Forgotten Scares: An In-depth Look at Flemish Horror Cinema

Hey! Whaddaya know I am in this movie! And what a great piece of cinema it is! A wild ride through a world where artists, outsiders, opportunists, perverts, underground dwellers and geeks meet each other, fight against the movie establishment, make movies together then accuse and clash with each other. Of course it's full of wild stories, funny anecdotes and sleazy moments but what struck me the most was how these guys can sometimes fail and miss but with an always respectable courage will get up again beginning a new movie. This in-depth history of the Flemish, Belgian horror movies(from B to Z and sometimes an A) is punctuated by commentary from the devilish imp Jan Verheyen, maker of long forgotten sanitized romantic comedys, symbol of that movie establishment concerned only about numbers, be it in money or viewers, in sharp contrast with the interviews of the horror directors, guys you can only sympathize with seeing how they are driven by their love for movies. And in the end no matter what, their efforts paid and so many movies are out there : movies like Daughters of Darkness, The Afterman, Rabid Grannies and even my Maniac Nurses!

When Steve De Roover saw an injustice in the Belgian media reporting that a film made in 2015 was the first Belgian Horror Film, he knew he had to set the record straight. Recalling classics from renowned directors from his childhood, he set out to bring to light the masterpieces that were clearly being overlooked and forgotten. A fascinating look into the trials and tribulations of Belgian Horror Film-making, as well as the amazing victories. Steve takes you on a journey and inspires you to recall some of the films you may have forgotten yourself. His passion for horror and history is evident from the first scene until the last.

For starters, two little things about myself: a) I've been a massive horror fanatic ever since I was put in front of a TV, and b) I am a proud and patriotic Belgian. A documentary like Steve De Roover's "Forgotten Scares" is the best gift people like me could ever wish for, because words almost fail to describe how frustrating it can be to support the horror industry in this country! I intensively tracked down hundreds of extremely obscure and long-forgotten horror/cult movies from all around the world but, absurd as it may sound, the ones that were produced in my very own country often were the most difficult ones to find! I literally had to move heaven and earth to come across half-decent copies of "The Pencil Murders", "The Antwerp Killer", "The Afterman" or "Lucker" (these last two were before the special 30th Anniversary DVD-edition releases). I was ecstatic when I first heard about "Welp" (or "Cub") but even more furious about how this 2014 film got labelled in the national press as the very first Flemish horror movie ever. This simply isn't true and far too few Belgians know it! Luckily, I wasn't the only one to get upset about this, and Steve De Roover even cleverly used it as a starting point for his respectable, informative and hugely absorbing documentary.

For his "Forgotten Scares", Steve De Roover talked to every significant contributor of Flemish horror, and it's downright praiseworthy to see how he neither discriminates nor hints towards favoritism. Widely acclaimed pioneers like Harry Kümel (director of "Daughters of Darkness") and Pierre Drouot (President of the Flemish Film Association) receive just as much screen time and acknowledgement as underground and notoriously amateurish (but incredibly passionate) directors like Léon-Paul De Bruyn ("Maniac Nurses") or Rob Van Eyck ("De Aardwolf"). Connecting all the dots is Jan Verheyen; inarguably Belgium's most (and only) prominent genre expert with a bit of influence and standing in the business. Say what you want about him, but I will always have tremendous respect and sympathy for Jan Verheyen. After all, he remains the guy who hosted "Film Night Special" on TV (where I watched dozens of obscure horrors for the first time) and organized exuberant events like "Nacht van de Wansmaak" ("Night of Distaste"). Sure, he now exclusively directs commercially polished rubbish, but here in "Forgotten Scares" Verheyen also clarifies how he painfully endured that horror just isn't viable in this country. I, for one, firmly believe that a film like "Alias" lies much closer to his heart than another imbecilic "F.C. De Kampioenen" sequel, but unfortunately only the latter attracts viewers. Another admirable quality of this documentary is how De Roover remains neutral himself, and how he also never gives the opportunity to his interviewees to sneer at their colleagues. Everybody in this ridiculously small country knows that the low-budget directors despise the system of government funding, or that every attempt at making a controversial independent film becomes boycotted, but there isn't any room for insults or blames in "Forgotten Scares". Respect!

I'm so happy that Steve De Roover took on this challenging project! His love and devotion for the genre and its people simply radiates from the screen. Purely talking in terms of craftmanship, there naturally is still some room for improvement. But hey, he's still young and it was his first feature. If I take fantastic documentaries like "Not Quite Hollywood" or "Eurocrime!" as role models, for example, "Forgotten Scares" could have been slightly more vivid and flamboyant, perhaps. The structure mustn't necessarily be chronological, for instance, and why not give the word to some of those crazy special effects guys?

From Daughters of Darkness (1970) to Cub (2015),this well-crafted documentary delivers a very insightful chronological history of something that few people will believe actually exists; Flemish Horror Movies.Upset by the Belgian press calling Cub (or Welp,it's original title) the very first Flemish Horror Film,director Steve De Roover went to bat.His mission:pay tribute to the forgotten pioneers. Surprisingly enough there's a respectful number of films discussed here.Be it the classy DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (Harry Kumel),the post-apocalyptic THE AFTERMAN (Rob Van Eyck),the necrophiliac LUCKER (James Desert) or the insane RABID GRANNIES(Emmanuel Kervyn).All movies discussed here get the screen time they deserve.Richely documented and fondly (or not) remembered by financiers,directors,actors and various contributors.Jan Verheyen, one of Belgium's most prolific directors and a real horror buff in his own right, is the glue that holds it all together.For this reviewer the emotional highlight of FORGOTTEN SCARES is the story behind THE ANTWERP KILLER (Luc Veldeman).An amateurish effort of a young dreamer that ends with the director's father tracking down all the existing copies of the film in order to destroy them. It's just a little example of a moment in time that will now not longer be forgotten,thanks to the makers of this very welcome documentary. Filmfestival programmers around the globe, take note. This is a must-see for everyone who has a heart for uncompromising,raw and pure filmmaking Flemish style

You can feel this documentary is well-crafted with the utmost love for the horror genre. As a horror fan myself I could really appreciate the in-depth look that Steve de Roover has provided! The fact that this is Steve 's first documentary is something you tend to forget when watching it! A professional piece of work! The horror genre is somewhat less appreciated but so underestimated! This documentary pays a real tribute when taking you back in time to re-discover what amazing, sometimes over the top gore and crazy horror films, our Flemish filmmakers have created. Some works have truly been forgotten and I thank Steve for reminding me to watch them again.

What I like the most about Forgotten Scares is how Steve got the honest and uncut reactions/opinions from his interviewees. It's easy to manipulate the answers to get a desired outcome in the edit, but honest reactions are real and must be heard. This is what makes a good documentary! Big thumbs up to Steve de Roover and his Forgotten Scares!