By Macy Feemster/reporter
Photo courtesy Alexander Wagner
Nightmare-worthy films were shown Oct. 27 at South Campus’ Horror Film Festival.
NE student Alexander Wagner entered the competition for his third time with The Watching that he wrote, directed and edited.
Speech instructor Molly Floyd described Wagner’s film as “creepy.”
The film centers on a girl who receives three DVDs. As each is more terrifying than the previous, she realizes she’s being stalked.
The other director Juan Ramirez was debuting his short film The Anguished Melody.
“It was my first one,” he said. “The next will be better.”
Wagner said he enjoyed watching Ramirez’s film.
“I think it’s cool to see someone else’s take on the horror genre,” he said.
Most of the audience members said they found out about the festival through their film classes and the films’ directors inviting them.
Audience members had different ideas on what makes a horror movie scary.
“The impending sense of dread is what scares me in a horror movie,” NE student Mason Jendel said.
NE student Jovan Velez related his comment to The Watching.
“Bringing people into the horror aspect and making it visually appealing,” he said.
Audience member McKenna Yowell also commented on The Watching’s appeal.
“Suspense and creativity help carry the film, not jump scare after jump scare,” he said. “The Watching was suspenseful and kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time.”
The audience reacted to the film the way that Wagner said he had hoped they would.
During the after-screening Q&A, Wagner said he wanted his film to be a fun ride and something he would want to watch.
This is the fourth year for TCC to hold a Horror Film Festival. Both directors said they will enter the competition again next year with new and scary content.
Ramirez and Wagner both received praise and critiques after showing their films.
“The ending of The Watching was of one of those classic WTF moments,” Jendel said.
TCC students were in for quite a scare at the Horror Film Festival, but faculty got scared too.
“After the first time I watched it, I went home and locked all of my doors and closed all my blinds,” Floyd said.
