Sudden Death!

I just saw the screening of Adam Hall's brilliant USC thesis film at the Majestic Crest Theater on Monday. I have to say it is the best short musical comedy about a deadly virus I have *ever* seen. And I've seen my share. The casting is amazing (Doug Jones- genius... the man can act with his *back*), the songs are Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-worthy, and the plot will have you on the edge of your overstuffed theater seat!

Seriously, though, I couldn't hear half of the jokes this film packs in due to the hysterical laughter coming from every single person in the theater. I am not exempt. I can't wait to get my copy and watch it over and over and over and over again!

Muah!

A great idea for a short film - a musical featuring the apocalypse . It's camp , crazy and cheerful . The problem is it's a bit too cheerful , not crazy enough and not sure if it's too camp or not camp enough . The one musical I do adore is Alan Parker's interpretation of PINK FLOYD THE WALL which makes a direct connection between stadium rock and Nazi rallies . Bad taste for sure but one that does have a ring of truth and that film does have the power to polarise an audience in to two distinct camps of love and hate both towards the music being played and the shocking imagery . Here however with SUDDEN DEATH I found myself being rather bored with the on screen events . I'm not missing the point Adam Hall is making here but having a story with a virus that is " The gayest disease ever " that turns its victims in to dancing , prancing , singing , fleet footed fools there seems to be a totally inoffensive nature to everything . The potential scope to really put the boot in to those dreadful , limp wristed , mincing singers and dancers from musical theatre just doesn't seem to be there and the inoffensive nature of SUDDEN DEATH is a handicap . It's also a bit too long for its own good and when you've got sappy songs featuring romance some cynics might say the fact it exists means it's 19 minutes too long

As a married man who has been to his fair share of musicals on and off-stage, this was one from which I wish all others would take pointers!! Funny lines in the songs that actually developed the plot were a great way to keep the pace in such a short flick. And, I always wondered why no one seems to notice in most musicals when others around them break into song; this movie does an outstanding job tearing down that wall, with Doug Jones and the two great leads delivering some of the funniest, awkward moments of the film.

My only complaint is with how quickly Mr. Larroquette's character appears, explains the situation and exits (though in a great way). I'm sure though that time constraints played heavily into this decision.

Finally, keep your eyes on Wes Hall! After that outstanding performance as Billy the Coast Guard guy, he's destined for fame!!

This was a fantastic short from beginning to end. The characters played well off of one another and had many great one-liners. I don't think you could have put together a better group of actors for this film. The comedic aspect was not over-the-top and some of the funniest moments came from the subtleties. The music was great and kept the film moving along and the scene setup and cinematography were top notch. My biggest problem with this film was that it seemed like the pacing was a little fast but I think this was due to the time restraints and the entertaining nature of the film. It definitely left me wanting more and I am hoping there is a Sudden Death! feature on the horizon.

Sudden Death! is a witty, fast-paced musical short film with a strong ensemble and bold leads.

Director Adam Hall clearly understands the formula for making a successful movie musical. He takes the best qualities from the musical theater genre (jazz hands and all) and effortlessly translates a script and score that is worthy of a full blown stage production to the silver screen. Viewers will be able to appreciate his grasp of the film medium as he channels his confident vision making no apologies for all the quirky eccentricity in his piece.

Matt Lutz and Autumn Hurlbert lead the cast with their stunning vocals as star-crossed scientists racing against time to find a cure for the deadly "Sudden Death Syndrome." Meanwhile, funny man Doug Jones serves up his fair share of laughs as the quirky head scientist leading the research team. Kahle Mccann steals the show as Todd, a scientist who, despite the fast pace of the piece in general, manages to dispense brilliant one-liners that viewers won't see coming.

I highly recommend this short film. It is a refreshingly original and strongly executed production.