If you crawl around Trembling Looking for something to add some spookiness to your seasonal viewing? You may have already noticed. haunted season—The newest anthology series from host Kier-La Janisse. Category Expert whose many works include an excellent book on film theory. House of a mentally ill woman and the latest folk horror documentary Woodland Dark and Magic Day–
First item To finally shoot youWritten and directed by Sean Hogan; It is the story of a group of men carrying a coffin to a haunted burial. (literally) for past misdeeds while traveling To learn more about haunted seasonThis will bring new shows to Shudder for years to come. We caught up with Janisse via video chat.
Cheryl Eddy, io9: I've read your book. Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Televisionwhich gives a great history of the genre and the traditions behind it. But for those who may not read I'm going to borrow the name of a chapter and ask, “Why ghost stories at Christmas”?
Kier-La Giannis: It's interesting because Derek Johnston, who wrote that chapter many years ago, wrote a book called haunted seasonMy name was completely copied (laughs) when I was doing it. Terror of Christmas The book has hundreds of movies in it. But most of them are obviously connected to Christmas in one way or another. Is it about Christmas or does it take place at Christmas? Or there are visible Christmas decorations so you can classify it as a Christmas movie.
But there's a lot of BBC. Ghost stories for Christmas The 1970's (episode) had nothing to do with Christmas. And when I included them in the book, I thought, North American audiences wouldn't understand why these movies were here. Because they're like, “What do they have to do with Christmas?” I asked Derek if he would write a chapter that talked about the origins of this tradition. Or tell Christmas ghost stories and Christmas programming ideas. It doesn't have to be programming. But it is the fact that it was chosen to be programmed at that time.
Going back many centuries It comes from an old tradition of telling winter stories (when) people gather around the hearth or bonfire. And they often entertain themselves to pass the time while they're trying to keep warm. Winter's tales are what they are called because they are scary tales that they tell (when) the days are very short and (the seasons) change to a new year. There is the idea of a finite boundary between one state and another. They will tell these ghost stories. And as time passes When we began to have written literature You will start to see references to those stories in (places such as the works of) Shakespeare and Marlowe
Of course, in the Victorian era You have the works of Charles Dickens. christmas songswhich is very important Not just for the concept of Christmas ghosts. But also Christmas in general. This was part of Queen Victoria's command to make Christmas popular again. Charles Dickens writing that story when he wrote it was an important part of not only reinforcing this idea that Christmas is a time when we tell ghost stories. But this is the time of year we have Christmas—after all, it was before Queen Victoria. It fell out as a popular holiday. christmas songs It became central to the creation of many of the ideas and myths we have around Christmas—Christmas tree decorations and all the trappings we associate with Christmas come from that time period.
Christmas ghost stories are very relevant to the time period—and they are. so lots Ghost story writers in the Victorian era… There are countless. And when the radio came on They began modifying radios. christmas songs and other types of ghost stories during the holidays Then it became television.
The BBC has always been keen on making ghost stories for Christmas in one form or another. In the 1970s, director Lawrence Gordon Clark came up with the idea. Without thinking that it would be a series He proposed a film adaptation of the MR James story. Barchester's stall– He used an earlier adaptation of an M.R. James story to prove that it might be a hit. Jonathan Miller made an adaptation called Whistle and I'll come for you. It was in the late 60s, which was awesome. And it wasn't made for Christmas. It is created for different times of the year. different programs
But Lawrence Gordon Clark told them. “Look how good it is. And imagine if we could do something like this for Christmas.” So he did. Barchester's stall– It is very popular. Therefore, he was allowed every year to continue redoing it. So it became a series; Throughout the 70s there would be different episodes.
And that's what my series is. haunted season It is based on – the idea of an annual ghost movie that premieres every year. And I know that for North American viewers, using the word “series” to describe something that only has one episode in a year is strange. But it is based on that tradition. It's basically an ongoing Christmas special that has a new installment every year. The tradition still exists in the UK. So this series is just one part of a larger tradition.
io9: How do you decide? To finally shoot you It's the first item, right? How did writer and director Sean Hogan get involved?
Janice: Sean Hogan is a filmmaker. book writer and playwright He does all sorts of things. He is incredibly talented. Very cool with the dialogue from that era. So I offered him—and he was able to do a lot with so little, which was important because we had a very low budget for these things—if he would make a short film for Se's folk horror box set. Verin Films, we are working on our new box set. All the Haunts Belong to Us, Volume 2– The first box set includes my documentary (Woodland Dark and Magic Day) Up there—there's new film. And we were like “We didn't have anything comparable to the second box set,” so we asked Sean if he would make a movie for that.
I informed him of a few things. The idea to place it on Corpse Drive came from one of the suggestions I gave him.
But before he finished filming this movie I thought back to Sam's idea. Zimmerman from Shudder and I had one more than a decade ago. When we used to work together on Fangoria magazine back then we were trying to get Fangoria to do a ghost story for Christmas that we could premiere on the website. And the publisher wouldn't do it. But we want Sean Hogan made that movie.
So when Sean made this movie for me, Before he finished, I said to David Gregory (Severin Films'), “What if we could pitch this to Shudder about being part of an ongoing ghost story series for Christmas?” and David was like, “Sure, go for it.”
Sam and I talked. And it's amazing because it's an idea that we had that wasn't approved years ago. We're really excited about it. “Let's get started!” And that was exactly what it was. In some ways, it's a long-standing project. But then it was like everything clicked. Where everything can actually work, you know? I'm so glad Sean Hogan made the first one because he was the filmmaker we talked about making Fangoria years ago.
I love this movie It turned out well. He created it with a small team. in the united kingdom And—you can't tell from watching the film. But while they were making the movie It is very cold and rainy. They are in very bad condition. But I think it came out very well.
IO9: To finally shoot you It's very traditional. Very much in the style of old movies. Is that something we'll see as the series continues?
Janice: I didn't know it would be black and white. But it will all be a moment. They don't have to be around that same time. But they should be involved with the past in some way. The direction I gave the filmmakers was to not do anything after this, like 1960. You can go back to the Middle Ages if you want. Or you can go all the way back to the 1950s, but it has to feel (like a period piece). That's what tradition has always been about.
It will be interesting to see when. Ghost stories for Christmas First played in the 70's, the final two episodes set up a modern story. They are not adapted like the old Victorian ghost stories. They create new stories. A modern story set in a modern location. And audiences at the time resisted—many received bad reviews. Now people love those episodes because they're so vintage. Now it's retro style. But at the time they were still new. People are like, “You're breaking tradition!” So I decided to keep the parameters. (It's a pretty wide time frame.) But it's still some time.
io9: Can you tease anything about the other shows?
Janice: The only thing I can tease is that I'm making one of these. (It's my first narrative film) I've already asked people what scripts they're working on, so I'll tease (more) as the time comes closer.
io9: I'm a big fan of Woodland Dark and Magic DayYour local horror documentary Are these Christmas ghost stories part of the folk horror tradition?
Janice: It is certainly bypassed because of its oral tradition aspect. Like BBC Ghost Stories at Christmas. You might call it more Gothic horror than folktale. But it depends on something like A warning for those who are curious. and Whistle and I'll come for you. You can call it folklore because they are digging up relics from the past that carry all this baggage with them. It definitely has folk horror elements for some. But some stories are more in the Gothic realm. But I think ghost stories at Christmas Simply because these stories are connected to this oral tradition. Makes it a little more connected to folklore.
io9: And you've talked about some of these things. But for those who watched the first episode haunted season and would like to see more in that area. What do you recommend they search for?
Janice: Shudder has licensed the copyright to Jonathan Miller. Whistle and I'll come for you.– Definitely start with that. And they licensed Lawrence Gordon Clarks. Ghost stories for Christmas From the 1970s, these are the items my series is based on. So I recommend reading them all—there are nine different options for what they can view. I didn't know they had. The Stone Tape on the trembling (Editor's Note: They do!) but The Stone Tape Broadcast during Christmas It has nothing to do with Christmas. But it was broadcast as part of the Christmas program. It's a Christmas ghost story. And that's a good thing too.
watch To finally shoot youThe first episode of haunted seasonOn Shudder now
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