VOD from the Dead Review: "WRITER'S BLOCK" (2020)
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Skip (CRAIG NIGH) is dying to write the next NYT Bestseller
Writing is hard, and great writing is even harder. The concept of “writer’s block” is something we all experience at least once, probably a whole lot more, in our life whether it’s from our formative years in school or in the work we do either by profession or by passion. Having a good idea, and then being able to articulate that idea in a way that enables others to understand clearly the author’s point of view is just not that easy. So the concept of 2020’s "WRITER'S BLOCK", written, directed, and produced by JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY, is a novel one: to what length would someone go to rid themselves of writer’s block?
What’s it about?
Skip Larson (CRAIG NIGH) is a one-shot wonder in the literary world who is itching for an end to his creative drought and crumbling personal life. Harboring guilt for tragedy that befell his family, Skip is contacted by multi-bestselling author Chester Everett McGraw (MIKE GASSAWAY) for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join him for a 6-month writing retreat that Chester guarantees will solve Skip’s creative and financial woes. Things are not quite as they seem once Skip arrives, as an affair blossoms between Skip and the housemaid Catalina (JEANNIE CARTER-CRUZ) and he begins to learn more about Chester’s path to success and Skip’s role in it all.
Chester Evertt McGraw (MIKE GASSAWAY) is always on the hunt for new writing talent
How is it?
Credit to JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY as this seems to be their second film working together, and their first that is fiction. For the low budget, the filmmakers make great use of the wide-open ranch style setting to portray both the beauty and the isolation of living in the most rural of locations. CRAIG NIGH as “Skip” and MIKE GASSAWAY as “Chester” have a certain antagonistic chemistry that works really well here, and they bring their best to what is a relatively unsurprising thriller.
If the acting from the two leads and technical aspects of the film elevate it above it’s modest budgets, it’s narrative and pacing that ultimately leave some things to be desired. On the pacing front there is enough action to keep the film moving, yet none of it ever really elevates the sense of danger. If anything, it makes us question the decision making of Skip as we see him repeat the same mistakes fueled by clearly false promises from Chester. It’s that gullibility that feels foregin against the well-portrayed character of Skip.
On the narrative front, "WRITER'S BLOCK" falls victim to two hard-to-avoid issues: loss of focus and familiarity. Even though CRAIG NIGH gives his all as “Skip”, it doesn’t avoid the familiarity of a tragic author character we have seen so many times before. This isn’t so much a fault of the film as it is a missed opportunity to infuse something unique, as even the tragedy that happened in Skip’s past is just unsurprisingly typical. I really like the premise of the film, I just found myself wanting the filmmakers to stick to that and not try to make it bigger and add more dramatic plot points. Ultimately the potential is there early on, it just starts to diffuse until the end which is a shame since Chester is a great antagonist whose method of avoiding the titular "WRITER'S BLOCK" is ripe with potential to be darker and deeper.
Catalina (JEANNIE CARTER-CRUZ) is feeling a bit clawstraphobic
The Last Word
I commend JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY, along with the rest of the cast and crew, for the concept and technical execution. While those things shine, it’s the unraveling of the plot at the end and the cookie-cutter character decisions that keep this from hitting it’s full potential.
2.5 / 5 Bloody Bestsellers
The Gory Details
Written, Directed, and Produced by
JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY
Starring
MIKE GASSAWAY (Chester Evertt McGraw)
CRAIG NIGH (Skip Larson)
JEANNIE CARTER-CRUZ (Catalina)
Runtime
Approx. 97 minutes
Trailer
Where can you watch it?
iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, XBOX, Viemo, and Redbox Digital
When can you watch it?
Now!
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