Horror Favorites – Scott Bateman

Citizens of the planet: brace yourselves. The cosmic disturbance first detected in 5000 Space Aliens—the award?winning animated invasion that baffled scientists, delighted audiences, and mildly irritated several government agencies—has returned with a long?awaited sequel, 5002 SPACE ALIENS, which will officially land on Apple, Amazon, and Google/YouTube.

We abducted the directer Scott Bateman and made him tell us all about his favorite horror films or else he would get the probe!

Scott Bateman is an award?winning animator, filmmaker, cartoonist, author, and professional observer of human absurdity. His work has appeared on IFC, MTV, and in major newspapers, always carrying his unmistakable blend of satire, existential humor, and DIY animation grit. He’s spent decades building a universe where cosmic nonsense feels strangely plausible and human behavior feels like the real punchline. Bateman’s universe is one where aliens file complaints, robots question their life choices, and humans remain perpetually confused. In other words: documentary realism.

Bateman’s 5000 Space Aliens became an underground sensation, a minimalist animated fever dream that played like Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast—if Welles had been armed with a malfunctioning laptop, a deadpan narrator, and a sense of humor so dry it could dehydrate a cactus.

5002 Space Aliens expands the universe, the threat level, and the number of aliens who appear to be deeply unimpressed with Earth’s infrastructure. Bateman’s signature style returns: hand?drawn oddities, bone?dry narration, and a tone that suggests the world might end during a coffee break. If the first film was a warning, the sequel is a follow up inspection. And the aliens have notes.

When talking about the project Bateman said “I’m thrilled to unleash 5002 Space Aliens on Apple, Amazon, and Google/YouTube. I’ve always believed the best way to prepare humanity for an alien invasion is to let them laugh first — it softens the panic. If actual aliens ever show up, I hope they appreciate the documentary accuracy.”

Below Scott Bateman talks about the horror movies he loves the most:

“Most of my favorite horror films are the classic old black & white ones from the 1930s-1950s. Anything with Boris Karloff is good, and the cheesier ones the ’50s like House on Haunted Hill are super-fun.

That said, the one horror film that my friends and I watch every October is Halloween III: Season of the Witch. It’s a film that raises a lot of questions such as, “Why are they still making masks on Halloween night? They’ll never get to the store on time!” and, “So, Tom Atkins just goes commando for the entire second half of the movie? In corduroy???” Every time we watch, new questions arise!”

AUGUST 10 — WHEN 5002 SPACE ALIENS HIT STREAMING AND EARTH HITS THE PANIC BUTTON.