Gemini Home Entertainment
Gemini Home Entertainment is a horror anthology web series created by Remy Abode and periodically released on a YouTube channel of the same name. The series takes place in the 1980s and 90s and is presented as a collection of clips from VHS tapes produced by various fictional companies and distributed by the eponymous company Gemini Home Entertainment. Though superficially self-contained and exploring a variety of seemingly harmless topics, such as wildlife, technology and astronomy, the clips also tell an overarching story of extraterrestrial invasion and the impending end of the world.
| Gemini Home Entertainment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Remy Abode |
| Written by | Remy Abode |
| Directed by | Remy Abode |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Animators |
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| Release | |
| Original network | YouTube |
| Original release | November 17, 2019 – present |
Gemini Home Entertainment is regarded as an iconic analog horror series and combines elements of cosmic horror, surrealism, body horror and Native American mythology. The main series, also known as the Full Boxset, is ongoing as of date. Further videos have also been released since as part of the spin-off series Library.
Premise
The overall story of Gemini Home Entertainment is set in the 1980s and 1990s and is told through a series of clips presented as VHS tapes[1] distributed by the fictional company Gemini Home Entertainment.[2] The tapes are a mixture of educational clips, commercials, public service announcements and home videos,[3] produced by various fictional companies such as Regnad Computing, Harbinge Technologies and Optica! Video. The motivations, morals and content varies between the companies.[4] The videos are complete with lo-fi music reminiscent of similar real-life videos.[4]
The different episodes are superficially self-contained, exploring topics such as wildlife, artificial intelligence and the Solar System, but together they build a cohesive narrative and serve to document the impending end of the world.[5] The storyline of Gemini Home Entertainment features extraterrestrial invasion and parasitism[1] and combines elements of cosmic horror, body horror and Native American mythology.[3] The series includes threats such as extraterrestrial creatures ("Woodcrawlers") using humans as "vessels", a fictional infectious disease called "Deep Root Disease", and a fictional plant or fungus called "Nature's Mockery" that mutilates people it comes into contact with.[4] Videos typically begin in a mundane way before incorporating horror elements.[5] The series's central antagonist is The Iris, a sentient planet or planet-like entity which is masterminding an invasion of the Solar System and is influencing life on Earth.[6]
Episodes
The main series of Gemini Home Entertainment began in 2019 and appears to be ongoing.[1] The episodes were later organized into a playlist on the official YouTube channel under the title Gemini Home Entertainment Full Boxset.[4] A spin-off series, Library, premiered on the same YouTube channel in 2021. Library contains shorter and "secret" episodes that do not follow the format of the main episodes and focus on exploring some of the more misunderstood and confusing concepts introduced in the main series.[5]
Full Boxset (2019–2021)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Length | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "WORLD'S WEIRDEST ANIMALS" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 8:09 | November 17, 2019 | |
| This tape, serving as the pilot episode, is an informational video chronicling several animals in rural Minnesota. Information is given about the first two animals (the greater prairie chicken and the burrowing owl), mainly about their habitats and behaviors. The tone noticeably changes, however, with the third animal, named as a "Woodcrawler." According to the video, they are found all over North America, are excellent hunters, and "prefer the homes of large families, where large swarms can adapt more easily." The video then presents further information, telling the viewer that they will "hear screaming; they stole their voices," and that they should "burn the bodies, lest they stand up again." A Woodcrawler is then shown: it is a large, spider-like creature, which kicks down a door, revealing its long legs. The tape then shifts to footage of "Fake People", doppelgangers of human beings which seem to be related to the events concerning the Woodcrawlers. As the cameraman approaches a house, he finds it infested with Fake People, who are attempting to replicate human behaviours with some difficulty. After some time passes, one of the Fake People notices the cameraman and gives chase; the cameraman stops aiming the camera and begins frantically running away as the tape ends. | ||||||
| 2 | "STORM SAFETY TIPS" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 4:38 | November 24, 2019 | |
| This tape, created by one Harbinge Technologies, is an instructional video for how to safeguard oneself and one's family during a "severe storm". The first section describes how to prepare adequately for a storm: reinforce the home, install an early warning system (an example of which just so happens to be sold by Harbinge Technologies), and construct a storm shelter, which, according to the company, should be 18 feet square and 10 feet in height, with an aluminium hemisphere about 4-5 feet in diameter installed at its center, and a shortwave radio placed next to it. The second section instructs the viewer to bring their family to the shelter during a storm, though the instructions are interspersed with unusual statements such as "your home does not belong to you now" and to ignore sounds from the shortwave radio, as these are "auditory hallucinations." After the storm, the viewer should leave the shelter and assess the state of their home. If the home is severely damaged, they should check for movement inside. If they hear a chime from their early warning system, the storm has passed and it is safe; however, if they see 'Lights' in the distance, they should return immediately to their bunker. This scenario is then seen through footage of numerous bright lights appearing in a field. Another message then briefly appears, stating to 'listen, under your feet, crawling through the floor', before footage of a Harbinge Technologies Albedo Alarm sounding is shown. The video concludes with the message that the viewers are now "well-equipped to defend [you] and [your family] against storms." | ||||||
| 3 | "THE DEEP BLUE" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 4:51 | December 6, 2019 | |
|
This tape, created by Gyneva Production Company, is an informational video about the deep ocean. The first part of the video concerns life in the ocean, although several points are incorrect, such as its citation that the blue whale often eats fish whole (the blue whale's diet consists almost entirely of krill and is incapable of consuming larger creatures), and that the stingray carries deadly poison in its tail (it would be considered venom in this case, and the venom is not necessarily deadly in all cases). The second part of the video transitions to habitats, where it mentions the Marianas Trench, then abruptly begins describing the fictional Demisia Tunnel, an even deeper section of the trench. After on-screen text gives the ominous message 'Nothing can live in the Marianas Trench.', footage of an 'Ocean Resident', a gigantic spiderlike being with a massive glowing eye is shown. A garbled noise begins to play as the footage begins violently shaking, before cutting to static. Note: The video has since been taken down from the YouTube channel, which may mean the video is no longer canon. | ||||||
| 4 | "ARTIFICIAL COMPUTER LEARNING" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:03 | December 29, 2019 | |
| This tape, created by Regnad Computing, is a demonstration of a new artificial intelligence system capable of formatting short stories. After a brief explanation, the short stories are presented across three iterations. The first reads: "Jack leapt over the river / Mary to follow, together / Travel follow the secret / Jack the river, it is dead (sic)." It is explained that, while unrefined, the basic elements of patterns and consistency are present. Iteration 2 is then shown, reading: "Jack leapt over the river / Mary followed close behind / They are searching for the secret place / I hear you." The presentation explains the development upon the previous iteration, allowing for more complex phrases and story cohesion. The third iteration is shown, reading: "Jack leapt over the river / There goes Mary down the stream / The secret place will keep us safe / The river flows but not with water." It is explained that this iteration was a further development upon the last, diverging slightly from the original parameters and thinking more critically. Surprisingly, a fourth iteration is then given, reading: "Jack heard it again / There is a voice from space / Jack do you see me / I have become something else." The presentation gives no explanation on this iteration. A fifth and final iteration is then presented, overlaid with background music reminiscent of whispering, reading: "Listen to the silver box / The stars are moving now / Do you see the Hungry Eye / Here I am." A slide is then shown, displaying two celestial bodies; one is much larger than the other and is fixated upon the smaller one with what appears to be an eye, while text at the bottom displays that the larger is "intent" and is "alive." The slide switches to one of apparently an indeterminate energy beam striking the smaller body, which sprouts appendages and an eye similar to that of the previously shown larger body, before cutting to black. The presentation is then concluded with the message that "this video should have demonstrated [to you] the capabilities of Regnad Computing's artificial intelligence." | ||||||
| 5 | "OUR SOLAR SYSTEM" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 4:59 | January 24, 2020 | |
| This tape is an informational presentation of the celestial bodies within the Solar System. It first displays a map, showing the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, although an additional planet is shown between the final two. Key points of information are given about each planet, however, several discrepancies within the explanations exist. The sun is stated to be 149 million miles away from Earth (instead of the 149 million kilometers of one AU). Earth is listed as 'one of the only planets in [the] Solar System capable of supporting life.' The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is specifically described as not being an eye. Nearly obscured by static, the text changes to state that the spot is an open wound. Saturn's rings are described as being 'the Gateway', while Neptune's Great Dark Spot is listed as 'the Lens' and that Neptune itself has been 'mutated'. Before the end of Neptune's section, the planet begins turning, showing the Great Dark Spot changing to resemble an eye beginning to open. The unidentified planet is then named as The Iris, and it is described as being 'with us now' and 'laughing at us'. The Iris's surface abruptly changes to resemble an eye, and it focuses intently on the viewer while an otherworldly sound begins playing. The footage then abruptly cuts out to a camera feed of Neptune firing an intense blue beam of light from the Great Dark Spot towards the inner solar system. The tape then cuts back to a section on Pluto, mentioning that 'this planet isn't going anywhere!', before the presentation concludes. | ||||||
| 6 | "CAMP INFORMATION VIDEO" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:19 | March 3, 2020 | |
| This tape contains an informational video on the Moonlight Acres camp, showcasing its activities, accommodations and mythos. Over the course of the tape's runtime, it is established that Moonlight Acres is host to numerous alien and paranormal phenomena, including beings described as Skinwalkers which haunt the campground and hunt for visitors, and enigmatic 'Well-Dressed Men' that made a deal with the staff for an unspecified provision in return for human sacrifices. | ||||||
| 7 | "LETHAL OMEN COMMERCIAL" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 6:00 | April 10, 2020 | |
| This tape contains a commercial for the PlayStation 1-esque game Lethal Omen,[lower-alpha 1] set at the Moonlight Acres camp. | ||||||
| 8 | "WILDERNESS SURVIVAL GUIDE" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 7:20 | May 6, 2020 | |
| This tape contains an instructional video for how to survive in the wild, including preparations and items to bring as well as animals and plantlife to avoid. One of the plants featured is named as Nature's Mockery - a name previously used to describe the Woodcrawlers in "World's Weirdest Animals" - and is described as causing 'hallucinations, sudden muscular paralysis, body disfigurement' and 'flesh decay'. | ||||||
| 9 | "SLEEP IMAGE VISUALIZER" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:25 | June 19, 2020 | |
| This tape explores the Sleep Image Visualizer, a new technology developed by Harbinge Technologies which can produce video representations of a person's dreams, and showcases several examples. | ||||||
| 10 | "GAMES FOR KIDS" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:36 | July 10, 2020 | |
| This tape showcases several children's games and includes instructions for how to play, introducing hide-and-seek, freeze tag, sardines and 'Feed the Woods', a ritual in which the Lights lure children towards Woodcrawlers. | ||||||
| 11 | "ADVANCED MINING VEHICLE" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 6:50 | August 7, 2020 | |
| This tape showcases the new Remote-Operated Compact Tunneller (ROCT), an advanced and camera-equipped mining vehicle. On its voyage through a cavern system deep within the Earth's crust, the ROCT encounters a 'Garden', a meat-like carpet of vegetation tended to by the 'Gardeners', giant spider-like beings similar in appearance to the Ocean Resident in the Demisia Tunnel. The Gardeners capture the machine and trap it within the mass of plants, whereupon its cameras observe a Woodcrawler emerging from a network of 'veins' on the cavern's walls. The vehicle shakes itself free, but falls to the floor of the cavern and is seemingly destroyed. | ||||||
| 12 | "DEEP ROOT DISEASE" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 4:44 | October 2, 2020 | |
| This tape contains an educational film on Deep Root Disease, including how the disease progresses and how to diagnose it through observation and asking questions. The disease is caused by a 'Root', a species of plant or fungus like parasitoid. Though the titular disease is initially framed as one that affects plants, using horticultural terminology to describe it, it quickly becomes apparent that the roots are obligate parasites of humans, and mutilate the bodies of their hosts as they grow and develop. | ||||||
| 13 | "MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 6:38 | October 31, 2020 | |
| This tape contains a progress report on the development of artificial intelligence since the fourth tape, showcasing developments in computer processing, predictive advancement, and artificial intelligence. It begins with an introduction to "Project Infrared" and lists the crew responsible for managing it. The tape then says that the purpose of the project is to prevent future technological failures for REGNAD, and to assist in the advancement of technology. While informing the viewer of the capabilities of the project, it mentions an unknown client, one which has been helping REGNAD. The tape then cuts to footage of a row of computers, with organic roots sprouting from inside. The monitors then display a prompt for the client to respond to, and the artificial intelligence to interpret; footage of the eye of a gardener is shown along with a satellite array pointed at the night sky, presumably to contact the client which is implied to be the Iris. The first prompt is "EARTH", to which the Iris responds with, "MARY SEES THE GATEWAY DIE / SLEEPING ONES ARE EATEN WHOLE / THE VESSEL FLOATS INTO THE MAW / THE JAW UNHINGES." The second prompt is "MOONLIGHT", referencing Moonlight Acres, to which the Iris responds with, "NEW THINGS ROAM THE FEEDING GROUNDS / THE HARBINGER GUARDS IN VAIN / MARY HEARS A CREAKING SOUND / THE HUNGRY EYE IS WELCOMED." The final prompt is "JACK" to which the Iris repeats "JACK IS WITH US NOW," four times, before saying "JACK IS US NOW," implying that Jack Dean has been infected with Deep Root Disease. The satellite array is then shown being engulfed in the shadow of an unknown creature, implied to be a gardener. The tape ends with REGNAD stating that they expect to meet their client in person in 7 months. | ||||||
| 14 | "CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 4:38 | December 26, 2020 | |
| This tape contains a home video of a Christmas party at the Moonlight Acres camp. The party is attacked by a Skinwalker, resulting in the deaths of several people and the infection of Barry Johnson, the camp's assistant activity supervisor, with Deep Root Disease. | ||||||
| 15 | "HOME INVASION HELP" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:40 | March 18, 2021 | |
| This tape contains safety tips and advice for how to prepare for, and what to do during, a home invasion. However, it turns out that the tape is actually an instruction for the Woodcrawlers to enter the victim's home, with the actual intention cleverly hidden under the pretext of 'countering home invasions'. Right after the tutorial ends, it then cuts to footage of a person entering a house. Said house has seemingly been "invaded", with red mycelium-like growths infesting everywhere; some seemingly forming humanoid shapes, indicating that these are actually what remains of the victims of Deep Root Disease. One figure has a yellow eye which turns to face the camera. Towards the end of the tape, the person unsuccessfully tries to flee from a Woodcrawler. | ||||||
| 16 | "CRUSADER PROBE MISSION" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 7:00 | July 5, 2021 | |
| This tape contains documentation of the Crusader 5 mission, in which a space probe documents the outer planets and their moons, visiting Jupiter, Saturn and The Iris. While travelling through the Solar System, numerous anomalous moons, asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects (including the disproven hypothetical moons Chiron and Themis) are found by the probe, and Saturn's rings are unusually narrow. Neptune is mysteriously absent from where it should be. Upon arrival at The Iris, Crusader 5 observes the planet’s five moons, then travels into its interior, where it confirms that not only is The Iris sentient, but it is also directly responsible for the existence of the Gardeners, Ocean Residents, Roots and Woodcrawlers, as it observes a vast network of Gardens on its approach to The Iris's 'conscious mind' before being sent back rapidly towards Earth. | ||||||
In addition to the sixteen released episodes, Abode has also released two cancelled episodes through their Patreon, "Your Best Self" (July 22, 2021) and "Basics of Broadcast" (May 17, 2022), though neither episode is considered to be canonical to the series.[7]
Library (2021–present)
Additionally, another set of episodes titled the "Library" has been released, expanding on the lore established in the Box set with specific information on the Moonlight Acres Family Camp "deal", the Skinwalker, and the effects of Deep Root Disease on a person.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Length | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "WRETCHED HANDS" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 3:43 | December 24, 2021 | |
| The tape begins by showing a recording of a NOAA weather report with footage from a lake in Canada, dated on Christmas Eve, approximately '25 minutes before first attack'. An explosion is briefly visible in the background of the footage. A letter from Glenn Arthur - the administrator of Moonlight Acres Camp during the 1930s and 1940s - is shown, dated to 3 May 1946. In it, he reveals that he intends to break his deal with the Well-Dressed Men by providing a bear as a sacrifice instead of a human, and that he refuses to be the aliens' pawn any longer. A second letter with an unclear date in May 1946 is then shown, which reads 'Wretched hands tap my window. A stranger's fangs scrape the walls.' Photographs of the Skinwalker are shown, revealing that it has grown to a massive size by assimilating humans into its body, and that it has 'since lost all resemblance to a bear' since it emerged in 1946. | ||||||
| 2 | "SHIFTING TENDONS" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 6:38 | March 2, 2022 | |
| This video documents the progression of Barry Johnson's case of Deep Root Disease. Over time, his body is steadily degraded by the infection over the course of 59 days, turning him into a mass of seething mycelium while still alive, and eventually is transformed into a specimen of Nature's Mockery. | ||||||
| 3 | "OLD BONES" | Remy Abode | Remy Abode | 5:14 | June 9, 2023 | |
| An audio recording is played, discussing the nature of Deep Root Disease. It is implied that the disease has the ability to manipulate living tissue, and that it progressively transforms the flesh of those afflicted with it, rather than causing it to wither away, though several small portions appear to have been redacted out. Excerpts from the diary of Glenn Arthur are showcased. Glenn’s diary recounts his encounter and eventual deal with the Well-Dressed Men from "Camp Information Video", who he believes to be angels. A drawing of an energy beam emerging from Neptune (similar to the one shown in "Our Solar System") appears as part of a "vision" that Arthur received. A deal was sealed with the Well-Dressed Men in 1941 and broken in 1946, as established in "Wretched Hands". Three new iterations from Regnad Computing's AI are shown, with the third implying that the victims of the Skinwalker retain their humanity, even after being assimilated by the beast: "I AM STILL IN HERE / RELIC OF THE FAITHLESS DAY / DON'T LEAVE ME YOU BASTARDS / OLD BONE GROWS". Silent footage from Moonlight Acres is shown, and the video ends after a close view of a window from inside one of the cabins shows a humanoid being with a distorted body - likely Glenn Arthur himself, now assimilated into the body of the Skinwalker - appearing to speak, before it quickly moves away. | ||||||
Development
Gemini Home Entertainment was created by an anonymous YouTube creator[5] under the alias Remy Abode.[2][3][4][5] Abode was driven to create analog horror since the genre was very easy to get into; it was possible to create entire short films without having to actually record footage or take photographs of their own and cheaply made visual effects could be disguised under a layer of static interference. The storyline of the series was mainly inspired by creepypastas (horror legends) on the Internet revolving around mythological creatures such as wendigos and skin-walkers. Further inspiration came in the form of classic science fiction horror films such as Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982). One of the subplots of Gemini Home Entertainment revolves around a campsite called Moonlight Acres; this portion was inspired by the more recent horror films The Endless (2017) and The Ritual (2017). Abode made the decision to largely exclude jump scares from Gemini Home Entertainment due to finding horror more effective when it did not "provide the climactic release that a jumpscare brings" and instead simply maintained prolonged tension.[5]
The series heavily makes use of stock footage, downloaded from free websites such as Pexels, for some of its location shots but also, especially in later installments, incorporates footage shot by Abode using their own camera. Abode used Hitfilm Express, a free video-editing software, to create the VHS effects of Gemini Home Entertainment, FL Studio for some of the musical cues and for the general sound design, and Sketchbook for designing and drawing the different creatures. Some of the videos contain 3D models created by Abode's friend Swift Animations. Abode has described creating the effects as a "wildly messy and complicated" process. Almost all of the music used in Gemini Home Entertainment is sourced from old music albums from the 1980s and 90s, typically sourced from YouTube playlists.[5]
Reception
Gemini Home Entertainment is regarded as one of the most iconic analog horror series[2] and is typically regarded as one of the premier examples of the genre, alongside Local 58.[8] Bailee Perkins of Hyperreal Film Club wrote in a 2022 review that Gemini Home Entertainment was her "favorite analog horror series to date" and that it was planned out and executed in a great way.[4] Nestor Kok of F Newsmagazine also praised the series in 2022, calling it "as novel as it is ambitious" and praising its horror relying on growing anxiety, unease and a slow realization of the impending end of the world, rather than gore and jump scares.[5]
Tanner Fox of Screen Rant referred to Gemini Home Entertainment in 2021 as "nearly as notorious as Local 58" and found the series to be "eerily authentic" and "an absolute much-watch for those who enjoy this sort of lo-fi horror".[1] Lacey Womack, also of Screen Rant, assessed Gemini Home Entertainment in 2022 as "excruciatingly strange", "tough to follow" and one of the best video-based alternate reality games.[6] Gemini Home Entertainment was also positively reviewed by Alicia Szczesniak of The Post, who noted that "the horror of this series comes from the helplessness experienced by the victims of the beings in this series", no one being safe in the situations depicted.[3]
Notes
- Lethal Omen was later made into a real playable short video game by the developer Alpine Arts; the multiple endings of the game serve to together build on the narrative of the series and hold keys to understanding its central mystery.[5]
References
- Fox, Tanner (2022-05-06). "The 10 Scariest Analog Horror Series On YouTube". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Lee, Seira (2022-03-06). "The Rise of YouTube Analog Horror Series". Orange R. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Szczesniak, Alicia (2022-01-13). "A look into analog horror". The Post. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Perkins, Baillee (2022-02-28). "The Tapes of Wrath: Long Live Analog Horror". Hyperreal Film Club. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Kok, Nestor (2022-02-15). "Ghosts in the Machine: Archiving the End of the World with "Gemini Home Entertainment"". F Newsmagazine. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Womack, Lacey (2020-05-03). "15 Of The Best Video-Based ARGs On YouTube". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- Abode, Remy. "Remy Abode is Creating Analog Horror". Patreon. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
- Powell, Elora (2021-10-31). "What Makes Analog Horror Scary (Homeworld Sun 10/31/21)". Homeworld Zine. Retrieved 2022-06-07.