Dr. Gruder (Crispin Glover) and Joy Fontaine (Amy Wright) in A Blind Bargain (2025) Intensity: 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 Directed by Paul Bunnell Betrayal. At its core, A Blind Bargain is a movie about the worst kind of betrayal you can imagine. Desperation and greed convince a young and troubled Vietnam veteran to submit his own mother to the schemes of a mad scientist. This groovy ’70s retro thriller takes a cosmic turn through life-extending experimentation. This was the centerpiece movie of the 2025 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. A Blind Bargain is a retelling of a 1922 Lon Chaney Sr. silent film, which is now considered a “lost film”. The only copy of that film was lost in the 1965 vault fire that also claimed several other Lon Chaney films, including London After Midnight. Not all was lost, as the mad scientist’s story was based on a Barry Palin novel, “The Octave of Claudius, A Blind Bargain.” The biggest challenge for this movie is that you are compelled to follow a protagonist who is hard to root for. Dominic is pathetic. The Vietnam War has left deep emotional scars that he chases away with heroin, and this leaves him vulnerable on many levels. This forces him to make extremely dubious decisions. Traitorous decisions. In the original film, the censors balked at the science of playing God. Frankenstein touched on this, and with A Blind Bargain, the story centers on a Faustian deal for eternal youth. As is the case with most mad science, it is a serious overreach of power. Vitality restoration reacts badly with fate. The elusive promise of youthful beauty has undone more than a few evil geniuses. Joy, you’re going on a cosmic trip to be a star again…” Logos (Jed Rowen) The Cast of A Blind Bargain Crispin Glover plays Dr. Gruder, a mad scientist who has discovered a steroid treatment with incredible youth-restoring properties. Naturally, there are unfortunate side consequences. Jake Horowitz plays Dominic Fontaine, a damaged young man who has returned from the Vietnam War. He has returned with a heroin addiction. This forces Jake to make some very difficult and unfortunate decisions. Lucy Loken plays Ellie Bannister, who works as a nurse for Dr. Gruder. Dom is instantly smitten with Ellie when he goes in for treatment for his addiction. Amy Wright plays Joy Fontaine, Dom’s mother, who was an actress of the silent film era. Dom lives with Joy now as he tries to get his life back together. Analisa Cochrane plays a younger version of Joy Fontaine, a beautiful and alluring woman in her prime. Jed Rowen plays Logos, one of Dr. Gruder’s subjects, who acts as Gruder’s enforcer. Joy entrances the lovelorn Logos. Rob Mayes plays Vincent, Dom’s brutish and swaggering drug dealer. Dom (Jake Horowitz) makes a blind bargain with Dr. Gruder (Crispin Glover) in A Blind Bargain (2025) A Short Synopsis of A Blind Bargain Dominic Fontaine is a loser who can’t catch a break. After returning home from the Vietnam War in 1970, his life hasn’t gotten any safer. He has run into deep debt with his heroin dealer, Vincent. He’s a thin, frail fellow who is too weak to stand up to Vincent’s bullying. He also can’t stand up for himself with his mother, Joy, who has been housing him since his return. She is aware that Dom has not been honest with her and sets the conditions for him staying with her that he seek treatment. Joy gives Dom a brochure for a clinic that a social worker gave her: The Gruder Institute, where “Recovery is Within Your Grasp”. Unbeknownst to Joy and Dom, however, the institute is not what it seems. The addition therapy is a front for some shady de-aging experiments involving steroids derived from insect larvae. Dom reluctantly checks into the clinic. The lovely Nurse Ellie checks him in, and Dom flirts with her shamelessly. She takes his blood, and Dom returns home to inform Joy that he did as she asked. When Ellie calls back, Dom is informed that his blood… or more specifically, his mother’s blood… would be of great value to the Institute. Dr. Gruder would pay handsomely for her blood. Dom tricks his mother into believing the Clinic is also a spa, and that she should pamper herself there while he gets treatment. Gruder’s more involved experiments take place in an old hotel frequented by Hollywood stars of yore, which sells the ruse of the spa. The eccentric Gruder welcomes “their only spa guest” into the facility. They quickly hustle her off into a treatment room. There, much to her surprise, they restrain and sedate her. Torn between guilt and his vices, Dom agrees to a contract to have Joy convalesce at the Gruder Institute for a month. The money wins out. The next time Dom sees Joy, things will have changed. Perhaps for the better? Remember, though, Faustian deals never end the way you want them to. Evaluation A Blind Bargain is probably more dark science fiction than horror, but as soon as you mention Lon Chaney, this movie has to be at least horror adjacent. The decisions in the film are indeed horrific, and the truth of the experiments (and their inevitable failures) also lends a morbid take to the proceedings. The betrayal is heartbreaking, and well played by all. Don’t go into this movie expecting lots of gore and violence. It actually feels more like a ’70s Hammer production costume drama. Trigger warning, though: if drug use makes you uneasy, this movie will make you squirm. Paul Bunnell is a long-time associate of Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep, John Dies at the End). There are strong stylistic similarities between these directors, and if you enjoy the absurd lightness of Coscarelli’s films, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the gleeful absurdity of A Blind Bargain. The humor is sly, and the performances are highly stylized, particularly those of the inimitable Crispin Glover. Glover is perfectly cast as Gruder, as he is one of the pre-eminent oddball character actors of the era. Horowitz (The Vast of Night) has delivered another outstanding, quirky performance, further solidifying his promise as a young character actor on the rise. Rob Mayes steals every scene he is in. He’s a muscular presence and a fun antagonist. I wouldn’t be surprised if the young actresses Loken and Cochrane get bigger roles soon. Hollywood loves beautiful women who can do quirky roles. More horror movies for these two! Lastly, Amy Wright is a veteran actress (The Deer Hunter, Breaking Away, The Amityville Horror), and she still has a significant screen presence. In a cast full of actors who are hamming it up, Wright’s subtle facial acting was a welcome counterpoint. I was happy to see her in this movie. The Vibes The film bursts with color and has the vibes to match. A Blind Bargain delivers characters with flamboyant personalities who have deep-seated character flaws. A good comp for A Blind Bargain would be The Love Witch or even The Abominable Dr. Phibes. This movie is very indie. Very retro. And very funky. Indeed, vibes of Phibes! High marks for the costume and props work. Paul Bunnell informed me that as part of the extras casting calls, he requested period automobiles, and the cast responded. The shot-on-film aspect also lends authenticity to the production. I love the costumes. Yes, they push the trends of the era, but this is a stylized period piece, and it works wonderfully. Rob Mayes and Analisa Cochrane get groovy in A Blind Bargain (2025) Closing Thoughts: A Blind Bargain has the potential to be a cult classic if the right audience receives it. The movie punches above its weight class with its cast. Crispin Glover is not a mere cameo; he is a scene-chewing villain extraordinaire. Jake Horowitz, Rob Mayes, and Lucy Loken are stars in the making, and this film will greatly enhance their portfolios. The plot is sly, with the humor a subtle undercurrent, and it never relies on cheap gags. Yes, it’s campy, but if you can perform camp gracefully, this movie does it. Aging horror is an evergreen trope, and this movie chases the fountain of youth with a syringe. This movie is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in major US markets. It had its world premiere at Fright Fest, and Bunnell indicated to me that they are working on a streaming agreement. The movie is not rated, but due to the amount of drug abuse and wickedness, it would not be appropriate for younger viewers. Older teenagers should be able to handle this material. A Blind Bargain is wicked fun, and if it is in a theater near you, go check it out. It’s a little indie film that deserves some B-movie cult buzz. Review by Eric Li An Audio Interview with Director Paul Bunnell: I love the access I get by attending Film Festivals, particularly HPLFF. Paul Bunnell is an unforgettable personality who loves to tell stories. He is a showman of the first order and a really sweet and funny guy. Sometimes you get an interview, and it is perfunctory and something of an obligation for the interviewee. Not so with Paul. Bunnell was a true delight to talk to, and it felt like I was getting to tap into some old Hollywood magic. As a director, he doesn’t have the deepest filmography, but he is one of those personalities who feels like he has been in and around filmmaking and Hollywood his entire adult life. He also has some fantastic stories to tell about the making of A Blind Bargain. Here is the recording from backstage at the Hollywood Theater: Director Paul Bunnell. David White Photography. Paul Bunnell and Eric Li. David White Photography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGezHkWnAxo And… as an added bonus… A Blind Bargain has a kick ass poster!
