They Came from Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema

by Caelum Vatnsdal

No horror film is truly mainstream, David Cronenberg has said, and it is for this reason that even the lowliest of them may be worth consideration. In this tenth anniversary revised and updated edition of They Came From Within , Caelum Vatnsdal adjusts the focus in Canadian horror films, and unwinds the history of this neglected genre to learn "why we fear what we fear and how it came to be that way." From the early Canadian infiltration of Hollywood in the thirties, to the flowering of Canuck horror films in the sixties and seventies, to the surreal products of the "tax-shelter" eighties and beyond, Vatnsdal shows how the Canadian horror film industry has, unwittingly or not, created a complex social, economic, and political portrait of a nation. Engagingly written, extensively researched, and lavishly illustrated with rare stills and poster art, They Came From Within is an invaluable addition of Canadian film criticism.

356 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jessrawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the horror cinema book I have been searching for. It's so perfect. Even when he is talking about films which aren't particularly amazing, he manages to point out what is appealing about them, or at least why they were made or their overall importance. There is no slagging on anyone in these pages, which is a very refreshing change. He obviously has his favourites (who doesn't?), but he is also very quick to admit when even he sees no (real) reason why he enjoys certain films, or to provide precisely the (emotional) reason why he connects with a film.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were definitly some sections that dragged a bit, lots of names and dates and not so much engaging facts but overall the book was very interesting. I like that it includes information about the creation and reception of many of the films included, and that it goes over any movie that is noteworthy for any reason, not just the successful ones.
I've definitely found lots to add to my watch list, unfortunetly some aren't so easy to find.
I know the original edition came out in 2004 and this updated version in 2014, I do wish that a third edition would have been released this past year with facts about some of the movies in the last decade, but at the same time the old movies tend to have more behind the scenes trivia than recent movies made in the age of social media and increased access to filming equipment so it really wouldnt be the main draw anyway.
I'd recommend this to all fans of horror who enjoy learning more about the genre. As a Canadian it's really great to read about horror and film history local to my own country, and I think for non-Canadians it would be good to learn that not every North American film came out of the USA.
4.5/5 stars

[Kyle Burley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative. I'll be seeking out a lot of titles from this book.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most certainly the definitive book on this subject, and a very entertaining read. It's a very funny book.

[Toxic Graveyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I scoured through rows and rows of horror movies at video stores and grabbed everything I could watch. Before then, I watched everything on TV, often sneaking viewings with the volume turned way down so my folks wouldn’t know (sorry mom). Little did I know that a chunk of the films I watched came from the great white north, Canada. Still other American movies and shows (most notably the X-Files), were also filmed in Canada on the cheap.

In They Came From Within author Caelum Vatnsdal and written the definitive history of Canadian horror flicks. Every page of this book has been exhaustively researched and cross referenced in what had to have been a herculean feat of researching fervor. I cannot believe the amount of information dispensed in this unassuming book. I mean the damn thing isn’t even that thick, it’s just that the author doesn’t waste time nor space. You can learn a bundle just by skimming a few pages. It really is mind boggling to me. If that sounds like the book would be deathly boring you are very wrong. The book is written in a fun voice that keeps the eye glazing at a minimum. The book had me smiling ear to ear while reading it. It felt like I was hanging out with a very well spoken friendly guy telling the story of Canadian horror. The book could easily have been a collection of information, organized in order and laid down for posterity for future PhD students. It isn’t. It is an entertaining, thorough, and lighthearted history of Canadian Horror that I know I will go back and dig into each time I watch a horror flick from there.

This revised edition updates the book all the way to the very end of 2014 so above everything that I have listed above, it’s also a current history of the genre which is even more impressive. Often books like this never get a chance to be re-published and I’m so glad that this one was.

If your only exposure to Canadian horror are the early Cronenberg films and maybe My Bloody Valentine, do yourself a favor and educate yourself with this fantastic book.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review tk.