(1980 David Markey) clockwise Jordan Schwartz, Deeana Christe, Darrell Clark, & Maria Bishop
At the age of 16 David Markey wrote and directed his first feature length film; a horror film parody starring the kids from his Santa Monica neighborhood shot on Super-8 sound film. While most kids were getting their learner permits, David was expaning on the short films he had been making since the age of 11. "The Omenous" was his first attempt at a scripted narrative feature, an ambitious send up of 1970's classics "The Omen" & "Carrie". It took him over a year to make, from conception to screening. Michael Bay himself would be envious of the adolescent Markey bringing his picture in for under a couple hundred dollars considering the mega-budget script requirements. We are talking total global annihilation here, and a giant robot ("Mister Malinga") destroying a 16 story office building.
The film's hero is alienated teenager Carrie Wright (Maria Bishop), the adopted daughter of billionaire W.W. Wright (Jordan Schwartz in his feature film debut). It's been a strange life so far for the young Carrie, expecially on her birthday (which also just so happens to fall on Halloween). At her 10th birthday party we witness an arm suddenly bursting out from the center of her birthday cake (a'la the climax of Brian Depalma's 1976 Carrie.) Carrie's biological mother Slave Matilda, (a prostitue on Wishire Blvd.) mysteriously dies on her 13th birthday, bringing her into the hands of her wealthy and politically influential uncle W.W. Wright, who is married to a disco-obsessed wife Georgia Wright (Deeana Christe), and biological father to his hippie son, Gregory Wright (Darrell Clark).
Carrie continues to feel different but she does not understand why until she is visited on her sweet 16th by "The Yellow Psychic" (the brilliant Peter Garcia, star of Markey's very first film in 1974"The Devils Exorcist" available on the "Cut Shorts" DVD). The Yellow Psychic is a flamboyant curly haired blonde who after lyp-synching the intro to "Sweet Transvestive" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" informs Carrie of her mission; she must rule the world before it ends. Meanwhile opposing forces are vying for global control, lead by one Milton Shipman (Steven Stromoski). A nuclear holocaust does indeed wipe all life from the face of the earth, except of course for Carrie and her arch nemesis Milton. Are they the new Adam & Eve? Will they settle their differences in order to save humanity?
"The Omenous" premiered in Santa Monica at the Bay Cities Jewish Community Center October of 1980 to an enthusiastic audience consisting primarily of the cast, and their parents and siblings. Sarah Macdonald (mother of Jordan Schwartz) invited friends of hers who were key writers of "Three's Company", who wrote a letter of encouragment to the young director, on Three's Company letterhead stationary. The Omenous was later screened in New York City in 1989 as a part of a David Markey film exhibit at a former funeral home and also at Richard Kern's loft, viewed by such NYC Underground film figures as Kern, Nick Zedd, David Wojnarowicz, Steve Doughton, Tommy Turner & Tessa Hughes Freeland. The film also features the big screen debut of Jennifer Schwartz, Juanita Watkins, Jimi Roche, Paul Nelson & Peter Ivers (of "New Wave Theater" fame).