Los Angeles, CA – August 22, 2018 –
‘MUSE’ – A twisted, haunted fairytale horror that intertwines elements of a psychological thriller with the supernatural, mixed with past Irish legends and mythological influences. Now streaming on Amazon… Watch it here if you dare: https://amzn.to/2LdXkdV.
“For every artist that experiences success in their career, there’s a hundred more who will never be recognized for their talent. Was it because they lacked the drive or inspiration? Or is there some mysterious force that determines who is worthy of attention?” questioned Nightmare on Film Street’s Chris Aitkens.
Written and directed by John Burr (Boots, The Last Kill), MUSE is a supernatural thriller that follows Adam (Riley Egan), a crippling, self-doubted painter who longs for artistic inspiration and worldwide success. Instead, Adam spends his days staring at the same white, blank canvas or looking out the window to gaze at his neighbor Maria (Kate Mansi). But, Adam’s night takes a turn for the worst when his next-door neighbor, Hector (Max Decker), tricks Adam to find himself among a drug-filled and life-killing situation. Despite the dead deliverymen scattered amongst their feet, Adam sees a mysterious beautiful woman draped in white staring far in the distance. “She comes across as both feral and ethereal. She never speaks, but she communicates beautifully through body language and movements,” complimented The Fandom Post’s Josh Begley.
“MUSE is a fun, atmospheric supernatural thriller full of solid performances and good directing,” continued the source.
Disturbed yet incredibly intrigued by the woman in white, Adam becomes “under her spell. All he can do is paint furiously, turning out painting after painting of her naked body,” remarked Nightmare on Film Street. But when the woman suddenly appears inside his studio loft, Adam sees a glimmering, mystical and deadly spirit creature from the Celtic lore, based upon the Gaelic legend of a mythical fairy-demon, known as the “Leannán Sí” (Elle Evans). The Leannán Sí “typically takes an artist or poet as a lover, inspiring and protecting him while slowly absorbing his life force. The artist is cursed to living a brief, yet inspired life. It’s even said that the Leannán Sí has some vampiric qualities, similar to that of a succubus. She will do anything to keep her lovers, killing anything that might threaten to take them away, [and] even another lover,” continued the source. Becoming Adam’s ultimate muse, the Leannán Sí inspires him to create amazing works of art as he finally secures a viewing at the eccentric curator, Valerie’s (Jennie Fahn) gallery.
“The movie does succeed in creating a surreal, dark atmosphere. Visually, the movie is very enjoyable to watch, and it does draw in the viewer. It utilizes Poe’s theory of the singular effect quite well,” admired The Fandom Post.
Despite Adam’s now-successful career as a painter, his obsession with his muse turns into a violent nightmare when Adam uncovers the Leannán Sí’s dark side and just how far she is willing to go to protect him when he finds her standing over the bloody, dead body of Hector, the neighbor that had threatened him with a gun. “Not wanting to risk losing his muse, Adam disposes of the body by sawing it into smaller pieces and burying them under his floorboards,” wrote Nightmare on Film Street.
MUSE questions: “What price is inspiration?” as Adam’s moral compass is ripped into two – first, scared of how far the Leannán Sí is willing to go to protect him – and second, if Adam can live with her actions to continue his successful career. Torn between his morality or his muse – his success and inspiration, what will Adam choose?
As the lead, Riley Egan (All I Ever Wanted) phenomenally embodies an artist struggling with the decision between his muse and morality. “He exhibits a profound weakness of character that makes him empathetic […] He seems like perfect prey for this Celtic fairy,” observed the cited source above.Continuing, MUSE features Elle Evans (The Love Witch) with a spectacular dialogue-less performance as the Leannán-Sí “where her performance truly shines.”
As Nightmare on Film Street’s newest monster to add to the list of monsters from Irish folklore, DarkCoast has brought MUSE to online streaming platforms today, August 21st. Watch MUSE on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2LdXkdV.
“The rest of the cast does a solid job. The actors all give good performances,” remarked X, including Emmy-winner, Kate Mansi (Days of Our Lives, How I Met Your Mother), Lou Ferrigno Jr. (Teen Wolf), Phil Abrams (Insidious: Chapter 3) and Jennie Fahn (Black Christmas). In addition, MUSE credits its fantastic editing to longtime, legendary editors, Ed Marx (Jeepers Creepers, Frozen) and Jeff Murphy (Justice).
MUSE (2018, 95 min.) Directed and written by Jon Burr. Produced by: Josh Mills, TJ Amato, Austin Sepulveda, Michael Smiy, Dan Amato. Edited by: Ed Marx, Jeff Murphy. Cinematographer: Damian Horan. Original Music: Alexander Rudd. USA, English. Desert Wind Films, Watchmakers Entertainment, Manhattan Company Entertainment, DarkCoast, TriCoast Worldwide.
Produced by: Desert Wind Films, Watchmakers Entertainment, Manhattan Company Entertainment.
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