A clip from Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls has been released online. The film is written and directed by Andrew Bowser, who’ll also star in the lead role alongside Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jeffrey Combs, Melanie Chandra, Arden Myrin, Barbara Crampton, Ralph Ineson, Rivkah Reyes, and T.C. Carson. The clip first debuted exclusively from Screen Rant, and you can watch the video below.
The film will Onyx the Fortuitous (Bowser), real name Marcus J. Trillburty, whose an amateur occultist hoping for a fresh start. He receives an invitation from his idol, Bartok the Great (Combs), inviting him and several other guests to his home. However, it soon becomes apparent that something is amiss as Onyx and the others have to battle for their souls. Dudley will also appear as Bartok’s “delegate,” Farrah.
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The clip starts with a video within the video of Bartok announcing that he is “dead as a doornail.” Indeed, his corpse is a few feet away with a knife sticking out of its chest. Allowing them the opportunity to check his pulse, video Bartok tells Onyx and the others that they are going to test their devotion to him by bringing him back to life. Instead of using a glowing green serum, the people there start chanting, “let him rise,” in order to reanimate Bartok.
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Other Information About the Film and Andrew Bowser
The character of Onyx originated from Bowser’s viral videos, which led to him being known as “The Weird Satanist Guy” or “The Weird Arby’s Guy.” You might remember him from his appearance at the grand unveiling of the Satanic Temple’s Baphomet statue back in 2015. The video, which depicts Onyx saying, “notice me, Senpai,” is what earned him the title of “Weird Satanist Guy.”
According to Screen Rant, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls “builds on themes of friendship while delivering laughs and scares in a magical story featuring terrifying monsters and just a little Satanic worship” and take cues from such ‘80s classics as Ghostbusters, Gremlins, and Fright Night.
The film was financed on Kickstarter, ultimately raising $600,000 dollars thanks to 7,000 backers. It will premier at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, as part of the Midnight segment. Previous films that have been featured in that category at Sundance are The Babadook and Mandy. This year, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls will be in the company of In My Mother’s Skin and Talk to Me.
You can also check out Bowser’s previous short films on his website. Such as Little Willy, starring Bowser, Adrienne Barbeau, and Zach Galligan, which might be best described as Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) meets Child’s Play. There’s also Thrill Me!, starring Bowser and Dudley, which is about two horror hosts conducting a live stream of a cursed videotape. The type of thing that can only end well.
Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls will premiere on January 22.
