For anyone that had the chance to see WNUF HALLOWEEN, you got the opportunity to see a really fun slice of What If filmmaking. The movie was purported to be the Halloween broadcast from a regional television station as one of their anchors investigated the validity of a local house being haunted or not. The film was presented as if you videotaped the broadcast, and it is full of commercials, B-roll, and all the miscues and cutaways that any of us who have watched local broadcasts are accustomed to.
It was a charming movie that was both fun and creepy and it became a cult fave. In 2022 they released a follow-up film called OUT THERE HALLOWEEN MEGA-TAPE, which is a spiritual sequel. OUT THERE is another Halloween special, or rather two specials, from the same station, with mentions of the mystery of the year before. This time around we get a lifestyle talk-show hosted by a woman named Ivy as she brings guests on her show for short segments in front of a live audience. From a “real” vampire to a purported alien abduction, it has the low-stakes flavor of real regional programs of the time. The talk-show gives way to a more serious investigative look at whether or not aliens are invading our skies or not. The broadcast is typical of the day, with live segments interspersed with interviews, investigative pieces, and perhaps proof of government cover-up.
OUT THERE is very charming and nails the era with its commercials programs. It will remind anyone old enough to remember the over-the-top “investigative” programs that would appear on Fox in its early days. The acting is good and suitably cheesy, the commercials are great (and so groan-inducing because some are just TOO real), but the parts don’t make for a strong whole. Unlike the first film, this one doesn’t have any great mystery to it and thus feels disjointed. Presented as a bootleg of this lost footage is really interesting (and the collector’s package had a TON of great stuff in it for diehards), but the two main segments just didn’t compel me. They are fun, but we don’t get enough of a cohesive mystery to follow. The wrap-up is also not nearly as fun as the first. It’s interesting, to be sure, and does say something about the nature of news coverage BECOMING the news, but it just doesn’t pack the same punch that WNUF did.
If you were a big fan of the WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL then this is definitely worth a watch. It’s a companion piece in every way and is a fun watch. For found footage fans, this is more mockumentary and “archival” footage but there’s no horror here, though there is a bit of a mystery as the second segment plays out. The nostalgia is palpable here and really takes you back to the faded glory of the 1990s. While not as strong as the first entry, it’s still a fun film that fans will enjoy. There really aren’t many, if any other films out there like this and they absolutely nail what they are trying to do, though trying to serve two masters – as a comedic walk down memory lane and as a traditional creeper – don’t work perfectly it’s till a fun ride.
2.5 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 