Prophecy (1979)

While I continue to do my research for my next post on Leave the World Behind post,  I took some time to watch some older entries.  My latest entry will be on a classic ecohorror flick from the 70s. The 1979 entry prophecy.

Plot: A government health inspector is dispatched to assess the damage a logging company is causing to a patch of forest claimed by Native Americans, and comes face to face with true terror wreaking havoc in the woods.

While this is far from a perfect movie,  it is definitely one of the better ones from the late 70s. Featuring a solid cast,  the performances are really good and the storyline is rather interesting for the time.  Yes,  it was made lacking the gore and true horror elements that could have taken it to the next level (a PG rating) and it does plod along at some points,  but it really does succeed at creating a solid creature feature.  In the end,  this one may lack the punch of some features,  but it is a fun watch and one that should be put into your creature feature rotation.  

Leave the World Behind (2023) Part 3 - Tesla Roadblock

After a couple days of holiday horror (which I am continuing right now) I decided to get back to Leave the World Behind, and the symbolism and predictive programming it gave us. Tonight though,  I am going to go into one of the weirder scenes, one that was quite  prophetic already,  just days after the movie premiere on Netflix.

Plot: A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.

Looking back at this movie after a few days away,  this may be one of the most ironic scenes in the movie, when they stumble upon a fleet of Tesla's blocking the road as they attempt to escape the area. In the scene, hese are all brand-new self-driving Teslas, and they drove themselves to the highway. With no drivers present, it appears that these cars were hacked and more may very well be on their way to clog the highways. Sure enough, another Tesla starts coming down the road, driving straight toward the family’s car.

Is this possible? Absolutely. Yes, it would be extremely difficult and highly unlikely,  but the scene does present a situation that could happen in a freak scenario.  At first,  I was gong to skip past this and just chalk it up to the hatred that the government appears to have with Tesla and owner Elon Musk. From the outset under President Obama and especially now under President Biden, Tesla never gets recognized the same way that the major automakers (Ford or GM) with their progress in electric vehicles. I am in no way making a political statement,  I am just pointing out an apparent fact with that, so so please don't look at this through a political lens. Now,  why did I revisit this?

In a strange twist,  just like something from a movie.  Tesla announced that it is recalling nearly all 2 million of its cars on US roads to limit the use of its Autopilot feature following a two-year probe by US safety regulators of roughly 1,000 crashes in which the feature was engaged.

Leave the World Behind was released on November 22, and this recall occurred in December 13, less than a month after the world saw this scene.  Was this just an odd coincidence? That is entirely possible,  but I don't really believe in those and think this was some of the predictive programming I mentioned above.  Would it really be out of the realm of possibility that President Obama or someone in his team got wind of the pending report by someone on the safety committee? I don't think so.  Or, would it be possible that after seeing the scene (and even Elon commenting on it on social media), the movie forced Tesla's hand? We will probably never know.  All I know is I don't believe in coincidence,  and this one is just too perfect.  Agree or disagree,  let me know. 

Krampus (2015)

As I continue to count down the days until Christmas, I decided to continue with some holiday horror. After some searching, I settled on the 2015 entry, Krampus.

Plot: While the holiday season represents the most magical time of year, ancient European folklore warns of Krampus, a horned beast who punishes naughty children at Christmastime. When dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this one.  Is it perfect? No,  it does have some slow moments (especially in the middle), but this one is much better than many of the other Krampus films that are out there.  This horror conduct has a nice mixture of those elements along with some solid performances,  decent effects,  and a nice array of creatures. In the end, this one is worth watching and perfect for this holiday season.  

It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

I decided to take a break from Leave the World Behind to watch some holiday horror.  While this isn't anywhere near Halloween, there are some entertaining horror films that take place during this holiday season.  This movie from 2023 fits solidly into that realm,  It's a Wonderful Knife.

Plot: Winnie's life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When she wishes she was never born, she finds herself magically transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. With the murderous maniac now back, she must team up with a misfit to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality.

When I say down to watch this one,  I was actually somewhat excited, the idea of a slasher take on a Christmas classic looked fun.  Unfortunately, the execution didn't meet my initial excitement.  While there are some positive with the cinematography and overall feel,  the scripting was extremely incoherent and the movie suffered from that.  The characters were flat,  the performances were uneven, and overall it felt rather predictable after an interesting start.  Now,  this is far from the worst movie in the genre,  but,  I'm positive that there are many better choices out there.  My recommendation, stay away.

Leave the World Behind (2023) Part 2 - 1619 MHz

This is a movie that has created so much buzz on Tik Tok and other social media with the ever-changing symbolism sprinkled through the film.  While some of it is obvious,  some of the other stuff is more obscure.  One of those I will go over today in part two, the 1619 MHz frequency that shows up on the radio screen in the car.

Plot: A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.

When I first saw this in the film,  it didn't register.  I originally thought that it was a satellite radio malfunction.  But,  at second glance, it damned on me that the frequency say outside of all three major radio systems AM, FM, or Satellite. While 1619 MHz (or 1.616 GHz) can be used for satellite communications uplink, it is mostly used in L-Band RADAR. The wavelength range of L band is 30–15 cm. The L band is one of the chief operating ranges used by various applications such as radars, global positioning systems (GPS), telecommunications and aircraft surveillance. So, this was an odd choice for the radio,  but why?

One of the simplest dots to connect would be to associate it with the 1619 Project, after all, a ship named White Lion made a huge impact early on in the movie.  For those not b familiar, the 1619 Project is The New York Times Magazine's award-winning reframing of American history that placed slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. And the ship that delivered the slaves to the shores of America? The White Lion.

I could have stopped there,  but,  something kept nagging at me.  That's when the thought of the frequency detected at Skinwalker Ranch when a UAP appeared on the television show The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch popped into my head. That frequency was 1.6 Ghz. While that frequency on the show was a general 1.6 GHz, it still popped into my head because it would still sit within the bandwidth.  With all the talk of disclosure going around (especially in Congress) would it be outside the realm of predictive programming to plant the seed on a potential communication frequency?

That's when I found this video on Tik Tok that sat in the 1.6 GHz range.  While I don't have the equipment here to verify and it is outside the 1619 MHz mentioned in the film,  again it is. In the same bandwidth. This could all be a coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidence. 

In the end,  it is likely another reference to White Lion and the 1619 Project, but other possibilities can exist. Possibly even one that we don't know about yet.  If you agree,  or have a thought about this featured,  leave me a comment.  Plus,  stay tuned for the next entry in this series.  

Leave the World Behind (2023) Part 1 - Haunted Amusement Park

The Netflix movie Leave the World Benind, produced by Higher Ground Productions owned by President and Michelle Obama had been creating nquite a stir. Full of symbolism and Easter Eggs. I know,  if you're reading this,  you probably think I have my tin foil hat on,  but, really, there is a lot to unpack. Even after watching it a third time,  I keep finding more,  so, check back from time to time.  

Plot: A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.

A link discovered in a QR code on the above map takes you to the website for Lake Shawnee Amusement Park. This note abandoned park is open for ghost tours and tickets can be purchased to visit the location. But why in this movie that is type with messages and symbolism would this place be so prominent? That's a great question and one I have yet to crack.

With it being privately owned and a small opperation, i would doubt that it has the finances to take part in a product placement ad. In fact, it wasn't an ad at all, since it was hidden in a QR code on a map. The state of West Virginia may have had it added, but again there are many other historical kandmarks that would make more sense.  So, let's look at the history. 

Technically, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park dates back to the 1920s, when in 1926 it opened its doors to its first visitors. However, Lake Shawnee has a history that spends generations and some of those may play into the legends that run rampant in this area.  

Built as a relaxation destination for early miners, proprietor Conley Snidow, Sr. Envisioned a vacation destination brimming with activity for the entire family.  It had everything from swimming areas,  rides,  to cabins.  Unfortunately,  this would not last,  and the park started to be plagued by strange accidents and deaths. This activity peaked in the 1950s and the shock locals began to lose interest, eventually firing the park to close in 1966.

After sitting dormant for decades, the park returned to life in the 80s with its signature ferris wheel and swings in tow. However,  this new life as short lived,  and the park shuttered after only three seasons due to rising insurance costs. It was one the parked closed that the owners made some incredible discoveries on the property that served to add to the lore telling the story of the original occupants, the Shawnee tribe, who seemed to vanish from the land in the 1700s. Included in the discovery was a mass grave,  with the remains of thousands of Native Americans that were laid to rest in the property. 

Of course,  the disturbance of these bones during the years of construction and activity on the property could have set the different owners on a path of despair.  Couple that with did of the mysterious deaths and the 1950s, you have a recipe for a haunted location. 

If not the specific location, what about the area.  Located in Mercer County, Lake Shawnee sits in the heart of Appalachia full of hunting and fishing (plus,  some cool cryptids), but really nothing more.  It is also in coal country,  an industry under attack by the Obama's and the majority of those on the Left. Again, making it a strange place to be featured in the movie (especially since the power grid is hacked and coal was a backbone of the industry for generations).

I really have no idea what the meaning is,  or if there is one,  but my gut tells me there is something here with this.  Maybe after more digging, I'll (or someone) will discover a reason,  until then,  I will keep looking.  Do you have any ideas? If so,  comment and let me know.