Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers, rules were made to be broken! Here is the press release prior to my review! I feel the information below helps my readers learn about 'Bet Dead Casino' Read on! Covid! Lockdown! Intensity and determination! Sadness with the passing of Daniel Zirilli. all leads up to this moment!
We had already begun filming when lockdown hit Bangkok. Studios shut down. Crews went home. Actors were stranded. Everyone was out of work… but we refused to accept defeat.
Some of our cast had to fly back to their home countries because the industry had come to a standstill. Instead of abandoning the project, we rewrote the plan. We shot remotely, directed across continents, and stitched together a film under conditions no one had ever faced before.
In Thailand, we captured surreal moments on completely empty motorways, abandoned roads, and silent Bangkok landscapes that will never exist again.
In the UK, we filmed in vast, empty fields during lockdown and even filmed a car hit where the main actress couldn't drive and the actor Byron Gibson not only filmed himself getting run over but also driving the car, sounds crazy but it happened. Both our teams in Bangkok and the UK got chased by the Police and had to sneak around filming the scenes.
We even got hundreds of gamblers to send in videos from around the world during this time and we were overwhelmed with the response.
But the struggle didn’t end after filming.
The film was completed and then tragedy struck. A damaged hard drive destroyed crucial sound files. It nearly killed the entire movie. It put the project back for over a year, Bet Dead Casino sat on the brink of being lost forever.
Most people would’ve given up.
We didn’t.
Piece by piece, we rebuilt it.
Line by line, we restored it.
Against every obstacle, we finished the film that “could never be finished.”
Bet Dead Casino has secured worldwide distribution — proving every doubter wrong.
People said we’d never complete it.
People said we’d never get distribution.
People said it would go nowhere.
They were wrong.
This isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster.
And it's a film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
It wasn’t made with millions.
It was made with heart, grit, and pure fight — and now the world is watching.
Hopefully inspiring others to make their own movies.
IN HONOUR OF DANIEL ZiRiLLI
The film proudly features the late action director Daniel Zirilli playing one of the gamblers.
AN INTERNATIONAL CAST OF FIGHTERS
Featuring an outstanding team of performers and stunt professionals:
Byron Gibson playing Slic Vic — veteran of 74+ productions, including Hollywood and Netflix projects. worked with Ryan Gosling, Steven Seagal and many more.
Leigh Barwell playing Rose Mortimer and Jenny Carnage.
Ron Smoorenburg— elite action performer. Worked with Jackie Chan, Luc Besson etc.
T.J. “Tofan” Pirani — from Hellhounds and multiple action films.
Alessio Pescatori — rising action star
These are performers who took real hits, real falls, and delivered real action not only that but under lockdown!
You can watch the film here on Fawsome
I apologize for the hiatus, but I am BACK with my initial no spoilers review of The Byron Gibson film 'Bet Dead Casino'. Leigh Barwell and Ron Smoorenberg worked so hard on this project during lockdown. Over the next couple of months I will be discussing this unique project, where multiple crews used a film, duck, and cover technique avoiding the authorities. Each person Leigh, Byron and Ron had to essentially film apart. Unlike most covid films, Bet Dead Casino has action and chase scenes! No filler here as the film clocks in at a tight 82 minutes.
'Bet Dead Casino' is engaging and thought provoking transporting the user to the height of the global pandemic. There are sequences shot in Thailand on completely empty roads, a stark reminder of the unique nature of the Pandemic where a bustling city is silent. While this is a preliminary review, 'Bet Dead Casino' rates a strong 8 out of 10. I have watched it 3 times and think it is a truculent, terse, and vituperative action film coupled with moments of very meaningful dialogue and plot points.
Watch for interviews and exclusives in the coming months!!!!!
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