Indie
WORLD OF DEATH Ep. 139 – Treat Her Like Gold / Poached
Hello, loyal viewers!
We know Christmas is fast approaching, but since when has that ever stopped us gorehounds from enjoying a little blood and guts? In fact, if you’re looking for the perfect gift for that horror lover in your life, check out our website and get them a set of our WORLD OF DEATH blu-rays, volumes 1-4.
Today’s set of films doesn’t have much of a theme besides maybe being stalked and possibly killed by an unknown monster of some sort, but can’t that be the theme for any episode?? We just hope it helps usher in your weekend with the willies and get you ready for all your ugly Christmas sweater parties. And remember, if you’re bad enough, maybe you’ll get to meet Krampus! One could only fucking hope.
First on today’s lineup, we have TREAT HER LIKE GOLD, from director Kate Fagan. I guess the title alone has some holiday undertones. Don’t buy your lady anything from the gas station or from the Walgreens’ “As Seen on TV” section. They deserve so much for putting up with your ass. Anywho, GOLD is the keyword here. In this short, a man is going through his daily routine running his local antique/thrift store, and this weird looking gold-painted dummy keeps oddly popping up in the frame. I’m not sure if he notices or if there are multiple dummies, but it’s creepy. If you’re hoping for a cute romantic comedy like you got with Mannequin in the 80’s, you’ll be a bit disappointed, but then again, what the hell are you doing here expecting that anyway? Shit gets real with sweet closeups of practical effect work. Sometimes when you don’t have a big budget, a great idea is to play with focus and depth and it actually gives everything a little more texture. Hell hath no fury like a plastic woman scorned.
Second up, we have POACHED, from the state of Michigan and director Joe Post. In this one, we get thrown into the woods as we follow a female park ranger sifting through the relics of a hunting trip gone bad. She eventually comes across the remains of a hunter, who in my mind, I like to imagine is Ted Nugent, and realizes she is being stalked by whatever is out there as well. It looks like the tables have turned on humanity and honestly, it’s about time. The camerawork drives this short and is a product of well-thought out shots and blocking. Through the lens, the director was able to create an eerie atmosphere that fuels camping nightmares we all hear about. The only thing that this short was lacking was a more robust sound design. Since, this is from Michigan, perhaps a Tim Allen voice-over or a Kid Rock soundtrack to fill in the missing pieces? This definitely would’ve been like a Jack Links Beef Jerky commercial fucked a Pure Michigan commercial and had a kick ass baby worthy of joining our archive here at WORLD OF DEATH.
Have a great holiday and roll it!
– Dominick DeLuca
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.
WATCH HERE
Indie
“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!
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.