Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

WNUF Halloween Special Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 28, 2021

2013’s “WNUF Halloween Special” is an offering of strangeness from director Chris LaMartina. Inspired by the business of local television in the 1980s, LaMartina has elected to recreate the viewing experience, using unknown actors and large amounts of stock footage to manufacture a holiday special involving a reporter and his quest to get to the bottom of a murder case by visiting a haunted house. And most of the picture plays out with a great level of realism, exposing LaMartina’s quest to trick casual viewers and delight those with fond memories of small-time television production and numerous commercial breaks. “WNUF Halloween Special” is an inspired gem that doesn’t offer much more than immersion into a bygone world of evening news and station personalities, with the endeavor toying with the specifics of the business while gradually creating a tale of Halloween horror. It’s found footage with purpose, securing knowing laughs and a few blasts of nostalgia while aiming to be weird and real without ruining the whole thing with excessive winks.

It’s Halloween night, and WNUF TV28 is beginning their evening news with anchors Deborah Merritt (Leanna Chamish) and Gavin Gordon (Richard Cutting). Working through the day’s stories, the channel also counts down to the “WNUF Halloween Special,” with reporter Frank Stewart (Paul Farenkoph) embarking on a stunt that sends him to Webber House, which, 20 years ago, was the site of the ghastly “Spirt Board Murders.” Joined by paranormal investigators Louis (Brian St. August) and Claire Berger (Helenmary Ball), and Father Joseph Matheson (Robert Long II), Frank enters the dwelling to examine the spiritual energy inside, also settling in to take calls as the group prepares a séance to reach the other side. While the station frequently breaks away for commercials, Frank digs deeper into the mystery of Webber House, trying to give the audience a good scare for the holiday.

It’s never explained why we’re watching the “WNUF Halloween Special” or who is working the fast-forward dial on the tape, with this viewer growing impatient at times, speeding through news stories and commercials. What’s presented here is an evening with TV28 programming, beginning with the news, with the anchors dressed up for Halloween but still working through a list of sobering stories, including an anniversary spotlight on the tale of a young boy shot while trick or treating. Another report finds a dentist trying to launch a buyback program for candy, offering dollars for the surrender of sugary treats. Teased during the broadcast is Frank’s special, with the veteran reporter eager to step inside Webber House, killing time in front of the dwelling, interviewing weirdos gathered outside to watch the fun.

“WNUF Halloween Special” is sold as an actual line-up of programming, complete with commercial breaks, which arrive frequently during the movie. The ads are created by the LaMartina and his team (who remain uncredited on the picture to preserve the found footage illusion), and while they have all the opportunity in the world to turn the endeavor into a Tim & Eric event, lampooning marketing interests of 1987, they remain committed to keep “WNUF Halloween Special” authentic. The commercials are fun to watch, selling everything from legal support to heavy metal compilation albums, and there are promos for TV28 programming as well. This section of “WNUF Halloween Special” is where all the stock footage comes into play, supporting the verisimilitude of the feature.

Once the newscast ends, Frank’s experiment takes over, joined by Father Matheson for exorcism purposes, and Louis and Claire are the Ed and Lorraine Warren-like figures, working with cat Shadow to sense the evil inside the Webber House. Frank tries to maintain control over the broadcast, but the spirits have other plans. “WNUF Halloween Special” isn’t a horror movie, but it does play with creepy encounters while maintaining the visual of a reporter trying to keep up with shocking events, with Fahrenkopf delivering quite a lively performance as professional newsman unraveling before the cameras.

WNUF Halloween Special Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"WNUF Halloween Special" is meant to resemble a VHS viewing experience, making the AVC encoded image (1.32:1 aspect ratio) presentation intentionally soft and worn. This Blu-ray isn't about definition, but preservation, retaining the creative vision of the production as it attempts to recreate 1987 video technology and videotape replication. With this in mind, the visual experience works nicely, giving fans as clear a look at the feature as possible under these harsh conditions, and colors are exactly what they're meant to be, highlighting Halloween hues and commercial primaries. More importantly, the television feel of the picture has not been lost, keeping its realistic look. Artifacting isn't an issue.

WNUF Halloween Special Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track is also meant to register age and multiple generations of VHS recording. Dialogue exchanges are clear, with no unintelligibility issues encountered. Music retains its intended sound, dealing with multiple commercial breaks and news intros. Hiss is present to sell the aural trick of the movie.

WNUF Halloween Special Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Chris LaMartina.

• Commentary #2 features director Chris LaMartina, co-writer Jimmy George, and actors Helenmary Ball, Robert Long, and Brian St. August.

• Outtakes & Bloopers (7:35, HD) offers a wide range of mistakes encountered during the making of "WNUF Halloween Special," including a malfunctioning chainsaw, the discovery of a dead rat, botched improvisations, and plenty of greenscreen laughter. Of particular interest to fans is a chance to see the raw look of the special before it was aged.

• "Cutting Room Commercials" (7:16, HD) highlight the faux ads that were trimmed for "WNUF Halloween Special," including the television show "Oak & Bear: Outlaws on the Range," mail order VHS special "Bizarre Mysteries from Beyond," The LaFleure Train Museum, Black Beard Bug Spray, Oakleigh Optical Care, and "AIDS Fades," a safe sex PSA.

• "Long Lost 'WNUF' Commercials Rediscovered for 2021 Release" (6:00, HD) delivers more fake advertisements, including "Ninja Theater," Superloans loan office, Jewel of the Nile jewelry store, Scroggin's Car Alarm, Ken's Karate, and Spiegel's grocery store.

• "Rewinding the Fast-Forward Segments" (4:28, HD) returns to skipped sequences from "WNUF Halloween Special," including a news story about a local governor's race and a weather report.

• "How We Aged 'WNUF'" (1:14, HD) is a split-screen comparison of the original footage and its appearance after "3 VCR Passes."

• "WNUF Christmas Special" (1:09, HD) is a commercial for the "4th Annual" T.V. event.

• "Terror Vision Record's 'WNUF' Album Promo" (1:06, HD) is a commercial for the "Frank Stewart Investigates Halloween" record release, helping to raise money for search efforts.

• And a Trailer (1:31, HD) is included.

WNUF Halloween Special Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With only a couple of cheeky moments found during the viewing experience, "WNUF Halloween Special" could easily pass for an authentic copy of a disastrous broadcast, especially for viewers coming to the picture cold. LaMartina masters the visual elements of the endeavor, securing a distinct VHS look, and he refuses most opportunities for exaggeration, focusing on bringing 1987 to life without ruining the illusion with overt silliness. "WNUF Halloween Special" is well executed and imagined, putting in the effort to maintain realism and still enjoy the joke.