#the miskatonic institute of horror studies

[ladyphibes]

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[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/12/2023: RINGU, GOJIRA

I rewatched both of these movies in preparation for an event that my org hosted at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies has a lecture at the fest every year, and this time I got someone really great to accompany their Japanese programming. Actually, you can read the original paper that my speaker Sigmund Shen based his talk on, and I highly recommend it!:

He has something very compelling to say about how RINGU and GOJIRA (among other things) reflect the ongoing struggle to expose suppressed national histories, which inflict shame and trauma on a populace who are unable to fully process events that have been protected by censorship and taboo. Because this is a speed run season of Blogtober, I'll leave the analysis to Professor Shen--you won't be disappointed!

The film festival featured a slate of Japanese fare to coincide with a new documentary called THE J-HORROR VIRUS by Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp. When they were asked "Why now?" about this investigation into a mode of production that was extremely hot in the early aughts, and which has seen virtually no new growth in recent years, the answer seemed to be that only this much hindsight has clarified what it all meant--and they're right. The doc is really interesting and surprising, even to someone like me who remembers how hard J-horror hit the American festival circuit back when. The founding filmmakers share insights and inspiration that I never would have guessed at, but I have to say that my favorite part was the interview with Rie Ino'o who played Sadako in RINGU and RING 2. Despite her silent and basically faceless performance, she infused her character with a vivid personality that made Hideo Nakata insist that she return for the second film, and you can really see what made her so irreplaceable. I think I'm in love with her now. Anyway, see THE J-HORROR VIRUS if you can, it's really good.

[fearsmagazine]

THE BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL Announces Full 2024 Program!

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (BHFF) announced the full program for its 2024 incarnation, running October 17-24 with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unworldly lineup of films and events, including a special screening of Larry Fessenden’s HABIT with the Leviathan Award Ceremony, honoring his film career.

The Opening Night film is the NY premiere of DEAD MAIL from directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The 2024 festival boasts the North American Premieres of exciting new films: Tiago Teixeira’s unsettling body horror film CUSTOM; a new documentary on horror at the turn of the millennium from Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton, GENERATION TERROR; and New Zealand director Sasha Rainbow’s film GRAFTED.

The festival will feature the world premieres of Izzy Lee's first feature, HOUSE OF ASHES; the atmospheric ghost story, LILLY LIVES ALONE, and the queer sci-fi adventure PSYCHONAUT. The festival’s other spotlight titles include ANIMALE, the beautiful revenge-fantasy from French director Emma Benestan as the festival’s Centerpiece Film; and THE RULE OF JENNY PEN starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow as the Closing Night Film.

The festival’s signature sidebar programs return, starting with FEAR IN FOCUS: SPAIN, which includes the North American premiere of EXORCISMO, a documentary that focuses on the violent and smutty film history of the post-Franco era of Spanish cinema; as well as retro screenings of VAMPYRES and THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE on 35mm; which ties into the Vampire sidebar that features Abel Ferrara’s THE ADDICTION and a screening of the Spanish version of DRACULA with a live score from The Flushing Remonstrance. MISKATONIC INSTITUTE OF HORROR STUDIES will also return to host a special lecture by Dr. Leah Richards "Queer Vampires, Queer Liberation, Queer Futurity.

Festival badges are on sale now HERE and a limited amount of individual tickets go on sale this Friday, Sept. 20th at 12PM EST.

For more information, visit: Brooklynhorrorfest.com Facebook: facebook.com/brooklynhorror/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/brooklynhorror Instagram: http://instagram.com/brooklynhorrorfest

[noumenalroom-deactivated20221021]

[jumpcutonline]

Miskatonic London Presents: The Paranoid Woman’s Film Class The Miskatonic Institute is a celebrated organization with branches in the UK and US that is committed to bringing academic level classes to the public that focus on the genre and themes surrounding horror, while spotlighting some of the genre world’s most renowned critical, literary and filmmaking luminaries.

[dearorpheus]

hi hi, here are some free horror readings/resources in pdf form and adjacent horror viewings as seen in the curriculum for the miskatonic institute of horror studies’ course on theorising horror. 

- the american nightmare: horror in the 70s, robin wood ; deathdream, dir. bob clark, 1974 - horror and the monstrous-feminine: an imaginary abjection, barbara creed ; possession, dir. andrzej zulawski, 1981 - when the woman looks, linda williams ; ju-on, dir. takashi shimizu, 2002 - her body, himself: gender in the slasher film, carol j. clover ; hell night, dir. tom desimone, 1981 - bodies of fear: the films of david cronenberg, steven shaviro ; rabid, dir. david cronenberg, 1977 - why horror?, noël carroll ; horror and art-dread, cynthia freeland ; cropsey, dir. barbara brancaccio, 2009

[generationexorcist]

The Miskatonic Institute Announces Spring Semester 2021

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies announced today their Spring 2021 Semester of Lectures. As we enter the second (and hopefully final) year of the pandemic crisis, lectures for all our branches will be online for this semester. The world’s longest-running educational organization devoted to the study of horror history, theory and production, announced 15 new classes, led by critics, academics, and writers, with ideas that will delight, inspire, and expand our knowledge and understanding of horror in art and culture.

Full Article on Dread Central

I didn’t even know this was a thing. Very cool.

[spaceintruderdetector]

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is an international educational community through which established horror writers, directors, scholars and curators celebrate horror history and culture with a unique blend of enthusiasm and critical perspective. We have regular classes in London, New York and Los Angeles, as well as hosting special events worldwide.

https://www.miskatonicinstitute.com/

[hmuncut]

Restored ‘Nosferatu’ at the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies

Restored ‘Nosferatu’ at the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies

On April 19th at the Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury, London Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies will host a special screening of NOSFERATU. This will be a “show and tell” lecture showing the differences between prints and challenges surrounding the classic creature feature. Mark Rance will lead the discussion the restoration and tickets are on sale now. Read ahead for the full details on the…

[ladyphibes]

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[anhed-nia]

NEXT WEEK on 3/14 the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is back at the illustrious Film Noir Cinema in Greenpoint with an event I'm super pumped about: Witchcraft & Media scholar Peg Aloi will analyze the presence of the Crone and Hag archetypes in popular culture. I personally requested this subject, and was thrilled that Peg agreed to do it. The Witch has long since been reclaimed as an avatar of female empowerment--particularly in the young, fashionable grrl power mode--but what about *witches of a certain age*? Recently, horror has seen a proliferation of images of frightful, predatory older women, drawing ambivalent reactions from audiences. Do these monstrous femmes always reflect a misogynistic attitude? Or might they sometimes suggest a return of the repressed, representing the special powers, wisdom, and righteous indignation of older women? I can't wait to hear what our guest will have to say, and I hope you'll join me next week to find out!

[donnerpartyofone]

NEXT TUESDAY at 7pm, join me at Greenpoint's Film Noir Cinema (live and in-person only!) for my Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies NYC lecture about the true story behind the terrifying film THE ENTITY! This talk is not for the faint of heart, but I promise it will be fascinating.

The 1982 supernatural thriller THE ENTITY has an outrageous premise--a woman is repeated assaulted by an incubus-like force--and yet, it is said to be based in fact. In 1974, UCLA parapsychologists studied the extraordinary claims of the mysterious Doris Bither. Though their investigation has been thoughtfully debunked by some, the essence of the story remains irresistibly compelling. It was adapted into a best-selling novel, and then realized as an infamous feature film. But who was Doris Bither? What can we tell about her from this string of controversial interpretations? Perhaps they say more about ourselves--what we want to believe, and why--than they do about Bither herself, who has since deliberately vanished from view.

Please don't miss this challenging, eye-opening talk--I'll consider it a birthday present to me personally!

[fearsmagazine]

Miskatonic NYC presents: Joe Coleman - Stealing Fire: The Mastery of the Outsider

September 11th Miskatonic NYC presents Live From Miskatonic: Joe Coleman - Stealing Fire: The Mastery of the Outsider at Film Noir Cinema, in Greenpoint. Join producer/film writer Heather Buckley in conversation with Brooklyn artist Joe Coleman as they dissect the identity of Outsider art via the lens of cinema in one of their most singular classes yet.

Joe Coleman has been the Outsider—a Brooklyn artist, carny, once charged with harboring an “infernal device,” picked up these very tools of Creation—the pen and the brush—to create a maelstrom of images and words. He, possessed by arcane narratives, conjures his paintings as they unfold into tapestries of killers, sinners, self-portraits, counter culture saints and marytrs. His hand untrained but true.

There is an intersection, by accident or intent, where the Master and the Outsider create symbols and works that mirror. There are places where The Master is unsure to go but the Outsider without the boundaries of convention walks into dangerous territory where the soul is confronted and everything is changed and what is a dream and what is real is combined and elevated.

To understand this borderland we must compare objects and acts. And in this unique live conversation moderated by film writer and producer Heather Buckley, Joe Coleman will investigate a series of films and the ways that concepts of high and low art intersect in and around them. The first will be Gerald Kargl’s Angst (1983) and JohnParker’s Dementia aka Daughters of Horror (1955) —exploring the serial killer story. Godard’s Alphaville (1965) and Ed Wood Jr.’s Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) —a comparison of cast and similar iconography over both works. Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969) and Charles Brabin’s Beast of the City (1932) —a look at the depiction of violence; realism vs expressionism. And finally, an exploration of autopsy as performance and in cinema, the trained hand vs. the Outsider.

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies – NYC - Live From Miskatonic: Joe Coleman - Stealing Fire: The Mastery of the Outsider Date: September 11th 2018 Time: 7:00pm-9:30pm Venue: Film Noir Cinema Address: 122 Meserole, Greenpoint, Brooklyn Prices: $12 advance / $15 on the door / $50 Full semester pass https://www.miskatonicinstitute.com/events/live-from-miskatonic-joe-coleman-stealing-fire-the-mastery-of-the-outsider-nyc/

[lettertomrsdelancey]

Hosted by Kier-La Janisse, founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies In conjunction with its August 8th class GRAND…

[horrorsociety]

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies NYC Presents The Shadow Over Lovecraft Read More Here: https://www.horrorsociety.com/2019/04/08/the-miskatonic-institute-of-horror-studies-nyc-presents-the-shadow-over-lovecraft/

[therealkn]

David’s Resolution - Day 1

Day 1 (January 1, 2019)

Re-Animator (1985)

“Herbert, you’re insane, now what happened here?” “I had to kill him!” “What? He’s dead?!” “...Not anymore.”

When most people think of movies in the 1980s, they think of a lot of things. They think of Steven Spielberg - this was the decade that really cemented him as a household name, with the Indiana Jones films and E.T. earning critical praise and loads of money. They think of science fiction - The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi come to mind, along with Tron and The Last Starfighter and Blade Runner and Aliens. They think of action movies - this was the era of Stallone and Schwarzenegger, with Rambo and Terminator making them action hero gods, and there was also Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

You know what I think of? The effects-heavy movies. You know which ones I’m talking about. The ones that took the advances being made in special effects and makeup and used that to give us things we'd never seen before and in some cases, never even fathomed before. The werewolf transformation in An American Werewolf in London, the creature effects in The Thing, the Alien Queen in Aliens... the ‘80s was a great decade for sci-fi and horror and all that good genre fare.

I’ve done three respectable classic movies in a row, I think it's time for something else. I think it's time to get fucked up and dig into the gory stuff. We need the right movie for that, and I think Arrow Video will have just the thing for us.

As I typed this, I realized that all three “minus days” before the actual resolution began were Criterion releases. So now we’ll have something from Arrow Video, the European cousin to Criterion and more or less the fusion of Criterion and Shout! Factory. Like Criterion, Arrow Video is a high-end film distributor whose releases are top-tier quality. They too take the greatest care in film preservation and restoration, their restoration work is on par with Criterion’s, and their releases are loaded with bonus material about the film and those who made it. And like Shout! Factory, they deal largely in genre fare: spaghetti Westerns, Japanese crime movies, cult horror films, things like that. I have several Arrow Video releases (nowhere near as many as Criterion), but we’ll cover some more, trust me.

Now, on to Re-Animator.

The movie is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West - Reanimator” series of short stories, although it makes several changes, but that’s not really important. The movie is about Herbert West, played by Jeffrey Combs in a role that defined his career (though I also know him as the Scarecrow in The New Batman Adventures and the Question in Justice League Unlimited). West is a brilliant medical student who’s just left an institute in Switzerland to study at the Miskatonic University in New England, where a large majority of evil shit in the U.S. happens. And he’s developed a remarkable breakthrough: a re-agent that looks a lot like glowstick fluid and that, when injected into a dead creature, brings it back to life... with violent results. One may think that this means glowstick fluid can re-animate the dead. I do not recommend you inject glowstick fluid into your dead cat to try and resurrect it. It doesn't work.

West, upon arriving at the university, meets with two other major figures in the story: Dan Cain (played by Bruce Abbott), a bright young student with a good future ahead of him; and Dr. Carl Hill (played by David Gale), a shitheel of a professor who plagiarized West’s teacher in Switzerland and who immediately clashes with West. West begins renting a room in Dan’s house so that he can continue his work, which Dan soon finds out about. After Dan sees that West’s work in re-animation is not, in fact, doo-doo, he ends up helping West by getting him into the university morgue.

And I think I’ll leave the details of the story after that vague because hoo boy, shit gets crazy and I won’t spoil it for you. But I will say that at some point, Dr. Hill ends up literally losing his head, which then causes him to figuratively lose his head, yet he can still talk and even control his body without his head attached. This eventually leads to one of the most memorable sequences in the movie, where he has a re-animated subject carry a woman he lusts for into the morgue, where he ties her down and admires her naked body before holding his disembodied head between her legs so that said head can go down on her.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen and others, this movie has a disembodied head about to give head. Whatever your opinion of this movie, you have to admit that that is one of the best visual puns ever put to film. Thank you, Stuart Gordon and the people who wrote this movie.

This is an example of one of the film’s strengths: despite being an adaptation of Lovecraft’s work, this is a horror-comedy. (Come to think of it, we had a lot of horror-comedies in the ‘80s, didn’t we?) There’s some really disturbing stuff in the movie, especially involving the re-animated corpses, and the comedy helps to make that more digestible by giving us much-needed levity. A good amount of comedy comes from Jeffrey Combs’ performance as West, who makes the most insane character in the whole film the most reasonable and cool-headed throughout the movie and who somehow serves as straight man to everyone else, especially to Dr. Hill.

I don’t think it’s acceptable to talk about Re-Animator without talking about Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West. All of the actors in the film are great - Bruce Abbott as the audience surrogate who’s boarding the crazy train with us, Barbara Crampton as his loving and sweet girlfriend who’s also the victim of Dr. Hill’s perverted desires, Robert Sampson as Miskatonic’s dean who gets wrapped up in all these shenanigans - but the standout is Jeffrey Combs. His take on West is one of the most fascinating characters in modern horror. He is a man who does what he does for science. He doesn’t care about money, power, fame, or anything other than to study his re-agent and learn all he can about it. He seems disinterested or even turned off by sexual attraction: there’s his reaction to Dr. Hill’s attempted head-giving (“You steal the secret of life and death and here you are, trysting with a bubble-headed co-ed.”), and in the first sequel, Bride of Re-Animator, he warns Dan not to let the little head rule the big head. He doesn’t even eat or sleep to our knowledge, something that’s addressed in the “integral version” of the film (we’ll get to it soon). He’s become a cult favorite and a very popular horror film character from the ‘80s, which led to his character coming back for two sequels as well as appearing in comic books, including official crossovers with Hack/Slash and Army of Darkness. Yep. Ash Williams and Herbert West together.

And then there’s the gore. I did mention that, yes? This movie is not shy about gore or blood. The film begins with West at the Switzerland institute, having given re-agent to his mentor Dr. Hans Gruber - who I imagine recently died a hard death - and it causes Dr. Gruber’s eyes to explode and spray blood onto a female co-worker. The re-animated corpses are cool to look at and distinctive because of how they were when they died, from a burn victim whose body is charred to no end, to the victim of a shotgun blast to the head, to the separation of head and body that is the re-animated Dr. Hill, who controls the other re-animated through a strange psychic/hypnotic power he possesses.

I brought up Arrow Video earlier because their release of Re-Animator is, to me, the definitive release that you should seek out if you want to see this movie. The release I have has two versions of the movie: the unrated version that was originally released in theaters, and an “integral version” that features additional and alternate scenes that were originally in an R-rated home video release and were later edited into the unrated version for a 2013 German Blu-ray release. Both are good, but the integral version has a little more story-related stuff in it. It fleshes out Dan and Meg’s relationship a bit more and better details exactly what the deal with Dr. Hill’s power is. If you want to get the movie, get the Arrow Video release. You will not regret it. It will scare you to pieces.

Next time: ...Goddammit, Borowczyk.