ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS VOL. 2 Interview: Kier-La Janisse Talks New Blu-ray Box Set

Any opportunity to talk to Kier-La Janisse makes me happy. The chance to help celebrate a new project of hers is a cause for celebration.

I hereby nominate for Blu-ray box set of the year All the Haunts Be Ours Vol. 2., a new 24-film box set, containing roughly 55 hours of special features and a 252-page book of new folk horror-inspired short fiction from, among others, Ramsey Campbell and Kim Newman.

This labor of love is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Janisse and the Severin staff have curated an amazing number of true folk horror rarities from around the globe.

There are few hats Janisse hasn't worn. Her work as a curator helped mold the Alamo Drafthouse into a mecca for genre lovers. Her work as a writer greatly influenced the direction of film scholarship towards biographical observation. Her founding of the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, and activities as a founder/editor of Spectacular Optical Press have provided a platform for dozens of other key thinkers and creatives who have broadened the scope of of not only film scholarship but understanding of horror as it relates to key issues such as income inequality, global warming, and gender.

Besides this box set, one of several she's currently working on, Janisse also shares about The Haunted Season, a new series debuting on Shudder this month, which highlights short-form horror tales in the tradition of ghost stories for Christmas.

I also highlight some recent Severin releases she produced this year, including The Red Light Bandit and Don't Change Hands. Both are full of extras. My favorite, however, is the absolutely gonzo The Mad Bomber, which features Chuck Connors late in his career playing, well... a mad bomber.

Directed by Bert I. Gordon, better known for films like Attack of the Puppet People and The Amazing Colossal Man, The Mad Bomber sees him dipping into the crime thriller genre. In its own hilariously seamy fashion, the film is nothing short of entertaining.

Connors is a wild-eyed prude terrorizing the decadent city with his hidden bombs. Neville Brand plays a newly released rapist who can ID him, if the mad bomber doesn't get to him first. Lastly, Vince Edwards, famous for his role on TVs Ben Casey, is a corrupt cop willing to break the law to get his man. The film has wonky energy, and the cast works hard to make sense of the decidedly deranged script. Among the many special features is an audio commentary featuring Janisse with bomb disposal expert Mike Digby.

Janisse has an uncanny knack for being just ahead of the curve when it comes to what will dominate thought and conversation in the horror community. She manages all this while remaining a delightful human. My audio here is a bit muffled (still trying to figure out why that is). But Kier-La sounds clear as a bell. It ends a tad abruptly as our Zoom runs out but enjoy. It's well worth a viewing/listen.

All the Haunts Be Ours Vol. 2 is available from Severin Films.