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Reviews
FredHeads: The Documentary (2022)
Ego-Driven Drivel
The two self-appointed overlords of the Nightmare On Elm Street fandom, Diandra Lazor and Anthony Brownlee, who have successfully climbed the heights of their own egos to sit on the thrones which they have built upon their own pedestals by simply being overzealous fanatics have created a documentary about the other overzealous fanatics of the Elm Street franchise. Grown adults who claim that the movies gave their otherwise empty lives purpose, who can't leave the house or go to their jobs without some sort of Freddy memorabilia on hand, who fill their homes with as much merchandise and collectibles that they can fit, who hop from town to town, state to state, country to country to follow the cast members of the films in the convention circuit like they're following the Grateful Dead are showcased here, which wouldn't be a problem if it were a bit more focused and well put together. But this movie wanders aimlessly from fanatic to fanatic, convention to convention, with these overlords strutting around like they are the omnipotent Nightmare On Elm Street fan police, interspersed with endless clips from a conversation between the directors and producers (including these two overlords) with feigned interest and fake laughter. Freakshowing the fandom like this, by showing only the extremist fans with no real rhyme or reason leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and frankly makes me a little embarrassed to be a fan of these movies myself. I loved Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, and quite enjoyed Scream, Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, but this documentary, to me, was even worse than I Am Nancy, in which Elm Street star Heather Langenkamp sets out to prove that Nancy should have a place in horror next to Freddy, Michael, Jason, Pinhead, Leatherface, and even Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, proving that she not only doesn't understand her own films but doesn't understand horror films or why people love them. This documentary's creators couldn't afford the rights for any sort of clips from the movies themselves, so it is composed entirely of random interviews, the most screen time given to Lazor and Brownlee themselves, so that they can boost their visibility within the Elm Street circuit even more. Leave it to a documentary about fandom to kill one's own fandom. A very generous three stars out of ten.
U.F.O. Abduction (1989)
Interesting Movie With A Weird Following, But Still Not The First Found Footage Movie
This infamous alien abduction movie, like many others, claims to be the first ever found footage movie, but it is not. One example, off the top of my head, that preceeds this movie is Manson Family Movies (1984) which consists of faux super-8 "home movies" of the Manson family's cult life and murderous exploits.
This film is surprisingly well-done, considering the hundreds, if not thousands, of found footage movies that followed suit. The actors seem to have a genuine feel of an actual family, and there is a definite sense of tension and dread, although it is occasionally marred by some dragging moments, and a somewhat lackluster ending. The UPN remake from the late 1990s was pretty hokey, with completely over-the-top acting and unbelievable characters. Another thing that makes this version better is the lack of interspersed interviews with various "professionals" who are obviously reading from cue cards, like in the remake.
The fact that some people STILL think that this is some government cover-up, and that there really is some authentic VHS tape floating around out there is both laughable and embarrassing. Another weird thing about the retitling of this movie from UFO Abduction to the much-whispered-in-UFO- message-boards McPherson tape is that the name of the family in this original version isn't even McPherson, it's Van Heese. McPherson was the name of the family in the UPN/Dick Clark remake.
Worth watching for UFO or found footage enthusiasts, but to be frank, anyone else may find this movie rather tedious and boring.