A few years back, Folk Horror rightfully received plenty of attention as a movie subgenre. The movies that ended up in boxsets, online festivals or even theaters were from around the world. This wasn’t just a Hollywood phenomenon. Any country that filmed its native scares that exist outside major urban centers were part of the programing. One of the top tier films in folk horror was The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) directed by Piers Haggard (Venom). Screenwriter Robert Wynne-Simmons wasn’t done with scares from the olden days. A decade later he wrote and directed The Outcasts which also shocked Irish filmmaking back to life after nearly 50 years dormant.
In a distant part of coastal Ireland sits a small farming community in 1810. A marriage has been arranged between the families of two farmers. The priest (Michael Collins‘ Paul Bennett) is not down with the union for a major reason. Keenan (Fahrenheit 451‘s Cyril Cusack), the local matchmaker does a work around. The bride’s sister Maura (Rawhead Rex‘s Mary Ryan) is seen as having issues which is why she will never marry. Her father is disappointed at that reality. At least he could marry off one daughter to improve his fortune. The wedding is a strange affair when musicians show up at disguised in what looks like haystack costumes. Things get stranger when different fiddle music comes from outside the house. It’s Scarf Michael (Glenroe‘s Mick Lally). He’s a fiddler with a slightly sketchy background. Things get wild when Maura and other girls go into the woods with the other guys from the wedding for more fun away from the adults. It is here that Maura encounters Scarf Michael and strange magic takes place. Bad things hit the community after the wedding. The local men view the wedding as part of what’s caused a nightmare to afflict the crops. While you’d expect they’d go after the bride and groom, the blame gets pinned on Maura for rumors of what she did with Scarf Michael. The locals decide there’s only one extreme way to “fix” things.
The Outcasts is a choice bit of Irish frights. This is the ghost story you’d hear on a late night in a pub in order to keep you out of the woods. It’s a subtle film when it comes to the scares. You’ll be chilled, but not jumping out of your seat. The heart of the movie is the relationship between Maura and Scarf Michael. Mary Ryan is so good as Maura who gets tempted hard by the mysterious fiddler.
If you’ve been enjoying the Folk Horror films that have been restored over the last few years, you’ll definitely want to add The Outcasts to your collection. It makes a great double feature with The Blood on Satan’s Claw. The movie mixes the Catholic Church with older religious rites from the Emerald Isle. I would also recommend The Outcasts to people who enjoy Irish movies. You’ll get a scenic view of the coastline even if the land is cursed.
The Video is 1.66:1 anamorphic. The movie was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm. The restored transfer was taken off the 35mm version. Because of this, the movie has its grainy moments. But that adds to the folk nature of the film. The Audio is LPCM 1.0 Mono. The soundtrack will let you hear the Irish accents and the traditional folk music cleanly. The movie is subtitled in English.
Interview with Director Robert Wynne-Simmons (83:11) is conducted by Dennis Bartok (of Deaf Crocodile). He explains how he ended up living in Germany for the last 30 years. There is talk of his early days of making films in 8mm (a few of them are included on this disc). We learn how Peter O’Toole ended up in one short. There is plenty of Folk Horror chat.
Interview with composer Steve Cooney (48:14) has him talk about how film composing has changed with ProTools. He talks about making music in the analog film years before he had a VCR. “You only have one shot at it,” Cooney says.
Visual Essay by Rod Stoneman (28:40) allows him to talk about the Irish Film Board since he was part of it during the ’90s. He explains how Irish Television was involved in the production. He also gives background on the production including how they got snow in the film. He explains part of Irish folklore one of which finally explains a P.J. Harvey song to me.
The Judgement of Albion – Prophesies of William Blake (26:20) is a short film about the poet from 1968. His words are read with images the poet created along with scenes around London.
Early 8mm Films by Robert Wynne-Simmons include:
The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All time (1:27) features Michael Redgrave, Charlton Heston, Peter O’Toole and other actors promoting smoking. It’s comic weirdness about passing the pack.
Bomb Disposal (4:29) is a comedy about a ticking item in a box and people trying to get rid of it. Sammy Davis Jr. shows up in the craziness.
L’Eredita di Diavolo (14:24) has a ghost story set in a mansion once owned by Mary Shelley.
The Scrolls (25:19) is an experimental film that opens with a wheat harvest.
Deaf Crocodile presents The Outcast. Directed by Robert Wynne-Simmons. Screenplay by Robert Wynne-Simmons. Starring Mary Ryan, Mick Lally, Don Foley, Tom Jordan, Cyril Cusack, Brenda Scallon, Bairbre Ní Chaoimh, Máirtín Jaimsie, Brendan Ellis, Gillian Hackett, Hilary Reynolds, Donal O’Kelly, James Shanahan & Paul Bennett. Running Time: 106 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: March 11, 2025.
