The short film Grunge premiered on Crypt TV on Friday, Oct. 30. An Indiegogo campaign for a full-length version opened the same day. The film is a horror project inspired by Seattle’s grunge past.
The 15-minute short acts as a proof of concept, according to a press release. The goal is to win over viewers and turn them into a community that can help bring the full feature to life.
The feature takes place in 1993 and follows a popular grunge band. It doesn’t try to recreate the 1990s with a fond look back. Instead, it’s a horror film built on the myths that grew around grunge.
In the story, a rising rock band stands on the edge of stardom. A new single plays on the radio. The band’s first music video airs on MTV. Then a sudden, tragic event pulls the group into a violent, psychedelic spiral.
Rene Rivas directed the short and wrote the story. Andrew David Smallwood co-wrote it, and Quin Davis created the special effects. The cast includes Lestonja Diaz, Sam Quinn, Emma Raimi, David W. Rice, and Matthew Vorce.
Daniel House, a key figure behind C/Z Records, has joined the project. The Seattle label released early recordings from Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Green River, along with other artists. Sub Pop, another Seattle label, also backs the film.
David Arond serves as executive producer. He produced a good deal of MTV’s Headbangers Ball and worked on PBS documentaries. Movie Maker Magazine has signed on as an in-kind services partner too.
The press release calls the crowdfunding launch alongside Crypt TV a first of its kind. By its account, the plan folds the short’s release and the feature’s next step into a single event.
Cameras will roll in Tucson in March 2027. Viewers can watch the short on Crypt TV and find the feature’s campaign on Indiegogo.
