Frightfest 2020: ‘The Horror Crowd’ Review
Features: Russell Mulcahy, Lin Shaye, Darren Lynn Bousman, Ryan Turek, Greg Grunberg, Oren Peli, Mike Mendez, Sarah Nicklin | Directed by Ruben Pla
I’ve always been fond of documentaries that explore the deeper echelon of horror, and especially those that sit down with a plethora of actors and filmmakers to discuss a variety of topics. That’s what The Horror Crowd is all about, with veteran insider Ruben Pla (The Kill, Head) taking us on a journey across Hollywood’s horror scene, talking to actors, directors, writers and producers as discussions happen in a very organic way. It feels like a gentle and easy-going conversation, and I dug that.
It’s a nice arrangement of talking heads, here, too. From the likes of Lin Shaye (Insidious), Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and producer of Paranormal Activity and Chernobyl Diaries, Oren Peli, to indie horror actress Sarah Nicklin (The Haunting of Alice D), editor of Tales of Halloween, Mike Mendez and a variety of others. Each name is relevant and offers something interesting and insightful to the mix, which is all we can ask for. I thought it was very well done, very laid-back in it’s way, and hearing about the creation and push for some of these horror titles was really fun to know.
The Horror Crowd isn’t necessarily one of those life-altering or massively inspiring documentary films, the kind that make you want to hop off the couch and go and do something huge with your next few hours, but… it’s certainly packed with intriguing anecdotes and enjoyable chats about the scene we love so much. As a scary movie fan, I love to hear the people who make these scary movies talking about them, talking about what made them want to do what they do, and what their favourite scary movie is. That’s what this film does, and I had a blast with it. If you wanna delve into the horror community in a calm and informal manner, then The Horror Crowd is surely a crowd you want to be a part of for an hour and a half.
***½ 3.5/5
The Horror Crowd screened as part of this years Frightfest Digital Edition on Saturday August 29th.
