Female Empowerment Advocate And Author Stephanie C. Lyons-keeley's New Screenplay, See Evil, Marks Its Debut As An Official Selection In The Diabolical Horror Film Festival.
Little did the Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and multi-award-winning filmmaker think two years ago that she would have created a paranormal/horror script that could change, or at least, put a critical spin on the genre. See Evil is not all she has up her sleeve either, with numerous other screenplays and TV scripts in the can, including more horror/thrillers, dramas, and comedies. Additionally, Lyons-Keeley is presently on the film festival circuit with a comedy, The History of Everything Circa 1993 to the Present: Formerly Known as Kissy Cousins, Monster Babies and Morphing Elvis, a film she co-wrote, co-produced, and co-directed. The film has amassed an astounding 92 film festival laurels to date and is still going strong.
Lyons-Keeley hopes to replicate her previous cinematic success with her new horror screenplay. From a traditional standpoint, it might be considered mainstream horror, albeit for the addition of socially-relevant motifs (as in Blumhouse Production's Get Out) as well as a few other hooks - feminine ones. The protagonists in See Evil are not only women, but also are married to each other. Together they must find a way to battle reapers that threaten their friends, each other, and their unborn child. Lyons-Keeley's Emmy Award-winning husband, Wayne J. Keeley (a producer, director, writer, and attorney as well as a devout cinephile), calls See Evil "a MASH UP of Get Out and Final Destination with a sprinkling of Rosemary's Baby and the new Halloween movie for good measure." As a female empowerment advocate, Lyons-Keeley has traditionally viewed horror films as mostly male-driven and often merely gory and SLASHER in nature. Although she considers Get Out a fantastic twist in the context of social themes, it was still, ultimately, male-driven. Even A Quiet Place focuses on John Krasinski's character throughout most of the film. With the desire to create films with a strong female voice, See Evil more closely leans toward Blumhouse's recent release, Halloween, with female characters who not only don't depend on males for survival, but clearly save the day. According to Lyons-Keeley, the LGBTQ focus adds even more layers and social nuances to the story. "It is time that today's sources of entertainment media, which are supposed to be the windows to the soul of our society, catch up with our current times and reflect what is real and trending in our world."
Time will tell if Lyons-Keeley's See Evil will become the female equivalent of a Stephen King blockbuster. But what we can say, is that it's off to a great start.
For more information Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley and her myriad projects which are in various stages of development, you can visit her entertainment blog Pillow Talking at www.somedayprods.com/talking.
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