The House of Walker

Although Walker’s films have never had as much buzz around them as his contemporary rivals such as The Hammer Films or Wes Craven movies, his unique macabre style has earned him cult status among many horror fans. Specialising in horror and sexploitation films (often combining the two), Walker’s subjects are relentlessly disturbing – his stories focusing on sadistic authority figures (judges, priests) keen to punish young women.
The season kicks off with The Comeback, the story of a young singer who, having holed up in an obscure country estate to write music, begins to be haunted by the ghost of his wife. When her killer turns up at the very same house, horror ensues. Drawing heavily on the Italian Giallo movement, The Comeback represents Walker’s ultimate classic thriller. House Of Mortal Sin follows, a film which received much criticism for its supposed attack on the catholic church. However, both critics and Walker alike assert no such political motivation exists, it is merely the director’s distinctly amoral approach, which according to the New York Times ‘elicits a strong urge to take a hot bath after viewing’. Walker’s comic prowess is also displayed in Cool It Carol (shown on the 15^th), a black comedy and cautionary tale inspired by a real sex scandal Walker read in the News of the World.
These three and many more fill the schedule for November’s ‘The House of Walker’. Walker fans will also be thrilled to know that introductory talks are to be staged by such Walker aficionados as David McGillvray (Walker’s longtime script collaborator) and Jonathan Rigby (author of Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema). Walker himself will be staging the introduction to his House of Whipcord on the 22^nd, though don’t expect too much revelation. In his latest interview he was reported as saying, ‘recently I had to record commentary for the DVD release, so I saw the films for the first time. They’re not as bad as I thought. But searching for hidden meaning… All I wanted to do was cause a bit of mischief’.