Kier-La Janisse
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kierlajanisse.bsky.social
Kier-La Janisse
@kierlajanisse.bsky.social
Author, House of Psychotic Women / Cockfight
Writer/Director/Producer, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched / The Haunted Season
Acquisitions/Producer @severinfilms.bsky.social
Owner @spectacularoptical.bsky.social
https://www.kier-lajanisse.com
TONIGHT at The Beacon in Seattle my film plays w/ the rarely-screened SCHALCKEN THE PAINTER (1979) one of several terrific seasonal ghost stories that surrounded the original BBC series A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS and were subsequently adopted into the canon. thebeacon.film/calendar/mov...
December 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I love Ben's choices of favourite ghost stories
Since 'tis the season for all things ghostly, here's Ben Petrie who played The Porter in THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM talking about the ghost stories that have most affected him. The film is playing tomorrow (Dec 23) in Seattle at The Beacon Cinema w/ SCHALCKEN THE PAINTER! vimeo.com/1148734613/7...
BEN PETRIE_GHOST STORIES (720p)
This is "BEN PETRIE_GHOST STORIES (720p)" by Kier-La Janisse on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Happy Solstice everyone!
I took this picture of Boscawen Ros in Southern Cornwall earlier this fall, but on winter solstice five years ago, in 2020, it became the subject of a film by Christopher Morris documenting a yearlong vigil. In 2026 I'll have some exciting news to share about this film. 🖤
December 21, 2025 at 9:38 PM
David Gregory's doc THEATRE OF HORRORS about Paris' notorious Grand Guignol theatre (which I co-produced) in today's @winnipegfreepress.com thanks to @freepking.bsky.social! (Also mentions Don McKellar's live appearance to intro my short playing beforehand) www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-lif...
Chilling thriller fuel for nightmares
www.winnipegfreepress.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM
My world is made infinitely more interesting, weird, surprising and beautiful by the work and unique perspectives of trans and gender non-conforming youth. Let's keep supporting the trans kids and ditch those other clowns who contribute nothing to the culture whatsoever.
December 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
I loved this movie
December 18, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Tickled to have a piece on The Gong Show Movie (a movie I so love) in The Robert Downey Sr Reader edited by @kierlajanisse.bsky.social and @clintenns and it's chockful of so many essays by a wide range of smart folks all about this unique film maverick. Get your copy at spectacularoptical.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
With Christmas drawing near, it's time to share my annual thread of Ghost Stories for Christmas Eve...

👻🎄❄️

Starting, somewhat self-servingly, with my own THE DEAD OF WINTER, which is now available to watch on Amazon Prime as part of this ShortsTV compilation:

watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=a...
December 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I could have probably listed a hundred cinematic influences, but these are the big ones that were top of my mind.
So now that a few of you have had a chance to watch my film THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, here's me blabbing about a few of the films that were influences on it! (and don't worry there are no actual spoilers in this video) vimeo.com/1146798514/f...
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM_Kier-La Janisse_Influences (720p)
This is "THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM_Kier-La Janisse_Influences (720p)" by Kier-La Janisse on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love…
vimeo.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
A big thanks of gratitude to @kierlajanisse.bsky.social for making this happen! 🙏 As a fan of Downey Sr's irreverent style of independent filmmaking for many years, I'm over the moon this underappreciated artist is finally receiving his due.

#FilmSky #BookSky
December 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
The cultural impact of Rob Reiner cannot be understated. Legend isn't big enough a word. It goes to 11. You can't handle the truth. As you wish. I'll have what she's having. I'm your number one fan. You guys wanna see a dead body? The very idea of a bucket list. The West Wing.

All from his movies.
December 15, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Today is the 13th anniversary of Sandy Hook and it is gut wrenching that this country learned absolutely nothing from that horrific tragedy. It is just one tragic piece of news after another today. I am tired. We are all tired. It’s just never ending grief.
December 15, 2025 at 3:48 AM
New xmas tree ornament, bought at the @celluloidscreams.bsky.social market in October!
December 13, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
Just over a week til the inaugural Winter's Wake - a celebration of the seasonal ghost story on Pender Island, BC, Canada - featuring the gulf islands premiere of THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM. Few tickets remain: share.google/BGJvVgsrTHQl...
WINTER’S WAKE – A Celebration of the Seasonal Ghost Story
Spectacular Optical Media is a Canadian small-press publisher of film and pop culture books and independent film producer/distributor.
share.google
December 13, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
This is a classic example of the need to reclaim the means of production.

Academic publishing should be a workers’ cooperative that pays all its contributors and re-invests any ‘profit’.
Commercial academic publishing profit margins typically in excess of 32% ...
#AcademicSky #HigherEd
#journals #libraries #scholarship
"academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it... The dominant four collectively generated... $12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024."
December 11, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
BLOG POST: Another batch of spooky stories, mostly made for TV, that I think capture something of the vibe of the Lawrence Gordon Clark era of BBC ghost stories for Christmas.

precastreinforced.co.uk/2025/12/11/a...
Another collection of vintage ghost stories for Christmas
If you’ve seen all of the BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas, and want more of the same, I’ve got good news for you. Last year I put together a list of films, short films and TV episodes that seemed t…
precastreinforced.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
It might seem ridiculous to have a 300pg book about the Black Emanuelle films in that massive "Sensual World of" boxset, but it ends up that it has some of the most thought provoking essays exploring feminism in exploitation that I've read. Great job editor @kierlajanisse.bsky.social !
December 9, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
With Severin Films’ THE HAUNTED SEASON: THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM now streaming on Shudder, we spoke with director Kier-La Janisse all about festive frights and Christmas ghost stories.
Interview: Kier-La Janisse On Crafting Holiday Horror In THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM
With Severin Films’ THE HAUNTED SEASON: THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM now streaming on Shudder, we spoke with director Kier-La Janisse all about festive frights and Christmas ghost stories.
dlvr.it
December 5, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
New at @dreadcentral.bsky.social, I reviewed @kierlajanisse.bsky.social's excellent narrative film debut, THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, a fantastic Christmas ghost story you can watch on Shudder right now!

www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/5508...
'The Occupant of the Room' Review: A Gorgeous Christmas Ghost Story
Author and documentarian Kier-La Janisse makes her narrative film debut with 'The Occupant of the Room,' now on Shudder.
www.dreadcentral.com
December 4, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
UPDATED SCREENINGS!
More screenings for THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM added: Dec 6th at @triskelartscentre.bsky.social w BLACK CHRISTMAS, Dec 23 at the Beacon in Seattle w A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS, and Dec 30 at Stray Cat Film Center in KCMO w/ Sean Hogan's "To Fire You Come at Last"
December 3, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
So many talented Austin friends make up this picture's amazing cast and crew. If you missed #ManFindsTape on its festival run, you can rent or buy the film via VOD this Friday (and it's available for pre-order on a few platforms already)!
December 3, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by Kier-La Janisse
This Giving Tuesday please send @scarecrowvideo.bsky.social cold hard cash from your bank account. Support physical media, you won't regret it. Thank you for keeping us going. 📼 ❤️ (also send your fav youtube hosts presents) scarecrow.app.neoncrm.com/forms/giving...
2025 Giving Tuesday | Year-End Campaign
Our GivingTuesday goal this year is to raise $11,000 to celebrate our 11th anniversary as a non-profit and 37 total years of connecting people with the art of cinema! Scarecrow’s story of resilience ...
scarecrow.app.neoncrm.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 PM
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!
November 30, 2025 at 8:43 PM
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