I’m still surprised by the continued success of indie horror. I shouldn’t be, but I am. Back in the 1960s, George A. Romero experienced the analog version of virality with Night of the Living Dead, a micro-budget and inventive project with something to say. And some modern independent horror is doing the same. The Babadook, Talk to Me, It Follows, and lots of the mumblegore output had messages to help push their horrors into the spotlight. But this doesn’t always need to be the case. If we look at the unprecedented success of Terrifier, it’s clear audiences have an unmet need for brutally inventive carnage.
Well, it looks like we might have a new addition to the canon of the micro-budget grotesque. The new Tubi slasher film Die’ced has found itself in the horror conversation recently, and it has done so through some tricky, morally ambiguous, and altogether thoughtful ways. If you’re a Twitter-only horror conversationalist, then the title has probably evaded you so far. However, if, like me, you frequent the dark and dirty swamps of the countless (and highly populated) Facebook horror groups, I bet you’ve seen the title.
Die’ced is a no-budget slasher movie concerning a teenage girl who faces off with a deranged serial killer who was mistakenly released. The villain is dressed up like a scarecrow, but the design seems suspiciously lifted from Art the Clown. Benny is the new-to-town horror villain that I would not be surprised to be see more of in the near future. And director Jeremy Rudd has even openly expressed online that Terrifier was a major influence, so there is no need to get out your pitchforks.
Speaking of Jeremy Rudd. Horror history has proven time and time again that a little bit of creative marketing can take your movie a long way. Look at the success of Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project or even Alien. Outside-of-the-box tactics have been proven to be quite lucrative. Even accidental word-of-mouth campaigns like the Skinamarink TikTok drama and the Terrifier 2 movie theater vommitors have had huge impacts on the success of a film.
Well, Mr. Rudd has taken his destiny into his own hands by changing the horror narrative. The guy has been flooding Facebook horror groups with self-made memes like the ones below, concocting a synthetic hype around his film. And it worked. As the weeks went on, I began to notice more and more fans posting about their experiences watching the film. Even though most group members have caught on to the scam, the narrative surrounding Rudd’s tenacity is positive. Who doesn’t love an overachieving underdog, even if they take things a little too far?
Take a look at some of the deceptive memes:
The following director’s statement is lifted from the unsuccessful IndieGogo campaign that was held to raise finishing funds for the project.
Welcome to DIE’CED! I’m an actor, writer and director that has been credited for over 60 projects. For the past year, I have concentrated on fine-tuning the script and teaching myself filmmaking. I knew I needed tons of experience if I was going to direct my first full length feature, so I read every filmmaking book and watched a TON of horror movies. I’ve learned from industry professionals, worked on several projects for free, and created my own short films, and acted in a bunch of televison shows and movies that prepared me for DIE’CED.
Jeremy Rudd
Check out the DIY trailer for Dic’ed right here:
How do you feel about the ongoing Die’ced buzz? Are you planning on checking out what this indie gorecore slasher has in store? Are you impressed by the filmmaker’s virtual tenacity? Let us know on Twitter via @DreadCentral. We are always around to chat about all things indie horror.
Categorized: News
