Connect with us

Indie

WORLD OF DEATH Ep. 123 – “Night of the Hell Hamsters”

Published

on

Hello, World of Death-heads!

Tonight we have a stunning example of fun, indie horror filmmaking from our neighbors across the pond. This horror short is one of the best installments I’ve had the pleasure of watching in a long time.

“Night of the Hell Hamsters” begins with a young couple settling in for an intimate night of whiskey, raging hormones and, of course… an Ouija board. While I’m not sure how many films you’ve seen an Ouija session going well, but suffice it to say that this particular conjuring quickly takes a carnivorous turn.

“Night of the Hell Hamsters” is a fucking blast, from the vintage opening throwback to 1950’s horror movies to it’s outright 1980’s style splatter-fest of an ending, this tight 16-minute short blazes by like a rollercoaster, barely letting you catch your breath. Director Paul Campion clearly knows what they’re doing and don’t have any qualms wearing their Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson influences right on their blood-soaked sleeves. The extremely competent cinematography shows a beautiful blend of vibrant colors and fun whip-zooms and pans. The two leads treat this ridiculous concept with the goofy respect it deserves and plays the pitch-perfect black comedy all the way off the charts. While the script feels very familiar and the plot isn’t necessarily impossible to telegraph, the screenwriters clearly have a strong command of story structure and pacing, even for a short of this brevity. The special effects are charmingly cheap, hilarious and more than get the job done. Viewers with a love of the red-stuff will not be disappointed.

Campion clearly tackled this project with a whole lot of love and it shows. I had a wide grin on my face the whole time watching and I’m sure you guys will as well. I’m very excited to see more of Campion’s catalog.

’til next time, friends!

– Ashton

World of Death is the web series that fans of independent horror have been waiting for.  Featuring short horror films from all over the globe created by the largest variety of talent that a collection has ever been able to boast, WOD provides plenty of blood, guts, screams and laughs for all fans of the macabre.  And with episodes averaging around eight minutes in length, WOD is the perfect entertainment for a fan base constantly on the go.  Watch it anywhere, at any time, for FREE! New episodes premiere every Monday and Thursday at 10am CST.

SUBSCRIBE HERE

SUBMIT HERE

WATCH HERE

Indie

“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!

Published

on

Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.

The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:

“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.

“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.

“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.

“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”

Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.

WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.

To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.

Continue Reading