Yellow Veil Pictures will hold the Premiere of ‘Where the Devil Roams’ at Fantastic Fest 2023. Written and directed by Zelda Adams, John Adams and Toby Poser, collectively known as the Adams Family, whose previous works include ‘Hellbender,’ ‘The Deeper You Dig,’ and ‘The Hatred’ to name a few. This is their 7th feature film as a family and came about in a unique way.
The film was inspired by one of Zelda Adam’s dreams:
“…we wanted to create a film that encapsulated the slippery, strange and moody ambiance of a nightmare. Music and natural light have always figured heavily in our films, but here we also wanted to play with theatricality in a literal sense: the screen as a kind of proscenium, or black-box theater at times. German Expressionism acted as a visual lodestar: darkness as a kind of claustrophobia or symbol of emotional interiors; the wounds of World War 1 and the Great Depression waiting in the wings to shadow our characters.” said John Adams
Which brings us to the synopsis for the film:
In the dregs of Depression Era America, a family of performers travels a cold, dying carnival circuit. Father Seven likes books; mother Maggie’s fond of hammers; daughter Eve prefers scissors. Onstage, dark angel Eve sings for their supper, but off-stage their bloody side act is booming: Maggie slays; Seven closes his eyes; Eve captures the carnage with her Kodak. They’ve got a ‘31 Chevy, some potatoes for stew, and they’ve got each other. When the family’s bond is severed by a violent comeuppance, Eve is there to pick up the pieces. She steals dark magic from the sinister finger-cutting carny, Mr. Tipps, who’s got a deal with the Devil. But with every cut, Eve must sew…. and cut and sew again. While the family’s act grows more desperate, more gruesome, their audience grows, too. As their fate dangles in the spotlight, they find themselves in a tricky dance with the Devil.
As previously mentioned “The premise for Where the Devil Roams percolated in Zelda’s nightmares then spilled from her lips on the way to soccer practice. The idea caught fire in an instant, and by the time we got home we knew what our next feature film would be. Old rusty carnivals, nefarious magicians, a family torn apart and a child who must (literally) pick up the pieces…. The Depression! We couldn’t wait to get rolling.” John continues…
Credit: Yellow Veil Pictures“Since we are a family, we like to look at families – preferably through a cracked, strange lens. Families are imperfect. They’re familiar with each other’s lumps and scars – sometimes they’re the ones who gave them. And yet there is glue, there’s love, warts and all. Through the Axon family, we wanted to consider the concept of “togetherness,” and to challenge the audience’s perception of it in the process. What does it mean to truly love and accept those you hold close – especially when they carry ugly truths? Do you stifle these truths; stub them out like a spent cigarette in the dirt? Hide them in the attic of the mind to knock around and haunt? Not this family. They’ve plucked that butt out of the dirt, stuck it in their mouth, and sparked it up again. They’ve become the dirt itself – something raw, real, and unshakable.”
If you will be attending Fantastic Fest you can catch one of the screenings listed below.
We will keep you posted when a trailer drops.
U.S. Premiere Screening
Friday, September 22nd @2:00PM – Theater 5
Screening #2
Tuesday, September 26th @8:25PM – Theater 1
