Contender for strangest movie ever: Deafula

[RapscallionJones]

Quite frankly, I can't believe that this movie isn't a cult movie legend.  The sort of flick everyone talked about back in the tape trading days like Tardspasm or The ABC of Sex Education For Trainables.  It's a movie with its heart in the right place but made by people who shouldn't be making movies for a living.

You see, Deafula is a vampire movie told without a single spoken word of dialog.  It is done entirely in sign language.

There is a running narration over the movie where interpreters tell the hearing able what the people on screen are saying with their hands and that, in itself, is quite strange but not one person ever speaks with their voice.

Stylistically, I'm reminded of Rape of the Vampire, Martin and Female Vampire (without the sustained nudity and explicit sex) but this movie falls short of any merit those movies might have.  If you're not already confused by the extremely strange sign language premise, the actual script should have your head spinning.  Then you make the realization that this is played straight and is, in no way, a parody.  It's enough to put you over the edge for good.

The black and white presentation coupled with the setting where no one is able to speak and Dracula is a real problem gives the whole production this David Lynch nightmare quality.

I've never seen anything like it.  Check out my review.
http://www.cinema-suicide.com/2007/10/22/in-transylvania-no-one-can-hear-you-scream-deafula/

[Raffine]

Thanks for this review. 

I've heard (no pun intended) of DEAFULA for years but I've never seen it, or even seen it available any where.
I guess in this age of E-Bay and DVR, copies are out there, if you look.

One review I read mentions a hunchback character who is technically mute in this film... because he has no hands!

DEAFULA might make a good double feature with that William Shatner movie INCUBUS they made entirely in Esperanto. Or Monty Python's Semaphore Version of WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

[DistantJ]

You see, Deafula is a vampire movie told without a single spoken word of dialog.  It is done entirely in sign language.

Interesting. Not a good idea with movies, though, as sign language is different in different countries, even countries which use the same spoken language. Not only that, but the dialect varies hugely between regions as well. So not only do you have your audience narrowed down to the deaf minority (and those who can understand sign language, I'm halfway there...), but also to only that country and anybody outside of the area where it was filmed will have trouble, too...

You see, Deafula is a vampire movie told without a single spoken word of dialog.

[Rev. Powell]

Curse you, Rapscallion!  Another movie to add to my "must see before I die" list.  At this rate I calculate I'm going to have to live to 124.

[Joe]

well, Nosferatu is a silent film but they do speak you just cant hear em. 

[DistantJ]

well, Nosferatu is a silent film but they do speak you just cant hear em.

joke      /dʒoʊk/ [johk] noun, verb, joked, jok·ing.
–noun
1.   something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.