Editorials
10 Great Horror Films That Should Have Gotten Sequels
When a movie performs really well at the box office, talk of a sequel almost always follows suit. And as long as fans keep showing up, those sequels become franchises. In horror, nothing really ever stays dead either. Franchises that ended decades ago can be reinvigorated once more (hello, Halloween 2018).
But not all great horror movies find instant success at the box office on opening weekend. Some get minimal marketing, some slip through the cracks in an overcrowded release weekend, and some head straight to home release, never even making it to theaters at all. Then there’s the wholly separate issue of corralling the cast and crew back together for a second round. All of which to say that the road to sequel-ville is often long and complicated.
There are so many great movies that left fans clamoring for more, and these 10 fantastic horror films in particular are ripe for continuation.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
We have no one to blame for the lack of sequel but ourselves. A hysterical deconstruction of the slasher formula set around an aspiring slasher icon, Leslie Vernon, Behind the Mask quickly found its way into the hearts of horror fans on DVD after an extremely limited theatrical run. Leslie’s dynamic relationship with his chosen final girl, Taylor Gentry, and that final shot post-credits left us clamoring for more. When Anchor Bay didn’t want to finance a sequel, director/producer Scott Glosserman turned to Kickstarter in 2012, and it didn’t meet its goal. In 2017, they tried again via Indiegogo with a prequel/sequel/remake comic book series in time for the film’s 10th anniversary. For many of us, we still want that prequel/sequel/remake in cinematic form, but it’s not for a lack of trying on the crew’s part.
The Burning
Released in the middle of the slasher craze, The Burning also faced steep slasher competition in its theatrical run from Happy Birthday to Me, Friday the 13th Part 2, Graduation Day, Final Exam and even a re-release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Cropsy might have finally found his audience decades later, but in the summer of 1981, he didn’t stand a chance. Which is a shame, of course, because between the grisly deaths, gory makeup effects by Tom Savini, and the memorable villain in the disfigured Cropsy, The Burning had a lot of potential for sequels.
Bubba Ho-Tep
Don Coscarelli’s horror comedy saw Bruce Campbell as an aged Elvis Presley living in a retirement home and teaming up with “JFK” to battle an ancient mummy. At the end of the credits, Coscarelli snuck in a tease for a sequel meant to be a joke: “Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires.” But the joke was on him; fans really wanted Bubba Nosferatu. Getting it going, though, hasn’t been easy. Campbell long ago stated his days of playing Elvis are over, and getting funding for the project has proven tricky in the lengthy period of time that’s passed since the film was released. Even still, Coscarelli has long proven his fortitude and ingenuity in getting films made so long as fans want them, so we can’t rule out a sequel entirely.
Dead Silence
Dolls are freaking creepy. Especially in the hands of director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell. Dead Silence wasn’t exactly a box office hit, though. It was more like the beginning of the duo’s transition from Saw to supernatural chills; they moved on to the Insidious franchise after. Both Wan and Whannell have become extremely busy with their own respective horror films, franchises, and projects in the decade since. Meaning that the likelihood of returning to a smaller project that didn’t make much of a splash is probably zilch. Again, though, dolls are freaking creepy. So was the mythology behind Dead Silence. Mary Shaw is a formidable boogeyman on her own, but we only saw a fraction of her 101 beloved ventriloquist dummies. Talk about unexplored potential.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Of all the towns these killer space aliens could’ve invaded, they chose the small town of Crescent Cove. Meaning, there are lots of other small towns waiting to be visited by this circus act from hell. That everything was handled practically by the Chiodo brothers means this film has held up remarkably well, and it’s just plain fun. Considering it’s been featured in Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights two years in a row, in scare zones and now a haunted maze, well, it seems like now is the ideal time to revisit those sequel talks.
Splinter
This unique 2008 creature feature ended with a hook that screamed “give me a sequel!” When a young couple gets car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend, they’re forced to team up when a strange parasite traps them in a gas station. A parasite that spreads and turns its hosts into deadly beings. Brutal, suspenseful, and with an extremely cool creature concept, Splinter cut to infected corpses lying dormant before the credits rolled. A limited theatrical release meant that this didn’t set the box office on fire, and it remains an under-seen gem. So, it’s no surprise it hasn’t received a sequel, but boy does it deserve one.
Deep Rising
Now a heralded cult classic, Deep Rising was a flop upon initial release. Which means all hopes of finding out what was crashing through the forest toward the film’s survivors was abruptly cut short. Bummer. The massive sea creature that hijacked a cruise liner and ate its human passengers in the grisliest fashion made for an entertaining romp. It’s the precise type of aquatic horror we don’t get a whole lot of, either. While we’ll likely never find out what was on the remote primordial island at the end of the movie, I’ll still hold out a glimmer of hope that a resurgence of new aquatic horror will bring about something close enough to fill that void.
Trick ‘r Treat
This direct to DVD release is the epitome of Halloween spirit, and one innovative horror anthology to boot. Which is to say, it was an instant hit with horror fans and now requisite holiday viewing material. Little Sam, of course, became the new Halloween mascot (have you been to Spirit Halloween stores yet?). Understandably, we want more. So much so that I’m sure writer/director Mike Dougherty is tired of getting asked about it, though he has teased that he’s hoping to make the sequel his next project post-Godzilla. Translation: keep demanding a sequel, and we just might get it. More Sam and more Halloween fun are always welcome.
Grindhouse
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez attempted to recapture that drive-in double feature nostalgia with their own double feature, 2007’s Grindhouse, complete with made up trailers that played in between. Internationally, the double feature was split up as two separate releases. Either way, audiences didn’t show up for this experimental event. Any chance of seeing more were squashed. There were a couple of fake trailers that received their own feature films (Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun), but fans still hold out hope for Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving. Can you imagine actual sequels, though? Picture this: A Thanksgiving and Werewolf Women of the SS double feature, with more fake trailers to pluck from for future Grindhouse double features. It’ll never happen, but it’s still a cool concept to think about.
Evil Dead
In 2013, Fede Alvarez knocked us off our feet with one brutal reimagining of a horror classic. So. Much. Blood. As well as visceral horror, a new spin on the story, and glorious gore. All while paying homage to the original. Then there’s Jane Levy’s Mia, villain turned final girl. All of which has us clamoring for a follow up. The Necronomicon is still out there, after all. It’s only been six years, and nearly all involved, including producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, have expressed interest in continuing the story. So, come on Fede Alvarez, bring it!
Editorials
Before ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Alien Autopsy’ Showed How Real Found Footage Could Feel
The line separating artist from con man is a lot thinner than you might initially believe. While I think we can all agree that lying for the sake of profit is actively malicious behavior, isn’t it also true that the faux documentary aspect of The Blair Witch Project is half the reason why that film became such a cultural phenomenon? After all, if there’s one thing filmmakers have in common with stage magicians, it’s that misleading and misdirecting audiences is simply part of the job.
That’s why I’ve developed a habit of mostly ignoring the moral quandaries behind many of film and television’s biggest “hoaxes” in favor of appreciating the narrative elements that drive productions like Mermaids: The Body Found and even Animal Planet’s highly underrated The Cannibal in the Jungle. However, if there’s a definitive case of a highly publicized broadcast fooling the world into taking it seriously, it has to be Fox’s infamous 1995 TV special Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction.
It’s been over three decades since that eerie footage first haunted television screens right at the peak of the ’90s ufology craze, and in that time, the video has taken on a life of its own. From countless parodies and references in everything from The X-Files to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as well as John Dower’s recently released tell-all documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, which I’d highly recommend to genre fans everywhere), there’s no denying the legacy of the Alien Autopsy video. However, I rarely see the tape discussed as what it truly is: a highly convincing found footage film directed by a passionate stage magician and brought to life by masterful practical effects work.
That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me on a deep dive into one of the most infamous broadcasts of all time in an attempt to reevaluate the footage as a fascinating narrative experience rather than a complete hoax.
The TV Special That Convinced Millions It Was Real
Ray Santilli next to Extraterrestrial replica in ‘The Alien Autopsy Scandal’
For starters, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was in fact an extraterrestrial crash in Roswell during the summer of 1947 and that some form of autopsy was performed on the victims, the producers behind the black & white recordings, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield, insist that their video was a “restoration.” Though I’d argue that the proper word is “remake”of genuine footage that was too damaged to air on television. That’s why the duo went on to recruit filmmaker and eccentric magician Spyros Melaris and sculptor/monster designer John Humphreys to bring their version of the autopsy to life and sell it to the highest bidder.
This is where the story of the Alien Autopsy as a narrative experience really begins. Melaris claims that his approach to the faux recording consisted of striving for extreme period accuracy in both shooting equipment and setting while also planting subtle details that would initially seem like mistakes but could later be revealed to actually fit the time period. That being said, the filmmaker was under the impression that the short would be released for free as a PR stunt, with the team later producing and selling an informative documentary chronicling exactly how the footage was faked and commenting on how easy it is to manipulate public perception with a good old-fashioned magic trick.
This obviously isn’t how things went down, and that’s likely the reason why Melaris has since distanced himself from everyone else involved with the project. Yet, no amount of behind-the-scenes drama can undermine the genuine effort that went into making the short as impressive as it is. From the sourcing of real animal organs from a local butcher to make the organic part of the creature more lifelike to the highly detailed sculpt that made use of a hollowed-out underlayer that could be filled with fake blood and assorted viscera, there’s a reason why so many Hollywood specialists are still impressed with the artistry on display here.
Of course, the believability is only half the story, as I think that the best part of the autopsy is how Melaris builds on the existing tension by obscuring certain details and often embracing the chaos of what a real examination of extraterrestrial life could feel like. The camera often goes out of focus at just the right time to make certain effects hit even harder, and we can only speculate as to what the hazmat-suited doctors are gesticulating about during the operation. There’s a real air of mystery to the whole thing that almost makes it feel like a cosmically terrifying, cursed film containing forbidden knowledge that civilians were never meant to see.
So when Fox’s Fact or Fiction brings in the specialists to comment on the film and its otherworldly subject, it’s no surprise that we end up with one of the most memorable mockumentaries of all time – albeit one where the participants are unaware that the footage they’re commenting on is basically a large-scale practical joke. A joke that the network was obviously in on, as many participants claim that the TV special cut out significant portions where guests point out that they believe the footage to be an elaborate hoax.
The Lasting Impact of the Hoax Turned Cultural Event
Regardless, I remember going to bed terrified after watching reruns of the special and thinking about the respected pathologist who claimed that the body was almost certainly inhuman, with even effects maestro Stan Winston commenting on how difficult it would be to recreate some of these visuals through practical puppetry. That’s not even mentioning Jonathan Frakes’ dramatic hyping up of the disturbing imagery as if he was talking about the tape from The Ring, with his spooky demeanor here likely being responsible for his later role as the host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction a few years later.
Personally, I’d argue that the Alien Autopsy phenomenon had just as much of an impact on me as a horror fan as The Blair Witch Project, a film that was almost certainly influenced by the success of this immensely popular hoax (to the point where they even produced their own TV special commenting on Heather’s found footage). Even if Fox didn’t intend to produce a narrative feature about the aftermath of the Roswell crash, the end product still holds up remarkably well as a highly entertaining mockumentary exploring the idea that we may not be alone in the universe.
While neither Santilli nor the rest of the production team has ever commented on this, I also think it’s very likely that the idea of a faux Alien Autopsy could have been influenced by Dean Alioto’s The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction. I’ve already written about how this granddaddy of found footage was co-opted by rogue ufologists who began selling bootlegs of the tape at conventions as if it were real evidence of a close encounter, so it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that Santilli and company could have heard about this phenomenon and been inspired to come up with their own highly profitable hoax.
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that the Alien Autopsy film is recreating any real footage from Roswell, but I can still appreciate the short and the accompanying television event as a standalone horror story that still influences the way we see found footage to this very day.
After all, the possibility that something could be real is often much scarier than finding out for sure – and that’s why I think Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction is still worth revisiting three decades down the line.
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