Slamdance Film Festival 2025
Greetings again from the darkness. Every year this festival serves up at least a few feature film debuts that not only entertain, but also instill optimism for future projects. Writer-director Woody Bess has delivered an amusing debut that fits snugly in the rare genre of comedy-horror. As an added bonus, the acting is pretty darn good as well.
Dunn (Trey Holland) works as a bill collector for a medical provider. Working from home, he keeps the office well organized with a wall of post-it notes, while spending most of the day on the phone offering payment 'options' to folks who continually find new ways to verbally abuse him and his collection efforts. Needing breaks from the calls, Dunn spends what seems to be an inordinate amount of time at the nearby laundromat. While there, he notices one of the machines appears to be a flaming portal to hell. He notifies Ed (Romina D'Ugo), the manager, who is more concerned about losing her job than the oddity and danger of the situation. This is all handled with deadpan nonchalance, adding a dose of humor to a fiery situation.
The shenanigans that unfold include Dunn's neighbor (Keith David), who has terminal cancer and offers up the wisdom of "watch your own ____" ... well, I leave that last word to your imagination; Rip, an amorous drug dealer with a business card and a motorcycle; and a gregarious demon named Chip (Richard Kind), who enjoys beer and phone conversations and cuts a win-win deal with Dunn. There is even a jab at Hot Chelle Rae and their 2011 (somewhat irritating hit) song "Tonight Tonight". Band member Ryan Follese even proves he can take a joke. The film offers some thoughts on good people versus bad people, but mostly the message is: give yourself a second chance to do what's right. If not, you may be getting thumbs up from Chip the demon.
