Messages Deleted is a 2009 Canadian horror thriller film starring Matthew Lillard, with a screenplay by Larry Cohen, the last Cohen screenplay to be filmed before his death in 2019.[1]
| Messages Deleted | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Rob Cowan |
| Written by | Larry Cohen |
| Produced by | Rob Cowan |
| Starring | Matthew Lillard Deborah Kara Unger Gina Holden Serge Houde |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 mins |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Plot
editA screenwriting teacher is forced to live out the plot of a screenplay idea he stole from an anonymous character, who now seeks revenge.
Cast
edit- Matthew Lillard as Joel Brandt
- Deborah Kara Unger as Det. Lavery
- Gina Holden as Millie Councel
- Serge Houde as Det. Breedlove
- Chiara Zanni as Claire
- Michael Eklund as Adam Brickles
- Xantha Radley as Nurse Bev
- Ken Kramer as Ben Brandt
- Brandon Jay McLaren as Dude up Front
- Woody Jeffreys as Patrick
- Ildiko Ferenczi as Kathy
- Paul Lazenby as Tractor
- Anna Galvin as Lisa Kwan
- Biski Gugushe as Tech as Shrink
- Parm Soor as Limo Driver
Production
editPlans to create the film were first announced around September 2004.[2] Filming took place in Vancouver. Larry Cohen was paid $3 million for the script,[3] which he completed in 2004.[4] Multiple changes were made to the script prior to filming, one of which was to change the killer's gender from male to female.[5] The film marked Cohen's last screenplay before his death in 2019.[6]
Release
editMessages Deleted was released straight to video in 2009. Per Cohen, prior to its release the movie was leaked online, causing the producers to lose $4 million dollars in investments.[7] This contributed to the production company's bankruptcy and eventual closure.[3]
Reception
editTony Williams criticized the film's script, noting that the edition released in England "contains too many superfluous elements that could have been eliminated making it a much more tightly constructed film".[5] David Nusair reviewed the film for ReelFilm, writing that "there does reach a point at which Messages Deleted effectively becomes just a little too slick and calculating for its own good. This is despite an unexpectedly strong turn from star Lillard and the inclusion of a few genuinely suspenseful sequences (ie Joel is forced to watch helplessly as a loved one is murdered), with the all-too-brief glimpses into what could have been only confirming the film's place as a disappointing missed opportunity."[8]
References
edit- ^ Sciretta, Peter (2009-09-20). "Messages Deleted Movie Trailer". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ Slotek, Jim (September 5, 2004). "A familiar ring to it". The Winnipeg Sun (Newspapers.com).
- ^ a b "Legendary Director Larry Cohen Discusses His Career and 'King Cohen'". FanboyNation. 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ "The Survivor". The New Yorker. 2004-01-26. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ a b Williams, Tony (2016-04-18). Larry Cohen: The Radical Allegories of an Independent Filmmaker, rev. ed. McFarland. pp. 219–220. ISBN 978-1-4766-1819-7.
- ^ "Rest in Peace: Larry Cohen, Director of THE STUFF and IT'S ALIVE, Has Passed Away". Dread Central. 2019-03-24. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ Rowl, Paul; s. "AN INTERVIEW WITH LARRY COHEN (PART 3 OF 3)". Money Into Light. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ "Mini Reviews (September 2009) - Reviews by David Nusair". www.reelfilm.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
External links
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