Catchers (an Audible Original)

Good evening, House of Madness tenants:

Like watching horror? Like reading horror? Ok, so what about listening to horror? Intrigued? Well, have I got something to share with you! Catchers is an audible story about a dog catcher's first day on the job (Herizen F. Guardiola), being trained by another dog catcher on his last day on the job(Billy Gardell). Before we begin, in case you're unfamiliar with an audio story, it is vastly different from an audio book. An audio book is pretty much a story narrated for you word for word, whereas an audible story is basically like listening to a movie with actors, sound effects, and a script, while using your imagination to visualize the story being told to you. 

Now that we're all familiar with what an audible story is, let me say that if you've never listened to one, I highly recommend starting with Catchers. Why? Because it's beautifully written, directed, and acted, not to mention that the story is extremely badass. Catchers is an easy listen if you're a horror fan, and at a run time of just over 2 hours, you can greedily listen to it in one sitting, or there are many chapters that you can use to chip away at it at your own pace.

Now, onto the story. Collins (Billy Gardell) is a dog catcher, and it's his last day on the job. Sounds great, right? Well, there's a catch (pun intended) : it may be Collins's last day, but it is also Blair's (Herizen F. Guardiola) first day, and he has to show her the ropes. What's the big deal you ask? Well, to say Collins is a bit cynical, would be like saying Richard Simmons is a bit energetic, and he also sports the attitude of doing as little as possible while collecting a paycheck. Blair on the other hand, is a no nonsense type of person that isn't afraid to stand up for herself, and it being her first day, isn't buying into what Collins is selling on the Lazy Front.

"Well, that doesn't sound scary!" you say? Well how about instead of catching dogs on her first day with an asshole she'd like to beat with a face smashing stick, our friends have to battle ferocious unheard of atrocities, that would make Cujo hide under his bed. Not only are Blair and Collins forced to work together, they might just be the only thing keeping one another alive, and using their wits to save their town seems a lot smarter than using their wits to save their egos. See? I told you it was scary.

Written and directed by Ben Rock, and Bob DeRosa.

Madness Meter: 9/10

NB