By KEVIN HOOVER
A commonly held fear is that of losing one’s teeth, but what if one never had teeth to lose in the first place? It’s a seed of an idea that director Jamie Langlands and writer Rhys Thompson are exploring with their new proof of concept short film, THE R.I.P. MAN.
“The concept for the screenplay was inspired by a documentary I found myself watching late one evening about a rare oral disease called anodontia,” says Thompson, referring to a condition in which humans are born without the ability to grow teeth. “I’ve always liked the idea of creating an antagonist that is unique in appearance and is memorable for the audience. I also think avid horror fans will appreciate his backstory and where his twisted ideology comes from. Beware The Dentes Clan!”
Set against the backdrop of a quiet English town, the movie follows a group of close friends who realize they’ve inexplicably been targeted for death by the titular killer, a murderous ghoul who removes a single tooth from each of his victims. As everyone in the friends’ sphere becomes a suspect, a beleaguered detective tries bringing the killer to justice, realizing the crimes all share a link to one family’s dark secret.
Although THE R.I.P. MAN currently exists as a short starring Owen Llewelyn and August Porter with special effects by Lizzy Horror and an original score from Cristian Parras, a full-length picture was always in the cards. “The intention from the get-go was to get this made into a feature,” Thompson relates. “A cinematic release would be the icing on the cake.” Thompson says that the concept behind THE R.I.P. MAN is “Scream meets One Missed Call.”
Paul Hughbanks, Gary Micelu and John Norris Ray, the team behind Langlands’ previous directorial effort The Cellar, will produce alongside horror novelist and former RUE MORGUE scribe Preston Fassel (author of Our Lady of the Inferno, Beasts of 42nd Street). Emily Lasatar will executive produce along with Langlands and Thompson.
