Reviews

Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange by Adam Scovell

chloesnotscared's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.0

strigoistacojiu's review against another edition

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dark informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.0

elwellz's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.0

frozenrapture's review against another edition

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3.0

Exceeded my initial low expectations I had for this but it still fell short for me by falling into some of the typical tropes of academia. I was glad to see thoughtful analysis on numerous non-horror films like Peckinpah's Straw Dogs and the criminally underrated Wake in Fright and their parallels to seminal folk horror films. Scovell often has to condemn and comment on certain films from time to time throughout the book which served as a great irritant to me as I think most people who watch a film like Rawhead Rex aren't doing so in search of uncharted intellectual territory. I was pleased that Ken Russell's The Devils was mentioned as well as Pete Walkers Frightmare (a personal favorite) but was underwhelmed with the lack of attention given to them. I also wondered why no Italian films were mentioned as certain Amando de Ossorio and Joe D'Amato films should fit the criteria of folk horror and wonder if they were deemed as intellectually inferior to most of the other films mentioned in this book. I did learn a fair amount as I had no knowledge of any of the British TV shows like The Owl Service and was unaware of Alan Clarke's Penda's Fen. Still a worthy of a read for well versed horror/film fans or neophytes.

lamusadelils's review against another edition

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4.0

Es un acercamiento bastante interesante al tema, aunque hay muchos puntos que creo que quedaron muy superficiales, especialmente considerando que el tema "folk" implica una variedad de culturas y perspectivas, que ni siquiera fueron mencionados como lectura aparte.

aandnota's review

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4.0

Great overview of folk horror. A bit long-winded at times, but a good introduction nonetheless.

nycterisberna's review against another edition

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4.0

Uno de los libros pioneros en el listado y análisis del cine y televisión del género denominado Folk Horror o "terror rural". Algo interesante es que Scovell detalla la influencia de los cuentos y la atmósfera de MR James, agrega películas más contemporáneas (no sólo británicas, aunque obviamente gran parte del libro es analizar la trilogía clásica: "Witchfinder General", "The Blood on Satan's claw" y "The wicker man") y destaca el inmenso trabajo de Nigel Kneale especialmente para televisión. 

shieymn's review

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5.0

Il libro fondamentale sull’argomento (per adesso). Molto leggibile, considerato che è un saggio in inglese. Da leggere se si ha una predilezione per il genere cine-televisivo (ma anche letterario) del folk horror o se si vuole scavare dietro al discorso dell’hauntology per capire meglio da cosa deriva.

Contenuti:
- spiegazione della folk horror chain, il gruppo di elementi che definiscono un’opera come afferente al filone;
- storia della televisione e del cinema britannico del genere;
- storia della definizione stessa;
- riflessioni sul ruolo del paesaggio britannico e sulle influenze letterarie del folk horror;
- analisi privilegiata di alcuni autori, in particolare Nigel Kneale;
- riflessione sul concetto di ruralità e i suoi trope;
- Public information films;
- sottogeneri e generi limitrofi: backwoods horror, survival horror, occultismo, realismo magico, Australian outback…;
- e poi ancora: l’hauntology; l’eerie; il folk horror non britannico; l’urban wyrd; contaminazioni fantascientifiche;
- il folk horror odierno.

gudrun's review

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informative reflective medium-paced

2.75

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