Skip to main content

SCARE CAMPAIGN review

Image
By



2016
Directed By: Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
Starring: Meegan Warner, Ian Meadows, and Olivia DeJonge


Whatever your thoughts on reality television are, most reasonable people would agree we have reached something of culture low point when you look at our media consumption. Sure, it can be argued that we are in the "golden age" of television, but I think of it as the "volume age." Some great stuff is out there, but for every STRANGER THINGS, we get five REAL HOUSEWIVES, literally five if you don't count reunion and recap shows. It's not so much that the studios have decided to make quality products as the sheer number of outlets have demanded micro-targeting, and in-turn some pretty interesting content and unique voices are being allowed to flourish.

One of the side-effects of that niche programming has been a rise in horror series. While studios have always been willing to make low-budget gore fests for cinemas (because they were always seen as a low prestige but overall a low-risk investment)  they were somewhat more hesitant with television. The censors made it impossible to satisfy the Fangoria crowd and it didn't seem like a wide audience would be interested in a NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST or a FRIDAY THE 13th series. But now we live in the age of AMERICAN HORROR STORY, THE WALKING DEAD, PENNY DREADFUL, TRUE BLOOD and THE STRAIN. The limits of what you can show on basic cable and network television are being pushed every night. HANNIBAL had more than a few moments that would make even the most hardened horror hound (intentional alliteration) squeamish. A show like SACRE TACTICS exists somewhere in between the worlds of reality television, horror series, and prank show. SCARE CAMPAIGN also exists in that world but is making a commentary on the larger landscape.

SCARE CAMPAIGN has been on the air for five years and might be running out of steam. Online knockoffs and viral videos have lessened the shows impact but an ambitious producer has decided to push the envelope and recapture the shows power.



The point of a prank show is the twist. That's why this is an incredibly difficult review to write. I don't want to spoil the film because it's a competently written piece that is both an effective horror film and a commentary on horror. The jokes never get in the way of the scares and the horror never stops the humor. I'm not sure if audiences appreciate how difficult it is to pull off a transition like that without losing large swaths of viewers. So yes this review has been incredibly vague but that was by design. I hope you will take my word for it and give this one a shot. SCARE CAMPAIGN is currently available on VOD and well worth your time.




Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

By
David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic films ever made. It operates like a riddle that refuses to be solved, luring the viewer into a world where time, memory, and identity dissolve into one another. What begins as a mysterious, almost whimsical Hollywood fairy tale gradually transforms into a psychological nightmare. By the end, it’s clear that what we’ve been watching is not a mystery to be unraveled but an emotional landscape, the mind of a woman caught between fantasy and despair. The film tells the story of two women, Betty Elms and Rita, whose lives intertwine after Rita survives a car crash and loses her memory. Betty, a bright and optimistic aspiring actress freshly arrived in Los Angeles, takes her in. Together, they embark on an investigation into Rita’s identity, which unfolds like a noir detective story bathed in dreamlike light. Everything about this world feels heightened: Betty’s charm, the coincidence of events, and the ease with w...
1 comment
Read More

Explaining the Ending of No Country for Old Men

By
No Country for Old Men is a tense, spare, and philosophical thriller that upends traditional narrative expectations. While it contains the elements of a crime drama—drug deals, hitmen, shootouts—it refuses to follow a conventional path. By the time the film ends, the central conflict seems unresolved, the villain walks away, and the protagonist we’ve been following disappears offscreen. To understand the film’s ending, one must look beyond plot and consider its themes: fate, violence, moral decay, and the erosion of order in the modern world. The Narrative Setup The story begins with Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam veteran who discovers a drug deal gone wrong in the Texas desert and makes off with $2 million in cash. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a remorseless hitman, is sent to retrieve the money. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a weary and introspective lawman, tries to make sense of the violence unfolding around him. At first glance, the film appears to set up a c...
Post a Comment
Read More

Dracula (2026) Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Plot Details

By
Dracula (2026) Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Plot Details Vertical has officially announced that DRACULA (2026), the latest reimagining of the iconic vampire myth, will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on February 6, 2026. Written, directed, and produced by visionary filmmaker Luc Besson, the film promises a dark, operatic take on one of cinema’s most enduring legends. Dracula (2026) Cast and Creative Team Besson’s Dracula (2026) stars Caleb Landry Jones in the title role, joined by an impressive ensemble that includes Christoph Waltz, Zoë Bleu, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Matilda De Angelis, Ewens Abid, and Raphael Luce. The film is executive produced by Mark Canton, Dorothy Canton, Ryan Winterstern, and Philippe Corrot, further cementing the project as a major cinematic event. Dracula (2026) Plot Synopsis Set against the brutal backdrop of the 15th century, Dracula (2026) begins with profound personal tragedy. After witnessing the savage murder of his beloved wife (Zoë B...
Post a Comment
Read More