The Winter of Folk Horror, Part 5: Rural Northern American Horrors (Crowhaven Farm, The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, Deadly Blessing, Eyes of Fire, Children of the Corn & Clearcut)

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It's time for what is basically a return home for us. Witchcraft, religious cults, indigenous spirits, a cornfield deity. Pretty sure that your hosts probably had run-ins with all of those at some point in our youth, growing up in rural areas. We may as well start in New England, where a woman inherits some property, after the original heir dies in a fiery explosion. This area may have a little problem with witchcraft, but is that any reason to give up Crowhaven Farm (1970)? New England is a hotbed, let me tell you. Be careful when you buy that house, well below market value, in that quaint little village. The more secrets you unravel, the more intertwined your family may become, in The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978). Some families take marrying outside of their religion, or even thinking about it, very seriously. It might be a good idea to consider these things, or you could be tormented with spiders, snakes, and chickens! Don't fall victim to a Deadly Blessing (1981)! A goddess of the forest versus the devil witch of the valley? Mind-altering chemicals may be beneficial when you sit down, relax, and stare into the Eyes of Fire (1983)! Look, I know that kids can be somewhat impressionable, at times. But when some creepy new kid comes to town, telling all of the other kids that they have to slaughter the adults to appease a god in the cornfield, you may want to seek a second opinion. That's just life in Nebraska. At least it is in Children of the Corn (1984). Aggressive activist or mischievous spirit? Regardless, Graham Greene seems to have a great time taking things to the extreme, in Clearcut (1991).