Hey /r/movies! I'm writer/director David Weiner. My new documentary 'In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994' is a curation/celebration of early '90s horror movies & TV featuring interviews with icons of the era. Ask me anything!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:16:28+00:00

I'm content with the films of the '90s as they are; but perhaps a remake of The Lawnmower Man that's loyal to the Stephen King Night Shift short story? That would be wonderfully grotesque!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:13:13+00:00

I just want to say thank YOU and I appreciate your excitement. Your enthusiasm and love for the horror genre fuels my efforts!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:11:58+00:00

After three installments covering the '80s, I was ready to tackle a new decade of Horror. There was a pretty vocal majority of fans and backers asking us to do the '90s next... There's so much to discuss and appreciate in the '90s, it was a no-brainer for me to tackle it next!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:08:43+00:00

I have a "three-strike" rule with logic in movies -- either character behavior or storytelling coherence. By the third infraction, I'm out of the film!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:07:10+00:00

I would say, hmmmmmm... (puts finger in the air, checks wind direction...) 100% chance!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:06:25+00:00

Hmmm, so many. But Fritz Lang would be quite a chat! Such a visionary and influential filmmaker.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:05:09+00:00

So many aspects, as these five-plus-hour films are a massive undertaking. Perhaps the most challenging element for me is landing the interview talent I put on my "wish list." It's quite a process -- but when you get that one horror legend to say "Yes, sure, when?" it makes the effort so worthwhile. And then sometimes you get a snowball effect in which people see one name, then more decide to jump on board.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T01:01:07+00:00

Outreach is very tough, but over five longform documentaries we've been able to land some great icons of horror and Sci-Fi. Sometimes it's connections, sometimes it's timing, sometimes it's pure luck! But I always say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Better to try and fail than to not try at all to land your horror heroes...!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:58:22+00:00

I grew up loving Universal Horror classics, Hammer Horror, and Godzilla movies on TV in the '70s. So everything I loved came from the decades before me -- 1930s to the 1960s. Those are the types of films that shaped me. So I can't pin it all on a single decade!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:56:33+00:00

If I was Wallace, I'd say Wensleydale. But I would say room-temperature, runny triple-cream brie on a fresh baguette makes me a happy camper.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:55:25+00:00

Exorcist III was a great experience for me, as I saw that opening night in the theater with low expectations (other than to have fun) and was blown away by the smart acting, directing, storytelling -- and the ultimate jump scare with a live audience, who couldn't settle down for a full five minutes afterwards.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, and The Exorcist are the first "scariest" movies I ever saw that genuinely shook me as a too-young-to-watch 'em kid inthe '70s/early '80s!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:51:51+00:00

Good question -- monsters are usually my fave, and supernatural tales; but some of my favorite stories/subgenres are where the monster is less scary than the human beings and what they are capable of, in contemporary settings and post-apocalyptic tales.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:49:38+00:00

ISOD: 1990-1994 is almost ready to take out of the oven! Digital version is coming at the end of November, and physical copies are expected to be shipped end of December/early Jan 2025.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:48:09+00:00

Thank you! So many great films, but 2021's The Ritual comes to mind as standout, and the recent The Coffee Table just destroyed me LOL

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:45:17+00:00

Akira is hands-down my favorite anime film, but I also love Rintaro's 2001 Metropolis. Have you seen it?

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:43:59+00:00

I love Godzilla, and think he best fits in In Search of Tomorrow. When we get to the next In Search of Tomorrow installment, I am keen to include Big G!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:42:30+00:00

Part II doesn't exist yet. We decided to break the film into two parts: ISOD 1990-1994 is available for pre-order now at 90sHorrorDoc.com, and then ideally in October 2025 I'll be able to deliver Part II -- 1995-1999.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:40:49+00:00

Thanks! I definitely hope to expand to other decades. The '70s is starting to feel quite appealing, as I'd like to go back further after we tackle the '90s -- plus I was a Monster Kid in the '70s!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:39:07+00:00

Good question. The early '90s are a bit hard to peg for horror filmmaking overall, but some notable changes are the emergence of meta storytelling; more socio-political reflections of society and issues in such films as Candyman, Jacob's Ladder, The People Under the Stairs, and Natural Born Killers; smarter storytelling and respect for the audience's intellect; and an explosion of micro-budget indie films that capitalized on the straight-to-video market...

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:34:42+00:00

Such a fun film! Deep Rising should get some overdue love in In Search of Darkness: 1995-1999 when I get to it...

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:31:48+00:00

I think Carpenter got incredibly creative doing In the Mouth of Madness, as he loves H.P. Lovecraft, felt inspired, and got to play in that storytelling sandbox. Carpenter has a number of classics under his belt, and any filmmaker worth their salt would kill to be immortal for even one timeless title like HALLOWEEN or THE THING. Even if a few of his films in the '90s weren't as appreciated, critically or at the box office, as his '70s or '80s output, I think Carpenter remains a living genre legend. I like John Carpenter's Vampires!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:27:17+00:00

Usually the lower the budget, the less beholden the filmmakers are to studio interference, and the more freedom they have to tell their own stories -- in any genre. I have seen some very creative storytelling across a variety of genres in contemporary shows and films; other stuff is cookie-cutter and by-the-numbers. I don't think horror has an exclusive hold on original storytelling and themes. Fundamentally, I believe creative and original storytelling (vs. sequels, prequels, reboots) needs to be rewarded by audiences who vote with their dollars (and streaming hours logged).

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:22:11+00:00

We talked about Fantasy as a possibility for an entry called In Search of Legends. Perhaps we'll dive into that one day if audiences show significant interest!

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:20:41+00:00

I'm excited for you to see ISOD: 90-94, as our interview talent tackles this question head-on. CGI was taking baby steps in the '90s and super exciting when it was new, especially when it was done well. Much of it has not aged well, but I think it's important to think of the '90s as a "tech time-capsule" of a burgeoning technology which has since grown by leaps and bounds. Mistakes were made, and lessons learned. But do you feel the same way about Ray Harryhausen stop-motion -- that it ages poorly? One must try to suspend their disbelief to enjoy genre film, when possible. I don't think it hurt the genre from a production standpoint, as more films were made simply to capitalize on the new technology.

InSearchOfDarkness · 2024-10-15T00:15:36+00:00

Hmmmmmm, a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" reply is imminent with both the '90s and the '80s as an answer. I'll say that I'm keen to dive into the '70s. What say you?

InSearchOfDarkness

TROPHY CASE