The Horror, The Horror, Eh?

They Came From Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema, by Caelum Vatnsdal, is a book for anyone who has spent hours — perhaps even the better part of their youth — watching slasher and low budget horror. Anyone who obsesses over movie trivia or has spent any time wondering what Sammy Snyders (star of The Pit) is doing today. Anyone who has wondered what the hell that cat movie with Peter Cushing was called. Anyone interested in the history of Canadian cinema, its early impresarios, triumphs and failures, and how the industry built itself up despite many a roadblock. Anyone who thinks there must be more to Canadian horror than the films of David Cronenberg. Anyone who believes that Canadian films, music, small publishing houses and writers should be supported. Anyone who wants to be entertained, slightly shocked, amused and occasionally flummoxed by an all-out smart, well written, perhaps too-good-to-be-true book about a topic too long ignored. They Came From Within isn’t reverential. Mr. Vatnsdal acknowledges the many shortcomings and pitfalls of these films, but doesn’t condemn. Their imperfections make them more interesting, the stories more amusing, the films a little more frightening. Who says Canadian history has to be boring?