What Exactly is a Death Cat?

Death Cat Entertainment is the production company created by siblings Brian Rish and Jocelyn Rish, but how did the company get its name?

You probably heard about the cat who lives in a nursing home and can predict when the patients are going die. Well, after Jocelyn read about it, she wrote a short story inspired by this cool, creepy kitty and named the file DeathCat.doc as a placeholder. She later gave the story the less murderous-y feline name of Saying Goodbye. 

Then Jocelyn and Brian won a grant to turn the story into a short film. When they brought the director on board, he always referred to the film as Death Cat, not knowing that had been the original working title. Pretty soon everyone was calling it Death Cat, so when it came time for the Rish siblings (or the Rishlings, as some people call them) to pick a name for their production company, of course it was going to be Death Cat Entertainment. 

A production company with the word ‘death’ in the name is perfect because the Rishlings have loved horror movies since they were probably too young to be watching them. Luckily, their parents gave them the freedom to watch what they enjoyed, even if that meant nights when they slept with the lights on to keep the bogeymen at bay. All these years later, the Rishlings are teaming up to create a collection of fun and entertaining short horror films.

The 411 on Brian

“The Stuff” is the first film Brian can remember that really scared him. Seriously, what’s not scary about an intergalactic, yet tasty goop that takes over your mind before melting you alive? Click here for the trailer - prepare to be terrified! 

When not recovering from flashbacks of “The Stuff,” producing and directing short films, or working on Grave Intentions, Brian runs a popular physical therapy YouTube channel that has nearly 250,000 subscribers.

Brian lives in South Carolina with his awesome pup, Remy!

The 411 on Jocelyn

While her friends played with their My Little Ponies and Strawberry Shortcake dolls, Jocelyn was watching Freddy, Jason, and Michael and reading Stephen King. Now she creates her own twisted tales as a writer and filmmaker. 

The thing that terrifies Jocelyn more that gore and guts is making a decision, so she can’t settle on one format for her writing. Luckily, she’s won awards for her screenplays, short stories, and novels, so she feels justified in continuing to experiment. She also had fun doing a stint writing for the MTV News website.

Jocelyn lives in Charleston with a menagerie of pets; and, yes, she’s one of those people who puts party hats on her dogs and makes them “cakes” for their birthdays.

Films from Death Cat Entertainment 

Saying Goodbye

After her entire family is killed by a drunk driver, Alma moves into a southern nursing home, lonely and without hope. Eunice, her spunky new neighbor, befriends Alma and encourages her to enjoy living again. Soon this dynamic duo are kicking up their heels and entertaining the residents and staff with their antics. Even when Eunice is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they maintain their determination to live life to the fullest. But this nursing home is special: a cat with the uncanny ability to predict death prowls the halls. When he sets his sights on the two women, their carpe diem spirit is put to the test.

Written and produced by Jocelyn and Brian

High Heels & Hoodoo

Tiffany seems like a typical blond bimbo, but underneath all that plastic surgery are nerves of steel. She's so determined to get what she wants that she hires a Gullah root doctor to help her cross over into the spirit world for one last conversation with her grandmother. But this party girl should have remembered magic always comes with a price.

Written and produced by Jocelyn
Directed and produced by Brian