Connect with us

News

Stay Out of the Woods: 3 Movies to Make You Rethink Camping

Published

on

camping

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep… but they’re also creepy as hell so you should probably just avoid them. There have been many cautionary tales of why one should avoid the cabin in the woods scenario, but take away the relative safety of four walls and a roof (and plumbing), and things can go sideways very quickly.

Being alone in the woods can be scary, but the possibility that you’re not all alone is even more terrifying.

Man Vs.

Have you ever watched one of those Man Vs. Wild type survivor-man shows and wondered what the hell they would do if shit just hit the proverbial fan? Man Vs. does exactly that. Doug Woods (Chris Diamantopoulos), a “survival expert”, hosts a tv show using just the gear that he is left with. His support team is nearby, but he is – in every sense – on his own. Or so he thinks. He wakes up in the middle of his first night to a loud crash and things get progressively stranger and more dangerous. The woods create an isolation here that emphasizes Doug’s confusion and increasing fear. He’s completely helpless and he’s in way over his head.

The Interior

A listless young man, upon learning he is ill, leaves his job, girlfriend and city behind, and ventures alone into the British Columbia interior, bringing his fears and anxieties with him. The scenes in the woods are dialogue-free and mostly silent (except for the score of classical music) which adds a heavy weight to his journey. Beautifully shot, The Interior really highlights the terror of being completely and hopelessly isolated and knowing that someone unseen is out there with you. Each time our protagonist is cautious of another presence, he retreats deeper into the wilderness. The shots are so wide and open, yet it’s somehow claustrophobic. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the atmosphere creates a tension that crawls over you.

The Blair Witch Project

Of course this is on the list. Stay with me here, though. I’ve included the original over the 2016 sequel because just about everything that happens to our unfortunate campers is more grounded in reality. The 2016 film had the effective horrors of forever darkness, time manipulation, a hands-on Blair Witch and that terrifying tunnel, but I wasn’t worried about that happening on my next camping trip.

The 1999 film used increasing levels of horror that seemed feasible. If you were camping and heard someone throwing rocks outside your tent, would you want to investigate, assuming that there’s someone there? Or would you assume there’s a natural – probably squirrel-based – explanation and ignore it? Things can be easily explained away, but The Blair Witch Project gave us a reason to be scared of the unknown. The woods take on a different character at night. Add in the possibility of being hopelessly lost and you’ve got something to be legitimately worried about.

The Blair Witch Project made its mark on the horror genre and built a real and pressing fear out of a few simple ideas. The stick bundles, nighttime noises, quietly disappearing crew and the image of someone silently facing a corner weren’t overly complex, but they were extremely effective. If you were nervous about camping before you first saw this movie, you were probably terrified afterwards.

 

Any movies you would add to this list? Tell us in the comments! If you want more outdoorsy horror, head on over to our list of 10 Camping Movies for more.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

on

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

on

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

on

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading