Ryan Spindell is best known for the admirable anthology movie The Mortuary Collection, so naturally the filmmaker would be a perfect fit for Scared Stiff (Oregon). As one of the best episodes from the first season of 50 States of Fright (really, the whole series), this monster of a tall tale makes good use of its meager runtime. Spindell had the shortest episode in the show’s first batch — less than 15 minutes — but the story is simple and straightforward (in a good way).
The episode’s small cast is led by James Ransone, who plays renowned taxidermist Sebastian. On a wintry night, a random client (Donavon Stinson) shows up unannounced and urges Sebastian to stuff and mount a most unusual animal carcass. One he hit with his truck. The audience has a good inkling of what the mystery roadkill could be, but watching Sebastian slowly come to the same realization just before receiving yet another unexpected — and larger and angrier — guest is the perfect cliffhanger before commencing with Scared Stiff (Oregon)‘s second and final half. It should be said, ending things here would have been in the spirit of less showy and economical anthologies. Spindell, on the other hand, is more inclined to stay the course and deliver the visual goods.
Despite being hardly five minutes long, Scared Stiff (Oregon)‘s conclusion feels endless and agonizing (again, in a good way). Viewers hold their breath as the incensed parent of this young Homo sapiens cognatus bursts into Sebastian’s house and comes to collect not only their dead offspring, but also find the guilty party. The dreadful confrontation between the creature and Ransone’s well-intentioned but ultimately foolish character amounts to a fitting outcome. The payoff here is even funnier when recalling an earlier conversation about Emily Hampshire‘s character, another local taxidermist whose work was deemed “worse than death” by Sebastian.
Atmosphere and setting make this episode sing just as much as the impressive Bigfoot design and practical suit. Sebastian’s home serves as a constant reminder of death; his impeccable yet haunting craftsmanship lines the walls and surfaces of this rustic cabin. The dramatic change in lighting later on then saps this episode of its initial warm pleasures and macabre coziness. The adult creature is quite daunting, all thanks to a refreshing choice to make it appear menacing rather than neutral or docile like in other depictions. The expressive facial movements and advanced articulation of the jaw both give this Bigfoot a true sense of life.
Most anthologies don’t usually have the proper resources to bring Bigfoot to life on the small screen. However, Quibi did — the short-lived streaming platform’s 50 States of Fright produced a gorgeous story about North America’s most famous cryptid. Of course, the Quibi model was a fiasco, and along with everything else on the chopping block, 50 States of Fright was cancelled, shipped over to Roku for a brief amount of time, then finally removed from the internet altogether. Fans still mourn what might have been had this high-quality anthology been granted a stay of execution and a better home to nurture its vision.
So the Story Goes spotlights notable anthology tales from both television and film, with an emphasis on the horror genre.
Tales from the Paulside 
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