Death by Engagement (2005)

Director:

Philip Creager

Writer:

Philip Creager (writer)

Release Date:

2 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Comedy

Tagline:

Stay Single

Plot:

A cursed ring bounces through an ensemble of desperate-to-be married young women, bringing brutal deaths to all who wear it.

Plot Keywords:

Bride | Serial Killer | Wedding Ring | Murder | Splatter

Cast

Sascha Knopf	...	Det. Rikki Moore
Aaron MacPherson	...	Det. Cade Hamilton
P.J. Soles	...	Mrs. Starkington
Iyari Limon	...	Erica
Christa Campbell	...	Stacy
Ryan Hansen	...	Michael Micelli
Jilon Ghai	...	Byron Oniskon
Julian Berlin	...	Leila
Brandon Largent	...	Spencer Starkington
Jeffrey Vincent Parise	...	Robert 'Bobo' Slarn (as Jeff Parise)
John Barry	...	Doctor #1
Brian Wade	...	Officer Mallar (as Brian Patrick Wade)
Edie Dearing	...	Brittney Dibcy
Jodie Tate	...	Natalie Lambert
Sam Stefanski	...	Shank

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Rounding 3rd Productions

Trivia:

The Volvo in the opening scene was left in front of the producer's house after filming. The aftermath was a "bloody mess". Someone passing by saw the car and assumed it was linked to a crime scene and called the police. The producer arrived home after a long day of shooting to a line up of police cars and flashing lights.

Stay single...and see this film!

I had the chance to catch this movie while I was at the World Horror Convention in San Francisco and I was pleasantly surprised. It's basically a Quentin Tarentino meets Jason from Friday the 13th film, with plot twists that keep you engaged until the end. It follows the murder spree of Spencer Starkington (Brandon Largent), a young man with an explosive temper, who kills his bride and puts the maid-of-honor into a coma on the day of his wedding. Starkington himself is also left in a coma, because he attacks the bride and maid-of-honor from the back of their speeding car. The wedding ring worn by the bride is removed at the scene by an unscrupulous police officer and is given to his fiancé. The comatose Spencer, now being cared for at home by his mother (P.J. Soles), comes back from his coma and goes out in search of the missing wedding ring, regardless of who has it and where. This leads him in and out of the lives (and hideous deaths!) of a variety of seamy individuals as the ring moves from one victim to another.

Spencer is pursued by a pair of police detectives: Detective Rikki Moore (Sascha Knopf), who's consummate anti-girly girl and Detective Cade Hamilton (Aaron MacPherson) who's delightfully smarmy and a perfect foil for Rikki. They until the end, as the movie careens like an out-of-control roller-coaster. You'll never know what the ending is until the final credits roll.

This movie is loaded with great performances, most notably P.J. Soles. Her portrayal of Spencer Starkington's mother is the creepiest movie mother I've ever seen. She is disturbing without going over the top, with a quiet air that hides a bubbling cauldron of psychotic behavior. Sascha Knopf and Aaron MacPherson, the two police officers, work together like clockwork. There performances compliment each other as if they've been together since the police academy. All of the characters are played like something out of Pulp Fiction, with lots of quirky tics and memorable personalities. It also helps that the movie has a great story and a solid script.

The only thing I would have like to have seen would have been a better handling for the movement of the ring. I was confused on why the ring turned up where it did, only to get the explanation late in the film. This made the continuity just a little clunky. I'm not sure if this is the final cut, so this is something that can be fixed with some additional editing. However, don't let this stop you from seeing the film. This movie was a total hoot, with spills and thrills for everyone!