6.0/10
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76 user 151 critic

Starry Eyes (2014)

Not Rated | | Drama, Fantasy, Horror | 14 November 2014 (USA)
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A hopeful young starlet uncovers the ominous origins of the Hollywood elite and enters into a deadly agreement in exchange for fame and fortune.

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(as Kevin Kölsch),
7 wins & 18 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Credited cast:
...
Sarah (as Alexandra Essoe)
...
...
...
...
Poe
...
...
Carl
...
Ginko
...
...
The Assistant
Louis Dezseran ...
Danny Minnick ...
Reggie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Spencer Baik ...
Hipster
Denis Bolotski ...
Heinrich
...
Party Goer
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Storyline

In Hollywood, the Big Taters'waitress Sarah Walker is an ambitious aspiring actress that suffers from hair pulling disorder. Sarah does not respect her boss Carl or her job since she believes she will be a great actress and this job is temporary only to pay her bills. She shares an apartment with her roommate Tracy that frequently discloses her secrets to their selfish friends Erin that likes to humiliate Sarah and steal her roles; Danny, who is an aspiring director that likes Sarah; Poe and Ashley that are indifferent to her. When Sarah is invited to an audition of the film The Silver Screen from the company Astraeus Pictures, their auditioners do not show any reaction to her performance. When Sarah leaves the audition, she goes to the toilet room and has an attack, pulling her hair and crying. Immediately after, the casting director invites her to return to the room and repeat what she did in the bathroom for her assistant and she. Sarah is invited again to an audition with the ... Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Dreams require sacrifice ... and so do they See more »

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Official Sites:

| |  »

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

14 November 2014 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

A Qualquer Preço  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

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Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Alex Essoe's father was present on the set on the day her hair pulling at the audition scene was shot. See more »

Quotes

Sarah: I will do whatever it takes for this role.
See more »

Connections

Features Evils of the Night (1985) See more »

Soundtracks

Kids
Written by Patrick Van Neck
Performed by Ondine
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User Reviews

 
Be careful what you wish for in LA - "I'd do anything to make it"

Indie horror can be hit or miss, oftentimes a miss, but Starry Eyes is a surprisingly well acted story that sways toward the "hit" side.

Los Angeles, California – the land where bright eyed beautiful people go to try their hand at stardom. Some are lucky if they get a national commercial or a guest spot on a television series, most resigned to locally produced indie flicks that will only be seen by their inner circle.

Starry Eyes takes the brutally competitive and unmerciful Hollywood atmosphere and couples it with the darkest desire, the blind ambition to seize success. Alex Essoe is Sarah, an aspiring actress engaged in the LA grind: waiting tables, submitting head shots and going on casting calls. After one particularly odd audition, she earns the opportunity for a lead role in a gateway movie. Hopeful for her big break, Sarah grapples with making a deal to enter into the dark and occult world of the elite.

Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer split the dual role of screenwriter/director in Starry Eyes but produce a cohesive vision in their film. It is immediately apparent that Kolsch and Widmyer have been around the Los Angeles block more than enough times. They perfectly capture the pompous, self-serving atmosphere rife with deceptively two-faced phonies who talk more than they 'do'.

Starry Eyes is a surprisingly successful and effective film and horror. The mood is stark and matter-of-factedly vicious. As with any horror, it lulls in the middle as the characters evolve and develop so that they may transform feasibly to the climax. Also the cause for and transformation Sarah goes through is rather standard and obvious.

Alex Essoe's acting and portrayal of Sarah elevates Starry Eyes even further. Essoe subtly transforms from the hopeful ingenue to the ambitiously consumed actress hell bent for greatness. Weirdly poignant and meta, I hope Alex Essoe's performance in this role garners some attention from producers in the right place, for she has talent.

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