Deadline (1981)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Mario Azzopardi

Writers:

Mario Azzopardi (screenplay)
Mario Azzopardi (story)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

His obsession was to create the ultimate horror story... his curse was to live it.

Plot:

A horror film about a screenwriter who loses the ability to distinguish between his fantasy world and the real world...

Plot Keywords:

Deadline | Children | Child Killing Child | Murder Of Family | Punk Rock Band

Cast

Stephen Young	...	Steven Lessey
Sharon Masters	...	Elizabeth Lessey
Marvin Goldhar	...	Burt Horowitz
Jeannie Elias	...	Darlene Winters
Cindy Hinds	...	Sharon Lessey
Phillip Leonard	...	Philip Lessey
Tod Woodcroft	...	David Lessey
Bev Marsh	...	Martha Lessey
Carole Pope	...	Herself (as Rough Trade)
Kevan Staples	...	Punk Rock Band Member
Rough Trade	...	Punk Rock Band Member
Mary Risk	...	Professor
Ken Camroux	...	Moderator
Philip Akin	...	Student #1
Bill Yak	...	Student #2 (as Bill Yack)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:(Banned) | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Trivia:

Directorial debut of Mario Azzopardi.

Movie Connections:

References All About Eve (1950)

Soundtrack:

Everlasting Love

Intriguing Little Gem

Make no mistake this is a good horror film. It has some nice chills, good amount of gore and some disturbing moments that will be with you after the film has ended. But Azzopardi has attempted not just the usual horror flick here; he has fashioned an allegorical gem based on the debate over violence in the media using a horror writer and his family as the focus. Azzopardi has also crafted a post modern film which is self-commenting, non-linear, and offers no definitive resolution for all of his characters which can tend to instill an unsatisfying or muddled ending. However, this film should be viewed as ahead of its time in its treatment of the subject matter and original way of presenting it. The style of the film owes much more to the Italian horror masters (Argento, Fulci, etc.) than it does to North American cinema as Azzopardi, made his mark in Canadian cinema. It should also be noted that while the film is allegory, it was apparent to me that Stephen King was the basis for the main character (even his name is Stephen) and pre-dates any self-referential treatment (The Dark Half) from King by almost a decade. In this regard, the film remains highly original in theme and still well worth watching. Bottom Line: good horror film that will evoke Italian cinema but you must be willing to put the pieces together on your own...a thinking person's horror film.