For fans of horror anthologies, who remembers Tales of the Cryptkeeper? And who could forget good ole’ Cryptkeeper? From his emaciated, mummified skin to his shrill yet jovial voice, you can’t find a better host. Until you put a zombie in a carnival suit and cowboy hat. Simply known as The Curator, he introduces each episode with a creative riddle linked to said episode’s story. Sometimes, the most nondescript events can determine the outcome of your life.
Anthologies are a series of short stories with an overarching theme or motif, be it a shared characteristic or setting. If you’ve been following Dustin Tamplen and Horror Dadz Productions, you’ll know that they specialize in found footage horror. And Tamplen does a wonderful job incorporating the found footage style with the anthology format. Every story follows a different cameraman who commits a sin. And I don’t mean telling white lies or going to work on Sundays. No, I mean murder, stealing money from the homeless and stalking amongst other things.
The first season consists of five episodes. I’ll keep spoilers to a minimum, so I’ll just talk about my favorite and least favorite episode. My favorite episode is the fifth one since it perfectly highlights the anthology’s special effects and unique premise. It’s also one of the most cathartic films by Horror Dadz Productions. Conversely, my least favorite episode is the fourth one. While it starts strong, it quickly derails in the middle and the ending feels rushed. Unlike the other four, the cameramen aren’t bad people which leaves it the odd duckling. Yet I enjoyed the eerie and unnerving atmosphere. Even though it didn’t fit the tone of Midnight Feature, it would be an excellent addition to The Flock universe.
Most of the episodes revolve around realistic events, but there are a couple that throw in some supernatural elements. Although this helps drive home the main theme, they’re not quite as scary compared to the realistic episodes. Personally, I’m more afraid of a creepy stalker or serial killer since there’s a possibility of meeting one. However, the supernatural episodes are still perturbing and creepy, so maybe keep the lights on when watching them. In fact, just keep them on if you’re home alone and watching Midnight Feature.
Some anthologies go overboard with their special effects, but this one keeps things practical. I love it when horror films utilize practical effects over CGI because it makes them look far more visceral and realistic. Midnight Feature’s use of fake blood is generally effective at conveying gore and death and we also get a very good mask in a few episodes. This doesn’t surprise me, these are the same guys who made Tahoe Joe 2 after all. But not only are the masks and gore practical, the sets are too. Most of the anthology takes place in garages, homes and decrepit buildings. All of this makes Midnight Feature feel realistic and less like a movie.
I love how tightly knit the Horror Dadz Productions production crew and community is, from directors and producers to actors and production assistants. We see plenty of familiar actors, although in significantly different roles. It’s refreshing to see each actor going out of their comfort zone and fully embrace their characters. And no one highlights this more than our lovely host himself, The Curator played by John Potash. Known for his villainous roles in both Tahoe Joe 2 and Ghost, it’s a pleasure to see Potash take on a much sillier role. The Curator’s colorful appearance is contrasted by his deep, monotonous voice. Added with his wit and physical humor, makes him both a fun and entertaining host. Any chance he could host The Oscars?
I’d finally like to note how much I enjoyed the instrumental theme at the start of each episode. The minimalist synth pays homage to horror movies of the 1970-80s such as John Carpenter’s Halloween. Meanwhile, the soft keyboard keys are reminiscent to classic horror shows like Goosebumps (one of my favorite childhood shows). Besides the music, the intro sequence itself does a wonderful job hooking you in. The short clip of monsters and ghouls also reminds me of Goosebumps. It’s often said that less is sometimes more. And in the case of Midnight Feature, I can’t agree more.
That being said, my biggest complaint is the redundancy of throat kills. While it’s more effective to show gore, it feels overdone and I wished we could’ve seen more variety. The best episode has a kill that isn’t throat based, making it more graphic and memorable. Even though I praised the fake blood, the quality slightly varies. Some scenes look like a character was completely butchered while others just look like BBQ sauce smeared around their neck. However, this being the biggest complaint speaks volumes about the exemplary quality of the series.
So where does Dustin Tamplen's Midnight Feature stand compared to Tales of the Cryptkeeper? Although The Curator lacks Cryptkeeper’s jovial quips, he makes up for it with his effortlessly chill voice coupled with his colorful presentation. While not every single episode was a direct hit, all of them were entertaining and properly scary. Coupled with amazing practical effects and stellar acting, Midnight Feature will be sure to not just keep you engaged, but it will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Man, all this horror stuff really got me in the mood for Halloween! Now if only we had a Christmas horror anthology…oh wait. Let’s hope Greg Sestero from Infrared doesn’t knock on my door come the holiday season.
Co-Written By: Owen Gonzalez
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