ONE LAST KILL Who says there's nothing good on Public Access?!
ONE LAST KILL started out as a
35-minute short film. It was just a monologue by Curtis Starks, a convicted
multiple murderer who was facing the gas chamber the next day. The premise was
that Curtis had been set up alone in a room with a couple of cameras to record
his final thoughts. The rationale was, since he wouldn't open up to anyone,
maybe this was a way for him to get anything and everything off his chest...A
cleansing.
I though Curtis was an interesting character with a very unique take on why he
ended up in his current predicament. When I sent the short around to friends,
colleagues and potential distributors, the reaction was pretty much the same
across the board:
Fascinating character, but let's see more of his story.
So, I set out to write a script that would not only be harsh, gritty and
intense, but would also fit into my meager budget.
I am most proud of the fact that the script ended up NEEDING a low-budget feel
to tell the story properly. I am very proud of ONE LAST KILL, and I truly hope
you enjoy it... Well, as much as you can "enjoy" something this disturbing.
PRODUCTION NOTES
There is a scene in the monologue where, in
his demented, about to be executed state of mind, Curtis cuts himself with a
razor blade. I wanted that to look harsh and realistic, so I actually did the
cutting on camera.
The fun part was, when I made the rest of the movie a year later, I needed that
incision back. We had a very good make-up/effects guy named John Anthony Lopez,
but again, I wanted realism, as I had to do some extreme close-ups that would
make the cut on my head very visible.
Ugh!
I am not an attractive man!
So, at 6:20AM on a Saturday morning, with shooting scheduled to start at 7, I
stood in front of my bathroom mirror with a still picture from the short in one
hand and a razor blade in the other. I carefully reinvented the incision, this
time deeper and without the aide of adrenaline that I had while shooting the
original.
I'd like to say I took it like a man, but that would be a lie unless you
consider sobbing and shouting, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" taking it like a man.
I also got in deep crap with my wife, because the wad of paper towels I brought
into the bathroom with me weren't adequate and I got several splatters of blood
on the curtains.
It was a running gag on the set that "You know you're on a welfare production
when your special effects budget is a razor blade."
