![](https://www.grimoireofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SHC-Freak-Accident-Review.jpg)
We previously had the chance to check out Thomas Burke’s short film Camping Fun, a quick dive into a small cult that showed that Burke had the knack to channel his love of the found footage genre into a terrifying short. Now/ looking to take on a subgenre from the overall found footage genre of ‘screen life’, SHC: Freak Accident sees Burke putting himself on the screen and divulging in his greatest fear: spontaneous human combustion.
From the director’s statement:
“This is my demise in the most frightening way I could imagine… When I was seven years old, spontaneous human combustion became the forefront of my thoughts- as well as my biggest fear after learning about it through a TV-aired docu-series. Ever since then, I can’t help but picture something like this happening to me…”
The result is an intense yet highly enjoyable meltdown on screen. The effects and tone of the short are certainly on the lighter side, but it is a wonderfully morbid indulgence in bringing one’s greatest fears to life — who does not want to see a man burst into flames on camera? Easily the greatest appeal is the 90’s aesthetic as the icons, effects, and art direction all seem to take inspiration from the era; the whole production exhibits crude displays and graphics that will have their own nostalgic charm to those who lived through the early internet era.
Overall, the work is a disturbing mix of nostalgia, dark humor, and general terror that makes for a lovely two minutes of madness. You will even want to stick around for the end of the credits as the screen becomes awash in garish graphics that will remind you of early internet pop-ups from a computer slowly dying. It is unabashed fun and terror from start to end, a lovely little introduction into the twisted humor and horrors of Thomas Burke’s filmography.
Produced by the people at POV Horror, this short also goes to show promise for the platform in creating its own unique content for the avid found footage fans. Even better, those in the San Francisco area can check this out on the big screen at the Unnamed Footage Festival as it opens for a screening of the pioneering digital horror film, The Collingwood Story.
Check out the teaser for the Fest and make sure you catch the screening of SHC: Freak Accident!
Past Festival Coverage
Pussycake (Emesis) is a 2021 Argentinian sci-fi horror, written and directed by Pablo Parés, with additional writing from Maxi Ferzzola and Hernán Moyano. Pablo is no stranger in the directorial chair, having over thirty-six productions under his… The anthology film is almost as old as the industry itself. Perhaps the earliest example is D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance (1916), the director’s petulant response to wholly justified accusations of racism…. If you ask a casual movie goer to list some classic horror films, a large majority of them will mention Halloween, Friday the 13th, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. One… The Glenarma Tapes is a 2023 Northern Irish found footage horror film, written and directed by Tony Devlin with additional writing from Paul Kennedy. Although the film presents itself as… Heading back to the coastal town where he is haunted by the memories of a past friend, Martin ends up meeting Lucas and the two begin to search for clues… Post-apocalyptic films after a pandemic certainly seem poised to hit their stride, with the horror genre acting as a cathartic release from modern day anxieties. Enter Glasshouse, the debut from…Pussycake (2021) Film Review – Curiosity Killed the Pussycake
Midnight Peepshow (2022) Film Review | Down the Rabbit-Hole…
Deadly Games (1982) Film Review – Low-Key Slasher That Slipped Under the Radar
The Glenarma Tapes (2023) Film Review- Into the Woods! [FrightFest]
Phantom Summer (2022) Film Review – The Opera Macabre
Glasshouse (2021) Film Review – Horror of Fleeting Memories