This Halloween season, Bloody Disgusting and SCREAMBOX are bringing Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls to theaters, a gateway horror film that wears its ’80s/’90s influences on its sleeves. Those influences extend to music, and we’ve got a treat for you this afternoon with a brand new clip channeling Meatloaf’s hit song “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”… in the form of a hilarious dream sequence from the film.
Based on writer, director, and star Andrew Bowser’s viral internet character of the same name, Onyx tells the story of an amateur occultist who learns that sometimes, when you raise HELL…you get a little burned.
In the new clip, Onyx (Bowser) finds himself grappling with what he’d do for love as he recreates Meatloaf’s famous music video and finds temptation in the form of a “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” character.
Bowser tells Bloody Disgusting that the song’s inclusion was inspired not just by the filming location but the enduring history of his viral internet character. It became so important to Bowser to include that he never once considered alternate plans if they didn’t secure rights to feature the song in the film.
He explains, “Every time I made an Onyx video, there would be these little jokes that would seem like asides and nothing too important to pay attention to, but I would go back to them in future videos, and then eventually, I would bring in characters based on those jokes. In the first Onyx video, he mentions his stepdad, Todd, and I think I might’ve just said that at the moment because it sounded funny to mention such a specific nemesis, but now Todd’s in the feature film and was also in a web series we did.
“So, when I was writing the script, and I had already visited Benford Hall, I thought what Onyx would say when he first looks up at that mansion. I thought of the joke, ‘Oh, it looks like the type of mansion you’d recreate the 1994 Michael Bay-directed music video for Meatloaf’s I’d Do Anything for Love.’ And then everybody looks at him awkwardly, and he says, ‘But I won’t do that,’ accidentally finishing the title of the song.”
Bowser continues, “Then, as I continued to write, I knew there was a moment in the movie where he would get inebriated and go into a dream sequence; it was just sitting there. It was a joke from earlier that I thought may never be referenced again. Then I realized, oh, the dream sequence is him reenacting the 1994 Michael Bay-directed music video for Meatloaf’s I’d Do Anything for Love. It was never any other song. When I had my producers read the script, they said, well, you got to come up with something else as a backup in case we can’t get the cover rights, the license. I said, ‘Well, let’s not. Let’s just try to get the Meatloaf song.’ And then we did. It wasn’t difficult. They were very amenable to working with an independent film and went back and forth with our lawyer and really made it work. We were able to use it twice actually in the film, kind of two different versions of it.”
The buzzed-about horror-comedy will be released exclusively in theaters for a one-night event on October 19 via Fathom Events. The film will show at 7:00 pm & 10:00 pm (local times) in theaters throughout the country, and fans will be treated to a special introduction from writer/director/star Andrew Bowser ahead of the film.
“Misunderstood by all who know him, Marcus J. Trillbury (Bowser), aka Onyx the Fortuitous, is struggling to find purpose in his soul-devouring side gig. But just when it seems he’s ready to throw in the towel, he receives a coveted invitation to the mansion of his idol Bartok the Great (Jeffrey Combs; Re-Animator) for a ritual to raise the spirit of an ancient demon.
“Ecstatic, he joins Bartok, his mysterious delegate Farrah (Olivia Taylor Dudley; “The Magicians,” Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension), and a collection of fellow devotees as they prepare for the ceremony, but quickly it becomes apparent things are not what they seem. As Onyx and his new friends fight to keep their souls, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to meet his destiny.”
The film also stars Barbara Crampton (You’re Next, Re-Animator), Ralph Ineson (The Witch, The Green Knight), Rivkah Reyes (School of Rock), TC Carson (Final Destination 2), Arden Myrin (Insatiable, Shameless) and Melanie Chandra (Code Black).
For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
