Private Project

Death World

"In a brutal, decaying wasteland, a lone alley rat is thrust into a battle against an alien sentinel in this relentless, blood-drenched gorefest."

  • Joe Manco
    Director
    The Torturer
  • Joe Manco
    Writer
    Anti Christmas Carol
  • Catalina Querida
    Producer
    The Torturer
  • Joe V. Miglio
    Producer
    The Torturer
  • Joe Manco
    Producer
    The Torturer
  • Cory Ahre
    Key Cast
    "Gage"
    Blood Suckers Handbook
  • Larissa Dali
    Key Cast
    "Philly"
    Becky
  • Honey Sabina
    Key Cast
    "Arella"
    Tromalesque
  • Tori Yeager
    Key Cast
    "Rue"
  • Tim Crabb
    Key Cast
    "Ninurta"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Western
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 6, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony Ursa Mini / RED Weapon
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Joe Manco

Joe Manco is a filmmaker known for his bold, visceral storytelling and a relentless passion for practical effects. As the driving force behind Little Spark Films, Manco has carved out a reputation for delivering genre-bending, high-energy cinema that doesn’t pull punches.

His directorial debut, The Torturer, made waves on the festival circuit, earning accolades for its haunting visuals and unflinching approach to psychological horror. With a style that fuses raw intensity, dark humor, and a deep appreciation for the grotesque, Manco has established himself as a filmmaker unafraid to push boundaries.

Now, with Death World, Manco channels his love for action-fueled, blood-soaked storytelling into a dystopian thrill ride. Drawing inspiration from cult classics like Escape from New York and Mad Max, the film is a testament to his commitment to practical gore, kinetic action, and world-building that feels both grimy and electric.

Manco's work is a love letter to the underdog—gritty, rebellious, and undeniably cool. As he continues to shake up the indie horror scene, his films remain a call to arms for fans of practical effects, underground cinema, and stories that refuse to be sanitized.

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Director Statement

Death World is my love letter to chaos, survival, and the raw, blood-soaked beauty of practical effects. This film isn’t just about dystopia—it’s about resilience, the will to fight, and the strange, dark humor that thrives even in the bleakest landscapes.

From its origins as a fake trailer to its evolution into a full-fledged short, Death World was built to be a visceral experience. I wanted to create a world where brutality and absurdity collide, where action and horror intertwine, and where every explosion of violence feels as tangible as the grime under a survivor’s fingernails.

Visually, the film leans into raw, unfiltered energy—shot in stunning 12K to capture every ounce of grit, sweat, and carnage. Inspired by the practical-effects-driven mayhem of classics like Mad Max and Escape from New York, Death World is here to prove that old-school, in-your-face filmmaking is alive and kicking.

None of this would be possible without the relentless passion of my cast and crew. This project is a testament to independent cinema’s power—to create without permission, to tell stories that refuse to be sanitized, and to remind audiences why we fell in love with underground genre films in the first place.

Welcome to Death World. Buckle up.

– Joe Manco