Punk Rock Horror Short Film THE MAGES OF RAGE AND THE DESECRATION OF THE HOUSE OF MIMICRY

Here’s a horror short film for you to watch titled The Mages of Rage and The Desecration of The House of Mimicry.

This a punk rock horror film that follows a loud ass punk band that faces off with a demonic mime intent on stopping them from finishing their music video.

This short film is shared in collaboration with the FilmQuest Film Festival, where we are trying to expose some of the indie genre films and shorts that filmmakers are creating.

We included an interview with the filmmaker who created the short, Jason Sheedy. This is a lot of fun, so I hope you enjoy it!

Without spoilers, tell us what your film is about, its characters, and its themes. Is it a proof of concept, or a standalone story? 

This is a short horror comedy film about a loud-ass punk band comprised of bandmates, Johnny Buzzsaw, Ripper, and Kevin, who must face off against a demonic mime intent on stopping them from finishing their music video. It's a standalone story but also something we'd love to expand into a feature film!

What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with the idea?

We were inspired to make this film after a Midnight Madness screening at FilmQuest. We wanted to create an experience of our own that would fit into that bonkers collection of horror and hilarity. So, we got to brainstorming, and after a riveting evening of Taco Bell and old-fashioneds, the story of The Mages of Rage was born.

Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a filmmaker?

I've been covering my friends in fake blood and running around with a camera attached to my hand since I was a kid. Those interests took me to film school in Savannah, GA where I met the core team I still work with today. After school, we shot a feature (which was basically like going through film school again) and we've more recently been focusing on a variety of short films, which has been a great way to explore different ideas and meet a lot of other filmmakers and creatives both online and in the festival circuit.

What inspires you to work within genre cinema and tell these kind of stories?

There's just something so fulfilling about genre cinema. I love that the broad genres of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy open up into dozens of sub-genres. There's an endless amount of possibilities and that keeps me curious and excited - it's a very satisfying space to play in as a filmmaker.

What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process for this project?

For this particular project, it was a lot of fun to bridge my musical interests with my filmmaking interests. I grew up playing in bands so I enjoyed getting to write some music for the film, which you can listen to at magesofragefilm.com!

What are you most proud of with this film?

We were inspired by a FilmQuest Midnight Madness screening, and we were fortunate enough to be included in the following year's Midnight Madness screening and even won Best Comedy Short. I couldn't think of a better full-circle moment for this film.

What is a favorite story or moment from the making of the film you'd like to share? 

For me, my favorite moment of filming is oftentimes the last shot on set - it's that feeling when you're moments away from accomplishing what you set out to do after months of planning, overthinking, problem-solving, etc. I feel like anything worth doing is challenging, and you have to get out of your comfort zone and accept the chance that you may fail, so when you're about to wrap and you've gotten everything you need to go into post with full confidence, there's no better feeling.

What was your most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?

We all wore a lot of hats on this shoot and that got quite exhausting at times. It was that kind of tired where after it's all done you're like, "Yeah, we did it. Worth it." but while you're doing it you're like, "Wait, why am I doing this to myself?" Joking aside though, I'm incredibly grateful for an easy going but very hard working cast and crew. Even at its most challenging times, it was still a super fun shoot and I couldn't be happier with how it all came together.

If it did, how did your film change or differ from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How has this changed how you'll approach future projects as a result?

Who were some of your collaborators and actors on the film? How did you start working with each other?

Brett Brooks ("Ripper") and I worked on a short horror film together in college and have been friends since. We've worked on a ton of projects together throughout the years from shorts to features, and even music. Aside from acting, he's an insanely talented illustrator and writer and even co-wrote this film with me. Matthew Noonan ("Kevin"/DP) and I also met during college and started making films a few years later once we realized we both had the same love for horror movies and video games. I also met Chris Mayers ("The Mime") while in college but this is the first project he's acted in for me, and he was incredible to work with. He really gave that character more life than I could have ever hoped for.

What is the best advice you've ever received as a filmmaker and what would you like to say to new filmmakers?

Some of the best advice I've ever gotten was just to make films. "You wanna be a filmmaker, make films." That's been said many times over, but I really do think it's the simplest, most actionable advice you could get. I'm learning how to be a better storyteller with every film I make. Another valuable piece of advice I received in a directing class was, "Hey shut up." Admittedly, I was talking too much, so it was a good lesson in being able to give clear, concise direction, and also a good reminder to trust your collaborators and keep an open mind about the possibilities outside of your own ideas.

What are your plans for your career and what do you hope this film does for it? What kind of stories would you like to tell moving forward?

I'd love to get the opportunity to make another feature film, and my hope with this film and the others we've made is to build an audience. I'm always going to be a fan of horror and sci-fi, but I enjoy blending genres with a focus on crafting memorable characters faced with supernatural, or otherworldly, conflicts.

What is your next project and when can we expect to see it? 

We've got a few more short film projects in the works, including a short horror/sci-fi film called, "The Reclaimers," that is currently making its way through the festival circuit, and a short horror comedy called, "To Hell With You," that will hopefully be hitting the festival circuit this fall.

Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Social media handles?

My films can all be seen on my website at jasonmsheedy.com, but I also have a YouTube (@JasonSheedy) and a Vimeo channel (https://vimeo.com/jasonsheedy). I'm most active on Instagram where I post film updates or photos of my dog (@jasonmsheedy). And check out magesofragefilm.com for outtakes from the film and more!

Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite film?

John Carpenter's "The Thing"

Bonus Question #2: What is the film that most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the most influence on your work?

"The Evil Dead" - the idea of a group of friends heading off into the woods with a camera and a dream was just so relatable to how I spent so much of my childhood. Our films were no "Evil Dead," but I fell in love with that scrappy DIY style of just getting out there and trying something.