Hank Boyd Is Dead

The small cast in a single home is so much fun. It has Serling and Hitchcock elements and a great dark comedy edge that's never overplayed. No, this isn't a straight up comedy, but it has some moments that made me giggle and grin for sure. The acting is super solid as well, which really helped pull this "bottle episode" style film together nicely. This is Sean Melia's first feature film and I can't wait to see more from him!

Do yourself a favor - avoid the trailer and just dive into this film head first. It's a fun watch that's well worth a viddy! I really dug it.

My movie this morning is a pretty well written Indy called Hank Boyd is dead. Sean Melia writer/ Director gives us a thrill ride. Stefanie Frame is a caterer at a post funeral gathering. It's is for a killer who hangs himself! The dialogue is well written and the scenarios of the crazy family is insane. The cast does well with the situation that unfolds. I did not go into this movie knowing what it was about. But when finished was amazed how incredible this little Indy was. A mix of horror/ black comedy. It makes me mad when I see a movie like this and pretty much goes unnoticed! Do yourself a favor and take a look.

I'm a huge fan of horror and since there isn't an endless wealth of genre blockbusters I dive right into the sea of indie, low budget, micro budget movies. It's sometimes difficult to get a good handle on their quality based on reviews. That means watching the good, the bad and the ugly in pursuit of those hidden gems. I watched this years ago and decided I wanted to revisit it. It can be pretty tricky to find titles of low budget movies based on brief detail. Thankfully I was able to find after 10 minutes of digging. I haven't rewatched it yet but I did want to add my two cents for anyone curious about whether it's worth a watch bc it is.

It starts with a few minutes of getting to know the lead, why she's there and her connection to the bereaved family. Once she gets to the home she's setting up catering for things go sideways pretty quickly. She ends up trapped by a deranged family whose secrets continuously unfold with twists and turns and utter depravity right in the middle of an unassuming suburban neighborhood.

The acting was great. The story is bonkers but in a good way. The direction, editing, camera work and sound were all better than anticipated. Though it popped up in the horror genre it isn't quite that. There is blood and some unsettling aspects but it has elements of suspense, thrills and dark comedy. Just take a deep breath, don't take it too seriously and you'll enjoy it.

Most of the films I review fall into one of two categories: films that I backed on Kickstarter (or a similar crowdfunding site), or smaller budget independent films that you are unlikely to have heard of if you're not already a fan (some of the Scorpio Films Releasing gems come to mind there).

In the case of "Hank Boyd is Dead," we're looking at the latter category. As a matter of fact, I hadn't heard about it either, until I entered and won a free signed DVD of the film. The plot description sounded interesting; otherwise I wouldn't have bothered entering. (Okay, in all honesty I probably would have entered anyway, because I am a sucker for signed DVDs).

I am happy to report that I was quite entertained by this film. The plot synopsis is general and could go in many directions: "A young woman hired to cater the post-funeral gathering for accused killer Hank Boyd discovers his crimes and death may not be what they seem." Because Writer and Director Sean Melia takes this story through a number of twists, I don't want to reveal too much. But I can go into more detail than that synopsis does.

Sarah Walsh (played by Stephanie Frame) is new on the job, working for a local catering company. They've been hired to cater at the home of matriarch Beverly Boyd (Carole Montferdini). Her son Hank was accused of murder, and subsequently hung himself in his prison cell. The catering is for any guests who come to visit after his funeral. As no real turnout it expected, and there is problem with another catering job, Sarah is left alone to handle the job while her boss leaves to work across town.

Sarah is soon introduced to the rest of the family: David (David Christopher Wells), who is Hank's older brother and a police detective; and Aubrey (Liv Roth), his flaky younger sister. She also bumps into Ray Moon (Michael Hogan), David's partner and a former schoolmate of hers, who is keeping any unwelcome visitors away from the home. And from that point, the slow spiral begins.

One review I read on IMDb called "Hank Boyd is Dead" a spoof of detective films. I didn't get that impression at all. From my perspective it was more of a character study into a very strange family, and an attempt to imagine what type of family could produce a deranged killer. Stefanie Frame holds things together very well as protagonist Sarah, but for me the star was David Wells. His seamless shifting from one attitude to another as he walks from room to room was creepy but not overacted. As a matter of fact, as the spiral of the story goes wider and wider, the cast manages to avoid any over- the- top cliché performances. I was momentarily worried about the character of Aubrey but – like the rest of the characters – she had more depth than initially revealed. I have a bias in favor of films that give us more of a character than is absolutely necessary, and Sean Melia seems to agree with that in the way each persona is fleshed out (both in back story and simple conversation).

With low budget independent films, if you have a good script and a strong cast, the other two major stumbling blocks are always sight and sound. Too often lack of funds results in a poorly shot film, or one with insufficient editing, or (my biggest pet peeve) an inaudible dialogue track. "Hank Boyd is Dead" has none of those problems. The plot doesn't require anything beyond its modest set, and both the sound and the cinematography are well done. The changes in shot distance and angle help build suspense when that is needed, but cuts are smooth enough not to distract from the story itself. For a less- experienced Director that can be a very delicate balance, but Melia handles it well.

If you enjoy character-driven independent films that don't shy away from taking some chances, "Hank Boyd is Dead" is well worth your time.

Well, obviously if you watch any film with certain preconceived expectations, you often tend to be disappointed. This film cannot be taken at face value.

First of all, the film was never about the main protagonist visiting her father. That's just background. The film is a construct, designed to take the Mickey out of detective films and show just how absurd they can be. I'm a murder mystery lover, so I can totally sync with this extraordinary piece of fiction.

Of course the characters are deliberately presented as shallow - it was never about them. The plot is designed to be confusing - mimicking that of so many wannabe police thrillers. The music cleverly loops in and out of comedy-horror moments, and the foreshadowing is made fundamentally clear, almost as soon as Sarah walks into the house carrying the food. The flashbacks are, again a parody of what you see in films that want to be taken seriously.

As the plot progresses, the film delves into the ever-increasing circles of now-way-can-this-happen actions: exactly as in so many ridiculous murder films there's a killing spree, and you wonder if anyone's going to be left alive at the end.

It's a brilliant psycho analysis of everything that can and does go wrong in ambitious but rottenly written detective films, and consequently a joy to watch. Just bear in mind that you cannot take this film seriously. If you don't you'll be fine.