The Death Of Daniel Whatley - 2004
Review of the movie "The Death Of Daniel Whatley"
Well I just got back from the premiere of Catch Your Breath Productions' newest film "The Death Of Daniel Whatley" and one word comes to mind.... DAMN!! That movie just exceeded all of my expectations and then some. This will hopefully a review that does the movie justice.

First off I gotta get into the technical aspect of the film. They shot once again in digital video which I think does the film a lot of justice. It is easy to manipulate and fairly cheap to use. Now the cinematography/camera work was handled by Alex Wysocki and he did a DAMN good job. All the shots matched the mood of the film. Some of my favorite camera shots were done in the murder scene. Alex does very good work that is for sure. Dave's directing was right on and he got some outstanding performances from not only the CYB regulars but from the new actors/actresses as well. The storyline was written by Dave Dellecese and Jessica Kirby and was a definite triumph for the both of them. The story flowed very well and in a very logical manner. Awesome job guys!!!

Now onto the actors and actresses. First off if anyone was in the movie and I don't mention them or their performance I am sorry. Everyone did an outstanding job and I was very impressed with everyone. The supporting crew of stars included some fresh faces as well as some CYB regulars. It was my first time in a CYB film and it was an experience I won't soon forget. The rest of the support crew really impressed me throughout the movie. Audrey Hall turned in a stellar performance yet again. Clare Fitzgerald was on her game.
Mike Zarnock was definitely a favorite. Bob Elinskas was excellent this time out as always. (Can't bust your chops about this one Bob!! ) Jessica Kirby and Dave were present as Kyle And Julie but not as much as the previous movies. Daniel Dellecese was excellent as the "interrogated punk". I could go on and on about the supporting cast but yet again this review would be HUGE. So again I am going to say that the supporting cast and crew did excellent jobs and should all be proud of themselves.

Now onto the main characters. There are some CYB regulars here as well as some serious newcomers. The first regular that you notice is Bill Egert as Ian Summers. He REALLY impressed me with his performance. He really made me believe he was an arrogant bastard and that he got what he deserved in the film. Good job Bill!!!

Jon Saulmon played Detective Jack Moore. His acting abilities have really grown and if you watch the other CYB films that he was in you can really see him starting to mature. This was a little different role for Jon in that he wasn't trying to go for laughs but playing a more serious character. He excelled at it and really impressed the stuffing out of me.

Tom Karpe played Detective Stan Romanus and once again turned in an excellent performance. Like Jon this is a different role for Tom being that he isn't playing a going for laughs kind of guy but a serious role instead. I could see Tom as a detective in this film. Tom is getting better and improving all the time and excels in this film!

Robert Swierczek played Corey as part of Corey and Pete Randall coupling. In his previous appearances in CYB films he wasn't really noticed unless you count the quick performance he turned in during "Detour". Well in this film he starts to shine really well. He turns in an excellent performance that I definitely noticed.

Sean Fox plays Pete Randall and turns in what I can only describe as a flamboyant performance!! He has never been in a CYB production before that I can recall but I certainly hope that he is in more. He did a very good job with his character and his performance. I applaud you sir!!

Jennifer Jai is a newcomer to CYB Productions and turns in a stellar performance as Daniel Whatley's friend Katie Sullivan. I really can’t say too much about her performance because it might ruin the plotline and surprise for people but I certainly hope that we are able to see more of her in the future.

Josh Pearson played the arrogant Johnny Nevada who stared in Daniel Whatley's film "Farewell To Thee" and was catapulted to success because of it. He turned in a very convincing performance and it reminded me of the performance that Brian Wozniak turned in for "Goodbye To You". I always thought that he played the perfect arrogant jerk and Josh turned in an equally impressive performance. Good job Josh!!!

Next we have Lexie Davies as Molly Morgan another star who is catapulted to the top as a result of Daniel Whatley's movie "Farewell To Thee". What can be said about this CYB newcomer but WOW!! She seemed like she has been acting all of her life. She had a fantastic presence on the screen and really worked and made her character believable. I hope that she becomes a CYB regular as well. Good job Lexie!!

And last but definitely not least we have Daniel J Rossi as the main character Daniel Whatley. I actually had the pleasure of being in the opening scene with him and he was just a riot to work with. All throughout the film his acting was fantastic. You really believed the emotions that he was showing at various times and you could really believe that he was the character. Definitely an awesome job!! This is one person I DEFINITELY want to see become a CYB regular!!!

Now onto a small recap of the movie. Daniel Whatley is an independent film writer who discovers that some artists are more popular after they are dead than when they are alive. Of course this happens to him and catapults his movie to the top making several of the cast big name stars. It also creates problems for them and Daniel. Daniel wants to make a bucket of money writing a new script and conceives of a plan to do so. This is interfered with by his nemesis Ian Summers. That is as far as I am going to go in describing the movie. You just have to watch it. Suffice it to say that it is definitely different from all the rest of the CYB movies but it is THE BEST by far!! There are also little reference to the other films throughout the movies. Some of these reference are glaringly obvious while others are more subtle. I was going to try and count them but I gave up and just enjoyed the movie.

What do I give this movie you ask. Well I have never done this before but I feel this movie deserves a 5 out of 5. It is just that DAMN good. Dave if you keep making these movies you have a fan for life. Keep up the good work!!! You are doing a DAMN good job!!!
©2002 Catch Your Breath Productions - All Rights Reserved.

Click here for a clip of that performance.

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