Post by drweir on Sept 5, 2005 13:02:00 GMT -5
With all the talk Ghostwatch is getting on the boards I decided to give some attention to similar movie. In fact I found them so much alike that I created a special double feature DVD with both flicks.
Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County is also known as Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape. It originally aired on UPN in 1997 or 1998 and just like Ghostwatch, was touted as being a real videotaped account of something supernatural and scary. It was also debunked shortly thereafter but not before causing fear and panic in a small percentage of the population.
The tape is shot by a teenage kid, and forgive me early on as I cannot remember the character's names, so they will be refered to by who they are. But the kid seldom turns off his camera and because of this, it captures many frightening images. It starts out as a family video of the McPherson family's Thanksgiving celebration in Lake County, Minnesota. Nothing out of the ordinary to begin with. Basic family drama, arguments about the daughter's new black boyfriend, accusations about Mom's alcoholism, and so on.
But when the power blows things change quickly. The cameraboy and his big brother head outside to the fusebox and notice it's melted. They also get startled by the popping of a nearby transformer. They decide to go investigate, walking through the dark fields to the source of the interruption. When they get there they are shocked to see a UFO with its inhabitants experimenting on a cow.
But the aliens spot them and zap the big brother's hand with a red laser weapon and begin chase. Naturally by this time the brothers are scared out of their minds as they sprint back to the house.
The reactions of the family are less than stellar. Nobody believes them and somehow they manage to continue Thanksgiving under candlelight. But the aliens haven't stopped the chase and it becomes evident the McPhersons will not be enjoying turkey and mashed potatoes any time soon. Finally they convince the rest of the family of the true danger lurking outside the dining room window and they stop the camera to show the family the video they shot of the UFO.
When the camera begins again we see a family on edge. Finally everybody is on the same plane of agreement. Something freaky is going on. The only one that seems less than concerned is the youngest. The daughter of the oldest son. She seems to know the intentions of the visitors and tries to calm the rest of the family down.
The video is infrequently interrupted by experts on the alien phenomenon, giving their expert opinions of the video thus far. Before returning to the tape we are given disturbing imagery warnings as thing heat up in the household.
As things progress in the tape the McPhersons band together to guard the house from the unwelcome E.T.'s, eventually barricading one upstairs that managed to get inside the house via a second story window. During this part of the film all sorts of horrifying events occur. Red lights shining through the windows from outside, unexplained neck wounds, and the disappearance of the older brother, who decides to go outside with the shotgun.
The video ends with a definative shock. You are left to decide on the authenticity of the tape yourself.
The original airing of the special was only an hour long and ended with a scene in one of the bedrooms. The uncut feature length version, which is the one I have, ends in the kitchen. And while it is indeed a fake, with the names given of the actors who portrayed the family and the actors who played the alien invaders, Incident in Lake County is nevertheless a spine tingling and downright scary movie.
It plays upon the idea that this could happen anywhere. Hence the Lake County setting. How many states here in the US have Lake counties? Quite a few I'm guessing. The family has a very realistic family dynamic as well. These could be the Smiths down the block, or even your own semi dysfunctional tribe.
It's ultimately the combination of the amateur home video look and the above mentioned family dynamic that makes Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County so convincing in my mind. While there haven been arguments about the certain aspects coming off as unbelievable, such as the family returning to eat even after the brothers have come back with the alien story, and the whole subplot involving the young daughter, this movie still retains the power to truly frighten the viewer and has been cause for more than one sleepless night for me.
This has never gotten any official VHS or DVD release to my knowledge and can be hard to come by. But getting a copy may just be the trick to give you a good case of the goosebumps.
Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County is also known as Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape. It originally aired on UPN in 1997 or 1998 and just like Ghostwatch, was touted as being a real videotaped account of something supernatural and scary. It was also debunked shortly thereafter but not before causing fear and panic in a small percentage of the population.
The tape is shot by a teenage kid, and forgive me early on as I cannot remember the character's names, so they will be refered to by who they are. But the kid seldom turns off his camera and because of this, it captures many frightening images. It starts out as a family video of the McPherson family's Thanksgiving celebration in Lake County, Minnesota. Nothing out of the ordinary to begin with. Basic family drama, arguments about the daughter's new black boyfriend, accusations about Mom's alcoholism, and so on.
But when the power blows things change quickly. The cameraboy and his big brother head outside to the fusebox and notice it's melted. They also get startled by the popping of a nearby transformer. They decide to go investigate, walking through the dark fields to the source of the interruption. When they get there they are shocked to see a UFO with its inhabitants experimenting on a cow.
But the aliens spot them and zap the big brother's hand with a red laser weapon and begin chase. Naturally by this time the brothers are scared out of their minds as they sprint back to the house.
The reactions of the family are less than stellar. Nobody believes them and somehow they manage to continue Thanksgiving under candlelight. But the aliens haven't stopped the chase and it becomes evident the McPhersons will not be enjoying turkey and mashed potatoes any time soon. Finally they convince the rest of the family of the true danger lurking outside the dining room window and they stop the camera to show the family the video they shot of the UFO.
When the camera begins again we see a family on edge. Finally everybody is on the same plane of agreement. Something freaky is going on. The only one that seems less than concerned is the youngest. The daughter of the oldest son. She seems to know the intentions of the visitors and tries to calm the rest of the family down.
The video is infrequently interrupted by experts on the alien phenomenon, giving their expert opinions of the video thus far. Before returning to the tape we are given disturbing imagery warnings as thing heat up in the household.
As things progress in the tape the McPhersons band together to guard the house from the unwelcome E.T.'s, eventually barricading one upstairs that managed to get inside the house via a second story window. During this part of the film all sorts of horrifying events occur. Red lights shining through the windows from outside, unexplained neck wounds, and the disappearance of the older brother, who decides to go outside with the shotgun.
The video ends with a definative shock. You are left to decide on the authenticity of the tape yourself.
The original airing of the special was only an hour long and ended with a scene in one of the bedrooms. The uncut feature length version, which is the one I have, ends in the kitchen. And while it is indeed a fake, with the names given of the actors who portrayed the family and the actors who played the alien invaders, Incident in Lake County is nevertheless a spine tingling and downright scary movie.
It plays upon the idea that this could happen anywhere. Hence the Lake County setting. How many states here in the US have Lake counties? Quite a few I'm guessing. The family has a very realistic family dynamic as well. These could be the Smiths down the block, or even your own semi dysfunctional tribe.
It's ultimately the combination of the amateur home video look and the above mentioned family dynamic that makes Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County so convincing in my mind. While there haven been arguments about the certain aspects coming off as unbelievable, such as the family returning to eat even after the brothers have come back with the alien story, and the whole subplot involving the young daughter, this movie still retains the power to truly frighten the viewer and has been cause for more than one sleepless night for me.
This has never gotten any official VHS or DVD release to my knowledge and can be hard to come by. But getting a copy may just be the trick to give you a good case of the goosebumps.