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The Scariest Things
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The Best Horror Movies of 2024: Episode 192
Jan 8, 202502:05:04Tap to summarizeWell, that was fun! The Scariest Things presents to you the Best Horror Movies of 2024. Though it started slow, the year managed to pack in quite a few worthy films. The six critics of The Scariest Things debated who deserved a spot in the top 10, and there was a wide spread of picks. There were a few standouts most of us agreed to, but to find out, you’ll have to listen to the podcast! <img decoding="async" width="691" height="1024" data-id="54118" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alien_romulus_poster-691x1024.jpg" alt=""...
Transcribe →The Scariest Things Singalong: Horror Musicals: Episode 191
Dec 22, 202401:07:42Tap to summarizeHorror Musicals! Just in time for the holidays: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) Horror Musicals: When they work they are next-level works of art. It’s some of the worst material ever created when they don’t work. Eric cajoled/dragged Liz and Mike to participate in evaluating one of his favorite sub-genres, the Horror Musical. (Like it or not, Eric WILL break into song!) Horror movies are emotionally charged and fantastical films. Musicals are similarly fantastic presentations. When you pair them up, you get something magical, full of passion and emotion. Or, it’s a hot mess. A lot of it will depend on the quality of songs in the movie, but when judging a horror musical, it also should be a scary movie. If you want to see our ENTIRE list of horror musicals, you can check out our Horror Musical Dead List, which also contains Spotify links for as many of the musicals as I could find. I have tried to uncover EVERY horror musical ever made. Defining the criteria was a bit of a trick. The movie needs to use singing as a narrative method. The exposition should be sung, rather than said, at least for some of the film. The characters need to break the fourth wall and sing to the audience. Fudging around the corners would allow some recent fare like Your Monster and Smile 2, which contains big live stage performances. Both of those films are worth a watch. Don’t be surprised to see both films on the big Musical Horror Dead List, soon. Perhaps the thrilling presentation and huge box office success of Wicked (Which we will NOT consider a horror-adjacent movie, despite the presence of a witch). Knowing that many horror movies have successfully made the transition from video nasty to the Broadway stage, perhaps we can get a full feature of one of these as a reboot, with songs already written: Carrie, The Musical Creature From the Black Lagoon, The Musical The Fly Silence of the Lambs American Psycho Evil Dead: The Musical Young Frankenstein Teeth The Human Centipede: First Sequence Make it happen, Hollywood! Horror Musical Spotify Playlist from Episode 191: Now you too can sing along to a Horror Musical Jam! DO IT! American Horror Story: Asylum – The Name Game, Jessica Lange American Horror Story: Freak Show – Life on Mars, Jessica Lange American Horror Story: Freak Show – Come As You Are, Evan Peters Anna and The Apocalypse – Hollywood Ending Anna and The Apocalypse – I Will Believe Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More with Feeling – Walk through the Fire Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling – Where Do We Go From Here? Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I’ll Never Tell – I’ll Never Tell Cannibal the Musical: Schpladoikle Cannibal the Musical: Hang the Bastard Little Shop of Horrors – Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors) – Bill Mitchell, Michelle Weeks, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell Little Shop of Horrors – Feed Me (Git it) – Levi Stubbs, Rick Moranis Little Shop of Horrors – Dentist! – Steve Martin, Michelle Weeks, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell Lucifer S5 EP10: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam – I Dreamed a Dream Lucifer S5 EP10: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam – Wicked Game Lucifer S5 Ep10: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam – Every Breath You Take Phantom of the Paradise- Goodbye Eddie – The Juicy Fruits Phantom of the Paradise – Special To Me (Phoenix Audition) – Jessica Harper Phantom of the Paradise – The Hell Of It – Paul Williams No Spotify tracks are available for Toxic Avenger: The Musical or The Apple, sadly. OR: You can go to the full Horror Musicals Playlist from The Scariest Things, which includes many other songs from our Horror Musical Dead List. Our Selections from this Episode: AHS Asylum Ep 10: The Name Game <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="429" data-id="53939" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/anna-1-1024x429-1-1024x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53939" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/anna-1-1024x429-1-1024x429.jpg 1024w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/anna-1-1024x429-1-300x126.jpg 300w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/anna-1-1024x429-1-100x42.jpg 100w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/anna-1-1024x429-1-770x322.jpg 770w, https://scariesthings.com/wp...
Transcribe →Made-for-TV Horror Movies: Episode 190
Dec 9, 202400:49:53Tap to summarizeKaren Black and a Zuni Warrior Doll in Trilogy of Terror (1975) Once upon a time, the major broadcast television networks used to produce feature films for their movies of the week. Many of the great made-for-tv horror movies have found new audiences with restored Blu-Ray issuances and streaming options, giving some long-lost classics a new lease on viewing life. The movie of the week was a staple for the broadcast networks since 1944, but the heyday of the made-for-tv horror movie began in the 1970s when TV took control of the nation’s consumer media consumption. The downtown cinema fell out of fashion, with the big movie productions moving into the cineplex. The broadcast networks took advantage, finding large audiences for original movies that couldn’t be found at the theaters. The competition from VHS and cable TV had not arrived, so the networks were largely unchallenged on the small screen for options. The broadcasters hired A-list actors, and talented directors to produce these movies. Advertisers recognized the value of the Movie of the week. ABC, NBC, and CBS… particularly ABC also delved into Horror as a medium. In a mildly provocative manner, the networks recognized that the culture was changing. The MPAA re-wrote the rules of what could be shown in theaters, and it was clear that lurid and scary stories could still draw audiences. Many of the made-for-tv horror movies leaned towards the thriller/horror-adjacent genre, as the sexy but dangerous mystery was still considered socially acceptable. That said, it is hard to fathom themes of Satan and serial killers being broadcast in the sixties. The times, they have changed. In the eighties, the made-for-TV movie became a water cooler event. The producers tweaked the format to meet changing tastes. The mini-series adaptation had become extremely popular outside the horror genre. The Thorn Birds, Roots, and Shogun were must-see properties, and have become legendary television landmarks. The novelization adaptations needed more than a single-night movie. So, the networks would reserve an entire very profitable week for these efforts. Realizing that epic books made for popular television, in a way that the cinema couldn’t translate as well, the networks (again, ABC) turned to Stephen King stories to capitalize on this trend. Salem’s Lot, It, and The Stand all proved to be hugely popular mini-series adaptations. King’s lengthy tomes were naturals for the mini-series, and despite the toning down of the gore and violence of his works, audiences loved these interpretations. What happened to the made-for-TV horror movie? By the mid-nineties, the nature of television had changed again. The movie of the week had to compete against home video rentals, and the advent of “reality” television competitions proved to be far more affordable and profitable for the networks, so they got out of the business of making movies for themselves. They abandoned the notion of showing the movie of the week altogether. Serialized television provided a new outlet that by the 2000’s found a new home for horror. The X-Files was a revelation for FOX and took the notion of conspiracy theories and crypto mythology and elevated it to new heights. Buffy the Vampire Slayer riffed on a modest horror comedy and became a cult sensation. Depending on what you consider AMC (which now owns Shudder), The Walking Dead was the most buzzy show on the air for about five seasons, and proved to broadcasters that continuing narrative horror storytelling had a big audience built in. American Horror Story would follow, as would Yellowjackets, Ash vs. Evil Dead, The Haunting of Hill House, The Terror, What We Do in the Shadows, Evil, The Last of Us, True Blood, Penny Dreadful, Interview With the Vampire, and Stranger Things. The modern era of TV streaming horror offerings spoiled those younger than forty. We may have lost the individual Movie of the Week, but we now live in a golden age of Horror Television. But, go back into the horror vault to find some partially forgotten television horror movies of the week. Podcast Episode 190: Made-for-TV Horror: To be considered for this discussion, we limited the criteria to movies made to be shown on broadcast television, and it is to be a Mini-Series or a Movie, but not an ongoing series. Broadcast TV’s Horror Movies of the Week: Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) CBS Someone is Watching Me (1978) NBC Satan’s Triangle (1975) ABC The Night Stalker (1972) ABC <img decoding="async" width="825" height="413" data-id="53732" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dont-Be-Afraid-of-the-Dark.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53732" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dont-Be-Afraid-of-the-Dark.jpg 825w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dont-Be-Afraid-of-the-Dark-300x150.jpg 300w, https:/...
Transcribe →The Criterion Collection -The Horror Catalog: Episode 189
Nov 26, 202401:14:34Tap to summarizeCinephiles and physical media collectors, this episode is for you! The Criterion Collection has been the premiere distributor of cinematic excellence for decades. Did they find room for horror? Yes, they did! It is a very select group of films, but you might be surprised at some of the inclusions. Here are our picks from their horror library. Criterion’s Mission Statement: Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium—from laserdisc to DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD to streaming—Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.” When this company was founded, the world was just getting used to VHS. Having your own copy, or an available copy of a classic movie was now at your fingertips. Fans of classic films could now watch great films and create a library of their favorite movies. Important, but non-commercial movies rarely got shown in theaters, and by the eighties, the places where they did play, the small independent movie houses were being replaced by cineplexes that would present new releases and big blockbuster films. The Criterion Collection focused on the collectors. They got on board early with laser disc technology and remastered copies of legendary movies for the cleanest and best archival quality available. Low volume, high-quality curation was the name of their game. Over the years, it established a bit of cinema elitism, but you could be assured that your copy of the movie would come with director notes, actor interviews, scenes from the cutting room floor, and behind-the-scenes footage. Quite simply, it was the best packaging a movie could offer. The big question for horror fans would be: What about us? The good news is that the Criterion Collection is fond of SOME horror films. Thrillers make the cut, and foreign films are well-represented. You will find the collected works of David Cronenberg, Guillermo Del Toro, and Roman Polanski in the catalog. Val Lewton, David Lynch, Brian DePalma, and Alfred Hitchcock films are abundant here. And, oddly enough, Godzilla’s Showa era (1954-1975) is here in its entirety. How Does the Criterion Collection Work Now? Like LP records, the Criterion Collection’s physical copies still offer up the best in physical media. The movies now are in Blu-Ray 4K formats, but they still come with all the trimmings that a film historian would crave. They also have gone through the effort for many films to have new cover/poster art created for the DVD’s, much like what the Austin-based Mondo Posters has done. And, they continue to follow up with restoration, in bringing back old movies and restoring them to the most current production format. If you want to avoid purchasing a DVD and want to stream the movies, you can to go straight to the source and subscribe to The Criterion Channe where you can have access to the full library. You can find these movies on other streaming platforms, but if you want the film extras that The Criterion Collection creates, you’ll want to get a subscription. Our recommendation? Get the DVDs! Create a library! Also, this would be a service if horror is part of your film preferences, but you also love other genres. You’ll run out of horror films before too long. With competition like A24 and IFC Midnight supporting high-quality horror productions that would often be snapped up by The Criterion Collection, it will be interesting to see if any modern classics get the Criterion treatment. It is notable that the major studios are not usually represented in this process. Notably, there are no Universal monsters, for example… except for Shape of Water. Mike, Liz, and Eric shared their favorite finds in the Criterion Collection. Give it a listen, why don’t ya? In our podcast, Eric went into brain freeze on a key quote that was very quippy, and he went into brain freeze. Here is the missing quote! Mr. Peters: Got a question for you. Which magazine sells the most copies?Mark Lewis: Those with girls on the front covers and no front covers on the girls.” Peeping Tom What does it take to become a Criterion Film? These films are held in high enough esteem to be part of the cool kids club: Cure (1997) Funny Games (1997) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" data-id="53473" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peeping-Tom-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53473" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peeping-Tom-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peeping-Tom-300x169.jpg 300w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peeping-Tom-100x56.jpg 100w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peeping-...
Transcribe →The Letter (2024) Review: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Nov 13, 202400:44:23Tap to summarizeShane Simmons in The Letter (2024) Intensity 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 Directed by Vincent Shade The Letter sumptuously recreates the era of H.P. Lovecraft’s 1930’s New England. This languidly paced mystery feels like a Call of Cthulhu adventure, set in an elaborate mansion, and stocked with scheming characters with old grudges. This little indie film has big aspirations and ambitions but could have used a little streamlining. Prepare yourselves for lots of exposition and dark musings in period dialogue, while appreciating the fine details and rich textures. It is rare to see an independent feature film loaded with lavishly appointed sets and historically accurate props. This is usually the domain of big budget studio productions, but Vincent Shade and his team have crafted a rich tapestry of Lovecraft-era period piece lore. The movie strived for period authenticity from the well-appointed general store to the creepy old mansion to the antique vehicles. Appropriately, this film had its world premiere at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. The story begins with a MacGuffin, a letter written to a store clerk, summoning him to attend to his ailing uncle, whom he was previously unaware of. The letter is of little consequence other than to launch a series of interlocked mysteries that are shrouded in old grievances, dark secrets, and cryptic rituals. The Cast of The Letter: Shane Simmons plays Jonathan Ackley (Barksdale), a bookish and earnest shopkeeper’s apprentice, who travels to Dunwich to attend to his ailing uncle, whom he has never met. John Judd plays Lord Winston Barksdale IV, a wealthy and elderly man desperate to find a missing daughter. Dennis William Grimes plays Howard Phillips Downty, Barksdale’s beleaguered butler and the sole remaining employee of Lord Barksdale. James Farruggio plays Richard Armitage, Barksdale’s former business partner and now rival. Armitage is now a mob boss who unofficially runs the dread town of Dunwich. KJ James plays Father Maurice, who knows most of Dunwich’s dark past and is the beacon of hope in town. Nina O’Keefe plays Lady Alice Barksdale, Winston’s embattled wife, who has suffered much and has been subject to untold strange rituals. Dennis William Grimes and Shane Simmons in The Letter (2024) A Short Summary of The Letter: Jonathan Ackley, summoned to a gloomy mansion by his mysterious Uncle, Lord Barksdale realizes that the invitation was a ruse. His uncle is not ailing, physically, but may have been driven mad by the loss of his daughter, Emily. Barksdale cannot pursue his hunches because he has been exiled from Dunwich by his former partner and now arch-rival Richard Armitage. Barksdale suspects Armitage has been holding her. Since Jonathan is a new face in town, Barksdale suspects the estranged Jonathan can slip into town and find her. Of course, much scheming has been festering in the background, both within Barksdale’s mansion and within Dunwich. Jonathan has been given blasphemous tomes to assist with Emily’s potential whereabouts. Indeed, that should have been a red flag. When Jonathan is awakened by Lady Barksdale having seizures, he realizes that something is seriously amiss within the old house. Are the tomes and the seizures connected? Wait and see! Jonathan’s investigations in Dunwich prove that he is way over his head. He is assaulted by Armitage and his thugs as soon as he arrives in town. Father Maurice, a local black minister rescues Jonathan from being carved up by Armitage’s goons. Maurice has been witness to the depravities that have cursed the town. He knows of Emily’s fate. As it turns out, nobody abducted Emily. She’s not even missing… but she is gone. A dark ritual summoned a shoggoth to bring Emily back: an amorphous chaotic being of pure evil intent. When things like this are beckoned from evil tomes, they do not behave as expected. It works its tendrils through the entire community on both sides of the political divide. Jonathan must overcome his natural cowardice to set things right or die trying. A heavily armed mob and an amorphous chaos monster? No problem! Evaluation: Appropriate to the source material, the plot of this film is very dense and cryptic. The web woven between all the participants is often hard to untangle. There is a ton of exposition, and every player has multiple motives both in the open and under the surface. The benefit of a Lovecraft period piece film is that it transports you to another time. The downside is that, like many of Lovecraft’s stories, it gets confusing. Again, this feels like a Call of Cthulhu (or Mansions of Madness, if the Arkham Horror board game is more your speed) game brought to life. A Call of Cthulhu game often plays like this: A mysterious invitation arrives. The benefactor is untrustworthy and devious. The community is a suspicious lot, or worse. The great evil is pervasive and clouds all actions in the town. Fight or flight time! SANITY CHECK! Showdown to decide the fate of the town. I really li...
Transcribe →The Aaron Moorhead Interview: A Cosmic Horror Thesis: At HPLFF
Oct 23, 202400:23:07Tap to summarizeJustin Benson and Aaron Moorhead in The Endless (2017) Aaron Moorhead is one half of the prolific writing/acting/directing duo of Moorhead and Benson. The acclaimed duo produced some of the past decade’s most mind-bending cosmic horror movies. It was only appropriate that he would serve as the keynote speaker at this year’s H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and he took some time out of his busy festival schedule to talk with Eric Li about his Cosmic theories and theses. Few people in independent cinema have risen as fast and maintained the rigorous intellectual integrity of far-out horror as Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. They have done so much at such young ages, that their resumes read like every independent filmmaker’s wish list. Resolution (2012), Spring (2014), The Endless (2017), Synchronic (2019), and Something in the Dirt (2022) built up such creative notoriety that Marvel brought the duo on board to direct Moon Knight (2022) and Loki (2023) for them. Their themes of time travel, spatial anomalies, astrological impossibilities, and the sheer vastness and terror of mathematical equations helped push the genre into heady territory. Many of his stories involve characters seeking universal truths. Through addiction (Synchronic), love (Spring), belonging (The Endless), and logic (Something in the Dirt) these characters all seek higher meaning. They risk their sanity on what could very well be beyond what we can imagine. It was inevitable that Moorhead would attend the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. This year he and Benson produced Things Will Be Different (2024) which he promoted at the festival on its theatrical release date. The Keynote Address: Reality isn’t stranger than you think… it’s stranger than you CAN think. That was a key phrase from his lecture. It referenced the not-so-humble, amazing octopus. Often used as the subject of Lovecraftian lore, the octopus is so alien and so intelligent that it defies logic. You can’t think like an octopus because the creature, as intelligent as it is, does not process the world in any way like a human might. The cephalopods can solve puzzles. But the things it can do unconsciously, like change its skin color and texture as camouflage or display are wildly beyond our comprehension. It is that sort of creative thinking that has inspired scores of filmmakers. You could see the admiration from his fellow filmmakers backstage at the festival. Moorhead was so gracious with his time. He shared thoughts about everything ranging from film theory to professional wrestling with a number of us in the green room. He was extremely supportive of all the other directors in attendance. I appreciated the community spirit of all the filmmakers this year, and Aaron was at the center of this experience. What I find particularly remarkable is that Benson and Moorhead came upon cosmic horror themes by osmosis. Early in their career, they were lauded by Rogerebert.com as “A Hybrid of Richard Linklater and H.P. Lovecraft.” The irony was that they were unaware of either of those references at the time they were bestowed with that appraisal. Now, they are fully aware of the literacy and lore of both Linklater and Lovecraft, but they came by their ideas naturally. Perhaps that is why their stories always feel fresh and uncluttered, despite the cerebral nature of their films. Moorhead generously shared some of his valuable time with the Scariest Things. It proved to be a wonderful interview. Scenes from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="52974" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241006_132125-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52974" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241006_132125-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241006_132125-300x225.jpg 300w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/202...
Transcribe →Dream Eater (2024) Review: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Oct 15, 202400:44:31Tap to summarizeAlex Lee Williams goes sleepwalking… ominously… in Dream Eater (2024) Intensity 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 Directed by Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm, and Alex Lee Williams Cosmic Horror meets found footage in the parasomnia-infused Dream Eater. Documentarian Mallory and her boyfriend Alex retreat to a snowy cabin, celebrating Alex’s 30th birthday. There, they hope to relax and get relief from Alex’s violent sleepwalking episodes. Unfortunately, fate would have it that something ancient and evil is behind his psychological traumas, and Mallory struggles to make sense of it before it destroys them both. Madness and dreams are a staple of Lovecraftian horror. The Dreamlands beckon the unwary. In the Lovecraft Mythos, malevolent forces can infiltrate our minds and our world through our sleep cycle. The power of suggestion is strong, and there is only so much that our minds can potentially handle. Such is the struggle that Alex and Mallory are dealing with. Dream Eater explores the fragility of the dream psyche, using an appealing couple at its core. This is as much a story of love and devotion as it is about madness. The found footage format is not always a great format for telling complex stories, but Dream Eater manages to explain its multi-layered tale with a whole lot of heart… and jump scares. Dream Eater exploits the power of found footage authenticity to ramp up the tension and scares. The beauty is that Dream Eater doesn’t use the first-person perspective for cheap thrills. This film earns its scares. Dream Eater punctuates these fears, through an emotional bond between the characters and the audience. The characters are normal people with whom you can identify. Think of Paranormal Activity as a precedent. The Cast of Dream Eater: Mallory Drumm plays Mallory, a documentarian between jobs. She has scrapped together enough spare change to treat herself and Alex to a vacation in the snowy Canadian woods and hopes this outing will be therapeutic for both of them. Alex Lee Williams plays Alex, a troubled young man, struggling with parasomnia and sleepwalking. While awake he is a goofy and charming man, but he remembers nothing from his nightmare episodes. He is an unemployed stage lighting technician and comes from a life living in foster homes as a child. Dainty Smith plays Dr. Snape, a therapist helping the couple with parasomnia. She has asked Mallory to record Alex’s episodes for analysis. David Richard plays Dr. Armitage, a Crypto historian who helps Mallory understand what might be causing Alex’s problems. His wild theories make Mallory think that Armitage is a quack Mallory Drumm and Alex Lee Williams review the script in Dream Eater (2024) Mallory Drumm in Dream Eater (2024) A Short Summary of Dream Eater: Life has been stressful for Mallory and Alex, a young Canadian couple. Despite struggling to pay the bills between their jobs in the documentary film world, they have saved enough money for a long-awaited vacation in the proverbial cabin in the woods of Quebec. Alex has been waking in the middle of the night, muttering cryptic and only semi-coherent thoughts. He has also been sleepwalking, and more alarmingly, he has started acting violently during his semi-conscious dream state. His therapist, Dr. Snape has recommended this getaway, and since Alex doesn’t recall any of his sleeping actions, she has requested that the couple film these encounters to see if this helps Alex recall what he might be going through. So far, he recalls nothing, and his waking self is charming and affable. As the snow falls during their retreat, the parasomnia gets worse. Alex becomes more aggressive and frightening. Eventually, these events...
Transcribe →The DAEMON (2024) Review: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Oct 10, 202400:46:13Tap to summarizeThe Daemon (2024) Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 Directed by Matt Devino & David Yohe The Daemon was a perfect vessel to be unleashed at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. The debut feature from Devino and Yohe taps into all of the key tropes of Cosmic Horror: coping with inner demons, battling psychoses and grief, dreams from the underworld, and elder gods rising from the deep. Add in some wonderfully grotesque body horror and you get a banger of a movie. Plus: we get Azathoth. If you know, you know. Some films land at the right place at the right time. Such is the case with The Dæmon, a well-crafted slice of cosmic horror that evokes all the mythos you can shake a stick at. Cosmic horror can be a trick to pull off well. Every year at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland (and Providence), filmmakers will try to convince hardened cosmic horror fans of some new profound insights. If the movie uses too much exposition, you get bogged down in hyper-intellectualism. On the other hand, with not enough exposition, cosmic horror can become supremely difficult to unwind. These types of films lean on an almost academic intelligence. They can be heady portraits of things that are explicitly unknowable. When not carefully done, they become art-school thesis projects that only the creator can understand. Or, the opposite effort is made, and the film can be sloppy and incoherent, leaning on gross-out gags to keep the audience engaged. The Dæmon threads the needle deftly, and it all starts with well-drawn characters. The Cast of The Daemon Tyler Q Rosen plays Tom, a man whose father has committed suicide, and left him a legacy of madness and doom. He has fled to the family vacation cabin to confront his fate. Sara Fletcher plays Kathy, Tom’s wife. Kathy has taken to the bottle to cope with Tom’s disappearance and fears that he’s trying to leave her. Adriana Isabel plays Jess, a survivor of child and drug abuse. Jess believes everyone can be rescued from their inner demons. Oscar Wilson plays Mark, Jess’ husband and a work-obsessed occasionally oblivious jerk. Mark is also Kathy’s brother, and they have a playful but snarky relationship. Mario Daggett plays Mani, one of Jess’ counseling patients who is fed up with her empathic therapy efforts. Nick Searcy plays Elliot, Tom’s estranged and highly disturbed father. David McClain Jr. plays Clint, Kathy’s secret lover. A very long staircase in The Dæmon (2024) A Short Summary of The Daemon Elliot, alone in his cabin on the banks of Lake Michigan is writing a final message to his son. Visions of his arm rupturing provide ominous warnings of impending madness, but he finishes his message. He then wanders out and surrenders himself to the vastness of the lake. Tom receives the certificate of Elliot’s death along with the completed letter, suggesting that visions from Tom’s youth were true. Something in the lake was calling him from the deep, from the dark, and the same thing that claimed Tom’s mother was going to get Elliot too. Tom was right, and his father was proud that he got away. Tom flees to the cabin by the lake, to try and find more answers, leaving Kathy behind without saying goodbye. Meanwhile, Jess struggles in her job as a counselor, where she strives but ultimately cannot connect with her parolee charge. Mark is insensitive or unable to identify with what Jess is going through. He offers whatever limited moral support he can, but it’s a fairly weak effort. When Kathy comes in a drunken panic to request Jess’s help to find and talk some sense into Tom, Jess jumps at the opportunity to help. When Mark, Jess, and Kathy arrive at the cabin, Tom is in an emotioanlly detached state and doesn’t want any help. Tom angrily lashes out that he was avoiding everyone for a reason. It was a warning to stay away. Tom isn’t grieving, as he still harbors old grudges about his dad not believing that Tom saw his mother dragged out to the lake by a mysterious force. He has come back to the lake for answers and he doesn’t want the others around. That night, they have a mostly enjoyable campfire, unaware that The Crawling Chaos is coming. Azathoth, the chaotic supreme leader of the Outer Gods of the Lovecraftian Mythos has entangled Tom’s family and is coming to engulf the four campers. An evening full of nightmares washes over the group. As dawn breaks, the unlucky campers face destruction by demons within their psyches and externally by cosmic terrors. No amount of psychoanalysis or plucky determination is going to stop the forces of evil coming up from the depths. Amniotic sac attack in The Dæmon (2024) Evaluation of The Daemon I have always been a champion of evaluating a movie by how much I care for the protagonists. The Dæmon superbly sets up four wonderfully flawed protagonists, who have both admirable and despicable traits. The first act fleshes out the characters well, providing distinct textured personalities. Tom is sympathetic because he has been suffering from these literal demons since he was a child, and he intended to deal with this on his own and...
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