Violets Bloom At An Empty Grave

Grindsploitation 8: Drive-In Grindhouse part 8 of the Grindsploitation film series Faux Film trailers and shocking short horror films.

The Black Cat intensifies the series’ horror bent: this chapter zeroes in on the violent, disturbing aspects of Poe’s “The Black Cat,” interpreted by three directors with a more graphic, visceral approach than prior entries.

For this anthology movie, producers Vestra Pictures assigned international directors with a phobia and set them to work making a horror short about it.

Eleven film directors explore how abnormal love and pushing the limits of obsession and danger can result in violent and unexpected endings.

In keeping with the “voices from the beyond the grave” motif seen in A View From a Forgotten Grave, La Fleur du Diable, etc. Sidd Web Productions brings a similar experimental horror art film sans actors — La Ragazza con il Cappello Rosso (The Girl in the Red Hat.) While this very short work was inspired by Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s painting The Two Sisters (On the Terrace,) the film is not so much narrative driven as much as it is an exercise in atmosphere. Features voiceover by Italian cinema veteran Silvia Collatina (Lucio Fulci’s House by the Cemetery, Sergio Martino’s The Great Alligator.) A secondary purpose of the film is to document the largely forgotten (and empty) Bickley Crypt in Bensalem, PA.

THE COLD EYES OF DEATH is a low-budget short horror film which takes influence from both the psychological Italian gialli of the 60s & 70s and the supernatural Italian horror of the 80s. With an experimental, DIY charm, this film puts most emphasis on atmosphere and visuals rather than today's typical gore and sleaze. Maestro Fabio Frizzi's soundtrack, whose highly acclaimed works include Fulci's ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND, and CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, is the driving force that connects avant-garde shots and chop-shop editing into something fans of the aforementioned genres can enjoy. BEWARE! THE COLD EYES OF DEATH ARE WATCHING!

THE GHOSTS OF EDEN HALL is a short horror film featuring Eric Bower in Filmiracle's usual Italian horror tradition. The short also documents some (but not all) of the remaining relics of the Convent of the Sacred Heart and Eden Hall in Torresdale, Philadelphia, PA (1847 - 1969.) Call it a horror historical documentary!

In the tradition of such classics as NOSFERATU & HAXAN, and with a dash of early American film (Famous Players Film Company, D.W. Griffith, etc.) comes GARDEN OF SOULS. A horror photoplay in that harkens back to the old tinted silent films of yesteryear. Partly filmed on-location in Hollywood before Hollywood -- Fort Lee, NJ. Dedicated to film pioneers D.W. Griffith and Mary Pickford.

Mary Pickford once said, "I never had sympathy for those who wanted to produce 'art' pictures and ignore the public. These weird ideas that appeal only to a minority--they're not for me." (Motion Picture Herald, February 17, 1940.) With that said, it's probable that Mary wouldn't exactly approve of The Thousand Steps, but this short silent horror film utilizes some of the very same locations seen in Pickford's earliest films and contains many little nods to her work. Stylistically influenced by the films of D.W. Griffith and European silent horror like Nosferatu and Destiny, The Thousand Steps makes use of period cinematography, editing, and effects and incorporates the dust and scratches need to create the feeling of a long-lost silent film of yesteryear.

THE CITY OF DUNWICH is a short horror film that pays homage to the films of Lucio Fulci and Joe D’Amato. Starring Ryan Capizzi (THE THOUSAND STEPS,) the film notably features an original score by maestro Carlo Maria Cordio (Fulci’s AENIGMA, D’Amato’s ABSURD, Fragasso’s TROLL 2, etc.) There is also minor participation from Wayne Camp (D’Amato’s DEEP BLOOD, WAR BABY, etc.) for an added touch of authenticity. One can expect a mysterious, twisting tale in Fulci-style about a marina owner and a steamboat explosion.

This short horror / art / experimental film is admittedly not so much a "real" film as it is more of an exercise in b-roll and atmosphere. Give a bored filmmaker a forgotten cemetery, a little bit of snow, and and hour or two and this is what you get. Sure, it's a little bizarre, ridiculous, and out there, but it is what it is. The locations seen throughout the film comprise the ruins of the Eden Hall cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. The cemetery, established in the 1800s for nuns of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, was ultimately abandoned in the 1970s and its residents relocated....

Chris Milewski (A Taste of Phobia, POE IV: The Black Cat) returns with another Italian horror inspired short film — PHANTOMS OF THE FOG! This 11 minute affair consists of a heaping dose of, you guessed it, Italian horror, with a dash of those classic Vietnam War actions flicks churned out around the world during the mid to late 80s. Starring Filmiracle Productions regulars Karen Lynn and Terry Reilly, newcomer Ryan Fargo plays the part of a American soldier wandering around in the jungle for reasons unknown. This time around, Chris has recruited Luca Coscarella (known for his amazing cover tracks, most notably his BURIAL GROUND: NIGHT OF TERROR cover) to deliver a hypnotic musical score. Now, of course it’s not the 1980s anymore, so this film still does contain some of it’s own charm in the mix.

A very short French / Italian horror-inspired art / experimental film in the style of Jean Rollin, Lucio Fulci, and even a little Jess Franco. Shot during the covid lockdown, this film features no live actors so the filmmaker had to get a little creative (there is only so much you can do with no actors.) With that said, the end result does provide some nice atmosphere.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, DEAR CHILD is a visual experience not following the standard cookie-cutter methods of film. One can expect a beginning and an end, with an allegorical representation of life in the middle. It's a comedy. It's a pseudo-mondo. It's an art film. It's a horror film. It is what it is. Features an original soundtrack by Italian American composer Giorgio Bertuccelli (Joe D'Amato's WOMAN'S SECRET and PASSION'S FLOWER.)

The True Story of the Christ's Return is an attempt at recreating the style and atmosphere of the 16mm experimental / art films of the 1970s, though still leaning a bit towards the horror, slightly sci-fi side. While this film is somewhat different than previous efforts, it still seems to have some of usual Italian flare. The story is a bit peculiar to say the least. Jay Creepy of Severed Cinema notes, "This short has a lot of depth. Mario Murgia has seriously planned and executed the shots plus angles of the scenes to layer on dreamy doom-laden material."

THE WORLD OF SHADOWS is a short horror film in the 80s Italian horror tradition (Fulci, D'Amato, Mattei, etc.,) however, it's mainly inspired by the last films of Giulio Questi -- that is, filmed and portrayed by one person. Features narration by Franco Garofalo (Bruno Mattei's HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD.)