Gary Hinge was a hiker and survivalist who often traveled into the desert to document his adventures. He went missing while attempting to find a cabin he had spoken about in one of his videos and was later found with his severed hand still gripping his camcorder.
This pseudo-documentary horror movie uses made-up talking heads and the found footage narrative technique to create unsettling tension. Its final scene is sure to make viewers scream.
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What Happened to Gary Hinge?
A few days after Gary Hinge went missing, his truck was found in the desert. Upon closer examination, authorities noticed a number of clues that led them to suspect foul play. Among these were fingerprints on the steering wheel that did not match any of the known prints from Gary Hinge, and a trail of barefoot footprints leading to the truck that did not correspond with any of Gary’s tracks. Additionally, the GPS in Gary’s truck indicated that he had gone to an area that is off-limits to the public.
The police launched an extensive search in the region around the cabin, deploying foot soldiers and helicopters. Unfortunately, they were not able to find any trace of the missing hiker, who was known online by his alias “Scorpion Sam.” While the police closed the case, Gary’s sister Beverly began a search of her own. She hired private investigator Bill Salerno to help her.
Horror in the High Desert is a pseudo-documentary that utilizes recovered footage to tell the story of Gary Hinge’s disappearance in Nevada’s High Desert. The film takes advantage of Nevada’s sinister reputation for conspiracies and crossbreeds it with the desert’s menacing geographical attributes to create a movie that is incredibly unnerving.
Gary Hinge was an avid hiker and survivalist who had thousands of followers on his YouTube channel. He often went off-road to explore remote areas of the desert and posted video of his adventures on his website. Prior to his disappearance, Gary had told his viewers that he was planning to visit the mysterious cabin in the High Desert, where he had previously felt an eerie vibe.
Upon his arrival at the cabin, Gary was apparently attacked by a supernatural figure who had been protecting a sacred space. The zombie-like appearance of the attacker, the stench of smoke, and the dizzying music all contribute to the sense of impending doom that the viewer experiences. In addition, Hinge’s references to abandoned mine tunnels and Native American artifacts suggest that the killer may have been a ghost who was guarding a holy site.
The Killer
Gary Hinge was a man who liked to go off into the desert areas and do survival adventures for days at a time. His activities were often documented on his online blog that had a lot of followers. He was a very private person who often stayed away from social settings, preferring animals and nature over people. His secluded lifestyle fueled his feelings of rejection and isolation. This made him prone to mental illness and self-harm.
When he disappeared during one of his adventures, his sister Beverly reported him missing. A search was conducted by local and state police, park rangers, and volunteer groups. They searched on foot, in vehicles, and with drones. However, they were unable to find Gary or any clues as to what happened to him.
After Gary’s truck was found, investigators began to focus on that area as it could be considered a crime scene. They analyzed the truck and discovered several fingerprints, including on the steering wheel, that did not match Gary’s. Additionally, a set of barefoot footprints were also discovered. However, no databases contained a John Doe with those fingerprints, leaving the police at a dead end.
The next step in the investigation was to look at Gary’s YouTube account, which was a popular survival vlog under his pseudonym. This proved to be a fruitful avenue, as it was there that they found an interesting video clip of Gary discussing a cabin in the backcountry.
This was the last thing that Gary recorded before he disappeared and it seemed as though he was planning on revisiting the area in order to locate the cabin. When he did not return, his sister and roommate were concerned and contacted the police.
Horror in the High Desert is a very well-crafted film that makes good use of its setting, combining Nevada’s creepy reputation with its menacing geographical attributes. The pseudo-documentary style of the movie also proves to be incredibly unsettling and effective, creating a truly haunting experience. While the ending may seem a bit predictable, it is still satisfying in its own way.
The Final Scene
The movie takes a real life case of a missing hiker, Kenny Veach, and combines it with a pseudo-documentary style and found footage. The result is a horror story that is both authentic and creepy. The film is titled Horror in the High Desert, and it came out in 2021.
Gary Hinge is an outdoorsy survivalist who loves to explore the wilderness. He often makes solo backcountry trips into the Nevada desert, and he posts videos of his experiences on his website. He has an adventurous personality, and he is also very intelligent. He enjoys building model trains, but he also likes thrill seeking and is a very good swimmer.
During one of his trips, Gary finds a mysterious cabin in the middle of the desert and immediately feels a sense of dread. He decides to tell his followers on the internet about this experience, and they start speculating about aliens, ghosts, witches, and other supernatural creatures being involved.
As time goes on, Gary doesn’t return home, and his family begins to worry. They contact the authorities, who begin a search for him. They are able to narrow down the area by pinging his cell phone, but they are unable to find him. They eventually find his truck, but they discover that he had turned off his phone before leaving.
After a few weeks have passed, Gary’s sister and roommate are interviewed by the news media about his disappearance. The implication is that either his sister or Simon could be involved, but the truth turns out to be much more disturbing.
Gary was an extreme survivalist who liked to go on wilderness expeditions with the bare minimum of supplies. He would often camp in remote areas, and he had an unusual way of hunting and gathering food for himself. He even had a special way of making fires in the middle of the desert, where he gathered up rocks and used them as kindling.
The man who killed Gary is revealed in the very end of the film, and he is definitely a bad guy. The entire narrative of this pseudo-documentary depends on him being able to fulfil all the horrifying promises that have been made. His cabin exudes a feeling of impending danger, and the desert hides a monster that doesn’t want to be discovered.
The Ending
After Gary goes missing on a hiking excursion in the Nevada high desert, authorities and members of his community begin to look for him. They eventually discover his rucksack and camcorder in a campground. He is feared to have committed suicide, but when his severed hand is found in the camera, things take a horrifying turn.
His sister, Beverly, calls the police, who decide to comb the area for clues. They find a bloody footprint that doesn’t match Gary, as well as his truck. They are unable to locate him through his cellphone ping, because he turned it off. They do notice that his truck has been moved from its original spot and they deem it a crime scene.
As the investigation continues, they discover that Gary left a video log about a mysterious cabin he encountered during his trip. The police believe that he went back to the cabin to prove that it exists, and that he was murdered by a stranger there.
They also discover that Gary’s last video log was posted shortly before his disappearance. In the video, he reveals that he was pressured by his followers to revisit the cabin and demonstrate that it is real. While he didn’t mention any supernatural encounters, the similarity to the 2014 disappearance of YouTuber Kenny Veach is uncanny.
While investigating his rucksack, authorities discover that Gary had a GPS device and an electronic map of the area in it. They use this information to narrow down the search area. They scour the desert, but are unable to locate Gary’s body. They also notice that a set of barefoot prints in the snow doesn’t match Gary’s shoes.
As the authorities continue to investigate, they find that Gary’s video logs have gone live on his YouTube channel. His last video includes footage of the mysterious cabin that was supposed to be his home. Afterwards, the video log abruptly ends as Gary appears to be attacked by a disfigured figure that resembles him. The film’s ending is open to interpretation, but it could be that the attacker was a supernatural creature guarding a sacred site. The zombie-like appearance, the stench of smoke, and the dizzying music all contribute to this theory.