STARRY EYES
US, 2014, 98 minutes, Colour.
Alex Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Fabianne Therese, to raise, Noah Segan.
Directed by Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer.
Starry Eyes is a short drama about a young woman in Los Angeles, Sarah, who wants to be an actress. While she shares lodgings with other would-be actors, she considers herself above the. They react badly, especially one alleged friend who continually makes snide remarks, putting Sarah down. In the meantime, Sarah works at diner, feeling superior to the boss the clientele decides to leave.
The catalyst for this is the offer of audition for an independent film. Before the audition, she has a nightmare where she is dramatically nervous, fluffing her lines, her performance completely off when suddenly blood flows from her forehead. Then she wakes up. A premonition. She goes to the audition, does quite well but, when not encouraged by those testing, she has an enormous tantrum in the rest-room – which leads to an invitation to come to the tantrum again as a second audition.
Sarah becomes more and more ambitious, spurning her friends who are trying to make an independent film themselves, eager to be in it. The filmmaker does offer her apart but, once again, she is too superior.
This personal drama then moves towards touches of horror when Sarah is interviewed by very sinister producer and he makes advances. She has to make a decision whether she wants to be a star with the studio or not. She does, and, without realising it, she is making Faustian pact with the devil.
The total of the film seems rather romantic and Sarah is very starry-eyed about her career. Potential audiences need to be warned that after this introduction, the film become something of a slasher-movie with the deaths of her friends being particularly brutal and visually disturbing.
That is not all, the Faustian pact comes to life in quite a sinister way, Satanic rituals.
While this is a tale of an ambitious young woman, it is also a morality tale of the saying: beware what you wish for, you might get it.
1. A personal drama turning to horror, turning to slasher-movie, turning to satanic rituals?
2. LA story, workplaces, the entertainment world, independent filmmaking, ambitions, auditions?
3. Los Angeles, the diner, the apartments, audition rooms, the countryside in the dark? The musical score?
4. The portrait of Sarah, in herself, age, pretty, working at the diner, performing for the customers, the apartment and sharing with Tracy? Erin and her continued snide remarks? Independent filmmakers? The others making the film, Sarah keeping her distance? Going to the audition, the nightmare with blood coming from her head, a premonition? Arriving, the hopefuls, leaving weeping, the performance, her anger in the rest room? The woman coming, inviting her into repeat the tantrum? Her going to the diner, wanting to leave? The interview with the boss and his plea, understanding, and later going back and begging for the job? Feeling superior to others? Her thinking that she was rejected, invited back again? The phone call, meeting the producer, his interview, filming, the sexual advance, her leaving? Confiding in Tracy, Tracy telling the others? Her change of heart? Going back, the producer, the others? The emblem with the Satanic overtones? Her being transformed, sick, looking wretched? The brutality of the murders? Going to the cult ritual, her rebirth? Coming back, beautiful, the wig, with Tracy on the bed, the future?
5. Tracy, friendly, telling others? Danny and his film, Erin and her remarks, the other members of the group? The brutality of the murders?
6. The two holding the audition, seeming sinister, the producer and his Satanic smile?
7. The film becoming a slasher-movie, the visual brutality?
8. Satanic rituals, coven and costumes and masks?
9. The film as morality story, inner Demons, succumbing to them, selling one’ soul, for what? The pact with the devil?
