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Alexandre Aja’s ‘Campfire Creepers’ and Overlook Film Festival’s VR Horror

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One of the things that set the Overlook Film Festival apart from other film fests is its focus on more immersive forms of horror storytelling than just its film offerings. While VR previously played a role in the inaugural year of Overlook, it’s taken a much bigger role as heavy hitters not normally associated with virtual reality came to play. Heavy hitters like Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes), original interactive theater company Delusion, and even actor and musician will.i.am.


Campfire Creepers

If you took the anthology series approach of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and gave it that brutal edge that Aja has trademarked, you have Campfire Creepers. The VR lounge at Overlook offered the first episode, running 12-minutes, which saw the eclectic group of kids from Camp Coyote gathered around the fire, roasting marshmallows and relaying tales of terror. This episode brought the tale of “The Skull of Sam,” and featured Robert Englund as a rather twisted collector of skulls from unwitting travelers through his woods. It’s kid-friendly enough until it’s revealed just how Englund’s character goes about collecting those skulls.

From Englund’s presence to the sort of ‘80s old school vibe, Campfire Creepers is a pretty entertaining anthology on its own. Since Aja sought out to create a more immersive experience, you can bet that he leans heavily into the 3D, 360 experience. The POV perspective of the victims stuck watching their own demise, or even the marshmallows shooting into your vision as the campers roast them in the fire, it’s a fun addition to an already fun concept. It’s the same type of fun humor Aja displayed with 2010’s Pirahna 3D, in camp and gore, making Campfire Creepers feel like a spiritual cousin.

Produced by Oculus and Future Lighthouse, and distributed by Dark Corner, Campfire Creepers is an experience fans don’t have to wait for. “The Skull of Sam” and the second episode, “Midnight March,” are available now through the Dark Corner app for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. There’s currently no determined number of how many episodes there will be, however, or if Aja will return for more.


Masters of the Sun

Also available in the VR lounge were the first few episodes of Oculus Studios’ 13 episode interactive comic book series from the mind of will.i.am. It’s a stylish story about a hip-hop group from East LA that must battle an ancient god who is turning black drug dealers and gangsters into zombies. It’s a fun story that’s not without its kinks; Masters of the Sun’s primary means of progressing the story is by having its player focus on specific items. Sometimes finding those items isn’t as easy as it should be, leaving you to spin around the room until you finally find the item needed to move the story forward. It’s also not a very engaging means of interacting with the comic. Of the four or so episodes demoed, only one sequence that allowed the viewer to aim and shoot at a zombie felt organic.

Lackluster interactivity aside, will.i.am does pace out the short two-minute episodes really well, leaving the view with just enough to seek out the next episode for answers. Even more surprising is just how many stars appear. Queen Latifah plays a major role, but Jamie Foxx, Jamie Foxx, Ice-T, Jason Isaacs, and comic book executive Stan Lee all lend their voices as well.


Delusion: Lies Within

Based off 2014 immersive theatrical performance, the original immersive play Delusion’s Lies Within, in Los Angeles by co-writer/director/creator Jon Braver and co-writer Peter Cameron (writer of upcoming Amazon show Carnival Row), this VR experience made its world debut at the Overlook Film Fest. It also happened to be the longest experience offered, at around 35 minutes. The VR series from Skybound Entertainment is a fully immersive, 360 degrees episodic story, that’s set in 1947 as fans Daniel and Victoria seek out their favorite author Ella Fitzgerald who’s gone missing before the release of her final novel in her dark fantasy series. Their search for her leads them to a creepy old house that holds nightmares straight out of her novels.

The visual design of the house’s inner workings and inhabitants is amazing. From the gruesome alchemists to the fire demon, it’s like being dropped into the middle of an expansive world begging to be discovered. While the VR experience does show its seamlines every once in a while, if you happen to be looking just the right direction, it’s a captivating story that hooks you almost instantly.

The only true downside is that the demo ended on a major cliffhanger, at the tail end of an episode that featured the creepiest room of the house yet; a dining hall of ventriloquist puppets. With this being the brand new unveiling of Lies Within, news of further episodes and wider distribution have yet to be revealed, though that’s promised to come soon.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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