READY FOR MY CLOSE UP Review – Lynn Lowry Shines As A Psychotic B-Movie Actress

David Gelmini   |  

Feb 8, 2019

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Starring Lynn Lowry, Charlotte Mounter, George Sweeney, Dawn Perllman, Gary Shail

Written by Michael Haberfelner (based on an idea by Lynn Lowry)

Directed by Jason Read

You may know Lynn Lowry as the star of cult films such as Shivers and The Crazies. You may not have known that the short Ready For My Close Up, which was produced by Stuart Morriss, was based on her own original idea. Although this hardly comes as a surprise, given the level of dedication which Lowry clearly put into the project. Lowry stars as Megs Topplethwaite, a faded B-movie actress who now needs to be cared for by in-home nurses. Striking a fine line between campy and sincere, Lowry clearly gives the performance her all, making Ready For My Close Up worth watching in itself.

Throughout the film, we are also shown brief glimpses into Topplethwaite’s life as an actress, including snippets from movies where she battles zombies, cowboys, and ninjas. While these scenes are brief, they still give us an interesting look into the professional life of a woman who yearns for the days when she was still a star. And it was definitely funny to hear a deformed ninja warlord declare that she will never defeat his army, only for him to be struck down by her sword. This is clearly a film which has a great deal of respect and admiration for the cinema of yesteryear, even though it contains an unnecessary jab at modern superhero films which might not sit well with casual audiences.

But it’s not all reminiscing about her days of glamour, however. Topplethwaite also has a nasty habit of killing the men who deliver her food, but not before she invites them in and treats them to stories of her acting career. Because even killers need to have good manners, apparently.

Charlotte Mounter was also on top form as a diabolical thief who poses as a nurse so that she can steal Topplethwaite’s prized possessions, only to find the house overflowing with cadavers. She quickly discovers that the harmless old lady living downstairs may not be so harmless after all, but by this point, she is already in too deep to back out. Director Jason Read, who previously worked with Lowry on Ripper Tour, is once again in his element, and he clearly gets the most out of his entire cast.

Overall, Ready For My Close Up is a fine addition to Lynn Lowry’s already extensive body of work, making it a short you should definitely watch at the first available opportunity.

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