Director – Chris LaMartina (WNUF Halloween Special, Call Girl of Cthulhu)
Starring – George Stover (WrestleMassacre, Flesh Eaters), Melissa LaMartina (A Corpse for Christmas, House Shark), and Ted Geoghegan (Sharknado 2: The Second One, Hatchet III)
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 3.5/5
Many years ago I grabbed a copy of Chris LaMartina’s WNUF Halloween Special on DVD and it instantly became a staple of my October horror binge. I don’t think I’ve skipped an annual viewing of it since obtaining the DVD all that time ago. I have upgraded to the blu when it was released but that is neither here nor there. A few years back LaMartina released sequel to WNUF titled Out There Halloween Mega Tape.
I remember following the project when he finally announced it but I completely forgot about it until Terror Vision announced their bad ass special edition release of the film with all kinds of extras with it. I quickly ordered the collection and had hopes it would arrive in time to watch for Halloween. Sadly, it arrived a day late so I added it to my review stack to get to when I could. After watching the Gingerdead Man series, I decided to finally check it out.
**Spoiler Alert** The “mega tape” features two cable television Halloween specials recorded a few years apart and many years after the dreadful WNUF Halloween special where several people are still missing. The first special is a day time talk show with a Halloween theme. The second special takes place a few years after the first with the same host, now hosting a paranormal show, who is meeting a cult that expects extraterrestrials to appear to take them to their home world. **Spoiler Alert**
I had no idea what I was getting myself into with Out There Halloween Mega Tape but I knew that LaMartina would not disappoint and I was right. Out There is a fantastic trip back to the 90s when I was spending my time at the video store or glued to the television. A lot of thought went into this one and only someone who survived the decade would be able to nail a film like this.
The acting in this one is very inconsistent but still enjoyable. The main characters, like Melissa LaMartina’s Ivy Sparks, are very enjoyable with a little more time spent on the character’s personality and background but a lot of the supporting characters are a bit awkward to watch. I’m not referring to the cast “acting” as awkward people being interviewed on television like you would see on the local news.
The story for this one really does feel like something you would have watched during the 90s. Hell, the only thing it’s missing from the nostalgia overload is a USA Up All Night clone and some static breasts. We get some “local” commercials that feel genuine, a great parody/tribute to day time talk shows with a Halloween special, and the final segment with the “live” broadcast of the cult is something that would have been extremely popular during the Satanic Panic. With that being said, I couldn’t imagine a news station going all out on Halloween a decade or so after people went missing on a live broadcast. Regardless, I enjoyed it and I’m glad it was done in the same style again.
Finally, don’t expect a blood bath or a film with a body count. We get a lot of campy video editing and graphics along with some cheap computer generated images that fits the tone of the film perfectly. Overall, Out There Halloween Mega Tape is not on the same level as the original and I think they knew they wouldn’t be able to duplicate the same look and vibe. Instead, they set out to make a similar experience but with a different type of Halloween special. I enjoyed it and it definitely made me reminisce of about all the shows, infomercials, and commercials I watched growing up. This is a must see for genre fans and those of you that made it out of the 90s alive. Check it out.
