Two short films from the filmmakers behind the upcoming ‘Headless’

At the time of this review filmmakers Arthur Cullipher and Scott Schirmer, the guys behind Found (2012) have a fundraiser going to make the feature length film of the film within a film, Headless. A lot of people loved these segments of Found so it was only natural for this to happen!

In conjunction with Extreme Horror Cinema and two private groups on Facebook, Lair of Terror and Horror DVD & BD Collectors, Beneath The Underground is renting out online two short films created earlier in the above-mentioned filmmaker’s respective careers in order to assist in raising funds for the Headless feature length slasher film.

First up the viewer gets to experience the teaser of the upcoming short film release of Headless which will be a part of the forthcoming DVD release of Found (2012) on September the 23rd. Then we get Arthur Cullipher’s 2010 short film Come, lastly Scott Schirmer’s House of Hope short film.

Founder of Beneath the Underground Nick DeCarlo Jr was gracious enough to share with me the link to make the following review of each short film possible, so a big thanks!

Now let’s get started…

 

Before we get our two short films to our eyes greats the teaser for the upcoming release of the short film version of HEADLESS!

Our slasher serial killer with a penchant for necrophilia is seen wondering into his lair clutching a bowling bag; walking through the factory past bound by gaffer tape women who look on in fright. Finally he stops looking down from above on one soon to be victim, reaching into his bag he pulls out his mask and puts it on. Film title Headless appears including the date in small stating 1979!

What can I say; it got my juices flowing to want to see more, needless to state it would do the same for any of you reading this! This runs like a trailer on an VHS tape just like in the old days when you picked something up at the video shop and perfect for what follows!
First off is Come (2009)

A doctor with a surgical fetish visits a den of debauchery to pick up a diabolic package to sate his disturbing desire!

What un-folds is more than just the desires of one deranged man!

Come (2009) is the short film by filmmakers Arthur Cullipher and Kirk Chastain.

Arthur Cullipher was the Special Effects Director and Associate Producer for Found (2012). So naturally why Come is in this bundle of two short films of horror insanity!

What came to mind while viewing this was the feeling of entering a dark world in a similar vein to Hellraiser, not in look and texture but feel. That our lead was making a purchase that will open up the gates of a dark realm. But along with this what kept coming to mind were the visions from Russian Underground cult filmmaker Andrey Iskanov. Of visions of cunt faced women, creatures of a dark realm and of sexual gratification.

Loved the dark look of Come (2009), it was perfect in fact. Of entering into a underground world catering for the sexual fetish of its clients and the sense there is more it.

As stated Arthur Cullipher is the Special Effects Director of Found and the director of the upcoming Headless feature so naturally…there is special effects! Practical effects thank God and done very well too! Cunt faced women, a creature which is the seed for more of its kind and of what I am saw as a dark god at the climax of Come! For a film of fetish and diabolic plans there is a lot of sexual innuendo in this, which is obviously fitting!

My excursion into Come (2009) was something I found quite enjoyable. It sets out to bring this dark disturbing experience for us the viewer and succeeds!
Now onto our second short film…
House of Hope (2010)

A couple, a pregnant woman and her man, are driving along a country road when she gets labor pains. Its two weeks early and there is a panic. Stopping the care a house is spied nearby, wanting to get help or at the least use the phone to call for an ambulance the man sets off.

Unfortunately for them and their unborn baby they went to the wrong house!

Inside resides a sister with her young brother hold away from what they perceive as an evil world gone to hell!

House of Hope (2010) is a short film from the director of Found and co-producer of Headless, Scott Schirmer.

A promise unfolds of out back horror with the terror of religious zealotry. Our couple is taken and tied up at two separate areas of the house and thus held prisoner. The younger brother is told to read from the bible to them select passages. We find out he is held captive by a fear of burning fields and endless piles of corpses rotting away, he has rarely been outside apart from going into the yard about five times in his life. First his father, then after he passes, his elder sister keeps him inside with fear of the evil that has engulfed the world.

Along with this is the subtext of waiting for the coming of Christ through the birth of a child. Five times this was consummated between father and daughter and now this man has appeared!

So House of Hope (2010) holds the promise of a backwoods religious horror. It’s setting is suitably minimal with it’s run down house in the back of nowhere with this real feeling of isolation. All the windows are covered up to hide the world from the boy, or is it visa versa. I got the feeling he was being brought up to be the father of what hopefully for the sister would be the second coming of Christ through incest.

With this feel of isolation and promise of redemption for the world and a stairway to heaven for the boy and his sister I feel Scott Schirmer succeeded with House of Hope (2010). I felt the imprisonment of the couple and what happens with them. Of the loss both experiences but which I won’t give away here.

 

A teaser that gets the juices flowing with the little taste of Headless plus two films for me followed a similar subject path; that of religious experience; one of darkness and another that is meant to be of light but with a disturbing twist! Each was an experience of their own and with their on qualities. Being a massive fan of Andrey Iskanov and seeing similarities in some ways in Come it was my favorite short film experience of these. But in stating this I loved what House of Hope had to offer as well with its backwoods setting and its dark story of what one family is capable of to bring about the second coming!

I would recommend both Come and House of Hope for anyone who enjoys horror shorts as I do. Both achieve what they set out to do in their timespans without feeling bits were amiss!

For the purpose of these shorts being placed together I hope people did take the time to rent these films thus assist in raising funds for the gory and sick as fuck film that will be Headless!