"Booze, Broads and Blackjack" is entertaining and easy to watch. Movies like these are the reason cinema was created for the masses, and proof God loves us. No better way to waste a work night (or an epidemic) than plopping down and watching art happen. Director Rickey Bird has dropped several easter eggs throughout the movie as well as several cameos by himself and writer Carl Nicita. "Booze, Broads, and Blackjack" is just an all-around enjoyable movie. The Hectic Film crew made the impossible happen once again, even though they got their film trailer stolen like ten times during production (even saw a video of it being dragged off even though it was chained to a car).
Making a movie based on a book can provide huge challenges. Authors don't have to worry about the cost associated with multiple scenes and wardrobe changes, not to mention exotic foreign locales. When laying ink down on paper, or keystrokes on the magical glowing box that brings me endless joy, it's easy to dream up islands floating in the sky inhabited by blue creatures, huge castles with dragons flying overhead, a spaceship infested with alien life, or even blowing up much loved cultural landmarks throughout the world. Authors don't have to plan to fly a cast and crew to Las Vegas, nor do they have to worry about feeding and lodging arrangements. Set building and CGI is just a stroke of a pen to them.
Director Rickey Bird and Writer Carl Nicita
At the same time, book to film adaptations create an opportunity to enhance the original story. Stephen King movies have greatly benefited from legendary directors improving on the source material. King's movies wouldn't have done so well without great talent behind the camera; "Carrie" (1976) had Brian De Palma, "The Shining'"(1980) had Stanley Kubrick, "Creepshow" (1982) had George Romero, "Christine" (1983) had John Carpenter, "Misery" (1990) Rob Reiner, both "The Green Mile" (1999) and "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) were done by Frank Darabont.
"Booze, Broads and Blackjack" also took the opportunity to improve on the book. In particular, the character of Savannah in the book was too consequential and random. While reading the book, I really wanted her to turn into the psycho stalker from "Play Misty for Me" (1971) starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. Also fixed was the too cool for school, mister perfect, Jack King. Flawless characters are boring to watch. One reason "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013) was so good was because every character was frustratingly flawed. Jack transformed into the lovable spoiled screwup, who does everything he shouldn't. The movie fixed a couple plot points that didn't quite work. The book also had a bunch of awesome music interwoven into the story, songs that even a major Hollywood movie would have had issues getting the rights to, which this film did a great job working around. The music provided by Ghost Coast Productions, while not as legendary as the classics named in the book, did a great job filling the void.
Another reason "Booze, Broads and Blackjack" is so enjoyable to watch are all the beautiful women in the movie; Felissa Rose "Sleep Away Camp" (1983) and "Killer Rose" (2020), Erica Rey "Machine Gun Baby" (2018), and Sarah French "Rootwood" (2018). All too often, movies lacking million dollar budgets have problems attracting beautiful talent. Beautiful people are so much easier to watch. Plus a bunch of cool transition scenes helped the viewing experience.
Also helping the viewing experience are Vincent Pastore and James Duval. Mr. Pastore has had a long and legendary acting career that jumped back and forth between big-budget Hollywood and indie productions. He did a cameo in an awesome movie reviewed here a couple years back called "Pitching Tents" (2017), check it out if you missed it. Because let's face it, we have seen all of his epic roles. Mr. Duval's Generation X social commentary cult classics led an entire generation into the decline of western civilization as we now know it. Seriously, if you haven't watched "The Doom Generation" (1995), otherwise known as Rose McGowan's first real role, or "SLC Punk" (1999), having lived in Salt Lake the repressed Mormon teens come out when the sun goes down (shhhh don't tell the church), still have fond memories of seeing punk bands in cramped basements.
While Halloween is still three months away, Hectic Films isn’t willing to wait to wet the appetite of the horror fans out there!
A Familiar Spirit is the newest in an ever expanding list of indie film magic that Hectic Films has been putting together while breaking barriers that have long since defined the film industry.
This isn’t your normal cut and paste horror film based on a single style of filming. It bleeds over and oozes through multiple camera uses, movements, and styles. From the security cam footage to the amazing and genius “Jack Dog” shaky cam, you get the emotional pull of being in the scene without that motion sickness side effect when a film tries to use it for the whole movie.
A Familiar Spirit is based on actual events from Bakersfield, CA. One of the oldest historical areas of Kern County, Oleander has been said to still hold many of the souls that made their lives there, long after their bodies have been returned to the ground and their voices slowly forgotten.
Chris Kovacs plays Jim, a grade 'A' ass-hat of a boyfriend who decides to set up security cameras in the hopes of catching a local thief in the act, even though he should be doing it to get justice for his girlfriend Cynthia who was injured by the vandal hurling a rock through their front window.
Chelsea Newman absolutely nails the role of Cynthia, the terrified girlfriend who wants nothing more than to leave, but who begrudgingly tries to hold it together in a world where the things of nightmares are slowly starting to seep into the waking world.
Erica Rey also shines in her role as Samantha, the sexy roommate who is not your cookie cutter horror movie bimbo. She has a dark fire in her eyes and sarcasm that slides off her tongue so perfectly it leaves you wishing she had more lines in the film.
The story follows the three of them as they each deal with the horrors of a haunting in their own ways. From the denial of Jim, the reluctant acceptance of Cynthia, to the nonchalant “Deal with it” attitude of Samantha we get to see just how the human psyche absorbs and handles reality when everything we have ever known is challenged and ultimately shredded by the whispering of spirits, the playing of poltergeist, and the terror of manifested demons.
Just remember, Familiar Spirits can be called anywhere, and may show up at any time. So as the lights dim and the screen lights up with the Hectic Films logo, you might not want to concentrate too hard on that shadowy movement you just saw from the corner of your eye.
