Review: Deadly Dealings

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Deadly Dealings
Directed by Adam Freeman
Pink Lightening Productions; Studio 605
71 minutes, 2022
www.facebook.com/DeadlyDealings

The term “Ouija” Board is nearly as common as “Amityville” in titles lately, with such releases as Ouija Death Trap (2014), Ouija Room (2019), and Ouija Shark (2020), which jumped the proverbial. For this film, the same medium is called a “Spirit Board.”

Roni Jonah

Husky voiced Mary Stephens (Roni Jonah) misses her two-year dead brother, long brunette wig-wearing Hank (Stephen McGill, the director’s fiancé). She is distressed about it all, and pines over his grave, with him popping up in horrific visions in her dreams. Thankfully, perhaps, her long blond-wig wearing roommate, Milo (director Freeman) is into things like Tarot and, yes, the Spirit Board.

Adam Freeman

Mary is also emotionally supported by her therapist, Dr. Heart (exotic dancer Jessa Flux, aka Jessa Daisy), who looks like her make-up was done by cotton candy, tries to reassure Mary and to accept reality, in a loving, Southern drawl way (this was filmed in Tennessee), and also by her mom, Helen (Helene Udy, famous for the likes of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” Pel the Firangi on “Deep Space Nine,” and 1981’s My Bloody Valentine) and dad, Wayne (Joseph Casterline).

When Mary and Milo finally get to use the spirit board that Milo keeps in his underwear drawer, there is a bit of warning and scoffing. Part of the previous exposition for their upcoming situation is a spirit board infomercial that Milo watches while Mary is out, telling of both the good and the bad about the boards, and how it can both connect one with a deceased loved one, or if used improperly, open a doorway to evil into our world. Gee, I wonder which one will happen to our dynamic duo.

Jessa Flux/Daisy

After using the board, ending abruptly, Mary – who has violent dreams about her brother nearly every night – envisions a demon, Aisling (Conor McCarthy), and the make-up is fabulous, done by Deryk Wehrley. That is when the film goes into a higher gear, as Mary has one foot in Goethe’s Faust (1876) and the other in the W.W. Jacobs short story “The Monkey’s Paw” (1902). It also touches a bit on Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (1983), as Mary’s wish is granted, but not exactly how she imagined it. It truly is a “be careful what you wish for” scenario.

While her parents seem oblivious to what Mary wished, Mary knows immediately that something is not kosher in zombieland. Not to mention murderous. And they’re coming to get you, Barba… I mean, Mary.

Conor McCarthy

There are some nice twists and turns, double crosses, and unexpected moments. Despite the unspoken and subtle LGBQT+ reverberations, there is also a nice and gratuitous nude bubble bath scene I certainly was not expecting. Most of the gore seems to be practical SFX, though there are some CGI splatters, which still look consistent.

The film is deliciously cheesy, much like the constant flow of pizza (Hawaiian…ugh; yes, I am a proud, Brooklynite pizza snob) that Milo keeps ordering throughout the film. Quick digression: both Hawaiian and California pizzas, which have pineapple (anathema!), are Canadian in origin. Okay, back to the story: it flows easily between the subtle and the over-the-top in a way that is effective, as I am sure that is what Freeman was going for in the zeitgeist of the film.

One of the ways the viewer can tell is by the bright color palate choices and art design. It is blazing with pastel colors in décor, dress, and make-up, giving the film a disarmingly light feel at first. Even Jonas’ hair color sometimes changes from scene to scene, though often occurring on the same day; it starts off pink, changes to Ann-Margret red, and then varies in-between via streaks. I thought it was smart to use these light colors, to contrast the evil within the storyline. And then there is the random glitter of the dead…

This release is Freeman’s directorial debut. There are some rough moments here and there, yet this remains totally enjoyable, colorful, and shows so much promise. His next film, which is due out next year, is a remake of Donald Farmer’s 1989 Scream Dream. I am looking forward to seeing it.

IMBD listing HERE

Review: Truly, Madly

Text © Robert Barry Francos / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Truly, Madly
Directed by Brian Dorton (aka Katrina Lizhope)
reel EPIC entertainment
75 minutes, 2020 / 2022
https://www.facebook.com/Reel.EPIC.entertainment/

Louisville, Kentucky, where this film was shot, is solid “Red” state territory, deep in the Bible belt, with Trump signs on every corner during the last election and a cross nailed on multiple walls of every house. It is a center of the New Republic of Christ, where the religious are self-righteous, unvaccinated, and full of love for themselves and everyone else, if’n yer not a heathen, or gay. Or vaccinated.

In this environment, lives Anthony (Adam Freeman), who is both non-religious and openly gay. He shares his home with his uber-righteous mother, buxom Barbara (the appropriately named Sondra Carver), who has recently lost her husband and is a bit bitter. She’s also willing to go to any extreme to keep her son (and others) away from the “lifestyle.” Even if it involves knives. Y’see, Barbara is a bit like Kathleen Turner’s character in Serial Mom (1994) in that she has a tendency to take what she considers sin into her own hands, but without Turner’s ‘50s sit-com-like charm. (“God and I have an understanding,” posits Barbara in a moment of delusion).

Sondra Carver

Be it her son’s lovers or the pedophilic guy in the church, Bob (Douglas Connor), who has been found out, Barbara is not going to stand for this outrage to her Lord. And in full hypocrite mode, she is often at full ire and willing to judge others, including her neighbors. No cheeks turned with this woman, it’s blades and burial.

There are other interesting characters filling the story, such as Fran (Dixie Gers, the titular Crazy Fat Ethel in 2016, by the same director), who is a member of Barbara’s church and is actually closer to what Barbara is deluded to believe she is, which makes her angry, and Anthony’s trans friend Geena (director Brian Dorton), whose life is possibly in peril due to his association with Anthony (though just friends) thanks to mommy. And there is a nice kill ratio here.

Adam Freeman

There are a few minimalist levels to the film. First, and I am making an assumption here, is the budget. This looks like a threadbare story despite the nice sized cast, and the production looks like it cost about as much as the catering. I actually respect that, seeing how much can be done with the bare minutest. The other minimalism is the film’s presentation. There is no fancy editing, and even the acting reminds me of the early films of John Waters and David Cronenberg, if you get what I mean. And, again, I’m fine with it. The most common SFX in the film is added scratches and the program to make the film look like it was printed off a time- damaged negative.

Considering the overlapping genres in this film, it should come as no surprise that there is nudity, but nearly all male (except for a woman in a bathtub in a definitely non-sexual moment). As an ally, I have no problem with man-on-man sex scenes, though I’m not turned on by it (same with women-on-women, but I digress…). That being said, the male lead (Freeman) and his partner in the scene are handsome men, I know a lot of my friends who would happily raise an – er – eyebrow at seeing the bods, especially if you are into bears.

Brian Dorton

This is a very dark comedy geared toward the LGBTQ community, but not exclusively. There were lots of little things that made me laugh, such as Barbara calling someone named Sloan (Athena Prychodko) as “Sah-lone.”

The third act feels like it is going to be a bit anti-climactic, but instead, there is a really nice twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. Well done! It’s a bit convoluted and left me with a big question, but still so worth it.

When you decide to see this film, and you should, I recommend making it a double feature with Death Drop Gorgeous (2020; reviewed HERE) 

The extras on the Blu-ray include Deleted/Extra Scenes, Writer/Director interview, a Blooper reel, a Photo Gallery, and Trailer, which can be purchased HERE. 

IMBD Listing HERE