This weekend, The Conjuring, the latest film from Saw director James Wan, drops into U.S. theatres. But it's not only fans of exorcisms, demons, and the real-life demonologists behind the film's story who benefit from the release. Vice teamed up with The Conjuring's production team to put on a one-minute horror film fest called The 3:07 Project, so named in honor of the "devil's hour," when the movie's most notable demon action happens.
Vice and The Conjuring's team invited four directors to create a 60-second film inspired by the Devil's Hour, which perhaps should more accurately be called the Devil's Minute. But they chose filmmakers who were more than up to the task: Oscar nominee Nacho Vigalondo, horror savant Ti West of House of the Devil fame, screenwriter Max Landis, and Jason Eisener, the cheeky creator of the Grindhouse short Hobo With a Shotgun.
Together, the four horror experts produced a single six-minute video, full of scares to get your spine tingling in anticipation of your next foray to the movies. In order, the four films are:
- "This One, For the Lady," by Nacho Vigalondo, a look at one of the most common nightmare subjects—losing your teeth.
- "The Seance," by Max Landis, an unforgettable excursion into the found footage genre.
- "Box," by Ti West, a short "silent" film that manages to pack in a dozen horror tropes into one small space.
- "One Last Dive," by Jason Eisner, a terrifying trip underwater.
Short films are often the horror genre's bread and butter—after all, it only takes one good scare to be remembered. From animators to Reddit, everyone loves taking a stab at the genre. Not to be outdone, we present our ten favorite short horror films, ranging from 30 seconds to 25 minutes.
1) Eel Girl
An instant body-horror classic, eerie and atmospheric.
2) Cutting Moments
This 25-minute short film made in 1997 is an utterly disturbing short horror film. Cutting Moments is highly explicit, with slow scenes of intense and incredibly violent gore—but what you may remember most is the intense social commentary layered thickly over this dark and brooding tale of dysfunctional suburbia. American Beauty she ain't.
3) The Library Kills
Who says found footage can't be scary? Or fashion, for that matter? This short film commissioned by designer Boudicca is not just a stylish photo compilation, but one that tells an increasingly mesmerizing, horrifying story of a deranged turn-of-the-century killer and his vintage victims. You'll never look at the library the same way again.
4) Suckablood
Horrifying morals for children and beautifully terrifying animation make this nightmare fairy tale a complete win.
5) The Facts In The Case Of Mr Hollow
This creepy 2011 animated short was showered with awards, for good reason. As mysterious as it is creepy, this chiller leaves you with more questions than answers.
6) The Green Ruby Pumpkin
Partially animated, all magical, this Halloween short manages to be beautiful, delightful, and creepy, all on a shoestring budget and all in under three minutes.
7) Mockingbird
Fewdio is a talented short-film production company known for its quick, sinister scenes of terror. Mockingbird is perhaps their most memorable offering, a riff on the basic "THEN WHO WAS PHONE?" creepypasta trope.
8)The Horribly Slow Murderer With the Extremely Inefficient Weapon
True to its word, ten minutes of hilarious non-death and spoofery of every horror trope on earth. Or should we say spoonery?
9) 8 Butterflies
If creepy, atmospheric horror is your thing, then Nick Narciso's near-silent film of inexplicable oppressiveness will stay with you for days.
10) Rot
Thirty seconds of stop-motion awesome.
Screengrab via Vimeo