Did you know there’s a genre called folk horror? Ok, if you’re a horror fan you likely do, but it wasn’t until probably the last decade or so that I actually became aware of it. My tastes for years typically went the mainstream horror route, with the occasional hidden gems sneaking in. My first taste of folk horror came in the form of The Wicker Man. But wait, I’m not talking about the original ‘70s film that’s beloved by so many. No, it was the much reviled Nicolas Cage-starring 2006 remake that captivated me, and still does.
While this Wicker Man certainly isn’t a remotely as regarded as the original, I absolute adore it for what it is. It also introduced me to a genre that I find extremely interesting and compelling. If you have a horror fan you’re shopping for this holiday season, there are two thoroughly entertaining and educational box sets devoted to folk horror that are can’t miss.
All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folks Horror Volumes 1 and 2 come from Severin Films and have been compiled by noted genre expert and author Kier-La Janisse. Released in 2022, the first volume contains 20 featured films of folk horror from around the world, alongside Janisse’s outstanding documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched. It also includes CDs and a hardcover book of scholarly writing on the subject.
Here’s a few more details about the set:
The most comprehensive collection of its kind begins with the definitive genre documentary of our time, Kier-La Janisse’s award-winning WOODLANDS DARK & DAYS BEWITCHED. From there, experience 19 of the best-known, least-known, rarely-seen and thought-lost classics of folk horror from around the world, all restored from the best available vault elements with Special Features that include short films, audio commentaries and exclusive featurettes. The ultimate genre exploration continues with the original WOODLANDS soundtrack by Jim Williams and a reading of the classic short story ‘The White People’ by actress Linda Hayden, as well as a 126-page illustrated book curated by Janisse and designed by Luke Insect featuring all-new writings by renowned film scholars, authors and historians.
All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folks Horror Volumes 2, which arrived in November 2024, continues the series with a further 24 films across 13 Blu-rays alongside another hardcover book, this time containing new folk horror stories from authors including Ramsey Campbell, Cassandra Khaw and Eden Royce.
Unquiet spirits have gathered once again: ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS – VOLUME TWO brings together 24 films representing 18 countries for more of the best-loved, rarely seen, thought-lost and brand-new classics of folk horror, most making their International and/or North American disc debuts including the Worldwide Premieres of the Severin Films productions TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST directed by Sean Hogan and the documentary SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC directed by David Gregory; 55+ combined hours of new and archival Special Features including trailers, interviews, audio commentaries, short films, video essays, historical analyses and bonus feature-length films; a 252-page hardcover of newly commissioned folk horror fiction by luminaries that include Ramsey Campbell, Cassandra Khaw and Eden Royce with illustrations by Drazen Kozjan; and much more, all curated and produced by WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED creator Kier-La Janisse.
There’s a lot to discover within these sets, and for horror fans with open and inquiring minds looking for a way in to folk horror, both are must haves.
You can order All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folks Horror Volumes 1 here.
You can order All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folks Horror Volumes 2 here.
