Makeup FX artist turned filmmaker Tom Devlin gave FANGORIA the first word that he just wrapped his fourth feature as director, The After Dark, which he scripted with Lola Devlin and Josh Cornell. He also produced through his Plan 10 Pictures with Kayla Bushell and says, “It’s the movie I’ve always wanted to watch since I was a teenager. It’s The Lost Boys vs. Interview With the Vampire. It’s filled with punk rock music, youth-gone-wild elements, and just a touch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
According to the official synopsis, “The After Dark is the story of two warring clans of vampires and what happens when one jumps clans from the stuffy old world to the fun punk rock nightlife that takes place at The After Dark club.” The cast is headed by David Heath (above and first photo below), making his feature-film lead debut as Vigo, leader of the old world, after 30 years of wrestling for the WWE, AEW, WCW, and WWF as the vampire character Gangrel.
Other grapplers in the cast include Sinn Bodhi (a.k.a. Kizarny,) as lead punk Dax, WWE superstar Paul London, indie wrestlers Leroy “The Human Tack Board” Patterson and Wes “Beast the Butcher” Logan and several up-and-comers, joined by punk icon Lars Frederiksen (Rancid, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards), who “hosts” The After Dark as a sort of Shakespearean chorus, and co-stars Daisy Ducati, Matt Osborn, and newcomer Ashley Ballou as Beth.
“I used wrestlers to amplify the scale and scope of the fight scenes in this movie,” Devlin explains. “Working with the budget I had, it’s easier to work with talent that can double as their own stunt coordinators, and trust that nobody gets hurt.
“Ashley was an unexpected choice,” he continues, “as our leading lady had to back out at the last minute. Ashley jumped at the occasion, learned all the fight choreography, and delivered an incredible performance exceeding our expectations.”
The After Dark is currently in postproduction. You can follow its progress and find out more about Plan 10’s previous movies (including Teddy Told Me To, a haunted-attraction horror film featuring several classic-slasher veterans, now available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack) at @plan10pictures and @tomdevlinsmonstermuseum on Instagram and Facebook, and the official Plan 10 website.
