Chris LaMartina, the filmmaker behind the cult favorite “WNUF Halloween Special,” is taking his latest experiment in seasonal horror beyond the screen. His new film, “Spirit Tasting,” is a New Year’s Eve-themed project from Terror Vision Original Productions, and its planned screening roadshow will bring the film to in-person events. The move turns a release into something more communal: audiences can gather around an unconventional horror work rather than encounter it only at home. For LaMartina, whose reputation is closely tied to a single night on the calendar, the shift also opens a fresh seasonal chapter.
“WNUF Halloween Special” built its following by treating horror as a piece of television archaeology: a faux 1980s local-news broadcast, complete with the texture and rhythms of an earlier media era. That format made the movie feel less like a conventional feature than a recovered artifact, inviting viewers to notice the awkward pauses, dated presentation and uneasy gaps around its scares. Its cult standing reflects a wider appetite for genre films that play with how stories are delivered, not just what monsters appear. LaMartina’s new roadshow suggests that same interest in form can travel into the room with the audience.
New Year’s Eve gives “Spirit Tasting” a different seasonal frame from “WNUF,” whose Halloween identity has helped make it a recurring choice for genre fans. The holiday itself carries built-in dramatic tension: a countdown, a threshold between one year and the next, and the expectation that celebration will give way to uncertainty. That makes the premise legible even to viewers who do not follow underground horror, while allowing LaMartina to bend familiar traditions toward the strange. The title and timing promise an event-shaped experience, though the production has not disclosed further story details in the announcement.
The roadshow is significant because it treats screenings as part of the work’s identity, rather than merely a way to distribute it. For independent filmmakers, touring can connect a project with audiences directly, building word of mouth in spaces where a smaller release might otherwise struggle to stand out. Horror has long benefited from that kind of gathering: watching in a crowd makes a sudden image, a stretch of silence or a shared laugh feel different from watching alone. “Spirit Tasting” offers fans the prospect of meeting the film on its own terms, as an occasion as well as a story.
That approach also reflects a broader change in how niche films find their audiences. Streaming and online discovery make titles easier to access, but they can leave viewers scattered across platforms and time zones; a live event gives a community a date, a venue and a reason to show up together. For a cult filmmaker, those encounters can deepen the relationship between a project and its fans, who often value the quirks and limitations that distinguish an independent production from a studio release. A roadshow can turn those qualities into points of connection, not obstacles to polish away.
Terror Vision Original Productions’ involvement places the film within a corner of the industry attentive to genre fans and distinctive releases. Independent horror often makes its mark through a strong concept, a recognizable sensibility and a direct relationship with its audience, rather than a large advertising campaign. LaMartina arrives with an existing calling card in “WNUF,” but a new holiday setting gives him room to build on that recognition without simply repeating Halloween. For viewers, the change of season may be part of the appeal: familiar festive imagery can feel newly unsettling when horror claims it.
The announcement leaves practical details, including specific venues and dates, for the roadshow to clarify, so fans will need to watch for further information. But the central idea is already clear: “Spirit Tasting” is being positioned as a film people can experience together, not just add to a watchlist. That matters in a culture where audiences increasingly seek events around the entertainment they love, from fan screenings to theatrical reissues and creator appearances. LaMartina’s New Year’s Eve venture extends the calendar of seasonal horror—and gives independent cinema another way to make a small, unusual film feel like a shared celebration.
