Remote Rural Horrors

[iluvdvds@Cult Labs]

Pupi Avati's The House With Laughing Windows is an interesting breed of giallo. At the time of its initial release, the giallo 'genre' (movement, cycle - whichever you prefer) was getting more and more outlandish. Gorier deaths and more flashes of boobies. Avati took a much more reserved and classy approach despite this (the same can be said for his zombie flick, Zeder).

But one of the most interesting differences is the film's setting. You could even say that a convention of the giallo film was it's location of a busy, lively, swinging location. From the hussle-bussle of New York City to the high-class super stylish fashion/model agencies that the majority of gialli is set in.



(If you haven't, I'd highly recommend reading this brilliant book about these films - La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film: Amazon.co.uk: Mikel J. Koven: Books)

But The House With Laughing Windows does something completely different that only a few giallo's did, including Fulci's Don't Torture A Duckling (also out from Shameless), which was to set it in a rural location. A tiny, creepy backwards community. Nobody can be trusted!

So, what are your favourite Remote Rural Horror/Thriller films? From Hammer to The Wickerman or even going right back to HGL's 2,000 Maniacs! What are your favourites?

And what are the best rural giallo films? Share your knowledge and wisdom here!

[mr 420]

A big favourite of mine is the under-rated Canadian horror, Rituals. Why this isn't better known is a mystery to me. Another is Who Could Kill A Child?

[Rik]

Most people will say The Wicker Man, a true classic but I always go back to Blood From Satan's Claw more often than TWM, not necessarily a better film, it's just always the one out of the two I watch more often.
The Nic Cage remake is also one of the best films to come out in the last few years too




























Like **** it is ha ha

[Sobral]

Night of the Seagulls; Wake Wood.

[Slippery Jack]

Calvaire's pretty good, though I was never keen on the creepy rural community doing their CRAZY PIANO DANCE felt a bit forced to me, and the third act after that is a bit of a letdown.

I really enjoyed Storm Warning, great backwoods horror.

It's all basically slick city filmmaker folk and their xenophobic fear of the countryside and rural life . . .

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Of course The Wicker Man as Rik rightly said IS the king of the rural community.
So much so you can almost smell the sea on Howie's arrival.

Yes the remake,which unfortunately only has the realistic smell of DUNG!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Who Can Kill a Child - A community so remote it has its own island.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The underrated Spanish thriller The Backwoods starring Gary Oldman.

[Rik]

Not a horror, but I think Hot Fuzz deserves a mention here, after all it does star Edward Woodward or Ewar Woowar if you remove the D's

Remember folks, it's all for the Greater Good!

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

The original (Of course) STRAW DOGS.