In 2012, Tony Todd (Candyman, Sushi Girl), Andy Mackenzie (Sushi Girl, True Detective) and Destin Pfaff (Sushi Girl, Married in a Year) all worked on Sushi Girl, Pfaff wrote, produced and had a role in the film. The film was a brilliant look at the total lack of honor among thieves with a great twist at the end and the excellent cast also had a cameo by Japanese legend “Sonny Chiba.” Tony Todd, Andy Mackenzie and Destin Pfaff are ready to mount up and ride again in their latest venture The Unwanted, a film being funded via Kickstarter. The movie is inspired by the real events that took place the same year that Sushi Girl had a limited cinema run and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray; 2013.
The year following their work on that film, a 21 year old Vancouver student named Elisa Lam disappeared and then was found dead in a water tower at the top of Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. The notorious inn, where Richard Ramirez stayed while killing his way through a baker’s dozen of unfortunate women, had footage of Lam’s last known moments via their elevator CCTV. The video, uploaded on YouTube, went viral and fired the public’s imagination.
Lam is acting oddly in the footage, which started a slew of theories about just what went on before her body was found naked in the water supply tower on the roof of the hotel. Hollywood has already jumped to make a big budget version of the events and these three are going to be part of a less expensive and, as Andy promises in the Kickstarter video, much scarier movie inspired by the events.
According to the press release, this film The Unwanted has been inspired by that viral footage of Elisa Lam acting very odd in the Hotel Cecil elevator. The release says that the film will “pull from an expansive range of horror elements from films such as The Exorcist, The Gates of Hell, and The Sentinel” and ask the question of whether one person can be possessed by two entities at the same time.
Both Andy and Tony are very excited about the project, as can be seen on their video at the Kickstarter site, and another name has been added to the cast list, as well as another video on the site, one Rachel Federer aka Mrs. Pfaff and another alumnus from Sushi Girl.
This promises to be an excellent film with one icon from the world of horror, Tony Todd, and Andy Mackenzie, who plays one of the best bad guys ever in front of the camera, and that alone makes this an exciting prospect. The fact that Pfaff was inspired by the viral footage, which is creepy and unsettling, shows what creative muses were influenced in his mind.
There are only five days left in the Kickstarter campaign. Follow the link above and see where they are in terms of funding. While you are there check out the awesome things on offer for donations, things that are over and above being part of what promises to be one scary film for fans of the genre. A donation can get you some Sushi Girl “swag” or a chance to be in the film. *These are just some of the things available.*
The Unwanted is the latest screenplay from Destin Pfaff and there are just five days left to reach deep, or not so deep, and chuck some money into the Kickstarter campaign. It is important to point out that these talented folks are not basing their film on the viral footage of Elisa Lam’s apparently last moments. They were, as stated over at the site inspired by the footage and that is a completely different proposition.
In case you missed the viral video, here is the YouTube video of Elisa Lam’s odd behavior in that elevator. Don’t forget to head over to The Unwanted website to see just what getting involved entails.
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