Tales of the Uncanny: Kier-La Janisse takes us through her star-studded horror film anthology doc

Horror has always thrived in bite-sized chunks, from the classic short stories of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft to the iconic EC Comics line that gave us Tales From the Crypt. In film, horror is often most effective in the anthology format, with short segments bundled together by an overarching plot device linking them together.

Producer Kier-La Janisse (founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies and author of House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films) and director David Gregory (Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau, The Theatre Bizarre) dive deep into the world of horror film anthologies with Tales of the Uncanny – The Ultimate Survey of Anthology Horror, a new documentary screening online this week in a partnership between Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival and Winnipeg’s Cinematheque.

The film was initially conceived as a bonus feature for Severin Films’ special edition Blu-ray for Gregory’s The Theatre Bizarre but expanded into a comprehensive history of horror anthology films once COVID hit. With people confined to their homes across the globe, Janisse and Gregory (who co-host the film) began recording Zoom interviews with a huge cast of horror filmmakers, authors, and critics, resulting in a full-length documentary featuring the likes of Joe Dante, Tom Savini, Mick Garris, Eli Roth, Ernest Dickerson, Joko Anwar, Ramsey Campbell, Jovanka Vuckovic, Richard Stanley, and many more.

From blockbusters like 1982’s Creepshow to the cult hits from UK’s Amicus Productions, Tales of the Uncanny takes viewers on a blood-splattered trip through the decades that is sure to have you frantically adding titles to your Letterboxd watch-list the whole time through.

We spoke with Kier-La Janisse about the inspiration for the film, how COVID dramatically affected the production, her suggestions for some lesser-seen horror anthologies, and much more. Tales of the Uncanny – The Ultimate Survey of Anthology Horror is available to rent now via Fantasia International Film Festival and the Winnipeg Cinematheque’s virtual cinema through December 15. More information can be found here. Kier-La Janisse and director David Gregory will take part in a Facebook Live Q&A on Wednesday, December 9th at 6 pm EST, hosted by Winnipeg Cinematheque Programming DirectorJaimz Asmundson and Olivia Norquay (host of Bikini Drive-In). Tune in here.

Bad Feeling Magazine: How did Tales of the Uncanny come about?

Kier-La Janisse: David Gregory, the director and co-founder of Severin, was planning a lot of special features for the Blu-ray release of The Theatre Bizarre, which is an original anthology production Severin Films made almost a decade ago, and he had the idea to do a featurette on the history of anthology films. And so he started with historian David Del Valle, and then I brought in Bruce Hallenbeck to talk Amicus films, and Amanda Reyes to talk TV anthologies, Mick Garris and Jovanka Vuckovic to talk about working in the anthology format as directors and producers. And so we were planning to put it all together as a featurette with that initial roster. And then COVID happened and changed everything.

Was there ever a thought of turning this into a book? Is that something you’d be interested in tackling in the future?

Well, we haven’t discussed that, so…maybe for the anniversary edition!

How did the COVID outbreak affect the film? Did you have to reimagine the project in any way? Did it open any new doors for the production?

Well COVID completely changed the film. It’s why there are 60 interviewees instead of 5 – because with everyone stuck at home, we decided to reach out to more people and do some empirical research about anthology films, which culminated in the poll of the all-time top 5. And it’s why the interviews are mostly done by Zoom instead of in-person, because it suddenly became unsafe to interview people in many cases and we had to adapt to that. But that limitation also created new possibilities.

What do you think continues to drive filmmakers and audiences towards horror anthology films?

For audiences, it’s partially that the short form is highly respected in horror, from campfire tales to horror fiction, and the anthology format is something that simulates oral storytelling traditions, in a way. And for filmmakers, there is a lot of creative and practical appeal – less of a time commitment for yourself and your cast/crew, and often complete creative control/final cut. So whether you are an emerging director or a veteran, it can be a real slog trying to get a movie off the ground, and so putting together an anthology segment seems comparatively feasible and viable.

Without spoiling anything for viewers, the film ends with an agreed-upon list of the Top 5 Horror Anthologies – are there 5 lesser-known anthologies you would recommend for viewers looking to dig a little deeper?

Well here’s a few:

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK – I don’t know if this is lesser-known but probably less considered when discussing anthology films because it’s animated. But it is a fantastic film.

PARAPSYCHO: SPEKTRUM DER ANGST was one I watched as the film was being edited and it was too late to get it in, but it’s a really interesting one and has some familiar eurotrash faces.

THE OFFSPRING – I know this is well-loved among 80s-era horror fans but I hardly ever hear anyone talking about it anymore. Deserves to be revisited.

To wrap up, is there anything else in the works you’d like to mention? Any personal projects, or updates for The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies?

In January I’m transitioning to the board of The Miskatonic Institute and after ten years, a new executive director takes over, Dr. Shelagh Rowan-Legg! So I’m excited to see how the school grows and evolves under her leadership. Part of why I’m stepping down is I have a lot of other projects that need my attention right now – my first film is almost finished – WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, a book I edited is at the printer and in final proofing, another book I’m co-editing about the films of Robert Downey, Sr. is getting close to layout, and I have my next book as an author, about Monte Hellman’s COCKFIGHTER that’s also in the final stages of writing. And I’m also finally finishing a short film I started making ten years ago.

Tales of the Uncanny is available to rent now via Fantasia International Film Festival and the Winnipeg Cinematheque’s virtual cinema through December 15. More information can be found here. Kier-La Janisse and director David Gregory will take part in a Facebook Live Q&A on Wednesday, December 9th at 6 pm EST, hosted by Winnipeg Cinematheque Programming DirectorJaimz Asmundson and Olivia Norquay (host of Bikini Drive-In). Tune in here.