Piers Haggard (1939–2023)

I Really Wanted To Like This...

I loves me some horror and I'm an absolute sucker for a audio play, so with this, the cast, and how much fun I had with other schlocky (complimentary) Audible Originals, like Impact Winter, I thought this was practically made for me. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get on with it and DNF'd about 2/3-3/4 of the way through. I think the combination of it not feeling like it had much point or depth, which admittedly isn't always necessary for horror, but when a really gross misogynistic portrayal of 'promiscuous young women', including the calculated abusive use of fake sexual assault allegations, not to mention the casual sexual assault of a young man by one of these girls, became prevalent I needed something else. It's hardly surprising this story comes from a cult, but very mixed received movie from the seventies, and I am surprised more wasn't done to address the glaring issues in the original text. My own personal triggers around bullying and aural, but not emotional discomfort of the way screaming and other sound effects are mixed in this (turned up to 11 out of nowhere), also made the listening rather unpleasant.

I understand that Gatiss sees this story as an seminal work of folk horror, and maybe it is, but stories and attitudes have moved on from 'Something sinister happening in a unassuming place', or at least this concept needs to be elevated by the quality of the piece or whatever additional element added to it, as with things like Twin Peaks, The Witch, Apostle, Men, etc. Also, the misogyny should never have been acceptable and absolutely shouldn't be presented without something more in modern adaptations in my opinion.

The cast is great and, besides some issues with sound effects and varying degrees of appropriate cheesyness, is chock full of folx I normally really enjoy. I'm kinda gutted that this was such a miss for me.… (more)