PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Grindhouse Films is this great underground film company out of Germany who has released a number of amazing low budget indie horror/gore films. Fuchsi Fuchsberger AKA El Gore, the man at the helm, has a vast family consisting of some heavy hitters in the underground German film scene, and a number of them helped out with Triptychon Of Fear, the film we’re going to discuss today, as well as Isolation (2015), The Ghouls Night Out trilogy, Paraphilia and the infamous Snuff Tape series.
https://youtu.be/NsfEW7tBHLw
[Ads1]Triptychon Of Fear weaves together three short tales of death, destruction, addiction and even some old school giallo for good measure. Thomas Binder, the CEO for Black Lava Entertainment, is behind the camera and Stephen Ortlepp, Musica Non Grata and Cortello Stigma do the wonderful music.
The first episode, “Would You Go To Hell For Me?” was directed by El Gore and features a couple who are caught up in a life of drugs and murder. The girlfriend, played by the always stunning Isabelle Fitzgerald (Snuff Tape Anthology 2016, La Petit Mort II 2014), and her boyfriend (Christian Fryska: Isolation 2015) have a penchant for double crossing their drug dealers and killing them. When karma kicks in and things finally catch up to them, all that is left is pain, torture and regret. There’s some great gore and perversion in this one, especially the gruesome torture scenes in Hell. Some of the sequences will have you squirming. The beautiful Isabelle is also not afraid to disrobe in this story, which is definitely another bonus. She is definitely an indie horror queen to keep your eye on. This 40 minute short is well shot and is an ambitious project, especially on a shoestring budget.
The second episode, titled “I Fear,” was directed by Cedric Endress and runs for 31 minutes. “I Fear” features Christian Fryska once again as a man who seems to be pursued by someone… or something. He wakes up after being unconscious in an attic where his fear sets in and he tries to physically and mentally block out his unseen tormentor. The constant struggle eventually wears him down until he succumbs to his ordeal. “I Fear” is a cool tale that mixes claustrophobia and atmospheric terror with a dark dose of reality.
Probably my favorite of the three is the third and final episode, titles “Lo Specchio Di Colore Giallo Dell ‘Anima,” which I’ve reviewed before on this site right here. A true homage to the great Italian giallo films of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, “Lo Specchio” is drenched in pure giallo atmosphere and sensibility. Everything from the J&B scotch whiskey to the music is a tribute to the yellow Italian suspense/mystery films. Isabelle Fitzgerald in once again in the lead role as a woman who seems to be stalked by a masked figure. She flees for home, but her ordeal has only begun. There’s lots of great material crammed into this 19 minute long, dialogue free short film, including a nice twist, some surprisingly graphic violence and more welcoming nudity from Fitzgerald. “Lo Specchio Di Colore Giallo Dell’ Anima” is a film I can see myself revisiting again and again as the re-watch value on this one is high. It’s steeped in cool nostalgia and a killer atmosphere.
Final Thoughts
There are three great, unique episodes in Triptychon Of Fear, each one highly entertaining indie filmmaking at its finest. The film is available from Black Lava Entertainment in a limited to 500 units slipcover. If you’re into underground German horror, do yourself a favor and pick up Triptychon Of Fear for an amazing anthology bill. Here’s hoping that we’ll be seeing more offerings from the Grindhouse Films crew in the upcoming future.
