126 w/ Jessie - Man Bites Dog (1992) & The Houses October Built (2014) →
CW: Rape, Suicide, Infanticide
Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1236774557500964864
It’s Fake Documentary Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey invite friend-of-the-sematary Jessie over to dish about one of the better sub-sub-genres of horror, the fake documentary! Plus, getting punched in the face at Knott's Scary Farm! Thanks for the recommendations, Harry and Anthony!
The Classic Film: Man Bites Dog [C'est arrivé près de chez vous] (1992)
"A film crew follows a ruthless thief and heartless killer as he goes about his daily routine. But complications set in when the film crew lose their objectivity and begin lending a hand” (IMDb.com). Early 90s hipster filmmakers loved making provocative, black and white, dark comedies on a shoestring budget and the Belgians were no different, apparently!
The Modern Film: The Houses October Built (2014)
"Looking to find an authentic, blood-curdling good fright for Halloween, five friends set off on a road trip in an RV to track down these underground Haunts. Just when their search seems to reach a dead end, strange and disturbing things start happening and it becomes clear that the Haunt has come to them” (IMDb.com). A sort-of-remake of a fake documentary the same filmmakers already made, this movie is very effective at evoking anxiety through its realism, but only the first time around...
Audio Sources:
"Halloween Spooks" written and performed by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
"The Houses October Built" produced by Room 101 & Foreboding Films
"Last Exit to Springfield" (The Simpsons S04E17) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television
"Man Bites Dog" produced by Les Artistes Anonymes
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"S&M Present" (Robot Chicken S01E09) produced by Stoopid Monkey, et al.
"This is Spinal Tap" produced by Spinal Tap Prod. & Goldcrest Films International