WILDERNESS TAPES: TERROR ON THE TRAIL

By Jayden Altshuler

From writer/director Brandon Walker comes Wilderness Tapes, a disturbing found footage nugget wedged between a Twilight Zone-esque wraparound. Starring Thomas Burke (I Think I’m Alone Now) and ELIOT (Dhar Mann),Wilderness Tapes blends elements of found footage, mockumentary and investigative-style television to gruesomely satisfying effect.  

Synopsis: Nearly a million smartphones and cameras are lost in the wilderness each year. For the first time in television history, recovered footage from such devices is presented in a chilling anthology series.

Horror Film News spoke with Brandon Walker about his literal approach to “underground” filmmaking.

HFN: InWilderness Tapes: Volume One, the central character “Prospector Pete” (Thomas Burke) explores an abandoned gold mine, only to be confronted by something horrific. Was this movie made inside a real gold mine?

BW: Yes.

HFN: Was that a good idea?

BW: No. (Laughs) But we’re still here. I went location scouting for an entirely different concept; one that had nothing to do with gold. But once we discovered a partially collapsed mine, the possibilities seemed endless. I felt reasonably confident that unless there was an earthquake, we’d be safe inside.

HFN: But in Southern California, earthquakes are common.

BW: True. In fact, this particular area is nicknamed “earthquake valley.” It’s one of the reasons these mines were abandoned – too many collapses.

HFN: Obviously, you survived the location scout, but without a script, how did you begin filming just a few weeks later?

BW: This was the rare occasion when inspiration struck like lightning. Maybe it was the fact that my actor had grown a beard and looked like a mountain man, or maybe it was the challenge of working in such an inhospitable place. Either way, the story was already developing on the car ride home.

HFN: Fast forward to the production itself. Can you describe the process?

BW. This movie was made by three friends, in the middle of nowhere - in absolute darkness. Each night we hiked through impossibly thick brush and filmed scenes on the fly, while struggling to find the mine at the bottom of the mountain. Once we reached the portal, it was a matter of not letting the scorpions, spiders and bats distract us from the work at hand. And while the first night spent underground was unnerving, we grew more comfortable with each subsequent trip. By the final night, I found myself feeling strangely at home inside the mountain.  

Brandon Walker on location.

HFN: How did having a real wilderness adventure shape the movie?

BW: I give my lead actor Thomas Burke credit for channeling whatever apprehension he felt into visible emotions for the camera. I was equally fortunate to have fellow producer/actor Nathan Church on hand to portray a supernatural entity, while bringing his outdoorsmanship to the table. Ultimately, this was about making a movie with little more than a compelling story, a great location and a camcorder. Balancing real fear with the rewards of filmmaking made this an unforgettable experience.

HFN: Is this the birth of a new found footage franchise?

BW: Volume One is intended to be the first installment in a series of nature-inspired horror stories. Thanks to an impeccably elegant performance by ELIOT in the role of Host, a unique tone has been established for future tales from the trail.

Thomas Burke | ELIOT

HFN: When and where can horror fans watch Wilderness Tapes: Volume One?

BW: The film arrives on streaming platforms this Christmas.