Editorials
The Best and Worst Horror Films at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival!
Film festivals are a hectic time for both the critics covering them and the readers reading about them. It can be alienating for readers to read a non-stop barrage of reviews for films that they themselves are unable to see and may not be able to see for months. It can also be easy to lose track of these films in the months following a festival’s end. So rather than have you track down all of the different reviews for these films, we’ve put them all in one handy article for you to bookmark. The following 10 films were all of the horror films present at the SXSW Film Festival this year, and they have been ranked from worst to best.
The Worst
10. Blood Fest
It’s a shame that the meta horror comedy Blood Fest doesn’t work nearly as well as it should because the premise is so great. In the film, teenage Dax (Robbie Kay) sneak into Blood Fest, a horror lover’s wet dream of an event in which several acres of land are divided into sub-genres for guests to traverse like a haunted house, with his friends. Once there, the gates are locked and electrified as the emcee (the film’s writer/director, Owen Egerton) announces that the guests will all be murdered by Blood Fest’s costumed employees by sunrise.
From my review:
“Unfortunately, nothing about Blood Fest is witty. You can practically feel the film winking at you every time a character utters a one-liner or makes a comment about the rules of horror. Watching it, you imagine Egerton and Co. patting themselves on the backs after every take…There is a passion behind Blood Fest that is somewhat endearing, and you can’t help but admire Egerton for his efforts. If only the movie wasn’t a complete failure at what it tries to do: be fun. “
Blood Fest will be released on Rooster Teeth. No release date has been set.
9. The Ranger
How do you make a slasher movie about a psychotic park ranger killing a bunch of punks boring? Look no further than The Ranger, which manages to do exactly that.
From my review:
“The Ranger is ultimately a missed opportunity for the punk horror sub-genre. It may seem like I’m criticizing it for not being what I wanted it to be, but I would be okay with it being something different if it was good. What could have either been a ridiculously fun time or a suspense-filled slasher is instead reduced to a boring slog of a film. Filled with obnoxious characters and an unmemorable villain, there isn’t much to recommend about The Ranger. Fans of ’80s slashers might want to check it out if it gets distribution, but all others need not apply.”
I may not have liked The Ranger very much, but our own Justin Yandell offered up a more positive take on the film, writing:
“The Ranger isn’t going to be for everyone. But it’s not trying to be. At all. It’s an unapologetic movie fully confident in its own identity and central themes of self-acceptance and empowerment. This probably isn’t the correct nomenclature but, in that way, The Ranger is one of the most punk horror movies that has ever punked. It’s like a hot pink mohawk – if you’re not into it, it’s not meant for you anyway.”
The Ranger is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.
The Good
8. Upgrade
Upgrade is more of a sci-fi thriller than a straightforward horror film, but the fact that it is written and directed by Saw and Insidious scribe Leigh Whannell immediately makes it eligible for coverage. In this highly entertaining combination of Her and The Stepford Wives, a tetraplegic named Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) is offered an experimental paralysis cure in the form of an implanted computer chip called STEM. Grey soon finds that the chip has a voice and a mind of its own.
From Meredith Border’s review:
“Upgrade is more fun to watch than a lot of low-budget sci-fi movies we see in festival or VOD settings. It’s really visually interesting, with warm and colorful tech replacing the sterile blues and greys typical of films like this. Upgrade looks more expensive than it almost definitely is, and that’s to Whannell’s credit. He does a lot with a little and crafts a really cool look at the near future. It’s a good-natured film that will never bore you, but don’t enter into it thinking you’re about to find a thoughtful, mature treatise on the dangers of over-reliance on technology. Upgrade is not that movie – even though it might think it is.”
I actually liked Upgrade more than Meredith did (it’s a 4/5 for me), but to each their own!
Blumhouse Tilt will release Upgrade on June 1, 2018.
7. What Keeps You Alive
Colin Minihan’s (Grave Encounters, It Stains the Sand Red) next feature is a tense and sometimes humorous survival horror film about a couple (Jigsaw‘s Hannah Emily Anderson and Brittany Allen) who learn some harsh truths about each other during a vacation to a remote cabin in the woods.
From my review:
“What Keeps You Alive is a solid thriller that works more often than it doesn’t thanks to the performances of Anderson and Allen. Those, combined with Minihan’s skilled direction, make for one of the better survival horror films to come out recently. Just don’t watch it with your spouse as it may plant a few seeds of doubt about who they really are.”
What Keeps You Alive is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.
6. Wildling
Word of advice: don’t watch the trailer for Wildling before you see it as it pretty much gives away the big reveal. Just wait a few weeks for IFC Midnight to release it, because it’s best watched knowing as little as possible.
From my review:
“Wildling is a solid debut feature for Böhm and features a magnetic performance from Bel Powley as well as some excellent creature and gore effects. The film loses its way a bit towards the end, but its heart is in the right place, making for a rather endearing viewing experience. If anything, the film leave you with a strong desire to see Böhm’s next film, whatever that may be.”
IFC Midnight will release Wildling in theaters and VOD on April 13, 2018.
The Best
5. Unfriended: Dark Web
Viewers who found the characters in the first Unfriended to be too insufferable will want to give its sequel Unfriended: Dark Web a chance, as the characters are much more likable this time around. In the film, a 20-something (Colin Woodell, Unsane) finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop and is thrust into the deep waters of the dark web. Just like the first Unfriended, this thriller unravels in real-time, entirely on a computer screen.
From my review:
“Unfriended: Dark Web manages to simultaneously address and fix a lot of the problems that Unfriended had while still managing to have some problems of its own. Flaws aside, this is a sequel that is better than anyone could have hoped for and practically demands to be seen with a crowd. This isn’t high art, but it is a clever little sequel that aims to do more than just duplicate the original.”
Unfriended: Dark Web will be distributed by Universal Pictures. No release date has been set.
4. Ghost Stories
Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman adapt their stage play of the same name with Ghost Stories, a horror anthology that centers on Professor Phillip Goodman, who covers three incidents of supernatural ghost sightings. These include a night watchman in an old factory, a teenage driver whose car breaks down and a businessman who is awaiting the birth of his child
From Meredith Border’s review:
“Ultimately, Ghost Stories examines what’s behind our fear, the ways that our history and emotional makeup condition us to be afraid – and what’s behind our cynicism, our fierce determination to believe that the world is black and white and mundane. There are some serious jump-scares in here, but none of them feel cheap, despite the fact that “cheapness” is sort of the defining characteristic of a jump-scare. Instead, Ghost Stories is playing with our expectations and instincts, revealing a little more of what’s behind its clever curtain with every fright.”
IFC Midnight will release Ghost Stories in theaters and VOD on April 20, 2018.
3. Profile
In Timur Bekmambetov’s (Night Watch, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) Profile, freelance journalist Amy Whittaker creates a fake Facebook profile of a Muslim convert in order toto investigate the recruitment techniques used by ISIS to lure women into Syria as Jihadi brides. When an ISIS recruiter contacts her online character, Amy comes across an opportunity to experience the process first hand.
From Ari Drew’s review:
“Profile taps into very real fears tied up in technology, terrorism, and the unknown in novel ways. Moreover, Bekmambetov’s ability to elicit nail-biting tension simply via alerts, keystrokes, and clicks while simultaneously maintaining an engaging, character-centric story on a computer screen makes Profile especially noteworthy for a film of its ilk. Ultimately, Profile is proof that the truth can indeed be far more terrifying than the fiction we create.”
Profile is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.
2. A Quiet Place
John Krasinski proves himself to be adept at directing a horror film with A Quiet Place, a mostly silent film that will have viewers jumping out of their seats (or at least that’s what happened at the screening at SXSW). The film follows a family fighting to survive in a future where blind creatures hunt using sound.
From Ari Drew’s review:
“While audiences may be drawn in by the promise of monster-filled mayhem–which A Quiet Place no doubt delivers–many are sure to be pleasantly surprised by the genuine emotional beats the film hits amidst the scares. Ultimately, A Quiet Place succeeds because it transcends its core premise of a family struggling to simply survive, emerging instead as an equally engaging story of a family working every day to salvage meaning and hope in one another in a world where such concepts are all but lost.”
Paramount Pictures will release A Quiet Place in theaters nationwide on April 6, 2018.
1. Hereditary
What more can be said about Ari Aster’s debut feature Hereditary that hasn’t already been said? There’s no doubt about it: it was the best horror film screened at SXSW this year. Rather than hype the film up even more than it already has been, I’ll just leave you with this tidbit from my review:
“I can’t get the damn thing out of my head. Images from the film frequently pop up in my mind. I can’t stop hearing one particular sound effect from the final act (you’ll know it when you hear it). I’m seeing things in the shadows. I didn’t think the film had scared me, but I was very, very wrong. Hereditary will stick with you long after you’ve left the theater. You will want to talk about it. You will want to see it again (I most certainly do). It is a film that will no doubt reward the viewer on repeat viewings, that is if you can stomach it.”
A24 will release Hereditary in theaters nationwide on June 8, 2018.
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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