CURSE OF THE SUNSET STARLET

<p><strong>REVIEW:&nbsp; CLORIS LEACHMAN (ACADEMY AWARD WINNING ACTRESS AND 9X EMMY WINNER)</strong> <strong>THIS MOVIE WAS PERFECT FROM THE FIRST MOMENT TIL THE LAST. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT BETTER WOULD BE IF I WAS IN IT.</strong></p> <p><strong>REVIEW NEWPORT BEACH FILM FEST SITE:</strong>&nbsp; <em>One of the most original shorts in the festival, and the most emotionally ambitious. The acting is first-rate, especially by Kathleen Wilhoite, who provides a touchstone of reality in the midst of the movie&#39;s surrounding surrealism, and the kids are excellent as well, along with the legendary Sally Kirkland. Covering as much thematic territory as most features, the film is haunting, filled with spellbinding visual touches, and stays with you after it&#39;s finished. This is one of the rare movies I saw that is willing to engage the heart as well as the imagination.</em></p> <p><strong>REVIEW MICHAEL SILVERBLATT: </strong><em>Poetic and moving short that deals with the return of a family nightmare. This has the delicacy of The Glass Menagerie and a sense of fantasy that carries wisdom and truth inside. In this short film, the Sunset Starlit is brought to life through the use of radiant butterfly imagery. The horrors of family life are convincing, so are the terrors of feeling unparented and adrift.<br /> <br /> The film is a fantastical reenactment of a family trauma. The relations between parents and children (and grandparent and grandchildren) are evocatively explored, so the feeling of a climactic healing rings true. I loved it, especially the beautifully weird performance by the horror-movie mother who &quot;returns from the dead.&quot; The director, Lori Precious, has a way with children -- better than that, she convinced me that her magical vision has its roots in reality. She exposes the underside of Hollywood lives and Hollywood dreams. </em></p> <p><strong>REVIEW BOB EISELE:</strong> <em>This is a gentle yet powerful film with wonderful performances. Lyrical and poetic, with a script co-written by renowned novelist Steve Erickson, &quot;Curse Of The Sunset Starlet&quot; is an impressive debut for director and co-writer, Lori Precious. The movie&#39;s themes of abandonment, love and forgiveness are explored in a domestic setting haunted by the ghosts of Old Hollywood and L.A.&#39;s desert winds. Kathleen Wilhoite as Zarianne, and Oscar nominee Sally Kirkland as her mother Gigi, a fading starlet, seem connected by a painful history that is real, not imagined. Newcomers Bailey Tait and Niko Baur, as Zarianne&#39;s children, become the conscience of the film through their touching performances. Visual effects are first rate, creating a sense of magical realism rarely seen in American films. The cinematography and editing work together to build a family drama in an intimate space that feels focused but never small. The artful inclusion of stock footage of Old Hollywood and photos of long-forgotten starlets adds to a sense of loss and the longing for a bygone era. </em></p>