Wacky Horror Short SLIMY JOE Unleashes a Slimy Green Goblin by the Pool

Sometimes all you need to make a movie is a monster puppet, a swimming pool, a couple of kids, some friends, and an afternoon with nothing better to do. That’s pretty much how filmmaker Josh Stifter brought the wonderfully goofy horror-comedy short Slimy Joe to life.

The two-minute homemade monster movie revolves around Slimy Joe, a weird little green goblin with one very important rule: he can’t get wet. Naturally, there are kids playing in a swimming pool nearby, so you can probably see where this is headed.

Stifter made Slimy Joe with his kids Maximus and Raphael Stifter, while Stifter and Daniel Degnan play the dads. Rather than approaching the project as some major production, everyone got together one summer day and made a ridiculous monster movie because it sounded like a good time.

Stifter explained the thinking behind the short: "A monster. A pool. Some friends. My kids. A few hours. We didn't make it because it was important.

“We made it because making a stupid monster movie sounded fun. Sometimes that's all the reason you need to make something. So grab your friends. Grab your kids. Grab whatever weird shit you have lying around. What are you going to make next?"

Not every short needs to be built around festivals, awards, or some grand statement. Sometimes creating something weird with whatever you have available is reason enough.

Stifter expanded on that idea, saying: "Sometimes you don't need a budget, a crew, a festival strategy or even a particularly good reason to make a movie. Just having a monster puppet, a swimming pool, your kids, a couple friends and a few hours to kill is enough of an excuse...

“That's SLIMY JOE. We shot this little monster short in just a few hours with Dan, Strauss, Max and Raphie because it sounded fun. That's really it. No grand artistic statement. Not worrying about whether it was 'important.'

“We got together and made something because we could... Movies like Slimy Joe remind me why I started making sh!t in the first place: Making movies is fun."

That spirit comes through in Slimy Joe. It’s homemade horror in the best way, built around practical effects, a silly creature, and the simple pleasure of grabbing a camera and making something.

Stifter wrote, directed, and created the short in Atlanta, Georgia, with Nathan Strauss handling the puppet and practical effects. The whole thing was shot right in the backyard.

Slimy Joe himself also gives off some wonderfully deranged Cheddar Goblin energy from Mandy, which makes the little green freak even more fun.

Slimy Joe is only two minutes long, so give it a watch. More importantly, maybe take Stifter’s challenge and make something yourself. Grab a camera, dig out whatever bizarre prop or puppet is sitting around, call some friends, and see what happens.

Enjoy the short!