Assemblog: October 25, 2013

Here Comes The Devil

New this week on Popshifter: Lisa enthuses over the new horror anthology Comfort Foods from the Nashville Writers Group; Jeff suggests five Italian horror movies that you may not have known about and wraps himself up in Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours; Melissa argues that sitars and flutes are more influential than previously thought in her review of The Dawn of Psychedelia and is disappointed in the new Fratellis album, We Need Medicine.

It’s almost Halloween! Since the actual holiday doesn’t arrive until next Thursday, many of you will be celebrating this weekend (or if you’re like me, you celebrate Halloween for the entire month of October and then some). Here are some Halloween and horror-themed things that might interest you.

Dalia Grossman-Heinze has a fantastic article on The Haunting of Hill House and why author Shirley Jackson is woefully underrated as a horror writer. (Women and Hollywood)

Mondo will be releasing a double vinyl album featuring the complete score for John Carpenter’s Halloween, which has never enjoyed a complete pressing before. The artwork is pretty amazing, too. This will take place at random times on October 31, which is par for the course from Mondo. (/Film)

The Cultural Gutter has shared an in-depth and fascinating history of British folk horror from Spectacular Optical which causes me to realize that it’s something that truly creeps me out.

If you like Nicholas Winding Refn and you like horror movies, especially when women write them, you’ll be thrilled by the news that Refn has hired writer Polly Stenham to write his upcoming all-female horror film, I Walk With The Dead. Carey Mulligan is rumored to be attached as the star. (/Film)

Here’s a terrific, if extremely spoilery, review of You’re Next which focuses on Erin (Sharni Vinson) as the ultimate Final Girl. (Women and Hollywood)
You’re Next

We like to complain that Canadian Netflix doesn’t have as much of a selection as its US counterpart. While that is true, Rue Morgue Editor-in-Chief Dave Alexander has curated a list of horror titles on Canadian Netflix, as well as conducting interviews about the films. The list includes some gems, like Session 9, Event Horizon, and Pan’s Labyrinth. (Rue Morgue)

Rue Morgue‘s Tal Zimmerman would like your help to fund his Kickstarter project, a documentary called Why Horror? It isn’t just about horror movies, however. Zimmerman wants to include horror in books, TV, and pop culture in general. He’s got interviews with George Romero, Don Coscarelli, Eli Roth, Alexandre Aja, and more. The pitch video is pretty impressive and you can check it out on Twitch.

Last year’s TIFF brought us the extraordinary Here Comes The Devil, shot in Mexico by Argentinian director Adrián Garcia Bogliano (my review). It’s finally coming to theaters and On Demand on December 13. Here’s the enticing red band trailer. (Fangoria)

Here’s a very different horror trailer, courtesy of the Malaysian film Penanggal. The titular character is a South East Asian legend, “a woman whose head can separate from her body and fly—with entrails dangling beneath—as it goes is search of food, newborn babies being a particular favorite.” Yes, please! (Twitch)

—Less Lee Moore, Managing Editor