Is there anything truly like the feeling of it finally being October, officially?
My whole life, I have spent the other eleven months of the year longing for and trying to recapture the feeling that October brings.
One way I’ve always done this, is by watching Halloween themed movies and TV shows.
Over the years, I’ve added several “go-tos” to my watch list. It’s hard to explain what makes something a Halloween go-to for me...The only thing I can really say for sure is that it’s just a feeling that a particular piece of media gives me; an atmosphere it creates.
Sometime last year, after Halloween had already passed, I stumbled upon an Instagram account called Witching Season Films. I was immediately impressed with the content I found there, particularly a series of photos posted with the hashtag #31ShotsOfHalloween. Upon further observation, I found that this was a yearly photo challenge that any Halloween lover could participate in, and these pictures seemed to fit my personal decorating and atmosphere aesthetic so perfectly that I swore then and there that come October 2020, I would, most definitely, be joining in. (You can follow along on My Instagram if you so desire.) But a fun, atmospheric photo challenge was just the tip of the iceberg for what I discovered on this wonderful page.
It turned out these filmmakers made a Halloween anthology series called The Witching Season. Once I found this out, I couldn’t wait to watch it, and actually did so for the first time on Christmas Eve 2019. I knew before the first short film ended that I’d found my newest Halloween go-to.
It’s almost hard to explain what it is about The Witching Season that I love so much. These films hit me in exactly the same place where I try to pull an answer from when asked “Why do you love Halloween so much?” They just capture something unexplainable, and in all my years of consuming and collecting Halloween media, I’ve never seen anything else do exactly what The Witching Season does. The combination of the vintage inspired imagery and just the right amount of horror truly succeed in setting just the right mood. I turn on these films and it’s like returning to my childhood on Halloween night. I’m falling in love with the decorations and environment, all the while feeling as though there may just be something, somewhere, going on that’s a little more sinister. The folks at Witching Season Films truly know how to create an atmosphere.
The first film, Killer On The Loose, takes us on a chase one fateful Halloween night, as hunter and hunted stumble through beautifully decorated yards, and eventually into a home that’s otherwise cozy and very reminiscent of how my own was decorated as a child, The final face-off just might be a little different than what you’d expect. It’s truly a fun, atmospheric ride with a nod to classic horror, and an interesting twist.
The second film is called Princess, taking its name from that of a creepy stuffed animal found by a little girl in the basement of the home she and her mother have just moved into. Having a lifelong interest in dolls and toys, and having spent most of my childhood believing they had lives of their own (and sometimes maybe not the best intentions), this story really struck a chord with me. It gives off that same eerie energy that can come from walking into an antique shop, when you realize just how much the items around you may have seen, and can’t help but wonder what stories they might tell if they only could. Princess herself truly captures that “cute but creepy” vibe so many toys of the past seem to carry with them, as we wonder how any child may have slept next to this thing without having nightmares. Truly a solid take on the “evil doll” trope.
Not Alone is the third installment. It’s the shortest of the bunch, but still manages to pack a punch. This one, true to its title, tells a little story about a man who wakes up to discover he is, quite literally, not alone. The concept is simple, but also thought-provoking. And it also includes a nod to the previous installment, which is a fun touch.
My favorite of the bunch, which has actually evolved into a feature film to release this coming Tuesday, October 6th, is They Live Inside Us. This is the longest piece of the Witching Season anthology, a truly engaging tale of a man who decides to spend the night in a house with a creepy history that’s become a local legend, in the hopes of writing the scariest horror story of all time. We’ve all known those places; places with so many strange stories attached to them that, despite having no way of knowing what’s true or what isn’t, the lines between fantasy and reality blur when we visit them. Things take a terrifying turn as this story goes on, making us think about what truly makes a monster, and what the scariest horror stories may actually be born out of. This was the piece of the anthology that left me sitting in silent awe after it ended, and truly left me wanting more. I’m so excited to see how this story will play out as a feature length film.
The final piece of the Witching Season anthology, at least for now, is Is That You?, a terrifying tale of what happens to a teenage girl confined to her room with a broken leg on Halloween night. The opening sequence of this one actually sets up the potential for an ongoing series about its villain, and, in addition to once again creating a cozy Halloween vibe amidst a horrific situation, this installment of the series will most likely leave you looking over your shoulder for a little while after it’s done.
You can check out all of these amazing short films, plus many other fun things, on Witching Season Films’ YouTube channel. (I highly recommend the Halloween Atmospheres videos when you’re most in need of a Halloween fix!) The anthology is also available to watch for free on Amazon Prime, and can also be purchased on Blu-ray and DVD. The full-length feature version of They Live Inside Us is currently available for pre-order on iTunes.
Do yourself a favor and check it out. Your Halloween heart will thank you.
Stay spooky, my friends.
Comments
Post a Comment