The Perfect Host (2010)

A criminal on the run cons his way into the wrong dinner party where the host is anything but ordinary.

Director:

Nick Tomnay

Writers:

Nick Tomnay, Krishna Jones

Stars:

David Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Tyrees Allen

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Hyde Pierce	...	Warwick Wilson
Clayne Crawford	...	John Taylor
Tyrees Allen	...	Roman
Cooper Barnes	...	Rupert
Megahn Perry	...	Simone De Marchi
Annie Campbell	...	Chelsea
Helen Reddy	...	Cathy Knight
Indira G. Wilson	...	Monica (as Indira Gibson)
George Cheung	...	Storekeeper (as George Kee Cheung)
Brooke Anderson	...	Thief (as Brooke 'Mikey' Anderson)
Cheryl Francis Harrington	...	Car Rental Worker
Amanda Payton	...	Girl at Party
Joseph Will	...	Det. Valdez
Nathaniel Parker	...	Det. Morton
Greg Brown	...	Man in Polaroid

Storyline

Injured after committing a bank robbery, John Taylor is desperate to find a place to hide out and approaches the home of Warick Wilson. John manages to get himself invited into the house by posing as a friend of a friend and spinning a sob story of lost luggage and a violent mugging. Inside, Warick, a consummate host, is making the final preparations for an impeccable dinner party. He insists John stay for the party, but as the evening begins it becomes obvious Warick may not be what he first appears.

---

Plot Keywords:

dinner party | bank robbery | neighbor | pay phone | flashback | 

---

Taglines:

Make Sure He Doesn't Serve You Your Last Supper.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violent content and brief sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 2011 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Dinner for One - Eine mörderische Party

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$9,388 (USA) (1 July 2011)

Gross:

$48,430 (USA) (2 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stacey Testro International, Mark Victor Productions, Perfect Host

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film only had a budget of $500,000

---

Goofs

At the end of the film, as Warwick stops John by the exit. He is wearing his jacket, but after he lets John leaves the parking garage, Warwick is shown without his jacket as he lifts his jacket from the floor of the booth, which is covering an unconscious booth attendant, and Warwick puts on the jacket.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Thief: [with gun] Open the register!

---

Connections

References Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

---

Soundtracks

"The Perfect Host"
Written, performed and courtesy of Krishna Jones

User Reviews

Pierce Steals the Show in Nice Gem

Perfect Host, The (2010)

*** (out of 4)

Two-bit criminal John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) pulls off a bank robbery but soon his name and picture are all over the news so he must find a place to hide for the night. He thinks he finds the perfect victim when he gets into the house of Warwick Wilson (David Hyde Pierce) but the robber soon realizes he's not the most dangerous person at this party. That's pretty much all the story anyone needs to know because there are so many twists and turns throughout the 93-minutes that knowing anything more would really take away many of the shocks. I must admit that I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect and when the end credits came up I immediately wanted to start telling people that this is a movie they should certainly check out. I think it's clear that the movie wants to be another THE USUAL SUSPECTS because there is just one twist after another and the movie does a terrific job making the viewer feel off their guard because you never quite know where the film is going and once you figure it out it just takes another turn to throw you. I thought what really made the film special is that the direction by Nick Tomnay just keeps the twists and turns coming at almost a poetic rate because there's a certain beauty to how everything plays out and it's really as if you're seeing some tango take place in front of your eyes. Everything is so well laid out in his screenplay that you really do feel as if you're watching something special take place even though there are a few flaws that I'll get to in a bit. Another major plus for me is that the film starts off with Crawford as the bad guy and Pierce as the good guy but throughout the movie they trade places and yet you can enjoy both characters. I enjoyed that we've got a film with only two characters and you can hate and like them and usually both within the matter of minutes. Crawford is extremely good in the more laid back role of the criminal and I thought he did a very good job with the role and especially when it was time for the events that happens to his character (again, I won't spoil them here). The real stand out is clearly David Hyde Pierce who is simply wonderful in the role. His character does so many odd things but Pierce makes you believe everything you're seeing and the amount of charm, charisma and personality that he brings to the film really makes this character his very own. While watching the performance it becomes clear that he's the only person in the world who could have played it. The film builds up some nice suspense throughout and I really enjoyed the rather unnerving way all the secrets get revealed. Horror fans will enjoy some of the black humor, which includes a hilarious piece involving the Gil Man from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. The film's major flaw is that there are a few too many twists and turns in the final ten minutes. With that said, THE PERFECT HOST is sadly going to get overlooked with all the blockbusters out there but hopefully people will give the film a chance as it's certainly a good little gem.