Plumbing the Depths of Terror and Comedy
SCARED SHITLESS
Directed by Vivieno Caldinelli

Screening at Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF)

Official Teaser

CIFF – Late Shift
Saturday, Sept 21 – 9:30pm – Globe Cinema
Thursday, Sept 26 – 4:00pm – Scotiabank Theatre Chinook 10

Just when you thought it was safe to sit on the porcelain throne, along comes Scared Shitless, the latest horror-comedy that will make you rethink your bathroom habits. Directed by the wildly imaginative Vivieno Caldinelli, this self-funded indie gem is set to screen at the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) on September 21 and 26. Prepare to laugh, scream, and perhaps avoid your plumbing for a while.

Scared Shitless follows Don, a blue-collar plumber with a crass sense of humor, as he drags Sonny, his germophobic son, on a routine house call to help him overcome his fears. Little do they know, they’re about to face a plumber’s worst nightmare—a genetically engineered, blood-thirsty creature swimming through the pipes and killing tenants in increasingly grisly fashion. With the help of the night manager, Patricia, this unlikely trio must stop the monster from escaping into the city’s water system.

Vivieno Caldinelli, whose last film Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss premiered at Tribeca, brings his unique blend of jump-in-your-seat scares, laugh-out-loud moments, and blood-splattering gore to Scared Shitless. Inspired by 80s and 90s VHS horror classics, Caldinelli’s film is a contemporary spin on the “monster in the house” genre, complete with hand-crafted practical effects and dark comedic elements.

Starring Steven Ogg (Grand Theft Auto V, The Walking Dead) as Don, the old-school plumber with a heart of gold and a humor as dirty as his job, and Daniel Doheny (Adventures in Public School, Alex Strangelove) as Sonny, a former star athlete turned couch-loafer, struggling to overcome his crippling germophobia. Chelsea Clark (Degrassi: Next Class, Ginny & Georgia) plays Patricia, the tough, yet warm-hearted night manager who teams up with Don and Sonny. Mark McKinney (Superstore, The Kids in the Hall) appears as Professor Robert, the nervous genomic scientist whose dark-money experiment goes horribly wrong. The cast also includes Julian Richings as Dr. Cummings and Marcia Bennet as Mrs. Applebaum, the quirky senior who calls Don to fix her toilet more often than necessary.

The creature, designed by Canada’s top creature guru Steve Kostanski, is a blend between a graboid and a xenomorph. Over the film’s brisk 77-minute runtime, you’ll watch it evolve from a tiny terror to a full-blown, body-devouring nightmare.

In a world filled with stress and chaos, Scared Shitless offers a much-needed escape with its nostalgic style, campy charm, and a storyline that’s as heartwarming as it is terrifying. It’s a film that knows exactly what it is—a fun, gore-filled romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously. At its core, it’s about a father and son overcoming their differences and fears, all while battling a monster in the pipes.

This is the first feature for Writer/Producer Brandon Cohen, and Producer Lewis Spring. Scared Shitless had its sold-out world premiere in July at Fantasia Film Festival, with another sold-out screening recently in London, UK at FrightFest.

Get ready to laugh, scream, and maybe hold it in just a little bit longer. Because in this film, the monster really is in the house… and the bathroom.

Vivieno Caldinelli is a Canadian director who has managed to turn his childhood obsessions, fears, and rare comedic vision into becoming an award-winning filmmaker. SCARED SHITLESS is his sophomore feature film, following SEVEN STAGES OF ETERNAL BLISS starring Kate Micucci, Sam Huntington, Dan Harmon, Mark McKinney, Maria Bamford, Dana Gould, Jon Dore, Rhea Seehorn, and Taika Waititi. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was produced by Company X (Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller) and MarVista Entertainment. Caldinelli has directed several other acclaimed shorts such as PORTAL TO HELL!!!  in addition to establishing himself as one of the country’s leading TV comedy directors with credits on Baroness Von Sketch, Humantown, Picnicface, Hotbox and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Happy Cat is an award-winning, Toronto-based production company with a passion for comedy, horror, and sci-fi. Founded by Lewis Spring, Happy Cat is driven by original voices that take risks to find and entertain loyal audiences. Their short film Bait and Switch screened at numerous international and Oscar-qualifying film festivals, winning Best International Short at the LA Comedy Festival. Happy Cat’s first feature is SCARED SHITLESS.

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