From the man behind Bliss, VFW, and Christmas, Bloody Christmas – Joe Begos – is back with Jimmy and Stiggs! This isn’t just another movie; it’s a neon-soaked, extraterrestrial experience stuffed to the gills with gore and gnarly practical effects. Even more exciting? It’s the first film being released under Eli Roth’s new horror label, The Horror Section!
This is no quickly made film. For the director, it was a labor of love. The movie was shot over four years, and according to the new trailer, it was made on over 50,000 feet of film! Talk about indie filmmaking dedication!
The Plot: Aliens, Booze, and Games!
The story kicks off when a shitstorm of bad news sends out-of-work filmmaker Jimmy spiraling into an out-of-control bender. During this chaotic period, he claims to have been abducted by aliens! Fearing they’ll come back for more, he contacts his old friend Stiggs to help him gear up for an intergalactic war.
Begos himself stars as Jimmy, with Matt Mercer playing Stiggs. They’re joined by Riley Dandy, Josh Ethier, and James Russo in this wild flick!
Eli Roth’s New Vision for Horror
In an exclusive interview with Collider, Eli Roth, who holds an executive producer credit on Jimmy and Stiggs, explained how director Ti West initially brought the project to his attention. According to Roth, West described Begos’ latest film as “insane, like old school Peter Jackson and early Sam Raimi.” High praise indeed!
You might remember that the first film slated for The Horror Section was supposed to be Roth’s own long-gestating project, The Ice Cream Man. But after seeing Jimmy and Stiggs, Roth decided to pivot. He told Collider:
“Then I saw [Jimmy and Stiggs] and I was so floored by what he did, I called up the team at Iconic and said ‘Can we get this in theaters this summer?’ Once the idea was in my head it just made perfect sense. I realized that now with our new label I can distribute these incredible films, wide, in theaters for fans to experience with a screaming crowd on the big screen, unrated. I also liked the idea of people who have never seen a low budget 16mm insane splatterfest just walking in thinking it’s some normal movie and having their minds melted. I remember renting Street Trash on VHS and thinking I had never seen anything like it. Jimmy and Stiggs has that same energy and insanity, and then once I learned how Joe pulled it off, it made me love the movie even more.”
Get ready to have your mind melted when Jimmy and Stiggs(the unrated cut) blasts into theaters on August 15, 2025! This is one movie you won’t want to miss!
