This contribution explores the nexus of backwoods horror and states
of emergency. Against the background of genre-traditions with large scenarios of
catastrophes threatening the whole of a society, or even the planet, backwoods horror
appeared as an innovation in the horror cinema of the 1970ies. Set in rural areas it
meant a shift to structures, semantics and narrative patterns, but became imitative by
numerous contributions to the sub-genre. Enriched with a historical dimension, the
Norwegian movie DEAD SNOW (2009) and Adam Nevills novel The Ritual feature
›small emergencies‹ set in Scandinavian landscapes.

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• Die Ausnahme im Kleinen. Skandinavischer Backwood-Horror am Beispiel von DØD SNØ und Adam Nevills The Ritual