By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The Texas-lensed movie overcame a troubled production.
VICEMARES, the first feature directed by Joe Manco, is now streaming on Tubi and Relay. Written by Cory W. Ahre, it stars Ahre along with Nathan Gershon, Larissa Dali and Kristin Keith. The synopsis: “VICEMARES follows a drug-addicted attorney [Gershon] whose intended binge at an isolated cabin goes horribly awry after he takes a pizza deliveryman [Ahre] hostage.”
“VICEMARES was never supposed to be easy,” says Manco, whose previous shorts include the HELLRAISER-inspired HELLBOUND LAMENTS series and THE TORTURER, written by HELLRIASER scholar Paul Kane and starring HELLRAISER: JUDGMENT actor Paul T. Taylor. “We started this film in 2020, right as the world was shutting down, and every phase of production came with its own set of obstacles, health restrictions, delays, funding challenges, and the simple question of whether finishing a first feature under those conditions was even possible. What kept it alive was stubbornness, trust in our collaborators, and a belief that this story deserved to be finished exactly the way we envisioned it. Seeing VICEMARES finally reach audiences on Tubi feels like a real victory, not just for the film, but for everyone who refused to let it die.”
