So there's a little bit of horror film-related wonderfulness happening close to home.I have the proud distinction of being a University of Wisconsin - Whitewater alumni, Class of 2007. Whitewater's a great little town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cornfields and cow pastures and sheep farms. The kind of town you can walk around at three in the morning and feel completely safe (as I have done on several occasions), but basically shuts down after nine pm (except for the bars, of course, though there aren't too many). Typical small college town.
Except that they call Whitewater the "Second Salem" for all the *supposed* occult happenings around town. Except that people hear whispers in the woods, drums at midnight. Except that corpses end up on hall steps, witch towers are the places of hangings, evil books cause madness, and the specters of axe murderers haunt dormitory halls.
So they say.
The reason I'm bringing it up is that Whitewater has served as the basis for a new horror movie called The Witches of Whitewater (2008) that is meant to be filmed in town. Can we say awesomeness? Way to go, Wisconsin filmmakers!
Doesn't hurt that Wisconsin has just passed legislation making film making very cheap and profitable in good old WI. In addition, Marcus Theaters has just signed an agreement to run Wisconsin films theatrically in their large chain of theaters. When a WI filmmaker once had to hustle to get a film shown on the big screen (Hello, Mike Borchardt!) now it's easier than ever to make a movie that can get funded and seen. Almost makes me want to pick up a camera, only I have no film making experience. Or talent. Or inclination. No sir, I'll just to stick to what I know.
This isn't Wisconsin's - or even Jefferson County's first foray into Wisconsin-flavored horror. The Beast of Bray Road (2005), the "stinky cinematic suppository"(to quote MST3K) was chronicled in the "based on true events" story of Bray Road's werewolf creature that purportedly stalks the lonely highway at night. About fifteen minutes away from Whitewater, the Beast is a favorite scare for Whitewater students, who drive out to the road on Halloween in hopes of catching sight of the huge werewolf. The legend, which has been the subject of books and cable documentaries, is awesome, and worthy of your time. The movie is not. It's a waste of time, money, and the irrevocably lost precious moments of your life. Blech.
For all you who would like to know more about the Second Salem and my prestigious alma mater, you can read a story by our college paper detailing Whitewater's local legends (P.S. the dead girl on the mall is absolutely true. Weird, huh?) here.
More Whitewater legends can be found here and here. And some Beast of Bray Road stuff here. Knock yourself out. Wisconsin is full of creepy shit. It's the most haunted state in the Union for good reason. The only way I can survive is my blatant, pig-headed refusal to believe any of the weird stuff that happens here. Doesn't always work, but what can you do?
In fact, all of Wisconsin's weirdness has a website. See it here.
For you Facebook bums, you can join the "They Made a Movie About Whitewater...And it's Based on a True Story!!" group.
BTW, speaking of creepy, I'm getting married here.
A now the trailer for The Witches of Whitewater (for some reason YouTube is being silly and won't let me embed). Sorry.
And, for a laugh: the trailer for The Beast of Bray Road
1 comment:
I just saw this trailer too. As a fellow alum, I found it cool that someone decided to do a movie about the legends.
Hopefully it's more Amityville Horror than An American Haunting.
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