THE STRANGENESS

THE STRANGENESS: A Review For A Movie That Tries To Sell You A Book.
By Hubbs Kowalski



Petey Waco was a little jacked that I used our conversation in my review for HATCHET.

“Dude, you totally ragged on me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You said I say goofy things.”

“Well, you do.”

“And you don’t?”

“Whose column is it, Waco? Maybe you should start writing your own columns.”

“Don’t use my name in your stupid fucking reviews again.”

“What the hell is your problem?”

“Nobody calls me goofy.”

“I didn’t call you goofy.”

“MOTHERFUCKER, DON’T FUCKING EVER USE MY FUCKING NAME IN ONE OF YOUR STUPID FUCKING MOVIE REVIEWS EVER AGAIN!”

“Fine.” That Petey Waco is crazy. And cruel. A real cruel dude.

So from here on out, I will never mention Petey Waco again. I may say Petey this or Waco that, but never will Petey and Waco be side by side in my reviews again. All I have to say to him is freedom of speech, Petey. Freedom of fuckin’ speech.

Fascist.

Anyway, I took some time out and got around to watching the old Trans World Entertainment VHS release THE STRANGENESS, a film I’ve had in my collection for years but never have gotten around to watching. My interest was piqued by the generous chapter afforded it in Stephen Thrower’s mammoth and utterly indispensable book NIGHTMARE USA. If you don’t own NIGHTMARE USA yet, you’re a fuckin’ fascist.

Just like Waco.

Anyway, there’s a closed mine that is waiting to be re-opened that has a history of miners dying in it. An incredibly motley crew consisting of two hard partying mine specialists, a geologist (I think she’s a lesbo, which is always a good thing), a company foreman-type who is a total ass and a writer and his hot blonde wife are going into the abandoned mine to see if its suitable to resume work. Inside they meet a monster and bam, there’s THE STRANGENESS.

Suffice to say, this low-budget monster movie is kind of a good time. Sure, the acting blows and its never very gory, but it’s quite a fun trip, although without having read the interviews and making of in NIGHTMARE USA, I wonder if I would have liked it less. Thrower’s book is one of the most informative books ever written, if not the most informative, on American exploitation films and their creators. The amazing thing about THE STRANGENESS is that all the inside the mine shots were sets and they are quite incredible. The monster is glorious stop motion by Mark Sawicki and Craig Huntley (both who are in featured roles). A labor of love, made for commercial purposes that really shows off the technical genius of this skeleton crew.

Bad part besides the acting is the horrible writing. Come to think of it, the movie does kind of suck but would probably scare the shit out of a 10 year old at two in the morning. So yeah, Thrower’s enthusiasm and journalistic digging into the making of the film is what made it for me, because without that general knowledge of the talent behind it and his pointing out interesting aspects of the production which you can look for throughout, it’s pretty much slow-moving and uneventful until the final act.

Sometimes you need that prodding and different outlook when approaching an incredibly obscure 27-year-old horror film.

I guess in the end, I’m suggesting you go out and get Thrower’s NIGHTMARE USA, because then, you’ll be tracking down the films he mentions in it. I’ve seen a lot of the films in the book, and a lot of them suck, but I’ll be damned if Thrower doesn’t make me want to take a second look at them.

Get it today before he unleashes Volume 2 of NIGHTMARE USA. Thrower is a godsend for exploitation lovers and seems all around like a pretty cool dude.

Unlike Petey. Who’s a goofy thing saying, threatening fascist who’ll probably sue me after this one.