The Melancholy Fantastic
Encyclopedia
The Melancholy Fantastic is a upcoming American independent film
written and directed by A.D. Calvo
.
holiday and weaves various existential themes into the story. The title of the screenplay was inspired by Søren Kierkegaard
's The Sickness Unto Death
. In the film, one of the central characters, a Danish Goth named Dukken, paraphrases from Søren Kierkegaard
's book and Friedrich Nietzsche
's Parable of the Madman. Central elements of the narrative also involve the opening and closing text from Albert Camus
' The Stranger (novel)
.
and Monroe, Connecticut
.
Independent 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...
written and directed by A.D. Calvo
A.D. Calvo
Alejandro Daniel Calvo is an Argentine-born producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Calvo was born in Buenos Aires and moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when he was four. In 1974, his family relocated to the United States...
.
Plot
Still suffering from her mother's recent suicide, a delusional young girl falls for an alluring Goth, against the objections of a life-size talking doll. The Melancholy Fantastic is a psychological thriller set during the holidays.Themes
The film takes place during the ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holiday and weaves various existential themes into the story. The title of the screenplay was inspired by Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
's The Sickness Unto Death
The Sickness Unto Death
The Sickness Unto Death is a book written by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in 1849 under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus...
. In the film, one of the central characters, a Danish Goth named Dukken, paraphrases from Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
's book and Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
's Parable of the Madman. Central elements of the narrative also involve the opening and closing text from Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
' The Stranger (novel)
The Stranger (novel)
The Stranger or The Outsider is a novel by Albert Camus published in 1942. Its theme and outlook are often cited as examples of existentialism, though Camus did not consider himself an existentialist; in fact, its content explores various philosophical schools of thought, including absurdism, as...
.
Production
The film features a life-size talking muslin doll named Mor and was filmed in Wallingford, ConnecticutWallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
and Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....
.
Cast
- Amy Crowdis as Melanie Crow
- Robin Lord Taylor as Dukken
- Josh Caras as Kenny Wiley
- Geneva CarrGeneva CarrGeneva Carr is an American television and stage actress, with an extensive acting resume, yet is best known for her role of the "mom" in AT&T Mobility's mobile phone commercials.-Rollover Mom:...
as Kenny's Mom - Shirley KnightShirley KnightShirley Enola Knight is an American stage, film and television actress. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, in 1960 for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and in 1962 for Sweet Bird of Youth....
as Mor (the voice of)