Filmmaker Tyler AM’s horror film, Cast Party, is a testament to not giving up on your dreams of filmmaking. Cast Party was shot years ago, I believe, when he was in his late teens. The production was fraught with problems, and Tyler admitted that what he had captured was not that good. Jump to today, with advancements in off-the-shelf post-production, and his first film is now complete.
Cast Party centers around a group of high school friends casually hanging out at Anthony and Emily’s house, bantering about random topics, like the shape of bushes, and busting a few balls. Anthony and Drew need help with a calculus packet but can’t find anyone “who has a clue.” The only person Anthony can think of is his sister, Emily, and unbeknownst to him, Drew and Emily once tried to hook up, and it ended disastrously.
Soon, Emily arrives with some friends, including the awkward Jordan. Everyone hangs around the dining room table to chat except Emily, who slips out, and Drew, who is upstairs doing guy stuff. Anthony receives a phone call that bothers him, but he keeps appearances. But as the emotional pressure mounts, Anthony pulls out a gun and unalives himself in front of everyone. But no one knows there’s a sinister presence outside the window watching everything.
“…there’s a sinister presence outside the window watching everything.”
I admire Tyler AM’s perseverance in finishing Cast Party years later. Many budding filmmakers rarely ever get to this point in their careers. As a micro-budget indie, I’m assuming that all Tyler had budget-wise was his home and the help of his friends as cast and crew. He was able to use current video effects to create an ominous spirit and other psychedelic effects to complete the project.
Judging the film on its own, there are flaws. As a horror story, it’s the story of a girl, Emily, who has felt unseen and depressed since her break-up with Drew, and she exacts her revenge in a mysterious way. Like the broken robot shark in Jaws, where the kills are done off-screen and with a John Williams soundtrack, the kills in Cast Party are done chiefly through effects added in post and with eerie sound design.
The problem with Cast Party is that it’s hard to follow some of the details of the story, as I’m sure pieces were missing in the final edit. I assume this is what needed to be fixed long ago. I’m still trying to figure out how Emily disappeared from the party.
It’s also hard to overlook the sound problems. Some of the dialogue is difficult to understand. It took a while to realize why Drew and Anthony needed their phones so badly—it was to get help with their calculus. Closed captions would help in this case.
What I liked about Cast Party was its use of black and white. Much care was given to lighting and shot composition. Despite the flaws, the essence of the story is plain to see, and the demise of a pet is quite creepy.
For many filmmakers, that first film is often about all the lessons that need to be learned to make the next feature. Hopefully, Cast Party isn’t the last we see from Tyler AM.
"…a testament to not giving up on your dreams of filmmaking."
