The horror genre used to get a lot of mileage from music videos back when
they were a thing. Of course, there was “Thriller,” with Vincent Price and the other
guy, but there were also official soundtrack videos, like Alice Cooper’s “The
Man Behind the Mask” from Friday the 13th Part VI and J.
Geils Band’s “Fright Night” video. The general idea of thirty-eight minutes of
linked music videos telling a macabre story is a bit of a throwback, but the vibe
here is more experimental. According to wiki David Lynch was an influence on
electronica band Boy Harsher (vocalist Jae Matthews and producer Augustus
Muller), but uncomfortably trippy movies like Calvin Reeder’s The Oregonian and
Jason Banker’s Toad Road are more apt comps for the viewing experience
of The Runner, which premieres Sunday on Shudder.
The
blood smeared all over the face and clothes of this hitchhiker should be your
first clue not to pick her up. She is a serial killer, who might even have
supernatural powers. Yet, after each kill, she calls an older man, whose
relationship to her is unknown, but he clearly understands her nature.
Meanwhile, Boy Harsher and several of their special guests record in the studio
and have their videos played on an 80’s-vintage Night Flight-style
variety showcase.
