The Barn
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJustin M. Seaman
Written byJustin M. Seaman
StarringMitchell Musolino
Will Stout
Lexi Dripps
CinematographyZane Hershberger
Edited byJustin M. Seaman
Music byRocky Gray
Production
company
Nevermore Production Films
Distributed byScream Team Releasing
Release date
  • March 12, 2016 (2016-03-12) (Fright Night Theatre Film Festival)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Barn is a 2016 American horror film written and directed by Justin M. Seaman, and starring Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Nikki Howell, Nickolaus Joshua, Linnea Quigley, and Ari Lehman. The film is set on Halloween night 1989 and follows two teenage friends that end up accidentally resurrecting a deadly curse. A sequel, The Barn Part II, was released in 2022.

Plot

All Sam and Josh want to do is have fun on Halloween and raise some mischief before they graduate from high school next year. They decide to go to a concert, only for a detour to result in them discovering a deserted barn. However unbeknownst to them, the barn that they've come across has a deadly curse attached to it and soon the teens find themselves at the mercy of three monsters: The Boogeyman, Hollow Jack, and the Candy Corn Scarecrow.

Cast

  • Mitchell Musolino as Sam
  • Will Stout as Josh
  • Lexi Dripps as Michelle
  • Cortland Woodard as Chris
  • Nikki Howell as Nikki
  • Nickolaus Joshua as Russell
  • Linnea Quigley as Ms. Barnhart
  • Ari Lehman as Dr. Rock
  • Ryan Nogy as Shirley Garrett
  • David Hampton as George
  • James Weldon as Mr. Daniels
  • Justin M. Seaman as Boogeyman
  • Rik Billock as Preacher

Development

Seaman began planning for The Barn over a period of years and based the movie's script on a small book he wrote when he was eight years old.[1] To achieve an atmosphere reminiscent of horror films from the 1980s, the crew attempted to replicate camera and lighting techniques from that decade.[2] They also tried to minimize the number of scenes shot with a handheld camera.[1] The soundtrack for The Barn was composed by Rocky Gray and the crew signed a deal with Lunaris Records to release the soundtrack to vinyl and cassette.[2]

In August 2015, a campaign was created on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, in order to help fund post-production and merchandising costs.[2] The funding helped enable Seaman to re-add scenes that had previously been cut from the film due to budget issues.[3]

Release

The Barn premiered on March 12, 2016 at the Fright Night Theatre Film Festival in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[4] It was then screened at various other festivals, including the Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest in North Charleston, South Carolina on May 15, 2016, and at the Idaho Horror Film Festival in Boise, Idaho on October 15, 2016.[5]

Reception

Daniel Kurland of Bloody Disgusting gave the film a mostly positive review, calling it "a love letter to monster movies and the campy decade where they reigned supreme, that's as fun as it is bloody".[6] Matt Boiselle of Dread Central gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, recommending the film "to everyone looking for a fun, retro trip back to the days of grainy, low-budgeted horror yanked directly off the racks of your local video rental shop – this one will sit firmly entrenched in my top 5 of the best horror films for 2016".[7] Kieran Fisher of Scream magazine wrote that the film "has everything a great hack n' slash should have – a back story, wonderful villains, great kills, effective scares and a ghoulish sense of humour".[8]

Albert Nowicki included the film on his list of "best Halloween movies of all time" for Prime Movies.[9]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipients Result Ref(s).
2016 Maverick Movie Awards Best Original Score: Feature Rocky Gray Won [10]
Best Picture: Feature The Barn Nominated [10]
Best Actor: Feature Will Stout Nominated [10]
Best Supporting Actor: Feature Nickolaus Joshua Nominated [10]
Best Screenplay: Feature Justin M. Seaman Nominated [10]
Best Editing: Feature Justin M. Seaman Nominated [10]
Best Special FX: Feature Robert Kuhn, Sara Kuhn, and Dakota Corwin Nominated [10]
Idaho Horror Film Festival Audience Choice Award for Best Film The Barn Won [11]
Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest Crimmy Award for Best Feature Film The Barn Won [12]
Crimmy Award for Best Director: Feature Justin M. Seaman Nominated [11]
Crimmy Award for Best Actor: Feature Mitchell Musolino Nominated [11]
Crimmy Award for Best Actress: Feature Lexi Dripps Nominated [11]
Crimmy Award for Best Cinematography: Feature Zane Hershberger Won [12]
Crimmy Award for Best Screenplay: Feature Justin M. Seaman Nominated [11]
Crimmy Award for Best Special FX Make-Up: Feature The Barn Nominated [11]

Video game

A video game adaptation of the film was released to mobile devices on May 3, 2016. The game has an 8-bit animation style and follows the film's protagonists as they try to survive Halloween night.[13] Seaman created a commercial for the game, which was stylized to resemble a video game advertisement from the 1990s.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Interview: The Cast and Crew of THE BARN!". Famous Monsters of Filmland. February 1, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Gelmini, David (July 20, 2015). "Interview: Justin M. Seaman – Director of The Barn". Dread Central. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (July 14, 2016). "Burning Down The Barn: Director Justin Seaman on the joy of rubber and gore". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  4. ↑ Charkot, Richelle (March 10, 2016). "Festival Preview: Fright Night Theatre Film Festival Day Two". ComingSoon.Net. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Upcoming Events – Scream Team Releasing". Scream Team Releasing. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kurland, Daniel (November 16, 2016). "[NYHFF '16 Review] 'The Barn' is a Stunning Portal Into Campy '80s Horror". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ Boiselle, Matt (December 23, 2016). "Barn, The (2016)". Dread Central. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  8. ↑ Fisher, Kieran (December 29, 2016). "THE BARN: Film Review". Scream. ScreamHorrorMag.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  9. ↑ Nowicki, Albert (October 28, 2021). "Top 10: Best Halloween movies of all time". Prime Movies. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2016 Maverick Movie Awards & Nominations!". Maverick Movie Awards. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Awards – Scream Team Releasing". Scream Team Releasing. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "2016 Winners". Crimson Screen Film Festival. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  13. ↑ Gingold, Michael (October 28, 2014). "Exclusive images: multimedia Halloween horrors await in "THE BARN"". FangoTV.com. Fangoria. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  14. ↑ Hamman, Cody (June 7, 2016). "Cool Horror Videos: '90s-style commercial for The Barn video game". JoBlo.com. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

See also

  • Trick 'r Treat (2007) - An anthology film that captures various creepy stories happening on Halloween night.
  • Night of the Demons (1988) - Another movie where a Halloween party turns into a nightmare.
  • All Hallows' Eve (2013) - This anthology film involves a VHS tape that brings horror to life.
  • V/H/S - This is a series of anthology horror films with different sub-genres explored in each segment.
  • Tales of Halloween (2015) - This anthology includes ten stories set in an American suburb where ghouls, imps, and aliens stalk the locals on Halloween.
  • Halloween (1978) - The classic slasher film that also takes place on Halloween night.
  • The Cabin in the Woods (2012) - A different take on the "group of friends in peril" horror trope, with a meta-narrative that dissects horror clichés.
  • Evil Dead - A series known for its gruesome horror and sometimes campy humor.
  • The House of the Devil (2009) - A throwback to '80s horror, complete with satanic panic.
  • Terrifier (2016) - This slasher film features a homicidal clown and is not for the faint-hearted.
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