Movies of War

This year marks the landmark 25th anniversary of Bloody Disgusting, and we’re celebrating by bringing the site’s longtime mascot, Buzzkill, to the screen for the very first time. We put out a call to independent filmmakers last year to come up with their own pitches for a short horror film featuring Buzzkill, and we’re excited to announce the winner this week! Contestants were asked to submit pitches for a 40-minute short horror film where they bring Bloody Disgusting’s Buzzkill character to life. Screambox and Bloody Disgusting reviewed all submissions and selected the winning pitch to be awarded a $35,000 budget to produce their short. The winning production team will also partner with professional special FX artists to bring Buzzkill to life utilizing top of the line materials and practical FX processes. “For 25 years, Bloody Disgusting has championed the future of horror,” said Cineverse Vice President, Networks Strategy Tom Owen. “With this contest we wanted to honor that legacy by using our platform to be a launchpad for the next generation of horror creators and we can’t wait to see what they do with our iconic Buzzkill logo.” The winner of the Bloody Disgusting 25th Anniversary short film contest? Jesse James Hennessy, who impressed the entire Bloody Disgusting team with his creative take on Buzzkill! A director, producer, writer and editor, Jesse James Hennessy is a lifelong horror fan whose passion for the genre came through loud and clear in his 1990s-set pitch that’s set to feature glorious practical effects kills as well as a wild origin story for Bloody Disgusting’s Buzzkill. “Over his career he has made multiple award-winning films, most notably gaining the attention of Troma legend Lloyd Kaufman, when he hand-picked Jesse’s rad horror/comedy Love Potion 89 as his favorite short film in 2018,” Jesse’s bio states. “On top of his ever-growing passion for creating rad horror flicks, Jesse also makes commercials, interviews, and volunteers his skills whenever possible to help lift up the Spokane area community.” “Ever since his parents rented him a VHS camcorder over summer weekends back in the ’80s, he’s been making movies. He fell in love with horror flicks early on as a kid (maybe a little too early) and knew that he wanted to make some killer films of his own,” Jesse’s bio notes. We don’t yet want to spill the beans on exactly what Jesse Hennessy has come up with for the Buzzkill character, but we promise it’s going to be nostalgic and bloody-as-hell good time. “I’m very humbled and excited to be working with Bloody Disgusting to bring Buzz Kill, a brand-new horror icon, to life for audiences,” the filmmaker said in a statement this week. We’ll announce much more about Bloody Disgusting’s official 25th anniversary short film real soon. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite with Hennessy’s director’s reel below! Expect to see Hennessy’s Buzzkill short on Screambox in October 2026! The contest and upcoming short film is sponsored by Black Magic Design. Related Topics:bloody bitesBloody DisgustingBuzzkillJesse James HennessyScreambox Bloody Disgusting Staff Advertisement You may like All the Horror Heading to Hulu, Netflix, Tubi & Other Streaming Services in March 2026 Throwback Slasher ‘Blood Barn’ Is Now Streaming Only on Screambox Viral Short ‘It Visits Me’ to Become Religious Horror Feature AI Drone Attacks a Corporate Retreat in ‘Dragn’ from ‘Hannibal Rising’ Director ‘The Unknowable: Darkland’ Invites You into the Darkland Amusement Park This February [Trailer] ‘Blood Barn’ Official Trailer – Retro Supernatural Slasher Throws It Back to the Practical Effects-Heavy 1980s Click to comment