Come join us for Miskatonic’s next event Folklore, Folk Horror and Generation Hexed.
Doors: 7pm. The talk will begin at 7:15. Please don’t be late.
Folklore brings us tales of witches, ghosts and ghouls, myths and legends: stories like these are how we make sense of the world around us and shape our common perceptions. How these are communicated, whether in film or TV or online, can influence us in terms of our beliefs, actions and understanding of the world, but it doesn't mean they are literally true. Folklore is a core element of folk horror that is often overlooked: the roots of horror are often firmly based in folk tales, myth and legend. Horror is indeed the stuff of folklore which includes unofficially recorded histories, campfire tales and urban legend. But, whilst the schlock and gore antics of villains like Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees may have folkloric origins in satanic panics and urban legends, the films in which such characters appear are not necessarily regarded as folk horror. Although the use of folklore is absolutely integral to folk horror narratives, conversely, not all horror is folk horror. Folk horror is not even always horrific or merely restricted to the medium of film: its eerie dissonance can be observed extending beyond boundaries of genre and medium. Part one of this class explores the conventions of what we now think of as film and television folk horror, and discusses folk horror as part of a broader cultural context arising from 1970s popular culture and its continued impact on filmmakers today.
Part two of this class more specifically explores British 1970s television, which itself was bursting at the seams with weirdness, eeriness, supernatural folklore and contemporary legend. The effect of 'wyrd' programming on those who grew up with it should not be underestimated in terms of its influence on Generation X, (which Bob Fischer aptly terms the 'haunted' generation) referred to here as Generation Hexed. The importance and value of children's television has been an area traditionally overlooked, which modern scholars aim to redress not only in relation to screen studies but also with reference to folklore studies and wider social and cultural implications. This paper considers why supernatural folklore was so prevalent in 1970s media, why it emerged then, and how it has been represented on screen. Using Children of the Stones as a case study example of "the scariest programme ever made for children", I look at how television has horrified children and the ways in which such programming impacts upon generations of audiences far beyond the reach of television itself.
This will not give you access to any online events. You will require a different ticket for that. These events are in-person only, and are not live streamed - sorry.