghouls and monsters to folklore and sci-fi escapades. It can certainly be said that Marshall is the film version of a globetrotter. And within his first-rate range, he never misses a beat, creating cult classics and award-winning flicks.
Marshall’s broadening work demands attention, it’s clear to see that blood, sweat, and tears have gone into his films, warranting a dedicated and acclaimed reception from audiences and critics alike. He even earns himself a ‘splat pack’ badge, joining the likes of Rob Zombie and Eli Roth in the stand for creating superbly nasty movies.
Now, Marshall is directing the upcoming rip-roaring action-horror The Lair which surrounds a group of half-human, half-alien creatures being let out on the loose and the fight to demolish them before they demolish the world.
After graduating from film school Marshall went on to work as a freelance film editor, working with Keith Bell (fellow film school graduate). In 1998 the pair worked on a low budget action-thriller Killing Time, which utilised everyone on set, with even Marshall venturing out of editing and contributing to the action coordination and choreography. The passion and vocation that everyone had in just trying their best to create something, inspired Marshall and Bell to say ‘you know what’ and get their own film rolling. This film which started out as a could-be pipeline dream ended up being one of Britain’s most hallmark horror’s, kicking the genre into a new era and generating a fantastic auteurship for Marshall. This film is Dog Soldiers!
Dog Soldiers (2002)
A routine training exercise in the Scottish Highlands for a small squad of British soldiers turns deadly when they are violently attacked by a group of vicious werewolves. Left without any form of transport or communication the team is forced to hide out in a remote farmhouse to wait for the full moon to disappear, little do they know the werewolves will stop at nothing until every one of them is dead.
A whole twenty years have passed since Dog Soldiers was released, but the time has only made it richer, marinating a full-bodied horror that gushes enough blood to satisfy gorehounds, whilst also layering an intense narrative that unveils the inner terror of self-destruction and how internalised fears flourish to become a united enemy with the larger threat at hand, which in this case is werewolves.
Incidentally, although Marshall delves into the context and demands of human nature, the actual layout of the lycanthropes themselves is simple but ultra efficient. An American Werewolf in London (1981) and The Howling (1981) both excel in highlighting the whole point of metamorphosis and what it means to transcend the boundaries between man and animal, however, rather than thrive in the actual transformation itself, Marshall uniquely opts for displaying a rooted story of the werewolf being the enemy, and that’s it. There’s no flamboyance of creating a ‘curse’ around the creatures. At the heart the film is a war horror infused with these beasts that are capable of being terrifying enough without having a tinseltown backstory.
Infusing this basis of soldier vs. monster set within the emotional confounds of a military cladding is the whole idea of anonymity. The aforementioned lack of humanity regarding the werewolves immediately forms a hierarchical structure that makes the creatures ultra ruthless. There is no sense of empathy lingering behind the claws and fur, nor is there an opportunity for the viewer to sympathise with the beast. Alternatively, they are barbaric and cruel, willing to rip into every muscle because of their natural hunger for flesh. It’s quite scary to think that this feral ferocity is bared with no holding back.
Brilliantly juxtaposing this nameless violence is the natural curiosity one feels towards the soldiers. As with any film exploring a small group of people, there is that certain dynamic where some individuals are favoured more than others. If this was any ordinary group we could easily be angered at any displays of chauvinistic masculinity and toxicity, instead, their experience of being in the military begs us to take a deeper look at how their anger is formed and why some characters are cruel and almost as barbaric as the villain at hand. The macho bravado archetype slowly dissolves, showing that ego fuelled swashbuckling, which usually saves the day in action horror, isn’t enough to fight off these evil monsters.
Taking a step back from the emotive reasonings, it’s vital to look at why this film stands out and has kept its place as one of the most important werewolf films of the 21st century. The amalgamation of utilising the stereotypes of soldier characteristics to make the werewolves seem even more brutish is ingenious. It forces the viewer to dial into their own fearlessness, amping up the adrenaline and making this a film they’ll remember and feel incredibly immersed in.
The Descent (2005)
After a tragedy strikes a group of friends they decide to gain back their bond by going on a caving trip into the Appalachian Mountains. Everything is going smoothly until they realise that the cave they ventured into is not only undiscovered but is also plagued by hungry creatures.
The Descent is Marshall’s second film and another horror. But rather than dilly-dally around in the same territory, Marshall spared no expense and created something that no one expected, shocking the world of dark cinema and shaping one of the best horror films to come from the 2000s, if not of all time.
Originally The Descent’s most iconic factor, the all-female cast, was not initially planned, with a mixed lineup being considered in the first instance. Marshall rethought this element after he noticed that within horror women were highly underrepresented. This created a rare level of dimension that many films at the time wouldn’t dare venture into. Each character, no matter how minor, is fully fleshed out in the way that you could picture their lives outside of the film, they aren’t just paid professionals reading lines, they are ‘real’. Massive respect has to be dealt to Marshall for working in a collaborative way with the performers to develop multi-dimensional personas. Whilst filming the crew and cast would explore alternative ways in which their lines could be acted out, allowing for a sense of gritty realness to be exposed in the character’s manners, furthering their evolution from victims to fighters. In fact, in the DVD extras for The Descent Marshall calls this method of filmmaking the “flaky pastry” principle.
Whilst the internalised dramatics and pathos for the narrative rely heavily upon the group of misguided cavers, what is essentially one of the most indispensable factors has to be the film’s own boogeymen- the Crawlers.
The humanoid animals lurking amidst the caves have become known as Crawlers. Their grotesque slimy skin instantly repulses, creating a cringy curdingly feeling that makes you feel so grateful that you’re not one of those explorers who met their end down in the tunnels. The creature’s gnarly stature is monstrous as it is, but the bulk of the Crawlers innate creepiness derives from their unique ‘human-like’ qualities. The Crawlers were basically cavemen who never left the cave. They never evolved into people as we know it, they stayed lurking underground. Most distinctively, their superhuman traits aid them in adapting to life below the surface, including acute hearing and scent tracking, they can climb any rock and function flawlessly in the dark. To some extent, The Descent uses a very old but very effective moral tale, the women have come down into the Crawlers territory and their reaction is simply defensive.
The inherent reaction stimulated by the caves is one deeply connected to an intrinsic fear, claustrophobia. By nature, the threat of being trapped and restricted is totally triggering, alerting this unlearned panic that will get under the skin of every single viewer. To make matters worse the cave itself is littered with human scraps and bones, which gives the environment its own unique gothic architecture. Indeed, the setting is bone-chilling as a result of the clever set design. The more solid walls of the caves were made from mouldings of real cliff faces, creating the backdrop for many scenes. Whilst the drippy ceiling hangers made from foam and spray paint gives off the impression of stalactites, the mineral formation that manifests underground. The polystyrene based shapings remain impressive to this day, but with budget constraints, the production could not afford to build miles of alcoves, in reality there were only six structures built, but due to retexturising, colouring, and deceptive lighting, the impression of endless caverns was executed.
The Descent is a true horror. Every single scene is daringly dark and terrifying, with the nightmare-fueled creatures and unforgiving ethos becoming almost as panic provoking as the extremely claustrophobic caves.
Doomsday (2008)
In 2008, the Reaper virus was unleashed in Scotland, taking over its host and making them homicidal. The government is unable to contain or create a cure for the virus, forcing British officials to create a 30-foot wall isolating the country. Fast forward to 2035 the supposed obsolete virus is found in London, leading a team to travel over the border in hopes of finding a cure. Along their journey, it is revealed that the Scottish survivors have been divided into two teams: a group of medieval knights, and a tribe of deadly bandits.
After the success of Dog Soldiers and The Descent Marshall began attracting the attention of major studios offering big and bold budgets to create something fantastical, rare, and boisterous, and let’s just say that Marshall certainly delivers.
Marshall is very open about his admiration for 1980s cinema having grown up during that period. During the late 1970s / early 1980s classic films such as Mad Max (1979), The Warriors (1979), and Escape From New York (1981) thrived in painting picturesque landscapes dominated by ferocious rebellions and dusty grounds, accompanied by starkly gruesome politics that were formed thanks to apocalyptic style tragedies and disasters. Just like these classics, Marshall encapsulated that old-school dystopian vibe that aimed to be completely obscure to the audience whilst also being stylistically captivating.
The separation between Scotland and England and the virus work together in providing a thought-provoking plot device, as well as generating a devilishly delicious setup for utter mayhem to ensue. The road to destruction is grim from the very start. After crossing the border the team is met with aggression and terror, especially when it’s unveiled that the ‘living’ have turned into ravenous cannibals, revelling in the anarchy they started. Marshall has stated that Doomsday is not a horror, but it is filled with horrific things and an abundance of meaty gore.
The sci-fi elements work in harmony within the post-apocalyptic confinements that purposefully leave the audience bewildered. Upon its release, questions arose regarding ‘plot holes’. In actuality, there is literally no need for Marshall to go into the science of the virus or explain the character’s actions. The capabilities of sci-fi allow for rules and laws to slide, with Marshall forming the theologies and world order to his taste, creating a land that is blatantly irrational and rightly beyond anything explainable.
Doomsday is deliberately frenzied, pushing a sense of hysteria onto the viewer. The Reaper virus is akin to the likes of the Rage virus in 28 Days Later (2002) in the way that they cause its victim to become mindless animals.
Through this a contagious force of energy is thrust onto the viewer, getting their adrenaline pumping at all the chaos and violence. And this said ‘chaos’ comes in by the boatload. The manic society formed behind the border have these epic battles and circus-esque performances that really do perplex and amaze, especially when the tribe’s jukebox is filled with 1980s bands like Fine Young Cannibals, Adam Ant, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The land explored within Doomsday is murky and filled with death, but the atmosphere on-screen and generated off-screen is electric and memorable. The creative freedom seen within Marshall’s filming is off the charts, allowing for every weird and wonderful thought to be expelled, making Doomsday a standout film.
The Reckoning (2020)
After her husband dies during the Great Plague, Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) is unjustly sent to be placed in the hands of England’s most feared witch-hunter Judge Moorcraft (Sean Pertwee). Despite her pleads of innocence, she experiences unbearable levels of emotional abuse and psychical torture at the hands of Moorcraft and his fellows. During her imprisonment, the endless trauma is not the only thing Grace has to fight as she battles against her internalised demons as the devil himself worms his way into her mind.
Whilst all of Marshall’s work remains individualistic from one another, The Reckoning exudes such sheer amounts of distinct personality that forces the film to seriously stand out from many films released in 2020.
Marshall acted as executive producer on Edward Evers-Swindell’s Dark Signal (2016), a highly underrated British indie horror. Evers-Swindell announced to Marshall that he had been working on an idea for a new film surrounding witches, particularly focusing on the element of ‘are they, aren’t they?’ when it comes to the witch prognosis. Along with Kirk, Marshall began exploring the history of witch hunts and soon became very interested in giving this idea a full backbone. Amid the excitement of Marshall getting back into his horror roots he started to come to terms with the reality of witch hunts and the fact that they never really ended, they just take place in new shapes and forms.
Folklore and fables have been at the heart of horror for many years, whether it’s the damning crusade that accompanies the old tale legends or the possibility that something dark exists, people crave bygone lore. As everyone knows, the existence of the witch trials were very much a real thing with women being socially ostracised and sentenced to death at even the most trivial of matters. The truth behind these hunts surrounds the deeply embedded misogyny and prosecution of the other that bared itself within the seeds of society. The Reckoning combines both the real tragedy of witch history and the essence of old traditions to fabricate a film drenched in thoughtful performances and immersive backdrops.
The characters of both Grace and Moorcroft encapsulate the push and pull relationships with period pieces. It’s easy to dissect who’s the protagonist and who’s the villain in many horror films, but in The Reckoning a rare standpoint of neutrality is slightly integrated to keep the viewers on their toes, abandoning formulaic storytelling in favour of sewing together a vibrant film brimming with dynamic personalities.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the vibes of a grimy, blemished society are strongly portrayed. To create a believable period film every stop needs to be pulled out and no stone left unturned. And Marshall does just that. The set pieces have a texturized nature that aids in the catalysation of key plot points. Grace’s experiences of otherworldly exploits are stunningly melodramatic within its stylization, creating surreal imagery that is both untouched and theatrical.
The Reckoning serves as an exciting point in Marshall’s career. At this point he has explored all sorts of monsters and the darkest depths of society, leaving a signature within cinema that ventures into every territory.
Neil Marshall’s new action horror ‘The Lair’ is currently in post production and due for release in 2022/23.
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