Dead Season (2003) - By Brian Morton

Film Reviews: Dead Season (2003) - By Brian Morton
Posted on Friday, July 01, 2005 @ 00:00:00 Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

Have you ever read one of those true crime books? Sure you have, we all have at some point. There's just something interesting about the fact that somebody decided to kill someone for no reason at all. We all have to wonder what goes on in the minds of guys like John Wayne Gacy who keep dozens of dead bodies under their house like you or I would store our Christmas decorations. It's horrible enough that you can't take your eyes off it, and the people who read these true crime books too much can become like Trekkies! They obsess over the crimes and the authors who investigate and write about them. That's what Dead Season is about, a true crime author and his biggest fan.

Dead Season is the story of Lucas Swan an author whose one book has made him a huge star in true crime book circles. You see Lucas lives in Craven Cove, which is apparently a town that claims more serial killers than any other. More have been born there, or passed through and some even killed there. Well, Lucas has written about one in particular, Sam Risher, who killed several people in Craven Cove but remains uncaught. But, Swan hasn't written any new books in a while. Enter Jennifer Barrett, or as Swan knows her, Seagull. Seagull is Swan's biggest fan and is determined that he writes a new book. Well, Seagull has come to town at just the right time, because Sam Risher is back and the killing is starting again!

Dead Season is a murder mystery first and foremost and it's a pretty good one too. The ending is something that I didn't see coming, and sets up perfectly Swans decent into madness. Randal Malone stars as Swan and he seems to be channeling the spirits of both Divine and Vincent Price...and I mean that in a good way. The rest of the cast is very good and there's even an appearance by Joe Estevez as Marvin a sadistic jail guard. And keep your eye on writer/director Ron Ford as the mentally challenged Clayton Rivers; you'll swear that Ron is actually a little slow!! (Just kidding, Ron!).

Dead Season is another fine effort by Fat Free Features, and even though it features the same house that was used in The Crawling Brain, I can forgive that, the sets are dressed slightly differently and the story is what Ford seems to be hanging his hat on here, not the set design. If you're a fan of the true crime genre or know someone whose obsessed with it, or if you just like an interesting mystery you'll enjoy Dead Season. If you want this or any other of Ron Ford's Fat Free Features drop on over to http://www.ronfordfilms.com and check them out, they're well worth your time! And remember, it's not a true crime if no one saw you do it and the best movies are bad movies!