Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Mathis.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like a lot of creatives, my story started in a small town. I was born in Mississippi and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, where I quickly became obsessed with horror films and music. I’m a proud “video store kid”—the kind who’d spend weekends hauling stacks of VHS tapes home, binging every horror title I could find. I’d study the special effects, the music, the credits. With no internet back then, I’d dig through every Fangoria I could get my hands on to dive deeper into the behind-the-scenes world I was dying to be a part of.
Halloween was my year-round obsession. I’d stock up on costumes and masks from Toys “R” Us, rig toys into props, and shoot wild home movies with my cousins using my little handicam. I even built DIY special effects out of household items—like turning my cousin into the Terminator with tin foil. That was a proud moment.
As I got older, I didn’t quite fit in. While most of my peers were into sports and rap, I was into monsters and metal. I found a small crew of like-minded misfits, and we’d make stunts, sketches, and bizarre shorts on two VCRs and a primitive desktop. It was rough—but we were creating, and that’s what mattered most.
Eventually, my love for media became work. I joined a popular local radio show where I created comedy sketches, prank calls, and performed absurd stunts. I also became a photojournalist at my local news station—learning to shoot, interview, and edit like a pro. That hands-on experience gave me a foundation I still use today.
Looking for something bigger, I joined the military to see the world. I quickly realized it wasn’t the life for me. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, I started teaching myself audio production as an outlet, since traveling with a drum kit (I’d been a metal drummer for years) wasn’t exactly feasible in a combat zone. When I got out in 2012, I dove headfirst into media.
With a fresh start, I went after what I always wanted—filmmaking. I discovered people making indie horror in Las Vegas and jumped in as a production assistant. From there, things snowballed. I began shooting music videos, working with major rap artists and eventually the legendary Jackson family. That gig helped elevate my name and led to work with cult horror icons like Charles Band and Full Moon Features. I met incredible industry professionals on those sets—people who would later become my first real team.
In 2018, I launched my own company: Grime House Films. My first big project was Rougarou, a werewolf film based on the Louisiana legend. I partnered with Drake Teer and brought in horror legend Kane Hodder to shoot an incredible trailer. The film was ambitious and exciting, but at the time it was financially out of reach—so I pivoted and focused on learning how to fund my own work. Drake Teer has truly been instrumental to my success, and I could not ask for a better partner. We are still in an amazing partnership today. I could not make movies without him.
That pivot led to The Macabre, a horror anthology I co-wrote with Rolf Kanefsky. I wanted to showcase different subgenres and prove what I could do. I launched an Indiegogo campaign during the pandemic and raised nearly $90,000. Despite shutdowns and chaos, we pulled it off. The Macabre premiered at Shockfest and won “Best Cult Film.” It was the breakthrough I needed.
Now, my newest film, Infernal, is exploding. We premiered in Las Vegas on April 26th, 2025, to a triple sold-out crowd—and it was an undeniable smash hit. Laughter erupted through the theater walls, and guests emerged raving with overwhelmingly glowing reviews. The buzz is growing fast, and the film is already garnering attention nationwide. Because of the incredible demand, we’re taking Infernal on a multi-state national tour, kicking off in Austin, Texas, then heading to Indianapolis, Des Moines, and adding more cities almost daily. We went bigger in every way. I cast powerhouse talent like Sky Elobar, Clint Hummel, Johnny Jay Lee, and Steve Bridges, alongside cult legends Courtney Gains, Pancho Moler, Mark Torgl, and Carl Solomon. Every actor brought absolute fire to this film. The energy on set was electric—and now it’s igniting audiences across the country.
Infernal is a wild, heavy metal horror-comedy—a grotesque, hilarious descent into madness built from my own life experiences. It’s a satirical reflection on addiction, poverty, growing up different, the people who made me laugh and the ones who haunted me. It’s Evil Dead meets Trailer Park Boys, soaked in blood and blast beats. This is my love letter to horror, to metal, to misfits.
My newest creative partner, Josh Williams, has taken the film to a whole new level. Whether behind the camera, in the editing bay, or co-writing scenes, he’s elevated the vision and helped Infernal hit new heights.
Now we’re getting ready to take Infernal to festivals and the world stage. This isn’t just the next chapter—this is the moment we’ve been building toward. And I couldn’t be more excited.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes and no. I’ve heard all the horror stories—about struggling, getting shot down, rejection after rejection—but I came at this differently. I haven’t experienced a lot of that in the traditional sense. For me, the biggest challenge has been dealing with people who try to hold you back. There are a lot of gatekeepers in this industry—people who want to talk down to you, discourage you, or subtly try to box you in. That kind of energy is everywhere.
But I don’t respond to that. I’ve never once listened when someone told me something “can’t be done,” or that I had to “pay dues” in some arbitrary way. That’s just not who I am. After the military, I made a promise to myself—I’d never be under anyone’s thumb again. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it lights a fire in me that burns hotter than anything.
I didn’t wait for permission to create my films—I just started making them. I’ve never asked anyone to open a door for me. Early on, I realized that “help” often came with strings attached, so I carved my own path. I built a team from passionate, like-minded people who love this as much as I do. We keep the good ones close, and we’re not afraid to let go of the ones who don’t belong.
After navigating a lot of other people’s sets and visions early on, I realized my greatest power was becoming fully independent. Doing things my own way—without chasing approval, without bending to what others think—has brought me more success, happiness, and growth than I ever imagined.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create high-concept horror experiences that push boundaries—emotionally, visually, and culturally. My work lives at the crossroads of satire, gore, and truth. It’s cinematic chaos with meaning underneath. I specialize in building entire worlds that are equal parts ridiculous and profound, where societal issues are reimagined through the lens of metal-fueled madness and warped humor.
I’m not interested in polished perfection—I’m interested in impact. In giving audiences something they’ve never seen before. Whether it’s a demon biting the head off a carrot as a metaphor for lost innocence, or a grotesque, lowlife character somehow becoming the moral compass of the story, everything I do is layered with intent beneath the insanity. That’s where I live creatively—in the space between shock and substance.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve built this identity authentically. I’ve never tried to mimic what other filmmakers are doing. I don’t dilute my stories to make them easier to sell. I lean in harder. I’ve created a filmmaking style that is entirely my own, with a tone and voice that feels dangerous, hilarious, and sometimes deeply uncomfortable—but always human.
What sets me apart is that I’ve embraced the chaos of my own mind and made it a playground. I let my obsessions and my demons speak on screen, and I surround myself with collaborators who aren’t afraid to do the same. I don’t just want to entertain—I want to wake people up.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
For someone who makes ultra-violent horror films packed with gore and over-the-top kills… I’m actually pretty squeamish when it comes to real-life violence. I can create a bloodbath on screen all day long, but show me a real medical video or an actual injury and I’m out—I’m a total wuss.
Another curveball? When I’m not blasting Slayer or death metal, I’m spinning jazz records on vinyl. I have a deep love for classic jazz—it helps balance out the chaos in my head.
At the end of the day, I’m kind of a big nerd. I forget I’m 41 half the time. I still collect horror toys, I still get giddy over Halloween store runs, and I have no plans to “grow up” anytime soon. I live youthfully on purpose—because it keeps the creative fire alive. I know I might seem like an odd adult, but honestly… I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grimehousefilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grimehousefilms
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eric.mathis.397/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9K4kI8CKEn9Vz0mwU7jsg
