Review of Occult Murder in the Inland Empire

Stuart Ortiz is no stranger to the world of found footage. He did as part of the Vicious Brothers Grave encounters 1 And 2which represent pivotal pieces of contemporary found footage as they take genre tropes and subvert them to create something uniquely frightening. Now Ortiz is back with his new pseudo-documentary Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire This is perhaps the best pseudo-documentary since then Mungo Lake It stands out for how it builds up terror, never holds back, and features two incredibly realistic lead actors who make you question whether the events are completely fictional or not.

Ortiz frame Strange harvest as if it were a true crime documentary you'd find on Netflix or Hulu – it's elegant, cinematic, and even contains elements that melodramatic music has always used to highlight the emotional beats. Here we learn about a series of murders committed in the Inland Empire (in Southern California) by serial killer Mr. Shiny. Our main characters are Detective Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Detective Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple), partners who have been investigating the case for almost two decades.

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These murders are gruesome, ritualistic killings that Ortiz does not shy away from depicting. Instead of blurry images or small glimpses of crime scene photos like you see in typical true crime documentaries, here we see every gory detail. But then he doesn't just show photos; We also see video footage of Mr. Shiny's crimes. Ortiz creates an elaborate puzzle of footage, be it interviews, archival newscasts, photos or eyewitness videos, to create a world that feels so alive and real. It all leads to a wild, cosmic conclusion that I only wish had gone a little further. To say more would spoil the experience of watching Strange harvest and witness its wild twists and turns first hand. But let's just say it's a bold take on the cosmic horror I've been waiting for.

Successful pseudo-documentaries, for example Mungo Lake And The Poughkeepsie TapesThey are able to almost trick their audience into thinking they are real. They make the line between horror fiction and reality more permeable, which is a strange, destabilizing experience for the viewer. Strange harvest achieves exactly that and creates a narrative that feels Seen hits The Poughkeepsie Tapesjust less like a snuff film. While there's plenty of gore, it never becomes exploitative and instead skirts the line by creating a harrowing story about a man and a bunch of leeches.

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The incredible corpse design can be seen everywhere Strange harvest was made by Josh Russell, who was the mastermind behind the horrific creature The ritual. There is so much attention to detail in the crime scene photos alone, and Russell and Ortiz work together to create the most gruesome images imaginable without going overboard. They strike a balance between disgusting and ridiculous, which in turn results in some of the grossest and most disturbing images you'll see all year.

Strange harvest is the sleeper hit of Fantastic Fest, a film that has missed most radars but should be on any found footage horror fan's most anticipated list. Ortiz demonstrates a mastery and love of technique and genre that can be felt in every image. Zizzo and Apple's performances are the icing on the cake on this cosmic horror sundae, as they play extremely convincing police officers who never seem fake or cheesy. This is how you make a good, scary pseudo-documentary.

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