Perfect Copy Short Film on DVD
Indie Sci-Fi Thriller Tackles Subject of Identity
Featuring Kenny Miller and Debi Storm, "Perfect Copy" portrays a woman who loses her mother, her identity, and her humanity during one frightening episode in her life.
This short science fiction thriller begins with Angel Gibbs (Glenda C. Finkelstein) mourning her dead mother (Debi Storm) at her funeral. As she sorts through some of her mother’s possessions, she discovers items of interest related to the father she’s never known.
Seeking Information About Her Past
Angel follows these leads to Alan Portman Towing in Roswell, New Mexico. There she meets Ned Portman (Kenny Miller), who gives her some solid information about her family history. This information, however, leads to great danger for both of them. While the fiancé she left behind searches for her, Angel searches for answers despite the substantial personal risk.
It’s only after she gets kidnapped and sentenced to death that she begins to understand the dark forces that have been working against her. Angel’s one slim chance of escape (and ultimately survival) lies with the help of her fiancé on the outside and some connections on the inside at the facility where she’s being held captive.
A True Independent
Perfect Copy was an official selection at the 2007 Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival in Melbourne, Florida. Glenda Finkelstein wrote, starred in, and executive produced the short film, along with Tony Finkelstein and director Joseph Tolley. Actors Storm (a child actor in Dallas, Family Ties, and The Brady Bunch) and Miller (now semi-retired with credits including B.L. Stryker, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, and The Gallant One) are likely the only familiar faces you’ll see among the cast members. As with many other truly independent films, production values suffer somewhat because of its low budget.
Science fiction author Finkelstein says in an interview (included with the DVD bonus features) that the story began as a short story she wrote for a science fiction anthology. She wanted to keep the story relevant to what’s going on in society today. Her goal was to depict a woman’s search for self-discovery that leads to a final shocking revelation. In the interview, she describes how she got the idea for Perfect Copy and generally works through the creative process. Her comments also are included in the audio commentary feature on the DVD.
- Perfect Copy
- Director: Joseph Tolley
- Run time: 34 minutes
- Rating: Not Rated
- DVD Bonus Features: Commentary with director and screenwriter; outtakes, trailers, photo galleries, interview with the screenwriter, science fiction convention footage (dealer’s room at OASIS), and automatic dialogue replacement sessions.
For more information on independent films, read Finding Cast and Crew for Indies. To learn about other short films, read Short Films Find New Fans and Review of La Corona.
