Dead Man’s Curve *** (1998, Matthew Lillard, Michael Vartan, Randall Batinkoff, Keri Russell) – Classic Movie Review 3,816

Scream’s young star Matthew Lillard again shows off his acting skills effectively in writer-director Dan Rosen’s engrossingly twisting and teasing 1998 American black comedy teen thriller film Dead Man’s Curve [The Curve].

The clever, twisty plot motors on the idea that two college students Tim and Chris (Lillard, Michael Vartan) will plot the ‘suicide’ of their campus roommate Rand (Randall Batinkoff) after finding out that they will be granted automatic A grades to help them cope with the trauma. But, after that, the next to die is Rand’s girlfriend Natalie (Tamara Craig Thomas), the roommate of Chris’s girlfriend Emma (Keri Russell).

It motors on the urban legend that students would receive an A grade if a roommate committed suicide (or ‘pass by catastrophe’).

Commendably, and perhaps surprisingly, Dead Man’s Curve is dark, devious and devastatingly diverting, even with its low $1,000,000 budget.

Also in the cast are Dana Delany, Anthony Griffith, Bo Dietl, Kevin Ruf, Henry Strozier, Ben Livingston, Christy Stratton, and Kris McGaha.

It was shot in Baltimore, Maryland at Elk Neck State Park, Johns Hopkins University, and Towson University in August 1997.

It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival under its original title, Dead Man’s Curve, but was renamed The Curve to avoid confusion with Dead Man on Campus, a comedy with a similar ‘pass by catastrophe’ premise. It was released as Dead Man’s Curve in the UK and Australia.

There is an interesting soundtrack by Los Angeles-based musician Shark (born David Sharkey Shaw), a founding member and guitarist for American alternative band Wild Colonials. Shark made a mixtape of songs for the main actors to establish the film’s tone, and many of the songs ended up in the final film.

The cast

The cast are Matthew Lillard as Tim, Michael Vartan as Chris, Keri Russell as Emma, Randall Batinkoff as Rand, Dana Delany as Dr Ashley, Tamara Craig Thomas as Natalie, Bo Dietl as Detective Amato, Anthony Griffith as Detective Shipper, Kevin Ruf as Ernie, and Kris McGaha as Renee.

Dead Man’s Curve [The Curve] is directed by Dan Rosen, runs 91 minutes, is made by Trimark Pictures, is released by Metro-Tartan (UK), is written by Dan Rosen, is shot by Joey Forsyte, is produced by Michael Amato, Jeremy Lew, Ted Schipper and Alain Siritzky, and scored by Shark.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,816

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