The Death Kiss

Directed by Edwin L. Marin, The Death Kiss details the chaos that ensues on a movie set after its lead actor is murdered – with the narrative following a screenwriter (David Manners’ Franklyn Drew) as he attempts to solve the case himself. Filmmaker Marin, armed with Gordon Kahn and Barry Barringer’s screenplay, delivers an increasingly erratic endeavor that fares best within its watchable (and promising) opening stretch, as the picture’s behind-the-scenes atmosphere does prove a rather irresistible gimmick that compensates for its so-so storyline – with Manners’ appealing performance, as well as Bela Lugosi’s predictably idiosyncratic work as a manager, going a long way towards perpetuating the decent-enough vibe. It’s disappointing to note, then, that The Death Kiss, which also boasts ongoing instances of ill-advised (and deeply unfunny) humor, progresses into a murder-mystery-focused midsection and second half that wears out its welcome to a seriously palpable extent (ie it’s all just so generic), and there’s little doubt, as a result, that the climactic reveal of the killer is hardly as impactful (or even interesting) as Marin has presumably intended – with the end result a misfire that feels long even at only 75 minutes.

** out of ****