There's something about Mary, indeed, in this one-man fringe theatre performance by Troy Mink, who plays 13 characters in Midway, TN (pop. 1602), home of a "haint" (or ghost) named Mary, a newly deceased resident who killed her suspected-of-adultery husband Jim and then shot herself four times in the stomach ("now that's one determined woman"). With so many "Mary" sightings after her death ("128 counts of unlawful trespassing," according to the sheriff), it's only a matter of time before a) the media catches wind of the "Bloody Mary" story, and b) the town decides to take advantage of the publicity and convert Mary's old digs into a haunted house (says the mayor, Mary is an "economic angel guiding us towards fiscal salvation"). As the stage lights briefly blink out and Mink shifts from one character to the next--male, female, friend, neighbor, city official, tourist--viewers are treated to an entertaining tale of superstition, small-town gossip, civic ingenuity, and otherworldly mischief ("Mary is an evil spirit, not a Casper the friendly ghost type," we're told). Although admittedly low-budget, and filmed before what appears to be a relatively small audience, The Haint serves up an hour of fun, reaching its comic apex in a séance (the screen goes completely black), during which several characters bicker, catch a fright, and try to locate the shrimp dip. It's a testament to Mink's considerable thespian expertise that even with the lights out we always know who's who. Recommended. [Note: also newly available are three other filmed stage productions, priced at $19.95 each--Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, Mass Murder and The Magnificent Welles.] Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)
The Haint
(2001) 61 min. $19.95. Stage Direct (dist. by Facets Multimedia). PPR. Color cover. Volume 17, Issue 5
The Haint
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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