I first came in contact with local film-maker, Jim Ahearn, via a casting call for his project titled, ‘Bloodlines’ and am honored that I was able to maintain a connection that I am proud to now call a friendship. In so doing I am particularly grateful to share with my readers his current movie ‘The Horror Hostess Curtain Call’, a tongue-in-cheek cinematic tribute to aging Hollywood starlets cut from the same cloth as Norma Desmond of Sunset Boulevard. The new wrinkle is that the Hollywood has-been is now in the guise of a disgruntled Horror Movie television hostess who wants to be remembered, at all costs, for her final performance.
Age is nothing but a number, as sultry, seasoned actress Susan Chase gives a surprisingly sympathetic performance as Veronica Goldlust, a.k.a. Vampi, the demanding starlet who out-shines her lost limelight, and who tragically overestimates her value as an actress to her unscrupulous producer.
The short feature was shot on a shoestring budget within 8 hours on location at Jim’s own residence, which is truly reminiscent of a mini-movie lot. It is my hope that this press release will help Jim and his company Independent Ventures obtain prospective investors for more ambitious features, as well as give some well-deserved notoriety to the principals.
Moreover, I hope ‘The Horror Hostess Curtain Call’ will be appreciated not only for its campy aspects and wry (often unintentional) humor, but also for its genuinely good acting, creative staging and intriguing on-screen chemistry between the two featured characters, Veronica Goldlust and Ezra Pushman, the latter played by 60-year-old jubilee persona Jim Ahearn.
Lastly, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the creative collaborative effort of Kyle Noble, an actor, and crew-person from Ohio, who so ably assisted me with boom-microphone, camera, and D.P. duties on set.
This is the third time I’ve worked on a project with Independent Ventures, and I learn more about the often arduous, but always fun, the process of film-making each time I participate.
The PROMO trailer for ‘The Horror Hostess Curtain Call’ trailer can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt2uZPUtomc and all of Mr. Ahearn’s productions are available for viewing on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/claythorne01 or his membership website, https://www.vonteufel.com.
