LOS ANGELES — Wicked Pictures Head of Production Axel Braun has announced the release of "Deranged," the feature directing debut of Seth Gamble, led by Kenzie Taylor and Tommy Pistol.
The 2020 XBIZ "Male Performer of the Year" and Gamma Films Group contract star made his all-sex directing debut last summer with "The Red Room" starring Emily Willis.
Braun, who also serves as producer, noted that "Deranged," described as "a moody psychosexual thriller," was crafted with "the same wild imagination, gripping visual style and meticulous attention to detail" as "The Red Room."
"Seth is at the top of his game as a performer and as an actor, but this project proves unequivocally that his true calling is being a director" Braun observed. "He wrote a phenomenal script, and had a very specific vision in mind for 'Deranged,' from the shot compositions to the color palette, the acting to the music. He literally obsessed over every single creative detail and saw the movie through with the same passion and dedication that he’s shown over the past 15 years in front of the camera. I am beyond proud of what he’s accomplished, and it’s quite obvious that we are looking at a very talented director who’s gonna leave a deep mark in the adult industry."
"It was a phenomenal experience"
Pistol stars as Dr. Joseph Curwen, a renowned, albeit controversial, psychologist, while Taylor portrays Charlie, a fellow psychologist whose unrelenting desire to meet Dr. Curwen is soon revealed to be both ominous and obsessive.
Taylor and Gamble are a real-life married couple.
"I am grateful to my wonderful wife, Kenzie, for her unconditional support and incredible work ethic,” Gamble said. “Her dedication and the amount of intelligence, cunning and drive she brought to Charlie was inspiring — and literally chilling. Honestly, I was hesitant to cast my wife in my feature debut, but she did fit the role perfectly and I knew she had the passion to deliver an outstanding performance. Axel cast her as Captain Marvel for a reason but she went to a whole other level in fleshing out the secrets that make Charlie so fascinating."
Taylor described receiving the role as "a huge compliment — especially when it ends up being an eight-part series."
"I was so excited to work with everyone in this film, but I was mostly looking forward to acting alongside Tommy Pistol. In my opinion, Tommy is one of the best in our entire business; acting with him was truly an honor. I’ve worked with Tommy several times, but I’ve never gotten the chance to spar with him on material of this caliber. It was amazing portraying a character of such depth."
"This series is also the first feature production my husband has directed, which makes it extra-special. I am so proud of him. I knew he was going to be successful and will continue to be so," she continued. "I’m grateful Seth asked me to play Charlie and trusted in me to deliver everything to the best of my ability in hopes of truly capturing things for how he envisioned them when he was writing it. This project meant a lot to me because I was given the platform to showcase my true abilities as an actress. I absolutely love being challenged and this role was extremely challenging. It was a phenomenal experience and I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of all our hard work."
"I also have to say a huge 'thank you' to everyone on the crew for staying for the long days and just being awesome," Taylor concluded. "I appreciate each and every one of you."
"One of the best in our entire business"
The rep noted that Gamble’s methodology on the project was "a mixture of precision and openness to other people’s ideas. While he prefers the wording of the screenplay remain intact, and his blocking is precise, he allows room for his actors to make their own choices."
Pistol noted, "Seth wrote a really exciting script. Playing a character like Joseph was a weirdly fun challenge. It's not every day you get to do a psychopath’s monologue. Playing opposite Kenzie raised the bar even higher for me. She's a great actress and I personally like seeing her in a role like this. She killed it. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it all goes."
Gamble praised Pistol's work ethic and professionalism.
"I was extremely fortunate to have had Tommy," the director said. "I've worked with him before, of course, but always as a fellow actor. The rapport we've developed over time as performers held us in good stead during this shoot. He respected my process as a director. He was thoughtful, observant and created a rich, multi-dimensional character."
The opening installment of "Deranged" pairs Maddy May and Codey Steele.
"I was fortunate to have these two in a pairing. First off I think Maddy has an incredible future, from her acting to performing, she is running on all cylinders," Gamble said. "Codey is a great guy and a strong performer. Their chemistry comes off the screen. It was a pleasure to direct these two."
"My gratitude has no bounds"
Gamble also expressed gratitude to Braun for his support on both personal and professional levels.
"The opportunity to direct is only possible because of him and my gratitude has no bounds," he said. "His mentorship and advice have really helped me bring my creative visions to life and I couldn’t have done it without him. Over the years, I've appreciated the way he has built a crew of trusted collaborators, many of whom have described themselves to me as a 'family.' That's one of the most important things I have learned as I've watched him work: at the start of a project, most of his key collaborators are already on the same page because they understand his work, his style and what he requires of them. And just like Axel, they are all in it for one reason only — to make the best possible movie, and that’s always going to be my goal as well."
Scene One of "Deranged" is now streaming on Wicked.com.
Follow Wicked, Seth Gamble, Axel Braun, Kenzie Taylor and Tommy Pistol, as well as Maddy May and Codey Steele, on Twitter.
