GRIMMFEST 2020: The Horror Crowd
GRIMMFEST 2020To discuss Ruben Pla’s The Horror Crowd, it should really be said that it is difficult to envisage much of a path for it beyond the festival run it is currently having. While it will probably find some kind of streaming release, it is so ensnared in that festival zeitgeist that it is hard to truly acknowledge it beyond something that might appear as an enjoyable DVD extra. Ruben Pla, the director/editor and on-screen host of the documentary, has gathered a multitude of industry professionals that he has worked with and met amongst the Hollywood horror scene. Featuring interviews with: Ernest R. Dickerson (Demon Knight), Russell Mulcahey (Highlander), Lin Shaye (Insidious), and many others. There’s discussions of their roots breaking into the genre, being a part of the coined ‘horror-crowd’ and much much more.
There’s moments when it appears the film was made as an excuse for the participants to talk again. In the credits sequence, Ruben Pla is seen at a garden party with many of those that he interviewed. There’s an entire segment dedicated to the now defunct ‘Jump-cut Café’, in which it appears many of them met. It certainly sounds like a dream-like place to be as a horror fan, but it doesn’t stop it seeming like an episode of ‘This Is Your Life.’ A recollection of memories that the audience has no connection with. Despite that, there is some genuine value to be had for horror fans watching. From discussing the shelf-life of the horror screenwriter, to the recent oversaturation of the genre coming from increased investments, and cheaper methods of filmmaking. The Horror Crowd represents a checkpoint not only for those that are interviewed but for the genre itself in its current generation. It isn’t particularly flashy or exploring any specific angles, but it is a welcoming collection of thoughts and opinions on the genre as it is.
Seeing it now is probably the best bet. It won’t shock audiences for any kind of groundbreaking discourse, but it at least knows the ‘horror-crowd’ it discusses exists within the horror-festival circuit. It’s a fairly safe experience for any horror fan and a nice little supplemental film to a festival schedule.