Kier-La Janisse
@kierlajanisse.bsky.social
Author, House of Psychotic Women / Cockfight
Writer/Director/Producer, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
Acquisitions/Producer @severinfilms.bsky.social
Owner @spectacularoptical.bsky.social
https://www.kier-lajanisse.com
Writer/Director/Producer, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
Acquisitions/Producer @severinfilms.bsky.social
Owner @spectacularoptical.bsky.social
https://www.kier-lajanisse.com
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is an excellent ghost story for Christmas and one of the best examples of the genre in recent years by a long way - both traditional and innovative work from @kierlajanisse.bsky.social If you have access to watch it, I highly recommend it!
Very excited that my first narrative film is not only premiering on @shudder.com tomorrow, but that it's also getting so many screenings!! Being a 30-minute film I didn't expect it to get any theatrical play, so the fact that all these venues programmed it to support features is a huge deal to me.🖤
Upcoming screenings for THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, beginning tomorrow with its premiere on @shudder.com as part of annual series THE HAUNTED SEASON (in all their territories!)
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
November 30, 2025 at 8:43 PM
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is an excellent ghost story for Christmas and one of the best examples of the genre in recent years by a long way - both traditional and innovative work from @kierlajanisse.bsky.social If you have access to watch it, I highly recommend it!
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
🚨ONLY 20 TICKETS LEFT!🚨 Tonight at LF3 / @analogdirectory.org: join us for a special @severinfilms.bsky.social double feature of THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM & THEATRE OF HORRORS. Come early for the Severin Pop-up Shop onsite. 🎟️: tinyurl.com/mj69u5ep
December 1, 2025 at 6:21 PM
🚨ONLY 20 TICKETS LEFT!🚨 Tonight at LF3 / @analogdirectory.org: join us for a special @severinfilms.bsky.social double feature of THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM & THEATRE OF HORRORS. Come early for the Severin Pop-up Shop onsite. 🎟️: tinyurl.com/mj69u5ep
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is the sort of film that is haunting in the truest sense, its chill settling deep in the bones."
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is a deliciously chilly little ghost story for Christmas — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor Director Kier-La Janisse leans into the classic ghostly scares of the source material, while also adding her own unique spin.
www.moviejawn.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is the sort of film that is haunting in the truest sense, its chill settling deep in the bones."
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
Look who got a section on the @arrowplayer.bsky.social this month!
I got to pick whatever films I wanted out of their catalogue - I limited it to ten films, and some won't be available in all territories, but you can read the full list of what I chose here: www.arrow-player.com/kier-la-jani...
I got to pick whatever films I wanted out of their catalogue - I limited it to ten films, and some won't be available in all territories, but you can read the full list of what I chose here: www.arrow-player.com/kier-la-jani...
Kier-La Janisse Selects - ARROW
Kier-La Janisse is a film writer, producer, acquisitions executive for Severin Films, creative director of Spectacular Optical Media, founder of the Miskatonic institute of Horror Studies and Adjunct ...
www.arrow-player.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Look who got a section on the @arrowplayer.bsky.social this month!
I got to pick whatever films I wanted out of their catalogue - I limited it to ten films, and some won't be available in all territories, but you can read the full list of what I chose here: www.arrow-player.com/kier-la-jani...
I got to pick whatever films I wanted out of their catalogue - I limited it to ten films, and some won't be available in all territories, but you can read the full list of what I chose here: www.arrow-player.com/kier-la-jani...
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
NEW episode of @stephenbroomer.bsky.social 's video essay series NORTHERN LIGHT is up! This one exploring the tragic tale of George Melford and Lewis Varick Frissell’s The Viking (1931)
spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...
spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...
THE TRAGEDY OF THE VIKING
Spectacular Optical Media is a Canadian small-press publisher of film and pop culture books and independent film producer/distributor.
spectacularoptical.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
NEW episode of @stephenbroomer.bsky.social 's video essay series NORTHERN LIGHT is up! This one exploring the tragic tale of George Melford and Lewis Varick Frissell’s The Viking (1931)
spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...
spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
"an Alpine traveler possessed by a previous hotel guest’s dark despair": @kierlajanisse.bsky.social's 'Ghost story for Christmas' THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM (2025) is on Shudder from today. projectedfigures.com/2025/10/23/t...
The Occupant of the Room (2025) - Projected Figures
Kier-La Janisse's haunting longish short THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM sees an Alpine traveler possessed by a previous hotel guest's dark despair
projectedfigures.com
December 1, 2025 at 7:14 AM
"an Alpine traveler possessed by a previous hotel guest’s dark despair": @kierlajanisse.bsky.social's 'Ghost story for Christmas' THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM (2025) is on Shudder from today. projectedfigures.com/2025/10/23/t...
I buy a lot of books. TOO MANY BOOKS. But if you care to know which non-fiction books stood out to me most this year, I've whittled it down to ten choices, which you can read about on my website here:
December 1, 2025 at 1:30 AM
I buy a lot of books. TOO MANY BOOKS. But if you care to know which non-fiction books stood out to me most this year, I've whittled it down to ten choices, which you can read about on my website here:
Very excited that my first narrative film is not only premiering on @shudder.com tomorrow, but that it's also getting so many screenings!! Being a 30-minute film I didn't expect it to get any theatrical play, so the fact that all these venues programmed it to support features is a huge deal to me.🖤
Upcoming screenings for THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, beginning tomorrow with its premiere on @shudder.com as part of annual series THE HAUNTED SEASON (in all their territories!)
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
Scan through the list to see if it is coming to a theatre near you!
November 30, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Very excited that my first narrative film is not only premiering on @shudder.com tomorrow, but that it's also getting so many screenings!! Being a 30-minute film I didn't expect it to get any theatrical play, so the fact that all these venues programmed it to support features is a huge deal to me.🖤
Udo in my living room circa 2001, holding the blow-up doll from Jorg Buttgereit's SCHRAMM (that's Ant Timpson on his right) Thanks to my friend Dave Pikker for unearthing the pic
November 26, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Udo in my living room circa 2001, holding the blow-up doll from Jorg Buttgereit's SCHRAMM (that's Ant Timpson on his right) Thanks to my friend Dave Pikker for unearthing the pic
THE FUTURE IS CANCELLED! Check out this cool bundle you can get with the @severinfilms.bsky.social blu ray/UHD of THE FINAL PROGRAMME plus @pulpcurry.bsky.social + Iain McIntyre's essential Radical SF lit companion DANGEROUS VISIONS AND NEW WORLDS - Black Friday at severinfilms.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:51 PM
THE FUTURE IS CANCELLED! Check out this cool bundle you can get with the @severinfilms.bsky.social blu ray/UHD of THE FINAL PROGRAMME plus @pulpcurry.bsky.social + Iain McIntyre's essential Radical SF lit companion DANGEROUS VISIONS AND NEW WORLDS - Black Friday at severinfilms.com
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
A while back I was on @severinfilms.bsky.social BluRay of “Viy”, talking about Russian/Soviet horror & scifi. Here’s a @letterboxd.social list of the films I mentioned, plus more. It’s still very incomplete, so I might expand it, but it’s a sort of starter pack to the subject. boxd.it/QjiKI/detail
Russian/Soviet Folk Horror/Sci-Fi
A while back I was an extra to Severin’s Blu-Ray of Viy, talking about Russian and Soviet horror and sci-fi. Some people were nice about it, especially the number of titles I mentioned. So I thought I...
boxd.it
November 25, 2025 at 12:25 AM
A while back I was on @severinfilms.bsky.social BluRay of “Viy”, talking about Russian/Soviet horror & scifi. Here’s a @letterboxd.social list of the films I mentioned, plus more. It’s still very incomplete, so I might expand it, but it’s a sort of starter pack to the subject. boxd.it/QjiKI/detail
Udo took a chance on my rinky-dink festival in Vancouver back in 2000 - he went on TV interviews with me, carried 35mm film prints up stairs, went to get me coffee and even live-dubbed Giancarlo Giannini's voice when BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA showed up without subs. RIP Udo, you were a star 🌟
November 24, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Udo took a chance on my rinky-dink festival in Vancouver back in 2000 - he went on TV interviews with me, carried 35mm film prints up stairs, went to get me coffee and even live-dubbed Giancarlo Giannini's voice when BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA showed up without subs. RIP Udo, you were a star 🌟
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
The Ghost Story for Christmas Eve this year is M R James's "An Episode of Cathedral History".
It'll be livestreamed at 7pm (UK) but available to watch anywhere, anytime after that. Simply register and pay-what-you-can here
christmascathedralghosts.eventbrite.co.uk
art by Paul Lowe
It'll be livestreamed at 7pm (UK) but available to watch anywhere, anytime after that. Simply register and pay-what-you-can here
christmascathedralghosts.eventbrite.co.uk
art by Paul Lowe
November 23, 2025 at 10:49 AM
The Ghost Story for Christmas Eve this year is M R James's "An Episode of Cathedral History".
It'll be livestreamed at 7pm (UK) but available to watch anywhere, anytime after that. Simply register and pay-what-you-can here
christmascathedralghosts.eventbrite.co.uk
art by Paul Lowe
It'll be livestreamed at 7pm (UK) but available to watch anywhere, anytime after that. Simply register and pay-what-you-can here
christmascathedralghosts.eventbrite.co.uk
art by Paul Lowe
One of two @severinfilms.bsky.social Black Friday titles I produced, featuring a new interview with author Michael Moorcock, the original UK hardcover book art by Mal Dean as a limited edition slipcase, and new art by Jacob Rolfe (illustrator and TRAILER PARK BOYS star) for the wrap!
November 23, 2025 at 4:13 PM
One of two @severinfilms.bsky.social Black Friday titles I produced, featuring a new interview with author Michael Moorcock, the original UK hardcover book art by Mal Dean as a limited edition slipcase, and new art by Jacob Rolfe (illustrator and TRAILER PARK BOYS star) for the wrap!
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Guess where we spent the night courtesy of @kierlajanisse.bsky.social ‘s kind wedding gift 🎁 ? clue is it’s a famous mansion from a great old horror movie!!
November 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Guess where we spent the night courtesy of @kierlajanisse.bsky.social ‘s kind wedding gift 🎁 ? clue is it’s a famous mansion from a great old horror movie!!
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
CHICAGO! Here's a chance to see my short film THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM on the big screen, in support of the gorgeous, snowy sequel THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE. What an inspired pairing!
Sunday Dec 7th at 6:45pm at the historic @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social
Sunday Dec 7th at 6:45pm at the historic @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 8:55 PM
CHICAGO! Here's a chance to see my short film THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM on the big screen, in support of the gorgeous, snowy sequel THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE. What an inspired pairing!
Sunday Dec 7th at 6:45pm at the historic @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social
Sunday Dec 7th at 6:45pm at the historic @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Trailer and premiere date revealed for Kier-La Janisse’s Shudder chiller “THE HAUNTED SEASON: THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM” https://ow.ly/3vzw50XvRhn
Trailer and premiere date revealed for Kier-La Janisse’s Shudder chiller “THE HAUNTED SEASON: THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM” - Rue Morgue
Christmas fear comes a little early to the streamer.
ow.ly
November 21, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Trailer and premiere date revealed for Kier-La Janisse’s Shudder chiller “THE HAUNTED SEASON: THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM” https://ow.ly/3vzw50XvRhn
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM at Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival ! Screening Nov 26th at 7pm before the feature film MARAMA. You can also catch our co-star Ben Petrie elsewhere in the festival in DEAD LOVER which is also playing!
Tix at www.skfilmfest.com
Tix at www.skfilmfest.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:24 PM
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM at Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival ! Screening Nov 26th at 7pm before the feature film MARAMA. You can also catch our co-star Ben Petrie elsewhere in the festival in DEAD LOVER which is also playing!
Tix at www.skfilmfest.com
Tix at www.skfilmfest.com
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Catch @kierlajanisse.bsky.social’s THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM along with THEATRE OF HORRORS on 12/1 at LF3 / @amcinematheque.bsky.social. Come early for thr @severinfilms.bsky.social Pop-up shop before the screening. 🎟️: tinyurl.com/mj69u5ep
November 17, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Catch @kierlajanisse.bsky.social’s THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM along with THEATRE OF HORRORS on 12/1 at LF3 / @amcinematheque.bsky.social. Come early for thr @severinfilms.bsky.social Pop-up shop before the screening. 🎟️: tinyurl.com/mj69u5ep
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
THE VANITY PROJECT PODCAST: TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE STORY BEHIND STUDENT CONFIDENTIAL!
November 18, 2025 at 12:33 AM
THE VANITY PROJECT PODCAST: TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE STORY BEHIND STUDENT CONFIDENTIAL!
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Toronto's @bloodinthesnow.ca - a festival exclusively focused on Canadian genre work - has begun! It runs Nov 17-22. See my picks for this year's festival here: spectacularoptical.com/articles/blo...
BLOOD IN THE SNOW 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
Spectacular Optical Media is a Canadian small-press publisher of film and pop culture books and independent film producer/distributor.
spectacularoptical.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Toronto's @bloodinthesnow.ca - a festival exclusively focused on Canadian genre work - has begun! It runs Nov 17-22. See my picks for this year's festival here: spectacularoptical.com/articles/blo...
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
I'm gradually moving articles and interviews over from the old website, and here's a piece I wrote in 2013 about one of my favourite films, Gene Kearney's stark, eerie adaptation of Conrad Aiken's "Silent Snow, Secret Snow." spectacularoptical.com/articles/gen...
GENE KEARNEY’S SILENT SNOW, SECRET SNOW (1964)
Spectacular Optical Media is a Canadian small-press publisher of film and pop culture books and independent film producer/distributor.
spectacularoptical.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I'm gradually moving articles and interviews over from the old website, and here's a piece I wrote in 2013 about one of my favourite films, Gene Kearney's stark, eerie adaptation of Conrad Aiken's "Silent Snow, Secret Snow." spectacularoptical.com/articles/gen...
This morning I got an email that Hark Bohm, the director of NORDSEE IST MORDSEE (NORTH SEA IS DEATH SEA), has just passed away. We announced only days ago that @severinfilms.bsky.social would be releasing a new collectors' edition of the film, and it makes me very sad that he won't get to see it.
November 15, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This morning I got an email that Hark Bohm, the director of NORDSEE IST MORDSEE (NORTH SEA IS DEATH SEA), has just passed away. We announced only days ago that @severinfilms.bsky.social would be releasing a new collectors' edition of the film, and it makes me very sad that he won't get to see it.
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Pleased to announce I've partnered with Kraken Underground to put on the first WINTER'S WAKE - a celebration of the seasonal ghost story - Dec 21 on Pender Island, BC, Canada - tix available now at winterswake.ca
All attendees get a collectible event poster by @seenstudio.bsky.social
All attendees get a collectible event poster by @seenstudio.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Pleased to announce I've partnered with Kraken Underground to put on the first WINTER'S WAKE - a celebration of the seasonal ghost story - Dec 21 on Pender Island, BC, Canada - tix available now at winterswake.ca
All attendees get a collectible event poster by @seenstudio.bsky.social
All attendees get a collectible event poster by @seenstudio.bsky.social
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
NEW on Spectacular Optical: NORTHERN LIGHT - a monthly video essay series on the classics, hits and misfits of Canadian cinema hosted by @blackzerodisc.bsky.social 's Stephen Broomer. First episode "The Invasion Will Be Televised" now online at spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...
November 13, 2025 at 1:34 AM
NEW on Spectacular Optical: NORTHERN LIGHT - a monthly video essay series on the classics, hits and misfits of Canadian cinema hosted by @blackzerodisc.bsky.social 's Stephen Broomer. First episode "The Invasion Will Be Televised" now online at spectacularoptical.com/video-essays...