Lady Magdalene's
"I saw this film at DragonCon last year, and it is a wonderful mix of comedy, mystery, singing and dancing."
--Graham H. Green,
Director, The Man Who Spoke to Himself, The Torturer,
September 19, 2008, Slice of SciFi
"What a hoot your Lady Magdalene's movie is: Terrorists, patriotism, government stupidity, love, murder, sex, wonderful classical violin playing, a Madam singing blues jazz!"
--Dave Schwartz,
Lead Violist, Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band, Principal Violist, Cleveland Orchestra
"Thanks for inviting me to tonight's premiere.... I really enjoyed the movie. Congratulations on getting it made. Lady Magdalene's is a combination of humor, wit, political observation and sexiness. Nichelle Nichols provides an excellent center for all of the hijinks that swirl around her. Her performance reminded me a lot of Ruby Dee, actually - charm, wisdom, love, experience - all held together by grit, determination and professionalism. It was a nice role for her, and she did a lot with it. Ethan Keogh I thought was really solid. Deadpan - believable - strong - natural. Where'd you find him? Susan Smythe was also quite good - had a kind of Carrie Fisher/Candy Clark quality. She also looked natural handling a gun (which most actresses do not). Where did you find Claudia Lynx? Absolutely smoking hot. Plus she was good. I really bought her fear of Yassin. I enjoyed the way the whole thing came together at the end...quite funny. I hope you get good distribution for it. Congratulations again."
--Charles Robert Carner,
Writer/Director, Witless Protection, The Fixer, Louis L'Amour's Crossfire Trail
"You gave me a DVD of your film at the Backlot Film Festival. I wanted to let you know how I enjoyed it! Great job, and I hope you have continued festival success!"
--James Kerwin,
Writer/Director, Yesterday Was A Lie, Midsummer
"Lady Magdalene's is a solid story and very entertaining."
--Phil Bransom,
Writer/Director, Train Master
"There were many funny moments of the film that made it enjoyable, coupled with the enthusiasm and passion brought to the project which is evident in almost every frame. The film is an impressive achievement."
--Lauren Freeman,
Coordinator, Acquisitions, Lionsgate
"Unique and well done."
--David Laub,
Acquisitions Manager, THINKFilm
"A very creative action-comedy."
--Merideth Finn,
VP Production & Acquisition, New Line Cinema
"Witty, inventive indy film with a sparkling cast!
Lady Magdalene's combines an inventive story with a cast and crew (and a writer - director - producer - supporting actor - composer - lyricist) who are clearly having the time and delight of their lives. It sorely deserves a theatrical distributor, cable exposure, and a DVD release.
The plot of this "suspense/comedy" has an IRS investigator, on inter-agency exchange duty as a federal air marshal, being called out for making a misstep in apprehending a suspected terrorist. He's actually right in his suspicions, though he doesn't know that. Yet his supposed screw-up gets him sent to one of the oddest corners of IRS purgatory: He's made the latest government receiver and manager of a legal brothel, long troubled and owing back taxes, outside Pahrump, Nevada. (Inspired by an actual case in the news.)
The lovely, erhm, working women all around him may be hiding a few surprises, including links to the case that put him in career limbo. And is the pleasure-fulfillment engineer he's falling for exactly who she seems? He's determined to track these mysteries, and his chase goes from a shooting range to Hoover Dam to a mysterious medical research facility. Oh, and importantly, to a Pahrump casino with two-for-one dinner buffets!
Nichelle Nichols is the determined, beset, but always sexy madam of this establishment, trying to clean up after her late lover (its former owner) and his losses at the craps table. She has the girls join her in a stab at gaining local respectability that's too pleasing and unexpected - especially in their singing! - to be spoiled here.
The tracing-the-terrorists action, weaving through the silken curtains of Lady Magdalene's pleasure dome, does gets a bit too intricate in the last half-hour, though the story leaves no loose ends.
Presenting all the detail without confusion finally gets somewhat beyond the acting confidence of some of the undeniably lovely working girls - though not at all for Nichols, nor for fellow leads Ethan Keogh and Susan Smythe. They're all game for the effort, though, and their enthusiasm ends up winning the day, right up to and through the closing credits.
I saw this last night at the Cinema City Film Festival in Los Angeles, after several years of hearing about it in detail from protean creator Neil Schulman himself at a local libertarian supper club. It's not a high-polish studio production. Yet it makes far more out of a half-million dollars than most big-studio "high concepts" have done with fifty times the budget. It did save money to have Neil's mother, his daughter, and even his late father (!) manage to take part in the proceedings, as well as some other libertarian friends who add anti-authoritarian asides that never lose the comic beat.
Well worth your attention, and watch for news of occasional showings in the Los Angeles area. (To borrow from an inside Discordian joke of the movie, I'd gladly drive my "Fnord" to any of them.)
If there's any esthetic or comedic justice, of course, we'll also soon be seeing this on, say, the Sundance Channel. (To borrow from the career-definer of the still-stunning, talented leading lady, beam it up to those satellites, Scotty.) Rating: 9/10"
--Steve Reed, IMDb user comment, October 1, 2008
"Wonderful Movie! Laugh-out-loud comedy, not in the rude sense, but in the old way it's made -- to be funny, not vulgar. With the unsurpassed talents of Nichelle Nichols this movie shines. Bravo! Miss Nichols still has got it in abundance -- and I am a witness to that. Although the title might suggest something else, this movie is very family friendly. I see this movie becoming a cult classic. Those who see it will want it for their movie library. Someone who can distribute this movie needs to see it. Rating: 10/10."
--Don Shackleford, IMDb user comment, August 11, 2008
"Funny and very entertaining! Nichelle Nichols is an international treasure. The story flowed and was logical for me to follow, yet I couldn't predict the end. I think it will have a good run at the box office. Lady Magdalene's reminded me of the Monty Python series blended with current-day American politics. I really liked the Star Trek references buried in the film. All of the Star Trek fans will come out to support Ms. Nichols. Technically, I found the transitions and clips smooth and easy on my eyes. The sound design and musical selections were appropriate. In summary, I can't wait to take my wife to see it."
--Donald L. McCoy, Program Manager, STEM Multicultural Project
Commenting on the San Diego Black Film Festival screening
"I love seeing Nichelle in a more textured role."
--Tay Zonday, Singer/Songwriter, "Chocolate Rain"
"The film is sheer brilliance, and highlights Nichelle at her finest! In a world where a Michael Moore rant can win
a Palme d'Or, Lady Magdalene's is too good for Cannes!"
--Edward E. Kramer,
Film Director, Book Editor, Founder, Dragon*Con
"Six genres in a head-on collision!"
--Brad Linaweaver,
publisher, Mondo Cult
"In 2011 they'll call it the 'cult classic of 2008' ... If you're looking for a conventional movie, Lady Magdalene's isn't it. This genre-bending film is a quirky mixture of pop culture parody, politically incorrect humor, and action adventure thriller. It's high concept camp, with Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols in the title role as a singing, dancing operator of a Nevada brothel who helps foil an al-Qa'ida plot. Like those films that become cult favorites, some people won't get it but others will find Lady Magdalene's to be more engaging and entertaining every time they see it."
--Robert Schneider,
author, Shylock the Roman