We’ve got a hot one here, folks. I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere screening of slasher flick Curtain Call on Saturday. It was a moment of inception, really, as the screening took place in the performance theatre that serves as the setting for the latest picture from Potent Media. I’m sure Potent Media may sound familiar, as its the production company that created Deer Crossing and Apocalypse Kiss. For an independent adventure, the team behind Curtain Call pulled out all the stops for the showing – including merchandise (yes, merchandise), baked goods and snacks, a raffle and, of course, a small red carpet. Listen, a red carpet and some cookies are enough to bring me to any gathering of minds, let alone the fact that Curtain Call is a good ole fashioned slasher flick. No more bullshit thematics, this baby takes viewers right back to the early 90s.
A performance theatre with a tainted history becomes the unlikely inheritance of a young college girl. Despite initial reservations, the young woman and her closest friends take a trip to the building to see what it has to offer. Little do they know, it’s behind on upkeep… but high in death. A masked killer stalks the corridors and starts picking off the group of friends one by one. Curtain Call is written by David Warren and directed by Christian Jude Grillo. It was produced by Mr. Warren and features cinematography & editing by Mr. Grillo. Cast members include Dana Godfrey, Alair Diremigio, Angela Robb, Andrew Fralinger, Katelyn Warren, David Warren, Zacharie Cornet and Andrew Hunsicker. What the cast & crew accomplished here is worthy of multiple rounds of applause. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a damn good time!
My favorite thing about Curtain Call is that it’s an old school slasher and it accomplishes a lot in about 27 minutes. I was half expecting Linnea Quigley to pop out at some point because this felt like something you could have rented at Blockbuster before its inevitable collapse at the hands of DVDs. The way it was filmed, the manner of which the plot rolled out, the death sequences, the acting, the setting, even the opening/closing credits made Curtain Call have that effortlessly spooky atmosphere from three decades ago. Especially considering the first two death scenes were very much hack, slash, move on – much like the Friday the 13th sequels. The ending had the traditional motive explanation monologue before the Final Girl meets Final Fight commenced. Going back to the run time, Curtain Call is entire, full-fledged narrative compacted into less than a half hour.
As far as aspects that I didn’t like, well, I don’t have too much to say in that department. I thought some of the lighting was way too bright, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Christian Jude Grillo has improved in almost every other department. I think he worked well with David Warren in creating a piece of cinema that was unique to Mr. Warren but produced by Potent Media. If you’re thinking of booking Mr. Grillo as your director in the future, I think it’s important for me to mention this as it shows that he’s capable of bringing your vision to life just the way you want it. However, while I do believe the entire cast pulled in adequate to good performances, my only criticism is that there’s “acting” and “acting like your acting,” and it’s up to the cast to distinguish how to get around this obstacle in the future. And while I’m talking about acting, I’d like to mention that Dana Godfrey and Zacharie Cornet were my favorites. Mr. Cornet especially is ready for take-off in Hollywood.
All things considered, attending the premiere screening of Curtain Call was an entertaining, cozy and invigorating experience. It was pleasant to see filmmakers and actors who don’t take their jobs too seriously and can enjoy the perils of creating a movie. And the final product itself? You can already tell I loved Curtain Call at this point. It’s a capable retro slasher filled with gore and gags. It’s an ol’ timey gore fest. It reminded me why I love independent cinema in the first place. The hopefulness, the sometimes-unpolished content and the creativity that’s often lacking these days in the conveyer belt of Hollywood manufacturers. Well done. Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
