Movie Review by “Bass” Peitzmeier ©2022

Written and Directed by Chris LaMartina

Starring Melissa LaMartina, George Stover, Bob Creager, Cary Anderson, Mike C. Hall, Dave Gamble, Shawn Jones, Frederick Cowie, Richard Cutting, Leanna Chamish, Ted Geoghegan

Cameo appearances by Paul Fahrenkopf, Helenmary Ball, Robert Long II,  Nicolette le Faye, Brian St. August, Sabrina Taylor-Smith 

Don’t expect to learn much by watching the trailer to this new movie, as it tells you nothing about the film. Here’s a basic plot breakdown. A former daytime talk show host – Ivy Sparks (Melissa LaMartina) is now the co host of a show called “Out There” which deals with investigating UFO sightings. On Halloween night of 1996 the show is counting down to what is to be a UFO encounter.

The story is put forth as two different programs, the first being Ivy’s former show, and the latter being the show she is on a few years later. It comes complete with the original commercials. It’s also presented by WNUF 28, the regional television station that hosted Frank Stewart’s fateful Halloween podcast nine years previous. 

There are a lot of familiar faces returning from 2013’s WNUF, so it will feel like seeing old friends again. The format is also similar, but taking place in the 1990s rather than the 1980s. (There is a rumor that a third film in this series might be done, but let’s hope not. No one is nostalgic for the early 2000s: terrible music/terrible television).

Comparing this movie to its predecessor “WNUF Halloween Special (2013) is like comparing apples to oranges. Lightning rarely gets captured twice in a bottle, and it didn’t this time – as far as this sequel is concerned. Whereas the original movie took itself more or less as a serious found footage film, this production foregoes all that to play as a straight up comedy.  It fits pretty much in line with older Midnight Crew movies; WNUF 2013 being the anomaly.

What makes the two movies so different is the writing. The 2013 movie had a few other people contributing to the script, including LaMartina’s frequent partner-in-crime Jimmy George. Also, the commercials in the first movie were put together by several different directors. There was a lot of variety to the televised ads thanks to this. In the 2022 movie, the wordplay, direction, and puns in the script all sound like they were written by one person. In this case that would be Chris LaMartina. There is very much a feeling of sameness to everything presented in the 2022 version.

I’m not coming down on the film by any means. I had fun with the movie, and laughed several times throughout it. The acting is good, if over the top. So is the script. The twist in the story (though I called it ahead of time) was great! I just want people to realize that they are not getting the same feel of the first movie all over again. It’s a super Halloween movie that you can get a rowdy group of friends together to hoot and howl, and crack open a couple beers while watching it.

It’s available on DVD and has a few extras on the disc. You can get it through bigcartel.com.

This bass guitar gives the flick a 3 out of 5 stars.

“Bass” Peitzmeier is a freelance writer and indie bass player on the West Coast. His work has appeared in several articles of Ze Loading Zone (ZLZ). He lives in Oregon with his wife Patti and their two cats – Muffin and Reaper.