Beating Heart
By HOLLY WALL, 02/11/2009
Happy Valentine's Day from ... a micro-budget indie
For lovebirds looking for an alternative date option for Valentine's weekend, The Nightingale hosts a two night screening of Dead in Love. While not high-brow by any stretch of the imagination, this micro-budget indie is the perfect option for movie buffs wishing to support the efforts of DIY filmmakers with local roots.
The movie was shot on a shoestring budget by an L.A. filmmaker named Chris Watson, and features Tulsa actor Don Morgan in a leading role.
Produced with the help of Troma Entertainment, legendary purveyors of all things shock and schlock (their esteemed back catalogue of trash-geek classics includes The Toxic Avenger, Tromeo and Juliet and Watson's own Zombiegeddon), Dead in Love is in much the same vein, cosmetically speaking (fringe-y, underground guerilla filmmaking) but possesses a sweeter temperament than the studio's usual freakshow gorefests.
The story follows two best friends who happen to be dead. Trapped on earth in a sort of slacker's purgatory, they roam the San Fernando Valley in a state of eternal ennui, waxing idiotic about sex, love and life after death. One day they stumble on an old classmate who's mourning the recent death of her husband. Both friends share a romantic past with the girl, and the plot picks up as they attempt to make contact with her through the one living person who can see them.
The meandering, dialogue-heavy plot and excessive bro-bonding is reminiscent of early Kevin Smith, and the motley crew of b-list actors who populate the film (Kristin Minter, Joe Estevez, Dennis Hayden, Eric Edwards) lends a kitschy gravitas that keeps the film planted firmly in the Troma camp, though the filmmakers hope to find distribution outside of the studio.
"The idea is to shop it at the festivals," Morgan explained. "If someone gets it, then awesome. If not, Troma will distribute."
Not that they're wanting to separate themselves from Troma; according to Morgan, Watson and the studio's founder, Lloyd Kaufman, are buddies who have a working relationship built on mutual respect. The film is just a little bit different from what comprises Troma's body of work, and the possibility of outside distribution makes sense.
Whatever Dead in Love's future is, Tulsa audiences have the opportunity to see it first.
The screenings are at 8pm on Friday and Saturday night, and the cost is $5. Morgan will be present both nights to talk about the film.