‘A horror film of comic proportions’
There’s Nothing Out There is a 1991 American science fiction comedy horror film written and directed by Rolfe Kanefsky (Art of the Dead; Sunset Society; Bus Party to Hell; The Black Room; plus more). Producer Victor Kanefsky, Rolfe’s father, was an editor (Blood Sucking Freaks; Ganja & Hess).
The movie stars Craig Peck, Wendy Bednarz and Mark Collver.
There’s Nothing Out There is notable for having a horror movie fan character who cites genre tropes years before Kevin Williamson’s 1995 Scream screenplay was picked up by Dimension Films.
Plot:
It’s Spring Break, and seven high school students head to a secluded cabin in the woods for the weekend. Mike, a keen horror film fan, tries to warn his friends of impending danger. However, they scoff at him.
That is until sinister things begin to happen and the friends are attacked by a creature that wants to eat the men and mate with the women…
Reviews:
“Not all of the comedy in There’s Nothing Out There lands – the slapstick gags feel particularly dated – but the self-referential horror commentary has proven to be timeless. There’s also a clever fourth wall break involving a boom microphone, and the biggest laugh of the film comes from its final moment. It concludes on a high note…” Broke Horror Fan
“Cheap, schlocky and gleefully trashy, There’s Nothing Out There is an effective mix of low-budget horror and goofy, tasteless comedy. The film wallows in genre clichés […] to good effect, resulting in a film that’s completely watchable and simultaneously horrible.” DVD Talk
“While the movie is schlocky, it’s also able to point out some fun clichés that predated Scream by nearly a decade. There are riffs on the stray cat jumping out of the darkness, people’s willingness to get naked at the drop of a hat, the unnecessary need to learn the backstory of the villain that always serves zero purpose toward survival…” Cinema Crazed
“This 16mm horror/comedy has decent special effects and camerawork, and like the earlier Final Exam and later Wes Craven flick Scream (1996), it includes a horror movie geek (Craig Peck) whose fright film knowledge comes into play.” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990
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“The monster is entertainingly cheesy and its movements hilariously stilted. Clothing is ripped off, cats jump out of nowhere, one character makes advantageous use of a dipping microphone boom (which is not cropped by the widescreen framing), eyes glow, faces melt, and there’s a nifty bit involving plate glass.” DVD Drive-In
“Making fun of horror films while embracing them at the same time is a tricky balance to strike. Yet, I thought There’s Nothing Out There! did an excellent job mixing horror and comedy.” House of Self Indulgence
“There’s one already-famous scene in which a potential victim swings out of danger by grabbing the dangling microphone boom at the top of the frame. That’s amusing, but in general, this no-budget parody of screen schlock is barely better than the dreck it imitates.” Videohound’s Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics
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