THE BRITISH AND THEIR CREEPY, CREEPY AWESOMENESS!
Friends, for me there is no better body of horror film than whatever the hell was going on in Britain between the late 1960s and the early 1980s. There’s just something so beautiful and wrong with the aesthetic, which seems borne of ancient paganism, sinister old thickets, and a battle between traditional supernaturalism and modern logic. I’m no scholar, but I do know what creeps me out.
Thus, in the spirit of the season, here is a “Folk Horror” mixtape of freely available YouTube weirdness. It encompasses everything from Public Service Announcements that seem designed to scar children for life, to television movies, horror films, and a short documentary. If you’ve never encountered this particular vibe (a la THE WICKER MAN, etc.), I suggest diving in and seeing what kind of effect it has on you.
**Be forewarned: there are a LOT of turtlenecks, epic sideburns, and mod clothing in these pieces. Don’t let that trick you into letting your guard down**
The Ridgeway Path Public Information Film
The Spirit Of Dark And Lonely Water
The Ice House
Murder on Meon Hill
Stigma
Demons Come In All Shapes & Sizes
Ghost Dance
The Stone Tapes
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
***
–BL