Private Project

Fatal Rhapsody

A pizza deliveryman's quest to win back his ex is thwarted when he's pulled into the turmoil of two deranged criminals with their own relationship woes.

  • Javier Badillo
    Director
  • Gemma Holdway
    Writer
  • Javier Badillo
    Producer
  • Gemma Holdway
    Producer
  • Jay Kamal
    Producer
  • Thomas Nicholson
    Producer
  • Thomas Nicholson
    Key Cast
  • Lochlyn Munro
    Key Cast
  • Steven Roberts
    Key Cast
  • Starlise Waschuk
    Key Cast
  • Agnes Tong
    Key Cast
  • Gareth Rees
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 3, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Edmonton International Film Festival
    Edmonton
    Canada
    September 30, 2017
    World Premiere
  • Harrogate Film Festival
    Harrogate
    United Kingdom
    March 4, 2018
    Europe Premiere
    Audience Choice Award
  • Short Circuit: Pacific Rim Film Festival
    Victoria
    Canada
    May 4, 2018
    British Columbia Premiere
Director Biography - Javier Badillo

Javier Badillo is a Venezuelan-Canadian film director and producer with a background in 2D animation and music. His films have screened in Japan, France, Canada, India and the US (PBS/Channel 13, New York).

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Director Statement

Fatal Rhapsody evolved from numerous stages of story and visual development into its final product: a retro, pre-1989 style reminiscent of pop culture classics Top Gun, 21 Jump Street, and Desperately Seeking Susan, but with a crisp modern finish closer to neo-noir cult classic Drive and pitch black comedy, In Bruges.

Pizza Guy's internal journey is brought to the surface through the introduction of the supporting players Chazz and Jon as the bickering partners in crime. Chazz and Jon are both metaphorical mirrors of Pizza Guy and ex-girlfriend Marissa’s equally turbulent relationship. We made a visual connection to this metaphor through the use of wardrobe and colour schemes that tie Pizza Guy to his match Jon and Marissa to Chazz.

We also use visual devices to convey tone, subtext and character backstory in Fatal Rhapsody. For example, the use of reds and oranges are associated with our protagonist's pitfalls and vices and yellows and greens are associated with his virtues and maturity while three picture cars are used to represent the different stages of Pizza Guy’s arc.

Music plays an integral role in Fatal Rhapsody. The original soundtrack is inspired by 1980s rock ballads with a larger-than-life feel focusing thematically on idealized love and romance. Such ballads are looked upon in retrospect with a healthy dose of contemporary cynicism. That cynicism is a constant in Fatal Rhapsody’s music and story.

Ultimately, through its embrace of comedic irony, Fatal Rhapsody takes a hard look not just the futility of fighting for love but outright disaster that can result. It is elegantly compressed into a 14:30 minute whip-smart dark comedy about letting go.