Episode One of "FIRST WORD ON HORROR" with Stephen Graham Jones is Slashtastic! (REVIEW)

Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the “Jade Daniels” trilogy, “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” Don’t Fear the Reaper,” and “The Angel of Indian Lake,” is the first episode in “First Word on Horror,” a fifteen-part documentary series from Philip Gelatt, (“The Spine of Night”) and Etch Film profiling five of the most exciting names in horror fiction writing today, Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron, and Mariana Enriquez. It’s a deeply personal, revealing portrait of authors creating some of the most inventive, creative, and chilling stories in dark fiction and horror you’ll find at your local bookshop. Through the authors’ lives, the series takes viewers from a harrowing Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska to the lurking terror of growing up under the Argentinian dictatorship, from the unbridled energy of the early DC punk scene to an ill-fated hunting expedition on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana. You’ll get a look into the lives of your favorite authors, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. 

Across multiple episodes, each author discusses their life, inspirations, philosophies, and writing techniques while reading one of their short stories. As fact and fiction blend, secrets are revealed, and the delicate alchemy that turns human experience into creative expression begins to emerge. 

Stephen reads “Dear Final Girls” in his episode while recounting his childhood in East Texas and his journey toward becoming a Master of the Macabre. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of his highs and lows, the defining moments in his journey, and the obstacles he faced along the way. It’s a rich, emotional, moving experience that’s not without its laughter and tears.

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE:

The episode begins with Stephen telling viewers that searching for scares is hardwired into our brains. We’re not that far off the savannah when the daily terror of being eaten by apex predators was a very real concern. That fear is woven through our DNA, and by actively searching out the scares, we’re reclaiming a piece of that fear, albeit under a controlled environment, by watching and reading horror; we’re chasing that primordial high, generation after generation. 

Stephen’s exposure and experience came at the hands of his Mother’s boyfriend, who pranked him into thinking he’d fallen off a cliff, leaving young Stephen alone and sobbing, paralyzed with the horror that he was now alone, far from home. Rather than turn him away from being terrified, it opened the door. Exposure to Wes Craven’s “Scream” will be an epiphany. Seeing the movie seven nights in a row will recalibrate the folds of his brain, guiding him, in part, toward the slasher fiction sub-genre he would eventually come to revitalize. From there, he would immerse himself in the sub-genre, seeking out the best and worst it had to offer. 

Stephen does an incredible job of showing the viewer why and how he became one of the premiere voices in this generation of horror, but he does so with wit, style, and substance. His stories of the violence that surrounded him as a child are chilling, but you’ll also be equally as moved when he recounts the magic of discovering his Uncle’s treasure trove of paperbacks in his linen closet, opening an entirely new world for him to explore. His stories are funny, at times traumatic, always entertaining, and give the viewer a peek into a process few ever see. You’ll leave with a new appreciation for Stephen, and all the authors represented in the series because they hold nothing back. There’s no sugarcoating to these episodes, and because of that, this documentary has set a new bar. 

  THE TECHNICAL BEAUTY:

This documentary is unlike anything we’ve seen previously. There are some great horror-centric ones out there, such as “Horror Noire,” “History of Horror,” and “Horror’s Greatest.” They’re all solid entries but focus on the cinematic aspect, not the literary. We finally have a documentary that focuses on the written word. Each episode focuses on an author’s unique exposure and experience with the world of horror that inspired them on their journey. These are deeply personal stories and add depth and drama you don’t find in those other offerings. People will not be prepared for exactly how moving these stories can be.  

The true beauty of “First Word on Horror” is how it’s filmed. Philip Gelatt utilizes various visual techniques to support and emphasize the short story the authors are reading as part of their segment. For Stephen’s episode, Gelatt has filmed a slasher movie to go along with “Dear Final Girls,” a cross-section between apology, instructional, and obituary that is as remarkable as it sounds. The short film is as captivating and exciting as anything you see on the Big Screen this weekend, trust us. Future episodes incorporate retro educational instruction films and animation. The creativity is simply astounding. 

WHY YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING:

The rhythm between the author reciting their story, the visuals supporting it, and the personal anecdotes we’re treated to are a completely unique blend that we’ve yet to see in horror documentary filmmaking. It’s a true accomplishment, and we can only hope is one that catches one.

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