Jump Scare Issue #5
A slight programming note right at the top… The previous issues of this newsletter were basically research papers focused on a single movie, which is a pretty unsustainable–and, in the age of Wikipedia, pretty idiotic–project to take on. Going forward, I’ll be getting loose with the form, emailing about recommendations when I have them and probably publishing issues more frequently than every 19 months.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
I’m convinced that this ultra-low-budget horror film will go on to be regarded as a pandemic-era cult classic. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is a creepypasta-esque story that follows Casey, a lonely teenager who spends most of her time in her room, binging scary videos on the internet. At the beginning of the movie, she announces to her followers that she is taking part in the World’s Fair Challenge–an online challenge that causes participants to lose their minds.
This is not a film loaded with jump scares or creepy special effects, but instead an intimate portrait of an isolated teen girl and her relationship with the glowing portal to the outside world that sits in the corner of her room and at the center of her existence. It’s a coming of age story that takes place in a vacuum, with a painfully vulnerable protagonist seemingly headed toward a catastrophic end.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair came in under the radar for most people, but for those who managed to catch it, it obviously made a lasting impression. Writer/Director Jane Shoenbrun is currently working on their next project, I Saw the TV Glow, for A24 and Anna Cobb, who plays Casey, stars alongside Timothée Chalamet in the upcoming Bones and All.
Stream We’re All Going to the World’s Fair on HBOMax
Deadstream
Deadstream is a found footage horror comedy following disgraced vlogger Shawn who, in a stunt to win back his followers, livestreams himself locked inside “the most haunted house in the United States” for an entire night. I found Shawn, played by Joseph Winter (who co-wrote and co-directed the film with his wife Vanessa), a bit grating at first because he spoofs the YouTube personality stereotype so well, but he quickly won me over. Put this one on if you’re in the mood for a fun haunted house flick.
Barbarian
If you’re reading a horror newsletter, you’ve probably seen Barbarian by now. If you haven’t, I’m not going to spoil it for you–just go watch it now. Last week, I caught an episode of the podcast The Evolution of Horror devoted entirely to the film and featuring an interview with Barbarian writer/director (and Whitest Kids U Know alumn) Zach Cregger. He goes into detail about his process for writing the film, the book that inspired it and how he was influenced by David Lynch’s book on meditation and creativity, Catching the Big Fish.
Listen to the Barbarian episode of The Evolution of Horror
Check out Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch on Amazon
X/Pearl
Ti West’s X was the first movie I saw in the theater post-pandemic. I thought it was fine–a perfectly serviceable little horror movie. When my wife and I were leaving the theater, an attendant told us that we should hang out and wait for the post-credit sequence. This, as it turns out, was the teaser for Pearl, the prequel to X. I remember walking out of the theater saying that, while I thought X was good, I wasn’t sure I needed to spend any more time in that world.
Fast forward six months and everyone is raving about Pearl. I finally got around to streaming it this weekend and it blew me away. With beautiful technicolor visuals and a stunning performance by the film’s co-writer Mia Goth, you owe it to yourself to check it out if you haven’t already. In fact, I’m planning to circle back on X to look for references that carry over from Pearl that I wouldn’t have caught the first time around.
That’s it for this issue. If you have any horror recs of your own, send them my way by replying to this newsletter.
- Erik