The Edison Death Machine (2006) (V)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

George Bonilla

Writer:

George Bonilla (screenplay)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Who Would You Bring Back?

Plot:

Thought only to exist in legend, Edison's device for contacting the dead is found...and stolen. A group...

Cast

Stacey T. Gillespie	...	Henry Shackleford
Ashley Arkels	...	Karen Armstrong
Billy W. Blackwell	...	Renee DuBois
Cherokee Hall	...	Flynn
Frank Santoroski	...	Dominic Contessi
Michael Van Zant	...	Jack McConnell
Len Kirschbaum	...	Johnny Knight
David Fultz	...	Silvio / Toramonga
Mark Dryden	...	Buddy Gilbert
Michael S. Shouse	...	Jean McClaire Duvar
Tiffany Durr	...	Lana
Kristina Johnson	...	Diana
Ken Shaw	...	General Grant
Kenneth Barnett	...	Kenny
Jermaine Greene	...	Bruno

Runtime:

USA:106 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

Fort Boonesborough - 4375 Boonesborough Road, Richmond, Kentucky, USA

Company:

ZP Productions

Quotes:

Johnny Knight: All this talk of swords has just made me happy.
Jack McConnell: We need to get you a girl, Johnny!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hell-ephone (2008)

Incredibly Original

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

We had the opportunity to see The Edison Death Machine at the Kentucky Theater recently. George Bonilla has outdone himself this time with a wonderfully original story. The film opens with a three minute silent film that is claimed to have been found in a vault. While there are a precious few things that give away the fact that the silent film isn't truly authentic, I can see if fooling numerous viewers. It has the look and feel of a 1920's film. The pasty makeup, the over-acting, the grainy quality, the music - it's all there. The silent short was a truly unique way to open the film.

Once we get into the film itself, the story is slow to get moving. But once it does, there is non-stop action until the finale. Henry (Stacey Gillespie) is the down-on-his-luck museum director who is set up by the beautiful Karen (Ashley Arkels) and unwittingly become part of an international crime ring led by Renee (Billy Blackwell).

The interesting thing is that while Renee is technically the villain here, he becomes this odd sort of anti-hero that we find ourselves rooting for when the cold-blooded mob boss Dominic Contessi (Frank Santoroski)comes onto the scene. Renee, Henry, Karen and the gang have decided to retire from a life of crime when Dominic surfaces. We are nearly an hour into the film before we meet Dominic, but we soon realize that he has been there the whole time, watching Renee's every move. Dominic forces them back into using the machine, putting the retirement on hold. The way Dominic chooses to express his seriousness on the issue will shock you. You'll have to see it.

Of course, the real stars of this film are the resurrected corpses brought back to life by the Edison Machine. The make-up effects are top-notch; the work with foam-latex translates to film very well. This is almost becoming a lost art with many big-budget films using CGI these days.

The Edison Death Machine is a well-done independent film. Bonilla presents a thoroughly professional look and feel on a small budget. Of course, it's the story that really makes this project work.