Desperate Dolls is a feature-length, female-driven horror movie written and directed by Darren Callahan (BBC, SyFy, Under the Table, Children of the Invisible Man). Set in Hollywood in 1968, it is the story of three young actresses with hand-picked nicknames who become entangled in a web of murder, hypnosis, and ghosts. Considered a smart take on retro exploitation films, the film will have flashes of sex and violence, but keeps focus on a strong, classic style with chilling scares.
Callahan references films like The Shining or The Ring, or even Carnival of Souls or Night of the Living Dead, as works that pass the test of both dramatic soundness yet not skimping on shocks. Influenced by the films of John Carpenter, Ti West, Dario Argento, David Lynch, and Roger Corman, as well as grindhouse/Drive-In fare, Callahan is known for a mix of high art and low pulp. It is a project intended to deliver everything a horror fan could want.
A wealth of talent is involved in the project – all first choices for cast and crew. The film stars Alyssa Thordarson, Stephanie Leigh Rose, Emily Bennett, G. Riley Mills, and Stephen Spencer. Produced by Darren Callahan, Stephanie Leigh Rose, with John Klein under a new company, Doll Films, there’s a solid business underpinning to a significant creative endeavor. Also contributing are production designer Ashley Ann Woods, cinematographer J. Van Auken, and editor Mike Molenda. Principal photography is a fourteen-day production in August 2013, filmed in Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California.
Darren has become an experienced, and noted, film maker – he and his team have done this before, finishing projects on time and under budget with a premium quality exceeding most indie films.
Wanna be a part of it? Check out their Indiegogo campaign here!
