Deadly Messages
Encyclopedia
Deadly Messages is a 1985
made-for-tv thriller film directed by Jack Bender
.
) - who workes at a dating consulting firm - leaves to go out on a date with lawyer Michael Krasnick (Michael Brandon
), her roommate Cindy Matthews (Sherri Stoner
) uses Laura's newly found Ouija board
and gets in touch with 21-year-old David, who claims to have been murdered in the New York apartment in 1978. The same evening, Laura arrives home, witnessing a mysterious man strangling Cindy to death. As soon as the police arrive, Cindy's body and all traces of any crime are missing, causing the police to feel pranked; filing her for violation. Matthew believes Laura, though thinks that Cindy is pranking with her; assuring Laura that Cindy has a past of suddenly disappearing for a long period of time. Laura does not feel extremely save though, and purchases an alarm for protection in a mall, in which she gets eventually chased by Cindy's murderer.
That evening, Laura uses the Ouija board and comes in contact with Mark, who claims to have murdered Cindy and announces that he is going to kill her as well because she witnessed it. Laura faints and visits a doctor the next day for a brain scan; there she receives prescription drugs. Next, she is fired from her job, because her boss claims that her resume is one big lie; Laura, however, insists that all the references are true. Feeling betrayed by her boss, Laura goes to swim off her anger, but feels that she is yet again attacked by her murderer in the pool. While seeking consolence with her boyfriend, Laura's doctor (Scott Paulin
) reveals to Michael that, in the past, Laura has been subject to electroshock therapy and may suffer from schizophrenia
or a depression
. Despite feeling disappointed that Laura has kept this from him, Michael decides to confront her, though Laura denies any of Dr. Kelton's claims.
Shortly after, Michael finds out that most of Laura's claims about her life are also featured in a series of children's books written by 'Laura Brooks'. Upon another confrontation, Laura admits that she might be insane, but Michael believes that she is a compulsive liar and leaves her. Laura, feeling lost, turns to the Ouija board and later finds out that 'Mark' was murdered in her apartment by arson. Simultaneously, Cindy's murderer begins to attack Laura in her apartment with an axe. Laura calls for the police, but they do not believe her stories anymore. Instead, she hides in the closet before running for her life, again escaping from him. A visit to the police station does not help her, prompting her to investigate Mark's death herself: she finds out that Mark's sister Jennifer is a mental patient.
Visiting her in a mental hospital proves disastrous, as for the staff recognize her as Jennifer. Nurse Crenshaw (Elizabeth Huddle) explains to her that she escaped from the institution over a year ago, following an attack by a man who appears to be the same man trying to kill her currently. Having some answers, Laura heads back to New York, only to stumble in Michael, who apologizes to her and admits that he wants her back. Together, they check into a motel, where - after Michael has left for pizza - the murderer throws in a window and stabs Michael in the leg, before attacking Laura. She is able to hit him on the head with a lamp and then runs off. He chases her, and as he is about to stab her, Michael shoots him to death. Laura recognizes him as her brother and bursts out in tears. Remembering everything now, she explains that the person killed in her apartment was her boyfriend David, not Mark. Mark killed David, because he knew that his father did not approve of him, and then set the house on fire, hoping that Laura would die as well. Laura escaped, but the trauma caused her to lose her memory The reasons why he came back years later to attempt to kill her again, was because the Ouija board subconsciously helped her get her memory back.
, the film differed from her earlier thrillers - such as Are You in the House Alone?
(1978) and No Place to Hide
(1981) - by "[not taking] itself too seriously". In an interview, she explained her tendency to portray victims in films is encouraged by her "the color and size of [her] big brown eyes", "the way [she interprets] roles" and "the episodic roles [she] did while [she] was growing up". Her casting in the film was an unusual one: according to the actress, she received a call from her agent about a script, read it immediately, and drove to the studio an hour later, expecting a meeting. However, when she arrived, she was asked if she could start working right away. She took the role because of "the whirlwind casting", and the fact that she had not worked for seven months, since a guest spot on Glitter
.
criticized the film by claiming that the makers found the premise "amusing" and did not have "faith in the project", which, according to the review, showed on film.
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
made-for-tv thriller film directed by Jack Bender
Jack Bender
Jack Bender is an American television and film director, actor, television producer and also a screenwriter. Bender was an executive producer and lead director on the ABC television series, Lost. He directed the series finale of Lost. Bender has also directed on other popular shows such as The...
.
Plot
After Laura Daniels (Kathleen BellerKathleen Beller
Kathleen Beller is an actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Promises in the Dark...
) - who workes at a dating consulting firm - leaves to go out on a date with lawyer Michael Krasnick (Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
), her roommate Cindy Matthews (Sherri Stoner
Sherri Stoner
Sherri Stoner is an American actress and writer. She was born July 16, 1965, in Santa Monica, California.She has worked extensively in animation. She was a writer and producer for such 1990s animated shows as Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs. She is probably best known for Animaniacs, for which...
) uses Laura's newly found Ouija board
Ouija Board
Ouija Board is a Thoroughbred mare racehorse owned by Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby and trained by Ed Dunlop. In a career spanning four seasons, she won 10 of her 22 races, 7 of them Group 1s, including the Epsom Oaks in 2004 and the Hong Kong Vase in 2005...
and gets in touch with 21-year-old David, who claims to have been murdered in the New York apartment in 1978. The same evening, Laura arrives home, witnessing a mysterious man strangling Cindy to death. As soon as the police arrive, Cindy's body and all traces of any crime are missing, causing the police to feel pranked; filing her for violation. Matthew believes Laura, though thinks that Cindy is pranking with her; assuring Laura that Cindy has a past of suddenly disappearing for a long period of time. Laura does not feel extremely save though, and purchases an alarm for protection in a mall, in which she gets eventually chased by Cindy's murderer.
That evening, Laura uses the Ouija board and comes in contact with Mark, who claims to have murdered Cindy and announces that he is going to kill her as well because she witnessed it. Laura faints and visits a doctor the next day for a brain scan; there she receives prescription drugs. Next, she is fired from her job, because her boss claims that her resume is one big lie; Laura, however, insists that all the references are true. Feeling betrayed by her boss, Laura goes to swim off her anger, but feels that she is yet again attacked by her murderer in the pool. While seeking consolence with her boyfriend, Laura's doctor (Scott Paulin
Scott Paulin
Scott Paulin is an American actor and television director.-Career:His work includes appearances in well-known television series like House M.D., ER, Cold Case, 24 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
) reveals to Michael that, in the past, Laura has been subject to electroshock therapy and may suffer from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
or a depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. Despite feeling disappointed that Laura has kept this from him, Michael decides to confront her, though Laura denies any of Dr. Kelton's claims.
Shortly after, Michael finds out that most of Laura's claims about her life are also featured in a series of children's books written by 'Laura Brooks'. Upon another confrontation, Laura admits that she might be insane, but Michael believes that she is a compulsive liar and leaves her. Laura, feeling lost, turns to the Ouija board and later finds out that 'Mark' was murdered in her apartment by arson. Simultaneously, Cindy's murderer begins to attack Laura in her apartment with an axe. Laura calls for the police, but they do not believe her stories anymore. Instead, she hides in the closet before running for her life, again escaping from him. A visit to the police station does not help her, prompting her to investigate Mark's death herself: she finds out that Mark's sister Jennifer is a mental patient.
Visiting her in a mental hospital proves disastrous, as for the staff recognize her as Jennifer. Nurse Crenshaw (Elizabeth Huddle) explains to her that she escaped from the institution over a year ago, following an attack by a man who appears to be the same man trying to kill her currently. Having some answers, Laura heads back to New York, only to stumble in Michael, who apologizes to her and admits that he wants her back. Together, they check into a motel, where - after Michael has left for pizza - the murderer throws in a window and stabs Michael in the leg, before attacking Laura. She is able to hit him on the head with a lamp and then runs off. He chases her, and as he is about to stab her, Michael shoots him to death. Laura recognizes him as her brother and bursts out in tears. Remembering everything now, she explains that the person killed in her apartment was her boyfriend David, not Mark. Mark killed David, because he knew that his father did not approve of him, and then set the house on fire, hoping that Laura would die as well. Laura escaped, but the trauma caused her to lose her memory The reasons why he came back years later to attempt to kill her again, was because the Ouija board subconsciously helped her get her memory back.
Cast
- Kathleen BellerKathleen BellerKathleen Beller is an actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Promises in the Dark...
as Laura Daniels - Michael BrandonMichael BrandonMichael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
as Michael Krasnick - Dennis FranzDennis FranzDennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt...
as Detective Max Lucas - Scott PaulinScott PaulinScott Paulin is an American actor and television director.-Career:His work includes appearances in well-known television series like House M.D., ER, Cold Case, 24 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
as Dr. Roger Kelton - Elizabeth Huddle as Nurse Irma Crenshaw
- Charles Tyner as George Clark
- George WynerGeorge WynerGeorge Wyner is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his role as ADA Bernstein on the series Hill Street Blues. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major, and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. To date, Wyner has made guest...
- Raye BirkRaye BirkRaye Birk is an American film and television actor famous for playing the role of Papshmir in the first and last of the Naked Gun movies. He was the main villain in Naked Gun 33: The Final Insult...
as Harding - Kurtwood SmithKurtwood SmithKurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
as Lieutenant Burton - Sherri StonerSherri StonerSherri Stoner is an American actress and writer. She was born July 16, 1965, in Santa Monica, California.She has worked extensively in animation. She was a writer and producer for such 1990s animated shows as Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs. She is probably best known for Animaniacs, for which...
as Cindy Matthews - Joseph G. Medalis as Kenneth Blatt
- Barbara Collentine as Loretta Clark
- Dennis Redfield as Dick Pizza
- Michael Cassidy as Mark Banning
Production
According to lead actress Kathleen BellerKathleen Beller
Kathleen Beller is an actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Promises in the Dark...
, the film differed from her earlier thrillers - such as Are You in the House Alone?
Are You in the House Alone?
Are You in the House Alone? is a 1978 made-for-tv thriller film directed by Walter Grauman. The film is based on the 1976 novel of the same name written by Richard Peck.- Plot :...
(1978) and No Place to Hide
No Place to Hide (1981 film)
No Place to Hide is a 1981 made-for-tv psychological thriller directed by John Llewellyn Moxey. The film is based on an unpublished story by Harriet Steinberg, and stars Mariette Hartley, Kathleen Beller and Keir Dullea.- Plot :...
(1981) - by "[not taking] itself too seriously". In an interview, she explained her tendency to portray victims in films is encouraged by her "the color and size of [her] big brown eyes", "the way [she interprets] roles" and "the episodic roles [she] did while [she] was growing up". Her casting in the film was an unusual one: according to the actress, she received a call from her agent about a script, read it immediately, and drove to the studio an hour later, expecting a meeting. However, when she arrived, she was asked if she could start working right away. She took the role because of "the whirlwind casting", and the fact that she had not worked for seven months, since a guest spot on Glitter
Glitter (TV series)
Glitter was an American television drama series screened on the ABC network during the 1984-1985 season.The series was produced by Aaron Spelling and was set behind the scenes of a top entertainment magazine titled "Glitter" and attempted to combine the urgency of journalism and business politics...
.
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
criticized the film by claiming that the makers found the premise "amusing" and did not have "faith in the project", which, according to the review, showed on film.