Fantasmagoria 2 – The Last Titivillus
The web series Fantasmagoria by Byron Rink is back with a new season that promises to be even more frightening and engaging than the previous one, with increasingly unsettling and intriguing plots and atmospheres.
Indeed, we are talking about a success, a work that in its first season garnered acclaim, supporters, and notable collaborators such as:
Tom Savini, the famous actor, director, and makeup artist; Luigi Cozzi, a sci-fi horror director (Contamination, 1980; Hercules, 1983; The Little Wizards of Oz, 2018);
Olga Shuvalova, actress (Hate H2O by A. Infascelli, Sinner by A. Perrella); Mariano Baino, director (Dark Waters); Pino Donaggio, composer (Carrie, Dressed to Kill by Brian De Palma).
Additionally, several blogs and national newspapers have positively reviewed the series, which has currently gained success and won awards for best web series at some national and international festivals.
How and when was Fantasmagoria born?
A passion for cinema, mysteries, the unknown, few resources, and a strong desire to create led to the birth of this project by Fabrizio Byron Rampotti, known as Byron Rink, a musician, writer, and filmmaker from Rome, who has been passionate about occult stories, mysteries, and folklore legends since a young age.
Fabrizio then explained how the idea took shape during the lockdown:
“I had been thinking about this idea of creating cinematic narratives for a while, free from production rigidity and differently independent,” he declared.
“In the past, I had done readings and knew well the power of the voice; it’s one of the oldest faculties in the world—man in the cave tells stories to pass the time, and if the stories are scary, they better exorcize fears. The situation I found myself in was exactly like that of a man locked in a cave, so, knowing a bit about everything, I got to work.”
Besides Byron Rink, other collaborators include Alessio Giorgi, videomaker and founder of the YouTube channel Orediorrore; Stefano Diaferìa, executive producer and owner of a Gameshop; Daniele Zaccardo, cinematographer, cameraman, and professional medieval material tailor—all members of the independent production house “Orefilm.”
Let’s talk about the second season, which debuted in February 2023 and will once again be available for free streaming on Fantasmagorialaserie, the YouTube channel of the Orefilm collective.
Currently, four episodes are planned, tackling stories between the legendary and the real:
– The Italian Vampire
– The Last Titivillus
– The Hitchhiker
– A Cursed Skull
Once again, many illustrious names are involved in the project:
Mick Garris (Masters of Horror, Sleepwalkers), Lamberto Bava (Demons, Demons 2), Claudio Simonetti (Deep Red, Suspiria), Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond the Door, Tentacles), Silvia Collatina (The House by the Cemetery, The Great Alligator River).
Horror D’Elite previewed the second episode of the series, which will be followed by a technical sheet and review:
The Last Titivillus
Written, directed, and edited by Byron Rink, featuring Silvia Collatina, Sveva Romana Candelletta, and Simone Pulcini.
Synopsis:
A young painter must face the nervous tension and psychological violence of her manager. Until one day, she inexplicably begins painting “drôleries”…
Review
Let’s start by saying that a winning idea and formula should not be changed—namely, the intriguing combination that mixes documentary and fiction, accurate historical reconstruction, and acting.
And so, this time we learn about Titivillus, a devil, a malignant figure narrated since the early 1200s by abbots, writers, and philosophers.
The common belief was that Titivillus acted under the direct orders of Belphegor or Lucifer to induce scribes—those responsible for copying manuscripts—into making mistakes, earning him the title of the “patron of scribes” since the demon provided them with a convenient excuse for writing errors.
The language of art and self-expression through painting are the central themes of the narrative.
But this story hides other layers, and sometimes the need to express oneself can become an obsession, distorting the reality around us and our own balance.
Because, just as in painting, as in writing, strange symbols can turn into bad omens, doors through which evil can enter…
The music, echoing Carpenter’s style, is particularly fitting, and the two protagonists are excellent in portraying a relationship that is tense, distrustful, and ambiguous from the start. Their words are accompanied by small gestures and meaningful glances and expressions, all leading to the unexpected and shocking finale…
We’ll stop here, even though we’d like to continue, only saying that this second season continues to be ever more interesting and intriguing, and we highly recommend watching it!
Watch our beloved Titivillus in action and check out our premiere with a cast interview.
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