All proceeds from this screening will be shared between VTIFF and Big Heavy World.
We’re honored to be bringing you one of the rarest films we’ve ever presented. Allan Nicholls’ Dead Ringer has only been shown two or three times in the almost 40 years since Nicholls and his crew completed it, despite its undeniable quality. It centers on singer-musician Meat Loaf (no, you do not have to be a Meat Loaf fan to enjoy this wonderfully entertaining and moving film), who had just seen his Bat Out of Hell album become a monster zillion-selling phenomenon. Dead Ringer, the film, is a comical look at the life of a rock star in the ‘80s as Meat Loaf prepares for a world tour in support of his newest album. Parallel to his story runs the story of a dead ringer look-alike to the star, bringing an additional layer of complexity and sensitivity to the narrative. Why has the film gone virtually unseen for all these years? Arcane corporate legal issues between Meat Loaf, his record company, and songwriter Jim Steinman, have prevented the film from reaching its audience in the form in which it was made and intended to be seen. Nicholls brings us his private print in a newly digitized version of the film, supervised by its original editor, Norm Smith. Come one, come all, to this joyful event and help support music and film organizations in Vermont.
***Dead Ringer will be shown at The T-Rex Theater at The Double E in the large-format, 400-seat T-Rex Theater, on a screen that is three stories tall, with 18 amplifiers and 124 speakers providing an immersive sound experience. Allan Nicholls will attend the screening and conduct a Q&A at its end.
This benefit screening is made possible by the host sponsor, The T-Rex Theater at The Double E, and with the help of Higher Ground — and Peter Edelman, Alex Crothers and Michael Jager — supporters of the nonprofit missions of Big Heavy World and the Vermont International Film Festival (VTIFF).