Came for the Gravy, Stayed for the Lasers – ALIEN ABDUCTION: INCIDENT IN LAKE COUNTY (1998)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the States and, girlfriend, what a feast it was for me! I am low-key but actually high-key #blessed for all the real relationships in my life and I’m forever grateful for it. So yes, the food was great, the company was excellent, and so was the Horror I watched. Enter Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County (1998) which took place during a Thanksgiving Day.

This low-budget tv movie about aliens was done in a found footage & documentary style and was broadcasted in 1998, one year before The Blair Witch Project (1999), and that, for some reason, seemed like important information to disclose. When it comes to alien movies, I can confidently say this one was really interesting to watch even though I originally decided to give it a go—for the first time ever—purely because I knew that the story took place during Thanksgiving Day and I was just in the mood for some turkey vibes; I can confirm with you that I went from, Yeah, let’s watch this cute little movie to, Damn, what’s gonna happen to the McPhersons!?

The McPherson family was just chillaxing, ready to sit down and eat when suddenly there was a power outage to which the men of the house went outside to investigate and, right there and then, aliens! But not just any aliens, they were aliens with lasers! OMG! Aggressive aliens! Shook!

Tommy McPherson was the one recording the whole thing and it was amusing to see (and to listen to) the perspective of a teenage boy during a trying time like an alien home invasion… maybe it was just me but this found footage style really worked with the Midwestern family story because it organically added a layer of realism to it. Well, that and the fact that Tommy’s tape was ‘found’ by authorities after the entire family went missing and it was reviewed and discussed by a board of people (government, scientist, alleged abductees, and everyone in between) whose interest relied on finding out if the tape was ‘real’ or made up and whether the family was indeed ‘abducted’ or not.

I loved the movie, I really did, and I would like to encourage you to watch it if you are a little curious about it. By the way, IMDb said that the director’s cut was 91 minutes long and distributed on video in Europe—you can actually purchase the vhs tape, but not the dvd or a legitimate digital rental—and even though the longer version had a different ending to the *original* 45 minute tv version I found and watched on YouTube, I can still say that the way in which things ended for the family was super satisfying. #IwantToBelieve

Tommy: Shit.

Mom: What?

Tommy: My battery's almost dead.

Mom: Oh, finally.

Tommy: I have another one in my bag. Just a minute.

In Love and Fear,

-Marath

© 2016-2019

Yes to YAZ! - Se7en (1995)

Se7en (1995) has been one of my favorite movies for over two decades—always present, always there, reminding me of simpler days—and as a Thank you to it for bringing me joy when I most needed it, including on this past month which was full of important life lessons, I would like to share with you, my horror fam, my top 5 Yes to YAZ! list of all the things I love about the film:

5. Somerset – His wisdom, introspection, and well-mannered attitude offering comfort to those surrounding him in that dreary and maddening city full of crime and apathy.

4. The notebooks – Each one of them being unique-looking (and ASMR-inducing) pieces of art.

3. The title cards – It was so satisfying seeing the days of the week coming one by one. (I am a sucker for well-thought-out graphic design.)

2. The seven sins – Such a basic concept executed so very well in both the immediacy of the story (hello gruesome death scenes with disturbing writing on the wall) and the ambiance element to it all which was the unknown presence of serial killer John Doe.

1. The Partners – The interaction between a veteran Homicide Detective on the verge of retirement, and a rookie all too eager to prove his worth, gave place to the unlikely friendship that was fundamental to solving each piece of the puzzle; without Somerset’s knowledge and years of experience (and connections), and without Mills’ know-it-all attitude and energy (and street smarts), neither one of them would have come close to seeing the ‘big picture’ plan that was John Doe’s pseudo preaching on the human race. For Somerset and Mills it was patience and trust which allowed them to succeed.

Bonus Point – The Chief of the SWAT team because OMG look at him! (Damn you my attraction to men in uniform…)

In Love and Fear,

-Marath

© 2016-2019

THIS FRESH BLOOD: Haunt (2019)

Well, well, well. I will be damned, the rumors were true, Haunt (2019) really is a good movie! If you have not watched it already and are game for an hour-and-a-half of good quality Horror fun, go to Amazon #notspons and enjoy the gory ride that is Haunt! (But wait, after you are done there, come back here and find out what I have to say about it, mmmkay?)  

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Haunt is not your typical haunted house story—thank goodness—as it avoids all the expected clichés and instead kicks you in the balls with its left turns and zigzags, all of them happening in a controlled small environment. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

The main character of the story is Harper, a college student who is in an abusive relationship with a man. He hits her. She is in denial. Her roommate, Bailey, confronts her and tells her she must break up with the alcoholic guy, but Harper brushes her off, after all, her black eye is covered up with make-up now, so nothing really happened…

Bailey cares for Harper and in effort to not leave her alone, invites her to come along to a Halloween party. At the Halloween party they all seem to have a good time, they meet a few friends there, and later on decide to continue the festivities somewhere else. That else was a random Haunted House they found by accident, right when they moved to the side of the road and parked the car at Harper’s request, you see, Harper was feeling a little on edge and thought she saw Sam, her boyfriend, following them in his truck. False alarm… So the gang decides to give the Haunted House a chance and on their way they go.

Right from the start things ‘look’ intense which only ignites the excitement of the friends, so when they arrive to a Safe and Not Safe zone they pay no mind and decide to split. Big mistake, for both teams. You see, the whole experience is a trap and they are about to get hunted by the owners who happen to be a bunch of sadistic, murderous, body-modification enthusiast. Yep, you read that last part right, they all have adorned (disfigured?) their faces and are so very proud of them that they cover them with vintage Halloween masks all the time (makes sense).

I am going to skip all the juicy details about all the kills since I believe they spoke by themselves (SO GOOD!), but all I will say is this, they would not have been so successful on their delivery had they not taken place inside that warehouse/amateur-looking haunted house. The fact that some of the rooms looked like something you could find at your own town, made by your weird neighbor from down the street, really brought it home and added a layer of plausibility to the disgusting, gory things you saw the friends go thru.

Right, but getting back to Harper, little by little we learn about her complex psyche and kind of see why she allows herself be abused by men. Life is complicated and so is she. But she is also strong and a fighter and pushes forward no matter what.

Harper has a major flashback in one of the rooms and the way she dealt with it was so satisfying to watch:

Our Harper is not a little girl anymore. After all was said and done she showed us that with patience, determination, and a little help from a bunch of crazed maniacs, we all can gather enough strength to get to the other side of whatever stale mental prisons we thought we belonged in. Go forth.

In Love and Fear,

-Marath

© 2016-2019