Die, Develkok, Die! is the first feature-length film of Murfreesboro local Mike Dobrzelecki, filmed in and around Murfreesboro and the greater Middle Tennessee area, and I was lucky enough to catch the premiere on May 15 at Smyrna’s Malco-Roxy Theatre.
If the title alone doesn’t give it away, Die, Develkok, Die! is no Driving Miss Daisy. Dobrzelecki cites such master genre pics as Grindhouse and The Warriors as inspiration for his darkly comic “lost” exploitation film about the titular Terry Develkok (Chad Laha), a down-on-his-luck dude who, after trying to off himself, discovers that he cannot die. Vowing to use his newfound powers for good, what sounds like a horror movie turns into a gorehound’s wet dream of a superhero movie, as Develkok attempts to rescue the Littlest Prostitute from the nameless city’s hordes of sadistic super-villains.
Though Terry has top billing, it’s the baddies that steal the show. Like a cross between the gangs in The Warriors and Fred Dekker’s monsters of Universal Pictures mash-up Monster Squad, Die, Develkok, Die! revels in its cadre of creative psychopaths: Lucha Lunatic, LumberJack the Ripper, Frankenbomber, the Voodoo Vixens and Kris Krinkle, just to name a few, with Creepo the Clown (Dustin Rye) and Pimp Daddy (Anthony Thomas) giving standout performances.
The film’s main strength is also its biggest flaw, however. With so many clever villains receiving their own special introductory scenes, Terry Develkok’s own story sometimes falls by the wayside. And while I would’ve loved to see what villains the filmmakers came up with next (I was especially disappointed The Phantom of the Apollo’s scenes didn’t make the final cut), cutting just a few more would’ve allowed for a deeper exploration of the remaining characters and their showdowns with the unkillable Develkok. Of course, this flick is pure exploitation, so a lack of pathos is no surprise and no fault, and a clever conceit in the opening scene covers any complaints about “scenes missing.”
With nearly all the gore effects being practical (i.e. no CGI), an original score by Ryan Holladay and Spencer Cantrell, and a super-committed cast and crew, Die, Develkok, Die! is an amazing example of what several passionate local filmmakers can accomplish with an investment of $8,000 and a little less than two years. To keep tabs on when the next screening might occur, “Like” the Die, Develkok, Die! Facebook page and stay tuned for Mike D.’s next film, Terms, already in pre-production.
