Red Asphalt
Not long ago various horror blogs engaged in a debate regarding increasing “realism” in current theatrical horror films. This blog came into the debate a bit late, but one thing I noticed is that the attributes attached to the films in question didn’t really pertain to them at all (and they probably wouldn’t have reached the neighbourhood multiplex if they did), but could probably be applied to lesser-known indie films. Another area in which this hyper-realism in horror movies occurs is in educational shorts, like the California Highway Patrol’s Red Asphalt series which was recently profiled in the Los Angeles Times.
“This is not a Hollywood movie as can be readily seen. The quality is below their standards. However … nothing has been staged. These are actual scenes taken immediately after the accidents occurred. Also, unlike Hollywood, our actors are paid nothing. Most of the actors in these movies are bad actors and received top billing only on a tombstone. They paid a terrific price to be in these movies, they paid with their lives.”
It’s funny that educational films are among the few things I can’t stomach to watch.