Rise of the Scarecrows: Hell On Earth Premiere
What happens in the forest may not be just a walk in the woods
Pete Baez and Geno McGahee
It was a dark and stormy night, well, a damp autumn evening at least when I drove down to the Three Rivers district of the Town of Palmer, just after several days of the same dreary weather. It set just the tone for what else, a horror movie.
The ride ended at the Palmer Historical Cultural Center (PHCC) on Main Street. Though bleak outside, entering was a pleasure. I was greeted by my friend, the impresario, Geno McGahee* who introduced me to Co-Producer, Pete Baez. The two, dressed, for a New England style movie premiere, greeted me cordially.
Going up into the hall, there was already a good-sized convivial crowd eagerly awaiting the beginning of the feature. It took a while, but that did not seem to matter among the congregation.
The hall darkened and the film began. There will be no spoiler alerts, but as advertised, it was horror.
It does start off a little shaky, with intimations of mayhem to come, but takes a few turns along the way.
Mitch (Eric Michaelian), a writer having some problems putting words on paper, escapes the big city to reconnect with dad back in the hometown. Ben (Brent Northup) as Mitch, his dad, is mournful about the wife's death, but glad to see the son home.
As Mitch has had a relationship failure, he is a bit morose. Ben is encouraging, but his son is not feeling a shred of optimism. Dad has a plan.
He contrives to set Ben up with Stacy (Lorrie Bacon) who has been taking care of some chores for him. Awkward as it starts, they are simpatico and go for a walk. The two encounter and make friends with two other couples and agree to have a party at a campsite that evening.
Hey, it's in the woods and it's New England. What could go wrong?
The kind and loving father has a secret and it is all about to unfold. Maybe not unfold. Explode might be more apt.
The movie has a flavor of rural, or at least exurban Massachusetts. As someone who lives in a forest, it is always close at hand here in the Western Central region of the Commonwealth. Just watch a movie like Rise of the Scarecrows: Hell On Earth and then take a walk in the woods on a moonless night and turn off the flashlight. You will feel it.
Not that it is all just horror. Mitch admitted to escaping the big city, That metropolis? Springfield. Okay, it's bigger than Fitchburg and without the hills.
There are a few other humorous touches toward the end.
Geno had made an earlier rendition of Rise of the Scarecrows (sans "Hell on Earth" in the title). I reviewed it as well as another one of his movies. Unfortunately, that writing venue was taken over and what I had written was trashed. Memory and age are such that there is no remembrance of what was put on paper. Well, typed on a keyboard.
The contemporary Rise of the Scarecrows is not a remake or sequel of the original, rather as Geno puts it, "a reboot or re-imagining," but as he puts it, some of the original does intrude on the current version.
What was the original movie like? It has been years since I've seen the first Rise of the Scarecrows. One reviewer gave a verdict that any moviemaker would have to read with mixed emotions: "Like this is the worst fucking scarecrow horror movie I’ve ever seen, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you how much I enjoyed it."
The contemporary Rise of the Scarecrows should not suffer that harsh judgment. The main actors are more than competent and the lesser characters do well enough. The music fits the movie. Considering the drawbacks any indie producer faces, it is well done.
What draws someone to make horror movies instead of say romantic comedies? We put the question to Geno:
"What drew me to the genre, I think, was my chaotic childhood. I was drawn to horror movies and metal music and it became part of me. I still feel a strong connection but as I get older and I am happy and don't live in chaos any more, I find myself being drawn to other things and genres."
Rings true. Maybe one could get a Ph.D. thesis on how a happy childhood stifles creativity.
"What I enjoy most about making movies is the experience and people and the completion of the project. I guess the biggest thing is creating something that has never existed before and hopefully inspire others to chase their dreams, especially my kids."
Some of this was evident at the premiere. Geno enjoys the company of and camaraderie of associates and fans.
As the movie ended and the lights came up, cast and crew and all connected with the Rise of the Scarecrows celebrated on the stage. Geno called out everyone connected to compliment them and seek their thoughts. The vibe was one of deep pleasure and satisfaction with what had been accomplished. Unlike in the movie, no one was wearing flannel.
Was anything learned from the movie? Yes! As we used to say in Boston when I was driving a cab in the 70s, "Paranoia is a higher state of consciousness." When you do go into the woods, if you walk by a cross with a flannel shirted body affixed, don't turn your back.
You can watch Rise of the Scarecrows on Tubi.
Geno has a website, https://scaredstiffreviews.com which is wide ranging in subjects.
*Per your man: Filmmaker, chess player, Starbucks gold member, movie reviewer & collector of morbid things.