Dead Girl (1996)

starring:

Anne Parillaud (Helen-Catherine)

Adam Coleman Howard (Ari Rose)

Val Kilmer (Dr Dark)

Famke Jannsen (Treasure)

Faye Dunaway (un-named)

Teri Hatcher (un-named)

     This film has long had connections with Teri because of her brief appearance in it.

My dictionary defines a "walk-on" as a "very short, non-speaking role". This exactly

describes this situation... The film itself can be described as a psychological thriller (as is Fever but this one is much more obscure). The main plot covers Dr Dark's psychiatric treatment of patient Ari Rose and in a number of sessions covers Ari's dreams and present behaviour. After one of these sessions, he is seen walking down Hollywood Boulevard in a dazed state. Passers-by stare curiously at him as they pass..one of these is Teri, glimpsed for perhaps two seconds, then gone. As this film was shot in 1995 at the peak of Teri's popularity, it was probably intended as a "spot the celeb" game to bring in the punters to the theatres.      

     As it turned out, the plotline and treatment was so far out that not even the "art house" crowd was considered likely to be impressed, so the film was shelved for some time. A video version was later released in Japan. The plot (written , directed and acted by Howard) is as follows:

     Ari has dreamed of, then meets Helen-Catherine in a restaurant. They become friends, then in a later argument, Ari kills her. He, in his disturbed state, cannot accept her death and continues to talk to her and care for her, much as Norman Bates did in "Psycho" for his dead mother. Faye Dunaway is seen as a giant mural

in Dark's office and Famke Janssen has a few words as Helen's friend, Treasure. Kilmer seems at times almost as nutty as his patient and the overall pacing is variable with frequent flashbacks. The film has its moments, but is anything but mainstream. Think "Twin Peaks" or "Blue Velvet".

Peter Wilkes (thfan)