Editorials
2020: How Horror Survived and Dominated a Horrifying Year
To say the very least, 2020 has been an interesting year for anyone even tangentially involved in the film business – and, for that matter, for literally everyone. Period.
After a couple months of steady theatrical releases, including Underwater and The Invisible Man, the entire industry was brought to a screeching halt when it became clear that COVID-19 was a real problem here in the States, forcing productions to shut down and movies to be delayed. It wasn’t long before planned 2020 horror movies like Halloween Kills, Spiral: From the Book of Saw and Candyman were bumped off the release schedule, making it an uncertain time for anyone who covers this stuff for a living. All of us here at Bloody Disgusting, well, we wondered how the hell we were going to keep the site afloat – without… any… movies.
But something pretty crazy happened, particularly here in the Horror World. Much to our surprise, the remainder of 2020 was filled with no shortage of horror news, and not merely in the form of endless release date delays that we annoyed you guys with all year long. New productions were announced throughout the entirety of Pandemic 2020, and wouldn’t ya know it, more horror movies were released throughout the year than we often see during even the most normal of years. October 2020 alone saw the release of some 40 brand new horror movies, with streaming picking up the slack while theaters remained shuttered.
This year was a year absolutely *filled* with new horror releases, their fictional horrors coming along at just the right time to distract us from the real horrors playing out all around us. Social unrest, a literal pandemic, and the most tumultuous election of our lifetime came together to make 2020 a veritable trash fire of unpleasantness, but everywhere we looked, horror was there to take us out of it. If only for 90 minutes, at least. Or, in the case of one of 2020’s most topical, timely, and all around most celebrated horror movies, a mere 57 minutes.
In many ways, 2020 was a year where horror showed the world what horror does best, not just enduring and thriving no matter the circumstances but also reflecting our current lives, troubles and experiences in a way that no other genre really can. And Rob Savage’s Host, filmed during the pandemic and released onto Shudder in the very early stages of that same pandemic, personified those qualities better than any other movie released this year.
Put together, filmed and released in a matter of months, Host came along in July as the perfect movie at the perfect time, telling the tale of a group of friends who accidentally summon an evil entity through a Zoom hangout. It was the first movie to accurately reflect real life during the COVID-19 quarantine that changed all of our lives this year, almost instantly bringing to our screens a horror movie tailor made for the situation we collectively found ourselves in. And though time may look back on Host as being little more than a series of well-executed jump scares that we’ve seen in other movies before, nothing can take away the fact that Savage’s low-budget gem was *the* horror movie for 2020. It was also hands down the most impressive example of pandemic-fueled filmmaking ingenuity to date, filmed remotely during a socially-distanced quarantine and featuring effects work handled by the actors themselves.
‘Sea Fever’
Whether intentionally or not quite, on-the-nose or indirectly, horror has always found a way to comment on the social and political issues of the times, making Host part of the rule rather than any sort of exception. And it sure wasn’t the only horror movie to reflect the times here in 2020, even if it is one of the only ones that actually exists in a world wherein putting on a face mask is required before leaving the safe confines of your living space. Other horror movies such as Sea Fever and The Beach House tapped into viral pandemic fears, both movies made prior to 2020 but fittingly released in 2020. As Julieann Stipidis put it earlier this year, “Thoughtful and reactionary, we’re astutely aware how much horror, especially, pointedly imitates life and historical context, but it’s even more chilling when genre precedes reality, unknowingly predicting the real-life horrors that would follow in its wake.”
In Neasa Hardiman’s Irish horror movie Sea Fever, the crew of a fishing boat are marooned at sea and forced to face off against a viral contagion in the water supply, ultimately making the decision that they can’t let the virus reach the shore. Lead character Siobhan (Hermione Corfield) insists that the crew self-quarantine before heading back, but their refusal to follow the orders leads to the situation becoming much worse than it already was. Ultimately, Siobhan is infected and left with no choice but to give up her own life rather than return home and risk infecting others, bringing Sea Fever to a devastatingly bleak conclusion that hit particularly hard here in 2020. Released here in the United States in April, Sea Fever eerily reflected the times in a way that nobody involved with its creation could’ve possibly expected.
“This is what I do,” scientist Siobhan insists, pleading with others on the trawler to listen to her orders and do what needs to be done to protect others. “If we go ashore, and one of us is a carrier, those things will spread, really really fast,” she continues. “We can’t say we’re so important that it’s worth risking the lives of 200,000 people.” Horror often warns us and even prepares us for potential horrors in the real world – it’s no surprise that a study showed earlier this year that horror fans were handling the pandemic situation better than most – and Sea Fever did just that, unknowingly predicting the real horrors of its own release month.
If only more people had listened to scientists like Siobhan here in the real world…
‘The Hunt’
Pandemic aside, 2020 was a year that saw “left” vs. “right” division reach a whole new peak, so it’s only fitting that the year kicked off with, what else, a horror movie depicting a gory war between the left and the right. While Craig Zobel’s The Hunt wasn’t quite the pointed social commentary it may have seemed like it was going to be, it was nevertheless another horror movie that seemed tailor made for 2020. It was also one of a handful of horror movies released in 2020 that showcased the pioneer spirit of the horror genre at large, released in theaters on March 13th and subsequently brought to “Premium VOD” just a week later.
The so-called “theatrical window” was completely shattered out of necessity this year, and The Hunt was one of the first to rip off that band-aid and bring a movie home once it became clear that it was no longer safe to head out to the theater for a night at the movies. Up to that point there was a 90-day deal in place, meaning The Hunt wasn’t supposed to be released at home until sometime around June. But Universal made the decision to toss that model aside and instead offer up the film as the first of many PVOD offerings that would end up coming along this year. But that doesn’t mean horror left the box office behind entirely in 2020. While other genres sat the year out, horror managed to pioneer on that front as well.
The shutdown of traditional movie theaters in the United States led to an unexpected drive-in revival here in 2020, and it was of course horror that led the pack. IFC Midnight had chart-topping success at the drive-in box office with creature feature The Wretched and Dave Franco’s “elevated slasher” The Rental, the former dominating the charts for several weeks in a row and scaring up over $4 million by the end of its run. Subsequent genre films including the home invasion action/thriller Becky were released into drive-in theaters on the same day they were put up for at-home VOD rental, allowing new release horror movies to frequently top the box office charts. And though one could argue that was by default due to the fact that no other new release movies were actually being released into theaters throughout much of 2020, it’s also clear evidence that you just can’t keep the horror genre down. On the VOD front, in particular, the landscape was positively *flooded* with new release horror.
‘The Wretched’
Many of this year’s best movies were horror movies that were released directly to VOD and streaming services including Shudder, with personal favorites such as His House, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Spiral, Sputnik, Relic, Blood Quantum, After Midnight, Anything for Jackson, The Dark and the Wicked, and Hunter Hunter proving that horror’s output in 2020 was a case of both quantity and unquestionable quality. While non-horror people may have a tough time putting together a “Top 10” this year, horror fans like ourselves are likely struggling to even narrow our list of favorites down to a mere 10. That’s why we expanded our own list this year to 15 slots, with BD’s head critic Meagan Navarro spotlighting her personal favorites. “Were any movies even released this year?” some may bemoan on Twitter. And while that may be true of the major, big time studio releases, it couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to indie and international horror. In 2020, we were absolutely spoiled with new movies.
Looking back on 2020, a depressing, terrifying and altogether chaotic year if there ever was one, it’s crystal clear that while the year may have been a bad one for movies at large, it managed to against all odds be another damn fine year for horror. The horror genre didn’t just weather the storm but it thrived in the midst of it, quietly pumping out new offerings at a steady clip while the rest of the industry was crippled by forces beyond our control. While we waited to see which studios were going to bring their new movies to VOD, horror was already doing it. And while we wondered how the movies of the near future would explore the realities of 2020, those anxieties were already being exorcised in the world of horror. Box office dried up? Horror breathed some new life back into it. We were afraid of being content-starved? Well, let’s just say the dreaded “slow news day” was surprisingly uncommon here on BD in 2020.
For that, we are thankful. And for each and every single horror fan who read Bloody Disgusting throughout 2020, we are incredibly grateful. You weathered the storm with us and you helped keep us afloat during uncertain times, and we’ll never forget that.
Keep watching horror movies. And keep wearing a mask so we can end this nightmare.
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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