Kier-La Janisse

@kierlajanisse

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

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Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 9

The schedule from my 1999 CineMuerte Film Festival, the start of my career. Looking back, what a banger year! And best of all no one knew what most of these films were then. People hated Possession, thought Deep Red was boring, and didn't know what to make of Singapore Sling!

Schedule containing: PROFONDO ROSSO, LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN, BREAKFAST AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE, DARK WATERS, MERMAID IN A MANHOLE, MY SWEET SATAN, ANGST, I BOUGHT A VAMPIRE MOTORCYCLE, KILLER CONDOM, SPIDER LABYRINTH, LE FRISSON DES VAMPIRES, NO TELLING, POSSESSION, SINGSPORE SLING, CUTTING MOMENTS, AFTERMATH, NEKROMANTIK 1 + 2

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 8

WORLD PREMIERE of @peterhengl.bsky.social 's gothic short THE FATED HOUR, commissioned by me for @severinfilms.bsky.social - Thursday July 23 at @fantasiafestival.com in Montreal! Poster by @needledesign.bsky.social - Full details at fantasiafestival.com/en/film/the-...

Image of antique standing clock with a raven atop, flanked by candlabras. The tagline reads "Two Sisters. One Prophecy."

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 7

The GOAT. RIP Louise Lasser, 1939-2026

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 5

Tune in to my radio show PHONOGRAPHY today at 6pm ET/3pm PT for an hour of Cosmic American Music with me blabbing in between at penderradio.ca

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 3

19 days left for @muscledistribution.bsky.social to raise another 30K to support this restoration initiative - theirs is a pretty reasonable ask for 4 long-unavailable films + helps a trans-owned company stay afloat while doing important cultural/archival work - www.kickstarter.com/projects/mus...

Image from PUMPING IRON II: THE WOMEN featuring various women bodybuilders on stage, two of them in the forefront flexing

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jul 2

First news of @severinfilms.bsky.social new 4K restoration of STUDIO Q: World Premiere at @fantasiafestival.com ! www.indiewire.com/news/festiva...

Fantasia’s 30th Edition Will Open with Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Her Private Hell’ — Final Lineup
Exclusive: IndieWire unveils the massive third wave of genre programming coming to Montreal July 16 to August 2.

Fantasia’s 30th anniversary celebration extends even deeper into genre history with a repertory slate that frames retro cinema as a living tradition rather than a museum piece. New restorations of Takashi Miike’s “Gozu,” Paul Morrissey’s “Forty Deuce,” and the long-lost Canadian glam-rock oddity “Metal Messiah” will screen alongside a theatrical return for anime landmark “Redline,” a special presentation of Bruce McDonald’s “Pontypool,” and an ultra-rare revival of “Studio Q,” the 1980 Mexican meta-cinematic treasure often described as a spiritual predecessor to “The Truman Show.”

“Studio Q”
Director: Marcela Fernández Violante

In this meta-cinematic masterpiece from director Marcela Fernández Violante – who, at the time of its production in 1979, was just the third female feature director in the Mexican film industry since 1935 – a telenovela star (Juan Ferrara) finds himself trapped in the soap opera he acts in, with all attempts at connecting with external reality leading him back into the soap opera. An allegory about the impossibility of human agency reflected through the chaotic world of television, this ultra-rare, mind-bending treasure is often lovingly referred to as the cinematic grandmother of “The Truman Show.” World Premiere of Severin Films’ New 4K Restoration.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 27

TOMORROW! Sunday 3-4pm pacific time my radio show PHONOGRAPHY is dedicated to the music of Nikki Sudden & Epic Soundtracks including their collabs w/ Dave Kusworth, Rowland S. Howard + Kevin Junior. Tune in at penderradio.ca

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 20

Tomorrow's radio show is all about FAMILY BANDS! Tune in to Pender Radio at penderradio.ca Sunday from 3-4pm Pacific time for the latest episode of my weekly show PHONOGRAPHY. (and I'm only counting bands with 3 or more family members!)

LP cover for THE COWSILLS LIVE IN CONCERT

DANIELSON FAMILE "Tell Another Joke at the ol' Choppin' Block" illustrated LP cover, Trees spelling out the name "Danielson"

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 15

It's HARRY NILSSON's 85th Birthday! One of his projects that always fascinated me was a proposed film he was going to co-write/co-produce with Terry Southern in the 1980s called OBITS, based on an original script by Roger Watkins - director of the infamous LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET. Here it is!

First page of script showing co-writing credits for Harry Nilsson and Terry Southern and "based on a story by" credit for Roger Watkins, as well as the then-address for Hawkeye Entertainment.

Script page with a ton of handwritten notes, text crossed out etc

Bottom of the last page of the script, showing the copyright to Roger Watkins, crossed out in pencil.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 14

THIS SUNDAY 3-4pm pacific time (and maybe a bit beyond that...) join me in celebrating what would have been the great Harry Nilsson's 85th birthday with a special LIVE-from-the -airstream ALL-NILSSON set on my weekly Pender Radio show PHONOGRAPHY! Tune in at penderradio.ca

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 11

Just Announced! The PERROS CALLEJEROS Trilogy which I curated and art-directed for @severinfilms.bsky.social - starring Ángel Fernández Franco "El Torete" - arguably the quintessential icon of the Quinqui subgenre. You can order it during Severin's mid-year sale at severinfilms.com

Image of real-life juvenile delinquent El Torete surrounded by various characters from the PERROS CALLEJEROS Trilogy, designed by Johny Bekavac

image of the interior digipak for the PERROS CALLEJEROS Trilogy with images of various teen criminals against a bright floral pattern derived from the wallpaper in one of the films.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 10

Just arrived from @feralhouse.bsky.social !! Longtime fan of the Flying Nun bands

Cover of book THE CLEAN: IN THE DREAMLIFE YOU NEED A RUBBER SOUL with multicolored text and a pic of three young men in the early 80s

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 9

This Sunday June 14th I'm doing a special episode of my radio show PHONOGRAPHY dedicated to the great Harry Nilsson - so mark your calendars, put some lime in the coconut and tune in to penderradio.ca from 3-4pm (technically his birthday is the next day but my show is on Sundays, so...)

a half photo/half illustration of a man with shaggy hair and a beard looking down, cigarette in his mouth, wearing a brown pea coat. poster design by Scott Campbell

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 7

Here's curator, producer + DJ Kevin Howes w/ the record my PHONOGRAPHY radio show logo/graphic came from - tune in to penderradio.ca TODAY at 3pm pacific for my interview w/ Kevin abt the compilation albums he has produced: NATIVE NORTH AMERICA, JAMAICA TO TORONTO, THE MOWEST STORY etc

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Jun 6

Tomorrow's episode of my radio show PHONOGRAPHY is a special one as I interview curator, producer and DJ Kevin Howes (aka Sipreano) about the compilation albums he has produced, including the Grammy-nominated NATIVE NORTH AMERICA + more. Tune in to penderradio.ca Sundays from 3pm-4pm pacific time !

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 31

My radio show PHONOGRAPHY continues its mini-series on 'the art of the compilation album' tomorrow from 3-4pm Pacific on @pender.radio - this time with a focus on post-punk, power pop, synth pop and the beginnings of indie pop. Tune in live to penderradio.ca

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 27

Juraj Herz' MORGIANA (1972) screening May 29+30 at the Cleveland Cinematheque - 4K restoration by the Narodni Film Archive and courtesy of North American distributors @severinfilms.bsky.social (I acquired the film for my House of Psychotic Women box set) Tix at cinematheque.cia.edu/movies/morgi...

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 27

This is a thing that brought me joy today - this interview with Maureen Ridley, the star of Jack Weis' swamp cheapie CRYPT OF DARK SECRETS. I felt compelled to share an excerpt with y'all

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 23

New episode of my radio show PHONOGRAPHY Sunday 3-4pm pacific. Focus on compilation albums continues, this time with an emphasis on soft pop, singer-songwriter, sweet folk, bummer folk and some countrified sounds. Listen live at penderradio.ca / Image from BEARDED LADIES comp (2007)

A sepia-toned photo of a girl with a sneaky/defiant expression holding a fox on her lap

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 16

A new homegrown radio station launches today on Pender Island (where I live) and I'll have a weekly music show on Sundays from 3-4pm pacific called PHONOGRAPHY (named after the R. Stevie Moore album) - Tune in to penderradio.ca to stream it live, starting tomorrow at 3pm pacific.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 15

Me and my old pal Dave Bertrand spent the last 4 days nonstop hustling to submit a grant application for a new project after our eligibility was triggered at the last minute... and a lot of people came through for us so that we could make the deadline! Everyone cross your fingers for us!!!

a collage of various motion picture title sequences bearing the words "A Goodtimes Enterprises Production"

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

Get the MONOLITHS bundle featuring A YEAR IN A FIELD with a set of 4 ceramic standing stone coasters, designed by Sight Study Art & Design with pics taken by me! Limited edition and exclusively available at @severinfilms.bsky.social here: severinfilms.com/en-ca/collec...

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

You can get the disc in a limited edition with the book at severinfilms.com - or spring for the SCORCHED EARTH bundle which includes THREADS and my own @spectacularoptical.bsky.social release of Christopher Morris' brilliant A YEAR IN A FIELD with coaster set designed by Sight Study Art & Design!

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

Pictured here also is a new postcard for the set designed by @seenstudio.bsky.social and a reproduction of an original Ray Lowry CND postcard (with the cooperation of the Lowry Estate) and a replica of a real UK government evacuation card (filled in cheekily - anyone get the references?)

a "Dispersal Travel Pass" from the UK Ministry of Housing and Local Government, advising the cardholder to report to Blind Gill Farmstead, Westmorland on June 10th at 11am, signed by issuing authority Raymond Welling. Beneath that a postcard depicting a BBC news anchor in a bombed-out studio declaring "In the light of recent events, the controllers have decided that we can show the controversial War Game film, after all."

orange and blue postcard with layered imagery including a small child covering his face and the text World War Three... This is How it May Begin... This is... THE WAR GAME

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

And I got some amazing new extras thanks to production designer Anne Davey Orr and collaborators Alex Cox, John Cook, @horrornonna.com @stephenbroomer.bsky.social Eric Veillette, @matchboxcine.bsky.social Kim Newman, Sean Hogan, Julie McDowall + more.

image of production designer Anne Davey Orr, a stylish lady with short grey hair, wearing autumnal colours in a bohemian living room

image of Ontario Film Classification Board's original ratings certificate for THE WAR GAME

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

David Levine at Severin did an incredible job replicating the book from scratch, using images from our new 4K scan where possible (many shots in the book are not actually in the film).

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

Thankfully his son Patrick was still open to talking about archival materials, and we were able to license the original 1967 book Peter made to accompany the film, and approval to replicate his brother Paul Watkins' design.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· May 2

This was a HUGE one for me - getting to produce a new release of Peter Watkins' THE WAR GAME for @severinfilms.bsky.social. Seems like Peter passed away only a week or so after I started work on it; devastating as I really wanted to do the kind of release for it that he would feel vindicated by.

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Apr 21

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the iconic TONTO synthesizer from PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE in its current home at Studio Bell in Calgary.

White haired lady with glasses in front of large semi-circlular enclosure-like structure of wood-panelled synthesizer modules

A large semi-circlular enclosure-like structure of wood-panelled synthesizer modules

White haired lady with glasses close up in front of wood-panelled synthesizer modules

Kier-La Janisse@kierlajanisse· Apr 20

I'm visiting Calgary and by a total fluke I pass this marquee for a show by supercouple Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) and John Cowsill (The Cowsills) - so I immediately go online and there's only two tickets left, one of which is right next to the stage! What a dream to stumble upon !