LA Screening Spotlights Jimmy & Stiggs by Horror Section

A Practical Horror Romp

Last week, the filmmakers behind Jimmy & Stiggs rolled into Los Angeles for a special screening and panel discussion, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at their neon-drenched horror-comedy. Executive produced by Eli Roth and presented by his brand-new indie arm, Horror Section Studios, the 16mm-shot thriller leans fully on practical effects—think gooey chainsaws, buckets of blood, and handcrafted creature creations.

In the opening remarks, Roth praised director Joe Begos’s fearless aesthetic. “When you see the blood, sweat, tears, and buckets of neon goo that went into Jimmy & Stiggs—you’ll know the difference,” Roth told the packed house, urging attendees to catch the film in theaters on August 15.

Eli Roth On Cult Classics

In a related Instagram post, Roth pointed followers to an IndieWire feature (indiewire.com link in bio) where he and Begos traced their creative kinship back to TIFF 2013. The post recalls a festival encounter in which Roth spotted Begos sporting a cast and black eye—“literally looked like he’d been beaten up by a gang,” Begos quipped—after falling off a cliff and drinking absinthe. Roth said that instant marred-but-spirited introduction cemented his faith in Begos’s off-kilter vision.

Roth wrote, “Anything can be a cult classic, but ‘midnight’ is the whole point.” He credited early midnight moviemakers like Alejandro Jodorowsky and festival programmers for fostering a grassroots genre movement—a mantle he hopes Jimmy & Stiggs will inherit.

Fan Reactions Fuel Buzz

Another Instagram update from Horror Section Studios captured the electric atmosphere at the IPIC Westwood screening. Roth posted photos of Begos, prosthetics guru Mercer Shark, and special effects lead Josh Ethier sharing grisly chainsaw anecdotes—and recounted a 16-year-old fan’s verdict that Jimmy & Stiggs was “more disgusting than Terrifier 3.” The post also highlighted praise from outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and Esquire, underscoring the film’s rising word-of-mouth.

“Absolute madness,” Roth captioned. “This is the goriest, wettest film of the summer—and if you invested, you own a piece of it.”

Countdown To August 15

Shot entirely on 16mm film with no CGI in sight, Jimmy & Stiggs is designed for the big screen experience. The practical effects team crafted every splatter and squelch by hand, delivering an old-school tactile thrill that Roth and Begos argue can’t be replicated digitally.

With nationwide release set for August 15, Horror Section Studios is already lining up Q&As and one-night events across major cities. Early buzz centers on the film’s retro-horror credentials, practical artistry, and Begos’s gleeful push into full-on splatter territory.

From its festival origins to its DIY gore work, Jimmy & Stiggs is positioning itself as a late-summer cult candidate—one Roth and his team hope will keep midnight movie fans talking long after opening weekend.

Trivia

Eli Roth's work has drawn controversy and critique, particularly for its graphic violence and thematic content.

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Sakshi

 

Sakshi holds a bachelor’s degree in Science and a master’s in Bioinformatics from Panjab University, India. Her passion for writing engaging articles has led her to pursue a career in content writing since 2020. Sakshi has written in various niches, including health and wellness, fintech, blockchain, and lifestyle.

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