Director – Jason Read (Frankula, Ripper Tour)
Starring – Lynn Lowry (Shivers, The Crazies), Charlotte Mounter (The Curse of Halloween Jack, A Fistful of Lead), and George Sweeney (Jack the Ripper, Matlock)
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 4/5
Sometime ago Cinema Wasteland was having an I Drink Your Blood reunion and actress Lynn Lowry was in attendance. I try to never miss a Cinema Wasteland and I was extremely excited that Lynn was going to be there. I picked up a copy of I Drink Your Blood to have her sign it and while I was there I grabbed a signed still from Shivers from her as well. She was an extremely kind person to meet and one of the nicest celebrities I had met at a con.
A few days back she posted on Facebook that she was looking for reviewers to review a new short she was a part of. What made this stand out was that she was asking for someone to review it specifically for Dread Central and Horror Society. Lynn Lowry wanted someone from Horror Society to review her film! This is one of the coolest thing to happen to me since I joined Horror Society almost a decade ago. I reached out and she sent over a streaming link for the short Ready for My Close Up. Thank you Lynn for allowing me the opportunity to check this out!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows “nurse” Becca (Mounter) who cons another nurse into leaving so she could take over duties of caring for former actress Megs Topplethwaite (Lowry). She hopes to drug Megs so she can search her home for something of value but Megs is a spunky thing that refuses to stay down. While Becca searches Megs home she uncovers several corpses from delivery boys that Megs has killed while referencing movies she once worked on in her youth. When Becca is finally able to find the thing she is looking for Megs has awaken and is ready for her next close up kill scene.**Spoiler Alert**
I didn’t know what to expect when I was sent the link for Ready For My Close Up. The title was something that did not stir up my imagination but once the movie started rolling I found myself loving it. This quirky comedy has several laughs and it mixes well with the horror elements in the film. The short far exceeded my expectations.
The acting in this one is great. Lynn knows how to control the scene she’s in. I’ve yet to see a film where she was not the best part of the cast. Her career has spanned 50 years and its for damn good reason. Her character in this film is extremely enjoyable and this is probably my favorite performance of hers. Charlotte Mounter delivers a solid performance as well. Honestly, I hated her character but the viewer is supposed to. She does a great job at pulling that emotion from the viewer and I can dig it. The supporting cast is great as well. The delivery boys bring some more fun characters to life as well which really adds more fun to the film.
The story for this one is not what I was expecting but I fucking loved it. A former actress reliving her past glories while killing is fun. I liked the whimsical approach to the film and the colorful characters. The movie makes very good use with it’s time and brings plenty of laughs. I could have used a little more horror with the story but it’s still damn near perfect the way it is.
Finally, the film does have several deaths. They are quick with minimal practical effects. They do throw in a splash of visuals to really make the effects pop but hardcore horror fans will be looking for more blood than what we get with this one. Overall, Ready For My Close Up will be hard to beat for my favorite short of the year. I know 2020 just started but this short is absolutely phenomenal. I haven’t had this much fun with a review in a long time. Thank you Lynn.
