Alyssa Couri and Hunter Hoskins were Film Production majors together at University of Louisville. They are also a romantic couple. They co-wrote and co-directed the short horror film “The Legend of Gourdface” in 2024. The first installment of a planned series titled Weeping Falls, “The Legend of Gourdface” premiered at the Floyd Theatre at the University of Louisville in June, and screened at several independent horror film festivals across the United States, including the Louisville-based 502 Lumens in October.
The sequel to “The Legend of Gourdface” is titled “Eeek!” an exclamation that is sure to be echoed by audiences. The film is broader in its narrative scope and more detailed in its artistry than its predecessor. The creepiness of its story is balanced with the playfulness of the film’s visual style. “‘Eeek!’ as a sequel feels faster and punchier — literally,” Couri and Hoskins said. “The Halloween monster antics are turned up to 11.” The film is full of choreographed fights, practical effects, and stunts that can only be described as wacky. “We even have Nickelodeon slime!”
Like “The Legend of Gourdface” before it, the production of “Eeek!” was crowdfunded through an IndieGoGo campaign that raised $2,014. Collaborating with friends and former classmates from University of Louisville, Couri and Hoskins shot “Eeek!” on location in Louisville over the course of five days in December 2024 and January 2025.
“All of our Gourdface kids make a return,” the couple said. “Our new monster is played by Alyssa [who is] both acting and co-directing.” In a brisk eleven-minute runtime, four local kids (played by Braeden Berry, Evan Magee, Eliza Smith, Jeremiah Stephens) devise a way obtain proof of the paranormal for their town’s photo contest. While rumors of poltergeists and arcane cults haunt the halls of the once-grand “Mourning Manor,” what the kids discover is something they know will win first prize.
The principal location for “Eeek!” is the Nunnlea House, a mansion built in Louisville in 1855. The Early Greek Revival-style home in Hurstbourne Acres reflects Kentucky’s history during the Antebellum Period (1812–1861) — an era scarred by slavery, social inequality, and economic tensions that eventually led to the Civil War. The house’s historical status makes it both an aesthetically pleasing location for a horror film and a distinctly unsettling one.
The Weeping Falls series is inspired by children’s horror media like “Goosebumps” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and celebrates the filmmakers’ shared love of autumn. “Thematically, our project is based around the warm, affectionate, and sometimes foreboding energy that surrounded the fall months as a child,” Couri and Hoskins said, when “The Legend of Gourdface” was released. The ongoing series will appeal to fans of “Stranger Things,” “Paper Girls,” and Turn of the Millennium nostalgia.
Couri and Hoskins anticipate an April release date for “Eeek!” which will closely follow the online release of “The Legend of Gourdface” on the Weeping Falls YouTube channel. Follow Weeping Falls on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content, production notes, and updates on the premiere of “Eeek!”
This article appears in Feb 14-27, 2025.
