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Depending on my schedule, I’m available for writing commissions, editing/project managing print publications, video editing, documentary production, research and more.

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About Me

KIER-LA JANISSE is an author, critic, film programmer, podcaster, publisher and producer with an emphasis on genre cinema.

Video Watchdog’s Tim Lucas referred to her book House of Psychotic Women as one of the 10 “most vital” horror film books of all time, and Ian MacAllister-McDonald of the LA Review of Books called it “the next step in genre theory, as well as the most frightening and heart-rending memoir I’ve read in years.”

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"Might be nice to have a future, even a petty litt

"Might be nice to have a future, even a petty little one."
Monte Hellman's BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959)

Revisiting all of Monte's films as I enter a new phase of writing on my COCKFIGHTER book.

Excited about today’s arrival!! #velvetmafia

Excited about today’s arrival!!
#velvetmafia

Instagram post 17965913905401483

Instagram post 17965913905401483

Thanks to my old boss @biggles169 for sending me t

Thanks to my old boss @biggles169 for sending me this care package full of old @wfgcinematheque memorabilia from my time there - including a Winnipeg Free Press article I’d forgotten about where they put me on the cover of the arts section talking about my Luciano Rossi book! In typical Dave fashion he also threw in an expired John and Yoko calendar, a Hit Parader with an article on Nilsson, and other WFG alumni paraphernalia including an old DVD screener of @rankinoscope ‘s brilliant short film NEGATIVIPEG (which came in handy as I shared it with a friend instantly haha) Thanks Dave!!
#winnipegfilmgroup #davebarber #matthewrankin #negativipeg #houseofpsychoticwomen #bubblegummusicisthenakedtruth #lucianorossi #nilsson #popskull

The morning paper reminded me that it’s the anni

The morning paper reminded me that it’s the anniversary of the opening of Expo 67, still considered by many to be the greatest Worlds Fair in history, and a point of fascination for many Canadians - both those lucky enough to attend, and those born too late. In addition to its dynamic range of mid-century national pavilions, the event was known for hosting more screens than any other event outside the fancies of a science fiction novel - large screens, curved screens, modular screens, and among these was an installation by Charles Gagnon that I commissioned an homage to in 2013. It was presented collaboratively by Pop Montréal (I was then curator of its film section, Film POP) and Suoni per il Popolo (who actually secured the funding to build it). It was called Audio High Rise and each side of the structure had a screen and maybe two dozen mirrored lightbox compartments. A different filmmaker - in this case Matthew Rankin, Walter Forsberg, Dominic Gagnon and Francois Miron - created the visuals for each side, and then Jeremy Schmidt who did the celebrated analog synth score for BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW created a soundscape that played over the whole thing. Of course like the pavilions of Expo, it was not built to last and I think it started falling apart event before the exhibition was through (what can I say, it was my first time getting a structure built to my specs and I didn’t know what I was doing).
I remember a few years later Charles Gagnon’s daughter Monika Kin Gagnon - who co-edited the excellent book Reimagining Cinema: Film at Expo 67 - contacted me to ask me about this installation and I remember she seemed a bit disappointed that I didn’t have a stronger curatorial statement for doing it than “I thought it looked cool” haha. I remember writing some bullshit for the grant (I’m sure I summoned the phrase “Future Shock” which I managed to bring into everything then) but I don’t know, sometimes you just want to do something because it looks cool.
(The photo with the people in it is by Richmond Lam)
#expo67 #charlesgagnon #matthewrankin #francoismiron #walterforsberg #dominicgagnon #jeremyschmidt #beyondtheblackrainbow

THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (Peter Godfrey, 1947) Tim Lu

THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (Peter Godfrey, 1947) Tim Lucas posted about this yesterday and described it as a Lewton-esque horror-noir so I had to watch it immediately. Very fun story of a painter whose successive muses are memorialised in horrific portraits when their inspiration dries up. Bogart’s tortured artist is not super believable (and is in fact comical at times) and it crosses over into Paranoid Woman territory though the perspective is not from Stanwyck’s perspective enough to entirely be so, in my opinion. Ann Carter the kid from CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE is one of the best parts of the movie as Bogie’s 8-going-on-80 precocious daughter who seems to know where all the bones are buried and keeps her cool all the same. Don’t swipe to the last pic unless you want a spoiler.
#humphreybogart #barbarastanwyck #anncarter #thetwomrscarrolls #filmnoir #noir #horrornoir #paranoidwomanfilm

Just arrived from @sxsw HQ: an actual Audience Awa

Just arrived from @sxsw HQ: an actual Audience Award plaque for @woodlandsdarkanddaysbewitched ! Still so surreal. Thank you again to everyone who voted for our film.
#woodlandsdarkanddaysbewitched #severinfilms #sxsw #folkhorror #sxswmidnighters

I really hoped I’d finish this book in time for

I really hoped I’d finish this book in time for Monte to hold it in his hands. I feel like I blew it. But I’ll finish the damn thing, one way or another. RIP Monte. 💔
#montehellman #cockfighter

I got to talk about Denys Arcand's complex rape-re

I got to talk about Denys Arcand's complex rape-revenge film GINA and the notorious ILSA, SHE-WOLF OF THE SS, thanks to an invitation from @aliciamariefletcher and Becky Shrimpton’s @hollywoodsuite-produced podcast A YEAR IN FILM (the year in this case being 1975). For a couple of not-very-fun films, this was a very fun podcast to do. #gina #denysarcand #raperevenge #celinelomez #ilsashewolfofthess #dyannethorne #canuxploitation

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Copyright 2020 - Kier-La Janisse. All Rights Reserved.

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