I know that low budget, by definition, means that corners have to be cut. Sometimes that adds to the fun of things! I mean would Kevin Smith’s debut feature, Clerks, have been as much fun if there wasn’t the running joke of the shutters being stuck down when they were down because the only time he could shoot in the shop was when it was closed? Death Drop Gorgeous was made for the staggeringly small amount of $20,000, Clerks cost $27,575 and that was back in 1994.
How was Death Drop Gorgeous turned in for such a small amount?
To start with the core crew consisted of just five people: Michael Ahern (creator, lead scriptwriter, director, and playing Officer O’Hara), Chris Dalpe (creator, director, and playing ), Brandon Perras-Sanchez (creator, DOP, editor, and playing Tony Two Fingers), Wayne Gonsalves (associate producer, killer stunt double, and playing Dwayne), and Ryan Miller (sound mixer, editor, and playing Pup).
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
Throw in that the cast were mostly new to acting (the totally unique Linnea Quigley being the exception) and filming took place over eighteen months worth of weekends and you can see where a lot of the savings were made.
Do You Get What You Pay For?
It has to be said that Death Drop Gorgeous quite simply screams “budget” pretty much from start to finish.
The acting, in the main, isn’t brilliant but tended to fall into two groups; the ones who couldn’t act but gave it a shot, and the ones who weren’t acting, just playing themselves.
The actors who were playing drag queens were spectacular! I’ve not kept up with the drag scene since Danny La Rue passed, but they all looked awesome to me. Tragedi (Complete Destruction) was mesmerizing and should have been used a lot more!
While none of the cast will be worrying about their Oscar acceptance speeches for Death Drop Gorgeous, there did seem to be a lot of good humour on display; it seemed to me that everybody was having a whale of a time. I guess if there’s not a lot of money on offer, then having a good laugh with the rest of the cast and crew while you dream of stardom must be a great compensation.
What people are saying about the RunPee app.
Movie Watching Must Have!!
I go feral for this app. I love it so much and I wish everyone knew about it and used it. It is incredibly useful and I would be devastated if this app ever disappeared. Things I love: 1) the pee times! It’s so handy to know the best time to go and then read the synopsis of what’s happening while I’m gone. I never have to worry about missing the good bits! 2) knowing if there is a post-credits scene or not. This might be my fav feature because I would have missed out on some pretty critical scenes if it weren’t for RunPee. 3) the movie review and viewer rankings. This info has made me watch some movies that I normally wouldn’t and it’s nice seeing things outside of my usual scope. 4) that it’s a small family run business. I love shopping small and it really does feel like I’m part of the RunPee family! If you reach out to them, Dan will personally respond to you and he is so warm and helpful. GET THIS APP AND THEN SUBSCRIBE! It is absolutely worth it and you’ll be using it again and again!
View all reviews: Apple App Store | Google Play Store
And Where Did It Go Wrong?
To my mind, there was one main thing missing from Death Drop Gorgeous as a comedy/horror film and that was the comedy. There may well have been some in-jokes that passed me by, or it may just not be the sort of thing that tickles my funny bone. Either way, there wasn’t much in the way of humour for me.
So that just leaves the horror.
Sadly, again, Death Drop Gorgeous didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s being promoted as a vampire film, but it plays fast and loose with the genre. There were buckets of blood being splashed around like a pub urinal at closing time… with more enthusiasm than accuracy. I’m no expert but even I could see how most of the effects were carried out.
So is Death Drop Gorgeous a total waste of time? To be honest, probably not. It just needs to find its target audience, it just so happens that I’m not part of that particular cohort. I’m way too old and stodgy to fully appreciate Death Drop Gorgeous, but then I’m not the only cinema-goer out there! Check out the trailer and decide for yourself.
Movie Grade: C-
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Fall Guy, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Civil War and coming soon Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, IF, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Former teacher, lecturer, homelessness administrator, pharmacy dispenser now happily retired, happily married, and a very happy granddad. I live next to the Mersey but on the side Daniel Craig and Taron Egerton come from rather than the side the Beatles came from!
Leave a Reply