Deadline (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
Deadline is a direct-to-video
psychological thriller
film directed by Sean McConville starring Brittany Murphy
and Thora Birch
.
) needs to complete a screenplay, which she has not finished due to a psychological breakdown after her boyfriend tried to kill her. With the deadline for the screenplay approaching, she accepts an offer by a producer friend to let her stay in a Victorian-style home he has recently purchased, so she can focus on her work. She insists on staying there alone, and her friend Rebecca (Tammy Blanchard
) reluctantly agrees and leaves her there. Alice begins to hear strange noises in the house and becomes convinced the house is haunted by the ghost of a murdered woman. She begins searching the house and finds a collection of videotapes in the attic featuring a mysterious young couple played by Thora Birch and Marc Blucas. At first the tapes just show the couple lovingly talking about their new baby and life together in the house. However the more Alice watches, the more disturbed the husband gets. He becomes convinced his wife is seeing someone else and that the baby may not be his, even though his wife assures him she's never been with any one else. One tape shows him filming his wife as she sleeps muttering "she looks like an angel".
Alice also watches one of her own tapes of herself and Rebecca (before her boyfriend tried to kill her) and it is strongly implied they are more than just friends. Alice keeps watching the video tapes of the couple and asks Rebecca to do research about the couple for her. Rebecca, worried about her friend, offers to come visit but Alice insists she is fine. As Alice keeps watching the tapes, we learn the reason her boyfriend tried to kill her. Alice was also pregnant and her boyfriend became convinced the baby wasn't his. He tried to drown her in the bathtub. Alice survived, but lost the baby. This is why she feels so connected to this woman on the tape. She also starts to see the ghost of the woman around the house. When Alice gets to the last tape she sees that the husband did kill his wife by drowning her in the tub and then hanged himself. Alice then gets a call from her ex who apologizes for what he did. Alice then sees a shadow in the house and becomes convinced he's inside with her. But as she starts to run away she sees the end of the tape which shows the husband actually survived his hanging when his mother cut him down just in time. She then reports the couple missing. Alice comes face to face with the husband who thinks she is his wife and tries to drown her in the bathtub, but he sees the reflection of his dead wife.
This scares him so much he falls over the stair railing. The ghost now lets the water out of the bathtub and saves Alice. Later Rebecca comes over and finds Alice still sitting in the bath tub talking about the ghost. As Rebecca dries her off she finds the screen play that Alice has been working on all this time and discovers it is word for word the entire story written down, meaning everything Alice saw was all in her head. Rebecca then promises she will never leave Alice alone again and puts her to bed. She then goes downstairs where we see there is no body but there is a video camera. She picks it up and sees a tape Alice shot of Rebecca sleeping that looks exactly like the scene the husband shot earlier of his wife, right down to Alice saying she looks like an angel.
began principal photography
in Louisiana
. It was the first English-language feature financed by KRU Studios
, and was originally scheduled for a mid-2009 release. KRU handled post-production
, visual effects
and distribution in Asia.
The film premiered to DVD in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2009, and in the United States on December 1, 2009. After Murphy's death on December 20, 2009 Redbox
recalled film posters which were displayed on kiosks around the country. The poster depicted Murphy's character sitting in bathtub with a dead version of the other female lead character's reflection in the mirror.
released Carlos José Alvarez's score for the film on July 27, 2010. The album was dedicated to Brittany Murphy's memory.
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
film directed by Sean McConville starring Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
and Thora Birch
Thora Birch
Thora Birch is an American actress. She was a child actor in the 1990s, starring in movies such as All I Want for Christmas , Patriot Games , Hocus Pocus , Now and Then , and Alaska . She came to prominence in 1999 after earning worldwide attention and praise for her performance in American Beauty...
.
Plot
Alice Evans (Brittany MurphyBrittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
) needs to complete a screenplay, which she has not finished due to a psychological breakdown after her boyfriend tried to kill her. With the deadline for the screenplay approaching, she accepts an offer by a producer friend to let her stay in a Victorian-style home he has recently purchased, so she can focus on her work. She insists on staying there alone, and her friend Rebecca (Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
) reluctantly agrees and leaves her there. Alice begins to hear strange noises in the house and becomes convinced the house is haunted by the ghost of a murdered woman. She begins searching the house and finds a collection of videotapes in the attic featuring a mysterious young couple played by Thora Birch and Marc Blucas. At first the tapes just show the couple lovingly talking about their new baby and life together in the house. However the more Alice watches, the more disturbed the husband gets. He becomes convinced his wife is seeing someone else and that the baby may not be his, even though his wife assures him she's never been with any one else. One tape shows him filming his wife as she sleeps muttering "she looks like an angel".
Alice also watches one of her own tapes of herself and Rebecca (before her boyfriend tried to kill her) and it is strongly implied they are more than just friends. Alice keeps watching the video tapes of the couple and asks Rebecca to do research about the couple for her. Rebecca, worried about her friend, offers to come visit but Alice insists she is fine. As Alice keeps watching the tapes, we learn the reason her boyfriend tried to kill her. Alice was also pregnant and her boyfriend became convinced the baby wasn't his. He tried to drown her in the bathtub. Alice survived, but lost the baby. This is why she feels so connected to this woman on the tape. She also starts to see the ghost of the woman around the house. When Alice gets to the last tape she sees that the husband did kill his wife by drowning her in the tub and then hanged himself. Alice then gets a call from her ex who apologizes for what he did. Alice then sees a shadow in the house and becomes convinced he's inside with her. But as she starts to run away she sees the end of the tape which shows the husband actually survived his hanging when his mother cut him down just in time. She then reports the couple missing. Alice comes face to face with the husband who thinks she is his wife and tries to drown her in the bathtub, but he sees the reflection of his dead wife.
This scares him so much he falls over the stair railing. The ghost now lets the water out of the bathtub and saves Alice. Later Rebecca comes over and finds Alice still sitting in the bath tub talking about the ghost. As Rebecca dries her off she finds the screen play that Alice has been working on all this time and discovers it is word for word the entire story written down, meaning everything Alice saw was all in her head. Rebecca then promises she will never leave Alice alone again and puts her to bed. She then goes downstairs where we see there is no body but there is a video camera. She picks it up and sees a tape Alice shot of Rebecca sleeping that looks exactly like the scene the husband shot earlier of his wife, right down to Alice saying she looks like an angel.
Cast
- Brittany MurphyBrittany MurphyBrittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
as Alice Evans - Thora BirchThora BirchThora Birch is an American actress. She was a child actor in the 1990s, starring in movies such as All I Want for Christmas , Patriot Games , Hocus Pocus , Now and Then , and Alaska . She came to prominence in 1999 after earning worldwide attention and praise for her performance in American Beauty...
as Lucy Woods - Tammy BlanchardTammy BlanchardTammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
as Rebecca - Marc BlucasMarc BlucasMarcus Paul "Marc" Blucas is an American actor, known for playing Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
as David Woods - Claudia Troll as David's Mother
- Michael Piscitelli as Ben
Production
Starting in June 2008, the independently-financed filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
began principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. It was the first English-language feature financed by KRU Studios
KRU Studios
KRU Studios is one of the media and entertainment companies in Malaysia. Founded in 1992, KRU has since diversified, and now provides a range of services related to the media and entertainment industry, specializing in both production and distribution capabilities.With offices and representatives...
, and was originally scheduled for a mid-2009 release. KRU handled post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
, visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
and distribution in Asia.
Release
The film premiered to DVD in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2009, and in the United States on December 1, 2009. After Murphy's death on December 20, 2009 Redbox
Redbox
Redbox is an American company that specializes in the rental of DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and video games via automated retail kiosks. As of the end of June 2011, Redbox had over 33,000 kiosks in over 27,800 locations....
recalled film posters which were displayed on kiosks around the country. The poster depicted Murphy's character sitting in bathtub with a dead version of the other female lead character's reflection in the mirror.
Soundtrack
MovieScore MediaMovieScore Media
MovieScore Media is a Swedish record label devoted to original film scores, founded in 2005 by former film music journalist Mikael Carlsson. The label is the main business activity of Carlsson's company, MovieScore Media Sweden....
released Carlos José Alvarez's score for the film on July 27, 2010. The album was dedicated to Brittany Murphy's memory.
- Main Titles 2:06
- Lucy and David 1:10
- Somebody Died Here 3:05
- The House 1:51
- First Morning 1:07
- Haunted Piano :51
- Taking A Bath 1:13
- An Attempt To Escape 2:24
- Medication 1:52
- Transformation 2:27
- What If Ben Finds Out 1:33
- But I Belong To You 2:08
- Miscarriage 2:21
- The Drowning 5:00
- The Burial 3:44
- Following Lucy 1:03
- Burial Site 4:02
- Lucy Saves Alice 2:16
- Set Free 1:25
- Deadline (Suite for Orchestra) 6:01
External links
- Exclusive: First Five Minutes of Deadline, Starring Brittany Murphy, from filmschoolrejects.com