'The Doomed Man' Returns

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 21, 2012 -- The Doomed Man is an interesting little prize written and directed by Ben Perkins. Originally created as an assigned project in spring of 2006 and screened June 7 that year at a student film exposition, Perkins took the film to several film festivals where it received positive response. It was seen at Newfoundland's Nickel Film & Video Festival in July 2006, and came back to LA for the LA Shorts Fest in September 2006. Perkins brought the project back to LA in April 2008 for the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

What made this film unique was Perkins well-honed script which opens with the sad soul of the doomed man as played by Michael Schmidt, simply sitting in a quiet park overlooking the sea. He has his newspaper opened and is at peace as he reads. Suddenly he is overshadowed by two foreboding and quite obvious mob hit-men, believably played by actors Maz Siam and Freddy James. The look in the doomed man's eye reveal that he knows their mission, and after a bit of coaxing and the flash of a handgun, he reluctantly goes with them. Several times as the trio walks together, the domed man shows his reluctance and his wish to escape. His efforts are futile a s they make their way down to the beach and begin walking to an abandoned strand near a breakwater. The doomed man pleads, and bargains to no avail. His fate is sealed. As a hit-man brings his gun out again from under his coat, gesturing at the doomed man to grovel on his knees, the viewer "knows"" what is going to happen next.

But without offering a spoiler, what is scripted is not quite as expected, and the mob's vengeance on the doomed man is far more nefarious and shocking than might be expected... leaving the viewer caught up in the drama of the moment.

What makes this film remarkable is that is has no dialogue... essentially a silent film, but with the ambient sounds of birds and surf punctuating the mood and moments. Would dialogue improve the film? We think not. Director Perkins has created a little treasure that speaks volumes bu what is not being said... and through allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks with their imaginations.

We had thought this odd little gem had vanished until we recently learned that Perkins and BP Films will be making it available for on-demand viewing. Nice.

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