Chris LaMartina‘s perennial indie horror favorite WNUF Halloween Special and its recent sequel, Out There Halloween Mega Tape, are about to expand into a cinematic universe with a sequel and a spin-off.
At the recent Hometown Horror and Hops convention in Plymouth, MA, WNUF Halloween Special and Out There Halloween Mega Tape writer-director Chris LaMartina gave Bloody Disgusting an exclusive scoop on the upcoming WNUF projects and more.
Up first is a spin-off titled Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond.
LaMartina previews, “We’re almost wrapped production on Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond, a WNUF spin-off starring George Stover who is reprising his role as B-movie star Reed Richmond from Out There Halloween Mega Tape.
“I’ve joked that if the plan is to make WNUF a true trilogy, Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond is my Ewok Adventure. It’s this weird little standalone project that’s not really a movie; it’s an honest-to-God one-hour special that you might find on the History Channel or Sci-Fi Channel back in the ’90s. It covers the origins of Halloween and the folklore behind iconic monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, witches, and mummies.
“It’s very bizarre and I’m not sure folks will like it, but that’s how I felt when I created the original WNUF, so who knows. The movies just keep getting weirder, but I figure if I’m having this much fun making it, then we’ll find the audience it was meant for.”
LaMartina is also in early development on the third installment in the WNUF trilogy.
“I’m probably five or six years away from making WNUF 3, but the core concept is already running around screaming in my brain,” he teases. “Without blabbing too much, it’s a dark satire of early 2000s reality television and the ‘challenge’-type TV shows of that era, set against the backdrop of post-9/11 America and the Iraq war.
“There will be a handful of returning characters, it’s all still set around Halloween and taps into some of the intense polarization and demonization that stemmed from the cultural climate of 2004.”
Before that, LaMartina plans to direct a feature in four days that he’s co-writing with fellow indie horror favorite Michael Varrati (The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, Fangoria Chainsaw Awards).
He explains to Bloody Disgusting, “I turn 40 in April and one of my bucket list items is to shoot a feature in four production days, so I’ve decided to lay out that challenge for myself: direct a feature in four days before I’m officially middle-aged!
“Unlike the analog wackiness of the WNUF flicks, this story is a return to a traditional narrative feature for me. Thematically, it’s a lot more serious than my previous movies. It’s a riff on the classic horror story ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ but set on New Year’s Eve. It’s about choices and consequences, wishes and regrets, life at its midpoint, and the second guessing that sometimes stem from those reflections.
“I’m currently co-writing this one with my dear friend, Michael Varrati, and as long as we can find the money, I plan to direct it in early spring.”
‘Out There Halloween Mega Tape’
But wait, there’s more! LaMartina has also been collaborating with his wife, Melissa LaMartina, on film and video game projects.
“My wife and I recently co-directed and co-produced the cut-scenes for the video game Amanda the Adventurer 2. We’d previously co-directed the cut scenes for the original game, and Melissa wrote both games,” LaMartina tells us. “She’s a powerhouse, and I’m fortunate to ride her coattails on this one!
“The popularity of the Amanda game has been truly mind-blowing. It’s probably the biggest thing I’ll ever be a part of, and it all stemmed from the DreadXP team being fans of the WNUF movies and asking me to cut some analog-style promos for them.”
LaMartina also co-wrote Melissa’s directorial debut, For Sale by Exorcist, which premieres at this weekend’s Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, OH. “Melissa just directed her first feature for Dread/Epic Pictures,” he explains. “It’s a horror-comedy I wrote with my buddy Rob Walker called For Sale by Exorcist about a realtor who flips haunted houses.”
A truly independent filmmaker, LaMartina juggles all of his movies while working a full-time job.
He notes, “There’s a lot going on, and it’s worth noting that making movies is not my day job. If folks dig what we’re doing and want to help us keeping creating truly batshit art, they can support us at WNUFHalloweenSpecial.com.”
So dang pumped! Next week, the world premiere of For Sale By Exorcist hits @NightmaresFest! Beyond proud of the cast & crew who brought this story to life. It was an honor to work with such a talented group on this funny, touching, spooky little flick. I’m a lucky ghoul. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ftCeg3S1jA
— Melissa LaMartina / Aurora Gorealis (@auroragorealis) October 7, 2024