This week's review is going to be a little different. I won't be following my usual format, just for this week. I usually concentrate on only one film, movie, game, or book. But today I want to take a moment to talk about a new Halloween themed horror anthology web series on YouTube. It's called Witching Season.
The opening sequence to the show is very promising. The combination of Halloween themed imagery, vintage decorations, and 1980s style synth music should make any horror fan intrigued.
The show overall seems to be aimed at capturing the nostalgia and fear of 1980s style horror films while still having a unique and truly atmospheric vibe of its own. In fact, if I had to pick out the one area in which this web series shines, it is in the atmosphere.
The show overall seems to be aimed at capturing the nostalgia and fear of 1980s style horror films while still having a unique and truly atmospheric vibe of its own. In fact, if I had to pick out the one area in which this web series shines, it is in the atmosphere.
The first episode, Killer on the Loose, is written and directed by the show's creator. It is a well made little piece that, despite its generic plotline, can still manage to instill some creeping dread into the viewer.
The story follows a young woman as she flees through the woods and into an old farmhouse. The film distinctly borrows elements from horror classic Night of the Living Dead. In fact, the episode uses the sound of Night of the Living Dead playing in the background as the overall music for the scene.
It is an interesting and creative use of sound that pays off. Unfortunely, I felt that the storytelling in this episode fell a little flat. The twist ending doesn't fit with the overall tone of the rest of the episode. Even though I could easily guess what was going to happen, it just didn't make sense in the character shift. (watch it yourself and you'll see what I mean). I wish the director had picked a different--less cliche--ending for the episode.
The story follows a young woman as she flees through the woods and into an old farmhouse. The film distinctly borrows elements from horror classic Night of the Living Dead. In fact, the episode uses the sound of Night of the Living Dead playing in the background as the overall music for the scene.
It is an interesting and creative use of sound that pays off. Unfortunely, I felt that the storytelling in this episode fell a little flat. The twist ending doesn't fit with the overall tone of the rest of the episode. Even though I could easily guess what was going to happen, it just didn't make sense in the character shift. (watch it yourself and you'll see what I mean). I wish the director had picked a different--less cliche--ending for the episode.
The second episode, Princess, does equally as well at using mood and atmosphere to evoke a sense of dread. The combination of clever and interesting camera work with creepy, if generic, music made this episode enjoyable.
The concept of the story was interesting enough and could have been very scary if played right. Unfortunately, a few minor moments made the "horror" of this episode come off a little cheesy. I feel that if the episode hadn't set itself up as being so dark and serious the cheesy nature of the later scenes wouldn't have been as jarring.
The other major flaw I felt was present in this was the TV. The "shows" that are on the TV in this episode appear as poorly executed inside jokes. They felt too jarring and took me out of the overall mood of the story.
The concept of the story was interesting enough and could have been very scary if played right. Unfortunately, a few minor moments made the "horror" of this episode come off a little cheesy. I feel that if the episode hadn't set itself up as being so dark and serious the cheesy nature of the later scenes wouldn't have been as jarring.
The other major flaw I felt was present in this was the TV. The "shows" that are on the TV in this episode appear as poorly executed inside jokes. They felt too jarring and took me out of the overall mood of the story.
Summing it Up
Witching Season is one web series to keep an eye on. Although the show seems fairly lacking in the storytelling department, I'd say they make up for it in quality horror cinematography. Most horror films today rely heavily on jump scares and cheap shots. This show, even though it may have the occasional jump scare, relies more on rising tension and dread. I'd say if the creators can come up with some more coherent, less cliche story lines, they'd have an excellent web series on their hands.