The Girl Who Played With the Dead

Director - Cory Udler (Incest Death Squad, Mediatrix)
Starring - Kristen Casey (Ed Gein: D.D.S.), Blade Braxton (I.D.S. Rising), and Greg Johnson (Incest Death Squad)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror/Exploitation
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I respect all filmmakers in the indie film scene but there is very few filmmakers that get me excited when they announce a new film.  One of those filmmakers is Cory Udler who is known for his exploitation films.  Cory, unlike most filmmakers in the scene now, does not make straight forward horror films.  Instead, his focus is on exploitation films with his most popular being the hixploitation trilogy Incest Death Squad.  Around the time I was watching and reviewing the Incest Death Squad trilogy and Mediatrix, Udler announced he would be making a new film titled The Girl Who Played with the Dead.  This film really intrigued me and I couldn't wait to see it, however, a growing request for me to review films hit about that time along with buying a new home and the birth of my little girl.  This put the film on the backburner until last week when I was on vacation.  I could not postpone seeing the film any longer and threw it in.
     The film follows Lauren (Casey) who is obsessed with death and dying.   She reads books showing graphic images of the dead and fantasies about being romantically linked with dead men.  However, this has lead this young lady to a life she no longer wishes to be apart of.  She wants this dead fascination removed from her mind.  Cue in Satan (Braxton).  Satan sparks a bet with Lauren.  If Lauren is able to find her a good man and settle down then he will remove these sick thoughts from her mind but if she fails she has to be one of his girls just like her deceased sister.  She attempts to find love using dating sites but Satan steps in and sends Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer to intervene but it does not work.  She finds the perfect man but will she be able to find the love she needs that could lead to a normal life or will she be working for Satan helping pop stars like Kanye West and Lorde write chart topping singles?
     I have seen so many exploitation films over the years and deep down I really enjoy them.  Most are vile, sleazy, disgusting, and go against everything mainstream cinema stands for.  That is what I really like about Udler's films.  He goes against the grain unlike most filmmakers and this is exceptional especially when you consider the films being pumped out by all the indie horror filmmakers.  Instead of doing like most are now and giving the viewer a film that is caked in blood and guts, he gives us a film with rich stories that focus on topics many would find taboo.  The Girl Who Played with the Dead is no exception.  In fact, I can safely say this is Udler's best film to date!  The acting in this film is phenomenal by the entire cast.  Lauren, who is portrayed by Kristen Casey, was perfectly cast.  She is a fun character and you can really tell Casey had fun in the role.  The film also has two amazing performances from Greg Johnson and Blade Braxton.   Greg is outstanding as a homeless drunk and added a good bit of humor to the film.  Sadly, his role was just not big enough.  Also, Satan, who is played by Blade Braxton, is one of the best performances I have seen in indie cinema.  His role was phenomenal and it really makes me want to see this character in more films.  The story for this one is simple but it unfolds perfectly on film.  The film, which is not horror, is hard to categorize due to the film's multiple themes.  The film also has several silly but amazing moments like the addition of Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer to the character list.  This was great and made the film fun.  Finally, the film does not really offer any on screen kills but that is not the point of the movie.  The movie is to show how fucked up certain people can be and how deep down we all can be real monsters and weirdos.  Overall, The Girl Who Played with the Dead is a fucking fantastic piece of film that needs to be seen by anyone that likes horror, exploitation, and films that do not take the beaten path.  I can not recommend this one enough.