Kill Theory (2009)

Director:

Chris Moore

Writer (WGA):

Kelly C. Palmer (written by)

Release Date:

8 January 2009 (Russia)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Deep down... we're all killers.

Plot:

Whilst celebrating a graduation at a secluded vacation home, a group of college students find themselves targeted by a sadistic killer who forces them to play a deadly game of killing one another in order to survive.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Sadistic Psychopath | Forced To Kill | After Dark Horrorfest | Motorcycle

Cast

Don McManus	...	Dr. Karl Truftin
Ryanne Duzich	...	Amber
Teddy Dunn	...	Brent
Daniel Franzese	...	Freddy
Agnes Bruckner	...	Jennifer
Patrick John Flueger	...	Michael (as Patrick Flueger)
Steffi Wickens	...	Nicole
Theo Rossi	...	Carlos
Taryn Manning	...	Alex
Kevin Gage	...	The Killer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trever O'Brien

Directed by
Chris Moore

Writing credits (WGA)
Kelly C. Palmer		(written by) (as Kelly Palmer)

Produced by
Dan Abrams	....	producer
Kimberly C. Anderson	....	executive producer
Morris Bart	....	producer
Matt Battaglia	....	co-executive producer
Chris Bender	....	producer
Julie Dangel	....	producer
Neal Flaherty	....	co-producer
Jill McElroy	....	co-producer
Sam Nazarian	....	executive producer
Kelly C. Palmer	....	co-producer (as Kelly Palmer)
Malcolm Petal	....	executive producer
Brian Pitt	....	line producer
Adam Rosenfelt	....	producer
Marc Schaberg	....	executive producer
J.C. Spink	....	executive producer
Cory Thabit	....	co-executive producer
Amanda White	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Suby

Cinematography by
David A. Armstrong		(as David Armstrong)

Film Editing by
Maureen Meulen

Casting by
Joseph Middleton

Production Design by
Ethan Tobman

Art Direction by
Frank Zito

Set Decoration by
Marsha Daniels
Sam Lothridge

Costume Design by
Jillian Kreiner		(as Jillian Ann Kreiner)

Makeup Department
Chris Black	....	tattoo artist
Nikki Carbonetta	....	makeup department head (as Nikki Carbonetta)
Steve Costanza	....	additional makeup artist
Stacey Herbert	....	makeup artist (as Stacey Taniguchi)
Robin Mathews	....	makeup and special effects makeup designer
Glenn Mosley	....	key makeup artist
Leigh Radziwon	....	assistant special effects makeup artist
Scott H. Reeder	....	hair department head
Kent Richard	....	key hair stylist (as Kent M. Richard)

Production Management
Christopher Kulikowski	....	post-production supervisor
Brian Pitt	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dan Abrams	....	second unit director
Craig Borden	....	first assistant director
Tony Niknejadi	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Craig Cartwright	....	storyboard artist
Gus Coto	....	lead man
Michael Dares	....	set dresser
Ryan Martin Dwyer	....	on-set dresser
Elizabeth Herberg	....	art coordinator
Alexander Lasseigne III	....	set dresser
Michelle Marchand II	....	set decoration buyer
Dim McRemnant	....	graphic artist
Noel Rideout	....	set dresser: additional crew
Janna Roach	....	assistant property master
Michelle Rolland	....	property master
Brent Stewart	....	foreman
Bill Walters	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Ryan Farris	....	production sound mixer: second unit
Ryan Farris	....	utility sound
Steven Huerstel	....	boom operator
Marti D. Humphrey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kamal John Iskander	....	boom operator: additional photography (as John Iskander)
Chris M. Jacobson	....	adr mixer
Chris M. Jacobson	....	sound editor
Chris M. Jacobson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald Lyles	....	adr mixer
Erik Magnus	....	production sound mixer: pick-ups
Charles Maynes	....	sound designer
Bruce Nyznik	....	supervising sound editor
Rob Parke	....	sound assistant
John Sanacore	....	foley mixer
Ron Scelza	....	sound mixer
Brad Semenoff	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Kill Theory	....	adr supervisor: adr editor
Gary Tomaro	....	sound mixer
Alex Ullrich	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Matt Green	....	special effects makeup assistant
Jonathan Thornton	....	special effects makeup director

Visual Effects by
Peter Allendale	....	compositor: Comen VFX
Ed L. Anderson	....	digital compositor: Comen VFX
Jason Bidwell	....	digital compositor: Comen VFX
Tim Carras	....	visual effects supervisor
Greg Cheng	....	digital background clean-up
Joshua D. Comen	....	visual effects producer
Brandon Criswell	....	lead compositor: Comen VFX
Scott Hale	....	digital compositor: Comen VFX
Brandy Handelman	....	digital compositor: Comen VFX
Alicia Johnson	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Trace Cheramie	....	stunts
Danny Cosmo	....	stunt double (as Danny Cosmo Higginbottom)
Andrew Scott Dixon	....	utility stunts
Jeff Galpin	....	stunt coordinator
Kurt Hockenberry	....	utility stunts
Mike Mayhall	....	stunt double
Tom McComas	....	stunt coordinator
Anna Mercedes Morris	....	stunt double: Steffi Wickens & Taryn Manning
Holly O'Quin	....	stunt double
Alec Rayme	....	stunt double
Christie Sanders	....	stunt double: Taryn Manning

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Applebaum	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Michael Applebaum	....	director of photography: second unit
Grayson Austin	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Andy Clapp	....	electrician
Nicholas Davidoff	....	camera operator: second unit
David C. Edwards	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Penelope Helmer	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Brian J. Kronenberg	....	grip (as Brian Kronenberg)
Richard Lacy	....	first assistant camera
Ryan Lamy	....	electrician
Jonathan E. Robinson	....	film loader
Chris Salamone	....	grip
James Lawrence Spencer	....	gaffer
Calvin Ursin Jr.	....	grip

Casting Department
Deanna Brigidi	....	casting associate
Toby Guidry	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ashlie Philastre	....	key set costumer
Amanda Riley	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Sera DiBlasio	....	assistant editor
Travis Flynn	....	colorist assist
Alisha Kosaka	....	post-production coordinator (as Alisha Marks)
Josh Rifkin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Celia M. Carter	....	music coordinator
Kathleen Hasay	....	music assistant
Joel C. High	....	music supervisor
Rolfe Kent	....	conductor
Joel J. Richard	....	musician: guitar
Joel J. Richard	....	score producer
Rebecca Rienks	....	assistant music supervisor
Adam Sanborne	....	composer: original song
Mark Skillingberg	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Skip Barbay	....	driver
Rene Horstmann	....	driver
Brad Lips	....	fuel truck driver
Cindi Randall	....	transportation captain
Albert Samson	....	local transportation captain
Christy Zeller	....	transportation office coordinator

Other crew
Les Arceneaux	....	assistant location manager
Morey Butler	....	armorer
Jules Carideo	....	production coordinator (as Julie Carideo)
Ariane Chatman	....	payroll manager
Lorraine Evanoff	....	post-production accountant
Suraj Gohill	....	production financing
Ben Ledoux	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Lynch	....	stand-in
Katie McGinley	....	assistant: Mr. Rosenfelt and Mr. Schaberg (as Katie McMillan)
Marel Medina	....	stand-in
Matthew D. Miller	....	key set production assistant
Scarlett Pettyjohn	....	business affairs: Element Films
Annie Poirier	....	assistant production coordinator
Christie Rawls	....	body double
Scott H. Reeder	....	department head for hair
Sam Sullivan III	....	script supervisor
Suzanne C. Swindle	....	script supervisor: additional photography
Tim Turner	....	production accountant
Lauren Von Huene	....	production assistant
Rebekah Weatherspoon	....	production assistant
Kolie Wegner	....	finance executive
Sarah Nunez	....	executive assistant to executive producer (uncredited)

Thanks
Hollie Stenson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• BenderSpink
• Cross River Pictures
• Element Films
• Last Resort Productions
• Lift Films

Distributors

• After Dark Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cascade Film (2009) (Russia) (all media)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Comen VFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Dub Stage, The  sound post-production
• Film Production Capital  tax credit financing
• Global Tactical Services  security services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some sexual content

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:18 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Cheyenne Studios - 27567 Fantastic Lane, Castaic, California, USA

Company:

BenderSpink

Goofs:

Continuity: When the group first finds Nicole's body she has duct tape over her mouth (just as she does in the video). The camera angle changes to the group then back to Nicole and the tape is gone.

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Soundtrack:

It Will Find You

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and your friends who may be enemies closer still and enemy friends . . . . . ohhh just watch the film.

This movie starts with a man entering a psychiatrist's office and being told that he will continue treatment, despite having served his prison sentence, because he appears to believe that anyone in his situation would make the same choice that he did - he cut the rope and let his friends die in a mountain climbing incident that he alone survived. And so our patient/criminal/psychopath spends the rest of the movie proving that others would make that decision and his group of unknowing experimental subjects includes a number of partying teens who soon start to panic when an ultimatum is delivered - only one of them can be left alive to leave safely at six a.m. or everyone will die. Will the friends kill each other to save themselves.

It's not a bad idea, although it's not the most original one, and it's all done with a bit of spit and polish to show that those involved actually tried to make something decent. Sadly, while it's decent it's nothing great.

The direction from Chris Moore is unfussy and services the material but there's not much done to disguise the fact that the movie consists of people becoming suspicious of each other and trying to save their own asses for most of the runtime. Having said that, it's not half bad for his first turn in the big chair. The script, by first-timer Kelly C. Palmer, doesn't do too badly either. Characters are quickly sketched out and we get just what we need to care about who is/may be about to die before things turn violent.

Cast-wise, everyone does okay with what they're given. Agnes Bruckner, Patrick John Flueger, Taryn Manning, Daniel Franzese, etc, have all done enough to be vaguely familiar (I certainly thought I'd seen some of the cast in other movies and recognised Franzese immediately from his great role in Mean Girls) and don't do anything to embarrass themselves here.

There's no special extra oomph here, nothing to make this a must-see, but it's a decent enough time-filler and much better than numerous other horror/thrillers that have been released lately and have focused on some decidedly warped moral compasses. I'd also have to say that the little coda at the end was actually quite enjoyable and made me smile just as the end credits started to roll.