Indie
WORLD OF DEATH Ep. 199 – “The Third Degree”
Batter up for this week’s World of Death…
Set amongst the backdrop of an eerie vacant building, Writer/Director/Editor Peter Grabicki pits a conflicting family against a relentless duo of bat-wielding skeletal assailants.
Notable aspects of this short include its retro-style score, narrated story-telling, and costume design.
Cameron Zane Gorman’s music helps to really elevate the tension during this family’s dreadful night. As the horrifying story is retold, electronic beats continue throughout the chaos. This style adds a unique flair to the film as a whole, almost giving it a classic-style horror film vibe. The gory and practical makeup also adds to the retro spook factor.
The story is told in past tense, with the protagonist timidly explaining the terror that struck her family that night. Jennie Oliver masterfully shows restraint and fear as she struggles to recall the tragedy. This element helps the story feel more personal and allows the film to jump around seamlessly, excluding unnecessary scenes.
Capping off this spooky little short is the haunting costume design of the assailants. Sporting black clothing and illuminated skeleton masks, the assailants are quite the frightful sight. The illuminated skull stands out within dark spaces, making it seem as if it is just a floating skull. In addition, the purple mask colors give a contrasting and abstract color scheme to the two characters. Similar to horror classics such as Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, these characters don’t say a word. They just kill.
One piece of advice the filmmakers could take into consideration would be to recolor some of the shots. Several shots appeared as if they were taken straight off the SD card, with crystal clear imagery and bright lighting. Adding a bit of grain or gloom to the color scheme would contribute to the foreboding tone much better. Other than that, the camera work was rather impressive featuring a plethora of smoothly moving shots.
Overall this week’s World of Death is spooky dose of classic horror fun. Make sure to watch until the end for an unsettling revelation!
– Noah Levine
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 Wednesday at 10am CST.
WATCH HERE
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.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Trap’ – Official Trailer Previews a Wild New Horror Experience from M. Night Shyamalan
Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ Is Now Available to Watch at Home!
