Cause of Death

A Web Original debuting in 2010, focusing on murderers, serial killers, and all around villains.

Just thought it'd be fair to let you know why you're going to die.

The pilot shows the event when a nameless man enters the house of a drinking lounge-about. What happens next is chaos and violence, coupled with the killer's dark desire and the poor man's fight to survive. Add a picture of a mysterious girl and a granola bar to the mix, and you've got a four minute short that was originally written to introduce an entire series.

The main site can be viewed here.

Tropes used in Cause of Death include:

Almost-Dead Guy: After the blackout.
As You Know: Subverted. It seems the killer is about to tell the audience and the man why he?s come to the house, but then simply drops the subject and then kills him. Brutally.
Book Ends: The pilot begins and ends with the sunny street.
Curb Stomp Battle: Not right away, but it becomes quickly apparent that the killer is gonna walk out satisfied.
David Versus Goliath: The killer is not a big guy. The slob is?quite large.
Fight Scene: Basically the whole thing.
Follow the Leader: The pilot makes it look almost Dexter-ish, but later episodes prove otherwise.
Fork Fencing: The slob pulls a steak knife out of a drawer when the fight makes its way into the kitchen.
Improvised Weapon: When the killer finds himself against an armed man, he uses a granola bar with deadly results.
Nameless Narrative: No names are given for either the killer, the slob, or the woman in the photo
Never Bring a Knife to A Fist Fight: Yeah, that knife isn?t gonna help?
Pay Evil Unto Evil: Seems to be the backstory, but we?re never explicitly told.
Sharp-Dressed Man: Compare the killer?s attire to the slob. It may not be a suit and tie, but it?s certainly nicer.
Soundtrack Dissonance: The radio plays in the house, and the final song puts an eerie look to the final moments of the fight.
Villain Protagonist: Yeah.