The Unseen Horror on Eerie Indiana

Sep. 2nd, 2020 05:36 pm
Tags:
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry

THE UNSEEN HORROR: MATINEE

Nov. 1st, 2019 08:06 am
froodle: (Default)
[personal profile] froodle
Welcome back to THE UNSEEN HORROR. Today, we prepare to close up the crypt, but not without a final look at a forgotten piece of horror cinema. That said, this one isn’t quite a frightfest. Instead, it examines the relationship between the real world and horror films, and why certain themes are frightening at certain times. Most importantly, it also examines the release horror can give us and why we love it so much. So let’s head to the 60’s with Joe Dante’s MATINEE.

MATINEE takes place in Key West in 1962. A young boy. Gene, lives on an army base. Gene is a fan of monster movies, specifically the work of producer Lawrence Woolsey. Woolsey is promoting his new film MANT (about a ant-human hybrid) as the Cuban Missile Crisis puts everyone on high alert. Woolsey decides the environment is perfect to debut his film, and stages ‘protests’ to draw attention to it. However, the experience is more complicated then Woolsey had believed, as he and Gene find their own romantic dilemmas amid the controversy surrounding them.

If you don’t think MATINEE sounds very scary… well, you’re right. The movie is much more a coming of age drama that uses horror films to tell a story. However, the film uses the horror of the time with great love and affection. Director Joe Dante grew up in this period of time, so it’s not surprising he puts his love his childhood films into MATINEE. The film score uses bits and pieces from famous monster movies like CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. TARANTULA, and THIS ISLAND EARTH. The movie within a movie, MANT, calls to mind the classic atomic monster films like THEM!. MATINEE even pokes fun at the Disney comedies of the time with a second movie within a movie, THE SHOOK UP SHOPPING CART. However, the film’s greatest tribute is Woolsey, played by the great John Goodman.

Horror fans will recognize Woolsey as a tribute to Frank Castle, the infamous horror director-producer of the era. Castle directed a number of lower-budget horror films. These include HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE TINGLER, and THIRTEEN GHOSTS. Castle was famous for using gimmicks with his films; TINGLER had buzzers under the theater seats to shock audiences, and THIRTEEN GHOSTS had special glasses that allowed patrons to see or not see the onscreen ghosts. Woolsey acts in the same way. He rigs the theater with devices to shake it when the giant ‘Mant’ walks onscreen. He also gets costumed actors to play monsters and nurses. Most importantly, Woolsey sees the Cuban Missile Crisis as a helpful controversy that will bolster the film. Goodman brings all of that too life, without making Woolsey a money-grubbing producer and having him evolve as the film goes on.

The real scares of MATINEE come from the Cuban Missile Crisis. The most gripping moment is during a duck and cover drill at Gene’s school. One girls speaks up as the drill commences. She decries how pointless the drill is, and that it’s better the students die in the blast then suffer the fallout of radiation sickness. It’s a moment that highlights just how real this threat was, and how truly unprepared people were for the worst case scenario. However, that only enhances why movies like MANT were so popular.

We’ve mentioned before how films like THEM! let people forget the real dangers of nuclear power. MATINEE gives a us a deeper look into those people and their lives. We see how tense and on edge they were, not just in this moment in time, but in general. The fear of nuclear attack was a unspoken one, but it lingered in their lives daily. The movies acted as a way to release that tension, to make nuclear power into something that could be defeated and even laughed at. It made an intangible fear tangible, and in doing so, showed why we love horror so much.

Horror films gives us an escape from the troubles and issues of the day. Of course, that’s the purpose of storytelling in many cases, but horror does something else too. It gives something else to be afraid of, something onscreen that looks scary but isn’t real. Our fear is re purposed away from our real problems and onto the screen. The experience makes it fun to be scared. And because it’s a story, the fears we see on screen can be defeated, and take the weight of our fear away. MATINEE perfectly captures that feeling and experience horror fans know for everyone.

MATINEE isn’t a film to scare you, but it is a film for horror fans. It captures the love of the genre, and shows just why we love being scared so much. So if you can’t explain why horror matters so much to you, show people this film, and you’ll be able to explain your fears with ease.

And that wraps another year of THE UNSEEN HORROR. Don’t worry, though, there always crypts to explore on your own until next time. Until then, have a happy Halloween, and remember… there’s always something to be scared of.
Tags:
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry

THE UNSEEN HORROR: EERIE, INDIANA

Oct. 27th, 2019 09:10 am
froodle: (Default)
[personal profile] froodle
Hello again, as THE UNSEEN HORROR reaches out from across your TV screens. Last time, we ventured across dimensions with Rod Serling and NIGHT GALLERY. Today however, we look at a very different place– a small town in the American heartland. Oh, does that not sound scary to you? Well don’t worry, because this is no ordinary town. It’s a place where Elvis is on the paper route, and Bigfoot goes through your trash. It’s a town of alien societies and dog uprisings. This is EERIE, INDIANA.

The Plot

Marshall Teller and his family have just moved to Eerie, Indiana from New Jersey. Marshall’s parents waned a quiet, safe upbringing for their children. However, Marshall quickly learns that Eerie is anything but quiet. In fact, the town is the center of weirdness for the entire planet. However, none of the residents seem to realize the oddities that surround their lives. Marshall and Simon Holmes, the only other person to note the Eerie weirdness, must collect evidence as they deal with the strangeness of the town.

The Cult of EERIE, INDIANA

EERIE, INDIANA began on NBC, with GREMLINS director Joe Dante serving as a creative consultant. The series lasted for nineteen episodes. Disney Channel then put it into syndication. However, when it aired on FOX in 1997, as part of its children’s lineup, something unexpected happened. The show gained a new audience that propelled it into cult status.

The fan reaction impressed Fox. They eventually green-lit a sequel series (EERIE, INDIANA: THE OTHER DIMENSION), but it only last one season. Nevertheless, the influence was felt by many. GRAVITY FALLS creator Alex Hirsch cites the show as an influence of his work. Critics also enjoyed the show; USA described it as ‘Stephen King meets the Simpsons’. Others praised how it mocked suburban tropes and took them to strange, absurd lengths as well. Much of that likely comes from Dante, who directed similar themes in films like THE BURBS. The full series is available on DVD and Fear.net aired the episodes daily.

EERIE, INDIANA explored many odd ideas in suburbia. This included tupperware that could halt the aging process, being stuck in the lost hour of Daylight Savings Time, and more standard horror fare like ghosts and werewolves. Since this was designed for younger audiences, these stories weren’t full of heart-pounding terror. However, they did have strong writing, a good sense of humor and the absurd, and solid performances from the cast. However, the creativity of the stories was the real selling point. The show fully understood the norms of suburbia, and how to take them to extreme lengths. Personally, I enjoy the idea of the ‘Elks Lodge’ secretly being a meeting ground for aliens.

Beyond the plots I’ve mentioned above, the show also showcased people literary becoming credit-spending zombies, a town ‘tornado day’ involving a sentient windstorm, and even breaking the fourth wall when Marshall emerges on the set of the TV show. Marshall himself was also crucial to the show, as he served as the narrator. His monologues were full of dry wit, but also filtered through the eyes of a child. It’s refreshing to hear his take on how credit works mixed with his expertise on the weirdness around him. The weirdness was another wonderfully done aspect. It gave Marshall a conspiracy to unravel. This deepened his relationship with the younger Simon, who could see things more simply then Marshall.

EERIE Residents

The casting was another bonus for the show. Marshall and Simon had enough charm and charisma to carry the show easily. Marshall’s family was also perfectly cast. The family was rarely a focal point, but their normalcy helped Marshall feel more developed and unique to the town. The show also featured a number of character actors stopping by, such as John Astin, Rene Auberjonois, Matt Frewer, Stephen Root, Jason Marsden, and Ray Walston, just to name a few. Other actors got their start here, like Nikki Cox and Tobey Maguire. Omri Katz (Marshall) even got a role in another Halloween classic, HOCUS POCUS. Ironically, his character in that film disbelieved in the supernatural.

Take A Trip to EERIE, INDIANA

EERIE, INDIANA isn’t truly terrifying in the same way NIGHT GALLERY was. However, it’s full of strong writing, an appreciation for horror and imagination, and is always fun to watch. This show functions as a gateway to the TWILIGHT ZONE and similar shows. So if you want to share your love of strangeness with your kids, or just want to have a good time in suburbia, head to EERIE, INDIANA.

And afterwards, come back next week, when we move into the realms of science fiction and atomic energy…
Tags:
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry

Profile

eerieindiana: (Default)
Eerie Indiana

June 2025

M T W T F S S
      1
2345678
910 1112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30      

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 8th, 2025 06:58 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios