The Attic Expeditions
Encyclopedia
The Attic Expeditions, aka Horror in the Attic, is a 2001 horror movie starring Andras Jones
and Seth Green
, and featuring Alice Cooper
and Ted Raimi
. The film
has been criticized for being "random", "incoherent", "violently confusing", and lacking any plot whatsoever, at any point. In early 2009, first time director Jeremy Kasten
appeared on the cult film podcast
Double Feature to explain and defend the film.
Trevor and Faith are a happy couple who decide to buy a home together. After purchasing their new house, Trevor is cleaning the attic and discovers a chest. In the chest there is a staircase, under which he finds a book of black magic that only he can read. He begins studying the book, and starts to perform rituals with Faith. In an effort to gain even greater power, he and Faith perform a ritual in an attempt to merge their two consciousnesses. The ritual goes wrong, and Faith suffers a violent death. Trevor calls the police.
Years later, Trevor appears in a hospital. Apparently having been found insane, he is now under the care of Dr. Ek. The doctor has learned about the book Trevor found, and wants to use it for his own means - one of which, he later admits, is to cure all mental illness. It is around this time that Dr. Coffee comes to stay at the sanitarium and study under Dr. Ek. Trevor seems to have forgotten much of his past including practicing black magic and killing Faith. Dr. Ek talks with Trevor, trying to help him regain any previous memories about where Trevor may have hidden the book. At first Ek is very coy about his intentions. He worries that if Trevor knows the value of the book and his intent, he won't willingly surrender it.
Dr. Ek sends Trevor to be rehabilitated at "The House of Love." While Trevor thinks he's being sent to a recovery facility filed with other patients, he is actually being sent to his former house which is now filled with actors pretending to be patients. He interacts with the other patients, and eventually befriends Douglas. While he thinks Douglas is just as oblivious to the strange happenings in the house, Douglas is actually trying to get Trevor to sneak around the house (including the attic) and expose the location of the book. Ronald pretends to confess secrets of the house, hoping it will motivate Trevor to explore more. As Douglas and Trevor's conversations and expeditions continue, Trevor develops an interest in Amy - another supposed patient. While Amy seduces and has sex with Trevor, the first "murder" takes place. As time goes on, several more fake murders are orchestrated in an attempt to build urgency and get Trevor to continue exploring.
Unhappy with his results so far, Dr. Ek commits further surgery on Trevor. As Dr. Coffee's skepticism builds, Dr. Ek also subjects Trevor to several medications and hallucinogens. In his drugged state, Trevor communicates with Faith who now appears to be searching for the book as well. She explains to Trevor his past, the truth about the House of Love, and Dr. Ek's actual intent. She has sex with Trevor and tries to manipulate him into giving her the book.
Dr. Ek has another conversation with Trevor, and sends him back to the House of Love. Previously murdered characters are seen alive, just as they were the first time Trevor came to the house. While Trevor remembers his previous time here, the actors continue to pretend he has never been here before. The charade breaks down and actors begin to confess the ruse. Trevor suspects Faith will attempt to possess one of them in a final attempt to find the book. Observing all of this on the monitors, Dr. Coffee and Dr. Ek have a fight over Dr. Ek's methods. Dr. Ek drugs Dr. Coffee in a fit of rage. Dr. Ek eventually accepts the experiment's failure. He sends two orderlies to the house and begins to pack up and leave the sanitarium.
Thinking Faith has possessed Amy, he kills her. As the orderlies arrive at the house, Douglas (who is the one actually possessed by Faith) kills them and goes looking for Trevor. They run through the house, and Trevor eventually knocks Douglas down and makes his way to the attic. Douglas follows him down the stairs within the chest, and Trevor kills him. Trevor begins to see the situation playing out the way it did when he killed Faith in her own physical body. He attempts to make his way out of the Attic while another version of his consciousness is knocking on the chest. In the final scene, Trevor is seen pulling himself into the chest.
Andras Jones
Andras Jones is an American actor who has worked in movies and in television. He is perhaps best known for his role in the 1988 hit horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as the central character Rick Johnson....
and Seth Green
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
, and featuring Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and Ted Raimi
Ted Raimi
Theodore "Ted"/"Half Ted" Raimi is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Lieutenant Tim O'Neill in seaQuest DSV and Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess/Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
. The film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
has been criticized for being "random", "incoherent", "violently confusing", and lacking any plot whatsoever, at any point. In early 2009, first time director Jeremy Kasten
Jeremy Kasten
Jeremy Craig Kasten is an American filmmaker, known for his work in the field of independent horror as well as an editor.- Career :Kasten attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and soon after moved to Los Angeles, California working various roles in film crews until learning the craft of...
appeared on the cult film podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
Double Feature to explain and defend the film.
Production
The Attic Expeditions was originally written to be the fourth film in the Witchcraft series. After reading the script, Kasten decided it had far more potential than he saw in the Witchcraft films. Together with the producers, they spent several years alternating between fundraising and filming. The film is notable for being one of Seth Green's early performances in his transition from working as a child actor; Jeffrey Combs (who was attached from very early on) was responsible for bringing Seth and many of the other lead actors to the film. Toward the end of production, a modern rock soundtrack was added at the request of the producers (and against Kasten's wishes) in an attempt to sell a soundtrack. While a soundtrack was never actually released, Blockbuster eventually picked the film up for distribution.Plot
- Note: The story is explained here in its chronological order, rather than the way it unfolds in the film.
Trevor and Faith are a happy couple who decide to buy a home together. After purchasing their new house, Trevor is cleaning the attic and discovers a chest. In the chest there is a staircase, under which he finds a book of black magic that only he can read. He begins studying the book, and starts to perform rituals with Faith. In an effort to gain even greater power, he and Faith perform a ritual in an attempt to merge their two consciousnesses. The ritual goes wrong, and Faith suffers a violent death. Trevor calls the police.
Years later, Trevor appears in a hospital. Apparently having been found insane, he is now under the care of Dr. Ek. The doctor has learned about the book Trevor found, and wants to use it for his own means - one of which, he later admits, is to cure all mental illness. It is around this time that Dr. Coffee comes to stay at the sanitarium and study under Dr. Ek. Trevor seems to have forgotten much of his past including practicing black magic and killing Faith. Dr. Ek talks with Trevor, trying to help him regain any previous memories about where Trevor may have hidden the book. At first Ek is very coy about his intentions. He worries that if Trevor knows the value of the book and his intent, he won't willingly surrender it.
Dr. Ek sends Trevor to be rehabilitated at "The House of Love." While Trevor thinks he's being sent to a recovery facility filed with other patients, he is actually being sent to his former house which is now filled with actors pretending to be patients. He interacts with the other patients, and eventually befriends Douglas. While he thinks Douglas is just as oblivious to the strange happenings in the house, Douglas is actually trying to get Trevor to sneak around the house (including the attic) and expose the location of the book. Ronald pretends to confess secrets of the house, hoping it will motivate Trevor to explore more. As Douglas and Trevor's conversations and expeditions continue, Trevor develops an interest in Amy - another supposed patient. While Amy seduces and has sex with Trevor, the first "murder" takes place. As time goes on, several more fake murders are orchestrated in an attempt to build urgency and get Trevor to continue exploring.
Unhappy with his results so far, Dr. Ek commits further surgery on Trevor. As Dr. Coffee's skepticism builds, Dr. Ek also subjects Trevor to several medications and hallucinogens. In his drugged state, Trevor communicates with Faith who now appears to be searching for the book as well. She explains to Trevor his past, the truth about the House of Love, and Dr. Ek's actual intent. She has sex with Trevor and tries to manipulate him into giving her the book.
Dr. Ek has another conversation with Trevor, and sends him back to the House of Love. Previously murdered characters are seen alive, just as they were the first time Trevor came to the house. While Trevor remembers his previous time here, the actors continue to pretend he has never been here before. The charade breaks down and actors begin to confess the ruse. Trevor suspects Faith will attempt to possess one of them in a final attempt to find the book. Observing all of this on the monitors, Dr. Coffee and Dr. Ek have a fight over Dr. Ek's methods. Dr. Ek drugs Dr. Coffee in a fit of rage. Dr. Ek eventually accepts the experiment's failure. He sends two orderlies to the house and begins to pack up and leave the sanitarium.
Thinking Faith has possessed Amy, he kills her. As the orderlies arrive at the house, Douglas (who is the one actually possessed by Faith) kills them and goes looking for Trevor. They run through the house, and Trevor eventually knocks Douglas down and makes his way to the attic. Douglas follows him down the stairs within the chest, and Trevor kills him. Trevor begins to see the situation playing out the way it did when he killed Faith in her own physical body. He attempts to make his way out of the Attic while another version of his consciousness is knocking on the chest. In the final scene, Trevor is seen pulling himself into the chest.
Cast
- Andras JonesAndras JonesAndras Jones is an American actor who has worked in movies and in television. He is perhaps best known for his role in the 1988 hit horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as the central character Rick Johnson....
... Trevor Blackburn - Seth GreenSeth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
... Douglas - Jeffrey CombsJeffrey CombsJeffrey Alan Combs is an American actor known for his horror film roles and his appearances playing a number of characters in the Star Trek franchise.-Early life:...
... Dr. Ek - Wendy RobieWendy RobieWendy Robie is an American actress known for playing eccentric, mentally disturbed characters in television and on film. She is especially known for her role as Nadine Hurley in David Lynch's Twin Peaks and as Mommy in Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs...
... Dr. Thalama - Ted RaimiTed RaimiTheodore "Ted"/"Half Ted" Raimi is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Lieutenant Tim O'Neill in seaQuest DSV and Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess/Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
... Dr. Coffee - Beth Bates ... Faith
- Shannon Hart Cleary ... Amy
- Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
... Samuel Leventhal - Jerry Hauck ... Ronald
- Brenda James ... Nurse
- Nancy Wolfe ... Liz
- Scott LevyScott Levy (actor)Scott Levy, an American actor born on February 13, 1971 in Westwood, New Jersey, grew up in Longwood, Florida, just outside of Orlando. After graduating from Lake Brantley High School in 1990, he served in the United States Marine Corps as a FIM-92 Stinger Missile Gunner during the Persian Gulf...
... Orderly