Conversations With The Devil is a short film released in 2013 by filmmaker Ken Barr. It has been accepted and will be competing in the 2013 Halloween Horror Picture Show. You can find more information about the film the official Conversations With The Devil Facebook Page or on Ken Barr’s YouTube channel (where you can also check out the trailer for his next project called Hallowed Ground which looks super interesting).
THE PLOT
This short film (just over 9 minutes even with intro and credits) chronicles a conversation between Bobby Jordan (Jeshua Len) and Lucifer (Jayvo Scott). Bobby’s soul is in line for a one way trip to eternity with Lucifer and the Dark Lord has stopped by the local watering hole to get to know Hell’s newest inhabitant before his ticket to eternity is punched.
THE CAST
As with most shorts, the cast here is small with 2 main characters, one supporting actress and a few extras. Bobby Jordan is played by Jeshua Len. While I personally don’t think I’d have reacted the same way or made the same choices that Bobby did, Jeshua plays a fine role. The Devil / Lucifer is played by the tandem of Jayvo Scott and Lisa Arcaro… I think. There are times when Lisa is on screen being seductive and I’m assuming this is the Devil himself taking another form. It’s not laid out for us as we watch so I’m making an assumption that makes sense to me. The majority of the time though, Lucifer is played admirably by Jayvo Scott. With slicked back hair, plenty of tattoos and “slimy” line delivery he personifies what the Devil might be if he was walking among us.
THE HORROR
There’s really nothing horrific about this flick at all aside from the thought of sitting down with Satan and sharing a beer. No blood, no gore and no kills. That said, what this film lacks in those traditional horror staples, it makes up for once you start thinking about the topic at hand. How would YOU react to a conversation with the Prince Of Darkness? I had a hard time believing that Bobby would A) believe so quickly he was talking with Satan and B) make the decision he ultimately makes. I suppose in a short film you don’t have time to flush out a character but that just didn’t sit right with me. The other thing that stood out in the negative column was the fire effect. You’ll know it when you see it, but it took me out of the moment. I might have chosen to drop it completely as just try and get the point across with words from Jayvo Scott.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a nice little short film. The acting is good, the dialog is delivered well and while I don’t necessarily think the lead character would have made the decision he makes I enjoyed watching it. I have to say that this piece really did make me think about how I’d react if I was put in the same situation. Even if you don’t like it, with a running time of less than 10 minutes what do you have to lose? Give it a watch and let us know what you think. As this is a short film, I asked for and received Ken Barr’s permission to post the film in its entirety here for you to enjoy. Please do and pass it along! Thanks again to Ken Barr for access to his film and for his permission to post it.
Have you watched Conversations With The Devil yet? Please give it a watch and let us know what you think by posting a comment below!
Fun concept, terrible acting.